Lukas Reichel, Philipp Kurashev, and Joey Anderson each had a goal and assist and Arvid Soderblom made 30 saves to boost the visiting Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-1 win against the slumping Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Chicago has won six of its past 10 games, including three of the last four. While five victories during that stretch are against clubs in the bottom five of the Western Conference, the Blackhawks’ latest triumph came at the expense of an East playoff contender.
Philadelphia (36-29-10, 82 points) still held that distinction despite four straight losses, the team’s third skid of at least four games this season. The Flyers entered the night one point ahead of the Washington Capitals for the third guaranteed playoff spot from the Metropolitan Division.
The teams are scheduled to meet in the regular-season finale in Philadelphia on April 16.
Chicago’s lone visit this season began solidly enough. Chicago (22-47-5, 49 points) built a 2-0 lead after one period while outshooting Philadelphia 9-7.
Reichel, who has fought through inconsistency this season while spending time with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford, Ill., notched his first goal since Dec. 19 when he opened the scoring just 2:01 into the game.
Reichel’s second poke at a wraparound attempt went under the left skate of Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson.
Kurashev made it 2-0 at the 17-minute mark of the first, taking a cross-ice pass from Connor Bedard and beating Ersson from the top of the left circle.
Tyson Foerster, who is jousting with Bedard for the NHL rookie goal-scoring lead, put Philadelphia on the board 17 seconds into the second period, scoring on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line. The Flyers hit the post 10 seconds later, but the Blackhawks withstood the flurry.
Chicago regained a two-goal lead on Nick Foligno’s power-play goal at 17:28 of the second. Anderson and MacKenzie Entwistle scored within a 5:24 span in the third period to complete the rout.
Philadelphia went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway was assessed a 10-minute game misconduct with 3:25 remaining.
Ersson had 19 saves.
–Field Level Media