Ivan Barbashev netted two goals, and the Vegas Golden Knights completed a successful road trip with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
Pavel Dorofeyev, Teddy Blueger, and Jonathan Marchessault also scored for Vegas, now in first place in the Western Conference. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves, improving to 4-0 since joining the team and tying John Vanbiesbrouck for second in career wins among American goalies with 374.
“Everyone’s looking forward to getting home,” said Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy. “But once the puck drops, the guys are in a good place.”
Nick Seeler and Morgan Frost scored two late goals for the Flyers, cutting the lead to 4-3. Travis Sanheim scored in the second period, and Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves for Philadelphia. Barbashev sealed the win with an empty-net goal, his 14th of the season.
The Golden Knights have won four straight games and finished their road trip with a 4-1 record, bringing their road record to an impressive 21-7-5.
“A trip like this, especially when you get to the end, you’ve got to find a way to win,” said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
The Flyers, opening a seven-game homestand, are out of the playoff race.
“I didn’t mind much of the game,” said Flyers coach John Tortorella. “The effort is there. We’ve just got to keep on going.”
This was the Flyers’ first home game since firing general manager Chuck Fletcher and promoting Danny Briere to the interim role. The move has not yet sparked ticket sales, and Briere was in Florida for NHL general managers meetings.
Acknowledging the need for a multiyear rebuild, Briere’s comments have made losses easier for fans to accept, knowing it could improve their draft lottery odds.
“We’re done. We’re not making the playoffs,” Tortorella said. “But our guys continue to play hard.”
The Flyers showed some resilience in the third period, with Seeler and Frost scoring almost two minutes apart in a late rally.
“They’re a team that’s trying to forge an identity,” Cassidy said. “They’re going through some internal stuff. I don’t know how it affects the players.”
PERFECT START
Quick’s 27 saves secured his fourth win since being acquired from Columbus.
COOTS, THERE HE IS
Flyers center Sean Couturier participated in the team’s morning skate as he attempts to return this season after two back surgeries. Couturier, who signed a $62 million, eight-year extension in August 2021, aims to play some games this season.
“If I wait until next year, it’s going to be almost two years since I’ve played an NHL game, which is not ideal,” he said. “I’m not getting any younger, either. Feeling good about yourself, you’re back to being a hockey player and not just rehabbing.”
Selected eighth overall in the 2011 draft, Couturier has 460 points in 721 regular-season games and 22 more in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“It’s kind of something we have to do,” Couturier said of the rebuilding process. “I’ll do my best to be around and lead the right way.”
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Host Calgary on Thursday.
- Flyers: Continue their seven-game homestand against Buffalo on Friday.