Flyers advance, eliminate Canadiens

TORONTO — Ivan Provorov, Kevin Hayes and Michael Raffl scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round for the first time in eight years with a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 on Friday night.

The Flyers won the series 4-2 and are on to the second round in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2012. The Flyers have not played in the Stanley Cup Final since 2010 or won the Cup since 1975.

The Flyers will move on to play the New York Islanders.

Carter Hart again was stout for the Flyers and stopped 31 shots for the top-seeded Flyers

Nick Suzuki scored two goals for the Canadiens.

The Flyers scored just 28 seconds into the game when Provorov redirected one past Carey Price for the lead and the seventh time in the postseason they scored first.

The Flyers have made it this far in the postseason without any major production from their top scorers. Travis Konecny (24), Hayes (23), Sean Couturier (22), Claude Giroux (21), and James van Riemsdyk (19) all failed to score a goal headed into Game 6.

CANUCKS 5, BLUES 1

In Edmonton, Alberta, Tyler Motte scored twice in the third period as Vancouver ousted the defending Stanley Cup champions in six games.

Vancouver jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Troy Stecher and Brock Boeser scored over the first and second periods. Jacob Markstrom had 34 saves for Vancouver.

STARS 7, FLAMES 3

Late Thursday in Edmonton, Alberta, Denis Gurianov scored four goals, including a hat trick in the second period while also assisting on the go-ahead score as Dallas rallied from a quick three-goal deficit to wrap up the first-round playoff series in six games. Gurianov had two goals in the first 3:25 of the second period to tie the game at 3, before his helper on Radek Faksa’s power play goal about 2½ minutes later pushed the Stars ahead to stay. It was 6-3 after Gurianov’s next goal capped their five-goal second period, and he scored on a rebound midway through the third.