By: Brayden Fengler / January 1, 2024 Game 36: December 28th vs. The Philadelphia Flyers
The Canucks’ only game of the week and last game of the year was at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. With Demko (probably) still too stuffed with turkey dinner Casey DeSmith took to the pipes for the clubs meeting with the Flyers.
A few minor off ice stories add some colour to this contest, as this game featured an interesting combination of bench bosses with ties to their opposing clubs.
Tortorella is of course one of the Canucks’… let’s say more “colourful” former coaches of recent memory, so it’s always exciting to see Tortorella in the building, regardless of which dressing room hallway he’s walking down. On the flip side, Rick Tocchet is not only a former player for the Flyers, but not long ago in 2021 he was inducted in to the Philadelphia Flyers own Hall of Fame.
Beyond Tortz another former Canuck was in the building last night as Markus Näslund graced Rogers arena with his presence as well.
Once the puck dropped, the Canucks began play in a similar fashion to many recent games, they let the opposing Flyers team rack up the chances and the shots early, as Vancouver failed to develop much for themselves.
The Canucks earned their first shot just under five minutes into the period, after the Flyers and already reached DeSmith with four pucks of their own. Shy of the Ilya Mikheyev taking advantage of a Flyers turnover and producing a break-in that result in a Pettersson shot which was blocked, the Canucks remained conservatives with their chances in the opening frame.
Although the Canucks didn’t put up much offensively in the first period, they did keep their defensive game relatively tight. This included a sitck-less Quinn Hughes breaking up Flyers cross ice pass with nothing but his skate blade.
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The second period looked a little better for Vancouver, by the half way mark in the frame they had come within spitting distance off the Flyers shot total, and remained only slightly behind the visiting team in this category there after.
However, unfortunately for Vancouver, the Flyers 18th shot of the game wound up in a different place than all their others, as a Egor Zamula shot screened by two Flyers found it’s way to the netting.
This seemingly opened the floodgates for the orange team as just Sean Walker wrists shot that also found the back of the net.
If this wasn’t deflating enough for Vancouver and their fans the Flyers weren’t done yet. Once more in the final minutes of the second frame the Flyers added another goal to their tally thanks to a Joel Farabee goal gifted to him by a caused Zadorov turnover at the Canucks blueline.
The third period immediately offered a glimmer of hope as in the opening minute the power line of Garland, Joshua and Blueger executed textbook break-in to the Flyers zone which resulted in a Teddy Blueget goal.
Minutes after this goal the Canucks were then gifted a power play opportunity off the back of a Cam Atkinson roughing call against Noah Juulsen.
Regrettably though, the wind would be quickly taken out of the Canucks’ sails as a neglected Garnet Hathaway with all the time in the world in front of DeSmith capitalized on his own rebound and brought the score to 4-1 Flyers
This is where the score would remain for the rest of the game. The Canucks’ nine game point streak ended thanks to their performance during their final game of the season.
