Voracek lifts Flyers past Devils, 5-2
PHILADELPHIA >> Jake Voracek had a goal and had two assists, and the Philadelphia Flyers finally played some solid defense in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Voracek, who was demoted from the Flyers’ top line, took a loose puck at center ice and kept it himself on a 2-on-1 breakaway, beating Keith Kinkaid for his third goal of the season to put the Flyers ahead 3-2 with 3:10 remaining.
Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick also scored, and Scott Laughton and Wayne Simmonds added empty-net goals for the Flyers, who limited the Devils to just 21 shots. Philadelphia had allowed four goals or more in five of its first seven games.
Brian Elliott, who was pulled after giving up four goals to the Florida Panthers last Tuesday, bounced back to make 19 saves and earn his second win of the season.
Damon Severson and Brian
Boyle scored for the Devils, who have lost two straight games after winning their first four. Kinkaid made 16 saves.
Voracek stripped Will Butcher and made a cross-ice pass to Patrick for a tap-in goal that put the Flyers ahead 2-1 with about a minute left in the second period. Voracek added his second assist on Laughton’s empty-netter.
Konecny scored the Flyers’ first goal with a wrist shot from the right circle on a power play, his second of the season after going without a goal in his first six games. It was the first goal this season from Philadelphia’s second power-play unit.
Simmonds’ goal was his sixth of the season.
Severson put the Devils ahead just over four minutes into the game.
Boyle tied it for New Jersey with a power-play goal early in the third period.
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol challenged the goal, citing goaltender interference, and although Kyle Palmieri’s skate was in the crease and made contact with Elliott’s stick, replay officials ruled the contact was incidental and let the goal stand. NOTES >> The Devils have scored at least one powerplay goal in each of their six games . ... This was the Devils’ first true road game of the season, although they played their season opener in Sweden against the Edmonton Oilers . ... Hakstol juggled his defensive pairings ingame, breaking up his top pairing of Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere for the first time in nearly a year. The Flyers entered play Saturday with the second-most goals allowed in the NHL. ... Patrick returned to the Flyers’ lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury, replacing Corban Knight, who played in his first NHL game last Thursday.