Boeser leads Canucks over Flyers
PHILADELPHIA — Last summer, after the Vancouver Canucks’ development camp, coach Travis Green sat down with rookie right wing Brock Boeser and, in no uncertain terms, told him it was time for him to prove he could be an impact player in the NHL.
“Travis gave me a serious talk and told me what I needed to do to make the team and make a difference,” Boeser said Tuesday night after scoring two goals to lead the Canucks to a 5-2 win over the slumping Philadelphia Flyers. “I knew it all depended on how hard I worked and so far, it’s been going pretty well.”
Boeser leads the team in goals (nine) and points (19). He’s one point behind NHL rookie scoring leader Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes.
“We talked about his game,” Green said after the Canucks improved to 10-8-3. “We talked about expectations and where he was at. I’m happy with his game. It’s not just his goal scoring that I like. It’s his detail away from the puck, being able to win puck battles, his conditioning. All that. It’s part of being a pro.”
Meanwhile, teammate Daniel Sedin inched closer to a major NHL milestone, picking up a goal and an assist to leave him four points shy of 1,000 for his career. Sven Baertschi scored a powerplay goal, Henrik Sedin had two assists and Loui Eriksson added an empty-net goal and an assist for the Canucks.
Jacob Markstrom made 35 saves to earn his sixth win of the season as Vancouver won for only the second time in six games.
Ivan Provorov and Jakub Voracek scored for the Flyers, who lost their fifth straight and fell below .500 (8-9-4) for the first time this season.
The Canucks continue their six-game road trip tonight in Pittsburgh. ST. LOUIS — Vladimir Tarasenko had two goals and two assists, helping the St. Louis Blues to an 8-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Brayden Schenn also had two goals and two assists, and Jake Allen stopped 26 shots for the NHL-leading Blues. DALLAS — Devin Shore and Jason Spezza scored 59 seconds apart late in the second period to lift the Dallas Stars over the Montreal Canadiens 3-1.
Jordie Benn of North Saanich played at Dallas for the first time since being traded to the Canadiens last season. His first 302 career games were with the Stars on the same team as his brother, Jamie Benn.
A tribute to Jordie Benn played on the video board during the first period. Their parents attended the game.