For the second time this season, the Vancouver Canucks (1-1-2) face the Philadelphia Flyers (1-2-1). The Flyers beat the Canucks 3-2 in a shootout on October 11 at Rogers Arena. That was Philadelphia’s season opener. Tonight is the Flyers home opener at Wells Fargo Center after starting the season with four games on the road.
The Canucks are coming off their first win of the season on Thursday night in Florida, where they edged the Panthers 3-2 in overtime. Tonight, veteran defenceman Tyler Myers will play his 1,000th NHL game. It appears the Canucks will make at least one line-up change for tonight’s game with Daniel Sprong set to return to game action after sitting out the last two outings.

What we saw

After a team travel day on Friday, the Canucks took to the ice this morning in Philadelphia with a welcome addition in the form of Dakota Joshua, who skated with the group for the first time since his testicular cancer diagnosis. Joshua is not ready to return to the line-up yet, but joining the rest of the team on the ice is a big step in the right direction.
Based on today’s skate, it appears Rick Tocchet will tinker with his top six once again, this time starting Jake DeBrusk on a line with JT Miller and Brock Boeser. DeBrusk finished Thursday’s game in that spot after beginning the night on the team’s third line. In addition to deployment tweaks, Tocchet is making a line-up change as Daniel Sprong looks set to replace Arshdeep Bains who was the extra healthy forward on the ice this morning. Sprong spent his first two games of the season as a top-six forward before being scratched for the past two. This will be the first time he starts a game in the bottom of the line-up.
Erik Brännström is expected to remain in the line-up on defence and suit up for a second straight game. The only question is whether Vincent Desharnais is his partner on the right side or if Noah Juulsen draws back in. Based on the fact that Juulsen stayed out late to work with coaches, it appears he will be scratched tonight. Veteran Derek Forbort remains on leave from the team for personal reasons.
The Canucks will go back to Kevin Lankinen in goal tonight. The Finn was sharp on Thursday, stopping 26 of 28 Florida shots. Lankinen is now 1-0-1 on the season allowing two goals in each of his starts. He has a 1.89 GAA and a .932% save percentage. He’ll make consecutive starts for the first time as a Canuck and for the first time since late in the 2021-22 NHL season when he was with Chicago.
Tyler Myers will become the 400th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game milestone tonight. The 34-year-old blueliner has played 365 games for Buffalo, 364 for Vancouver and 270 with Winnipeg in his 16-year career. He made his NHL debut on October 3, 2009 logging 16:13 for the Sabres in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Myers was the 12th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. Six defencemen from that draft class have now logged 1,000 NHL games (Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, Erik Karlsson, John Carlson, Luke Schenn & Myers).
JT Miller’s second goal of the season 2:09 into overtime propelled the Canucks to victory over the Panthers on Thursday. Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist while registering a career-high nine shots on goal. Teddy Blueger scored the Canucks’ other goal. Keifer Sherwood was credited with 10 hits in the game.
After converting on their first two power plays of the season on opening night against Calgary, the Canucks are one for their last 12 (8.3%). Conor Garland’s third-period goal with the man advantage in Tampa Bay on Tuesday is the team’s lone power play marker in the last three games.

The opponent

Since defeating the Canucks on opening night, Philadelphia is winless in three (0-2-1) after a 6-4 loss in Seattle on Tuesday. Scott Laughton scored a pair of goals and an assist to lead the offensive charge against the Kraken, while defencemen Jamie Drysdale and Cam York also found the back of the net. 
Ivan Fedotov got the start in net and allowed five goals on 24 shots before giving way to Samuel Ersso,n who played the final 20 minutes. Ersson is 1-0-1 in his two starts so far this season, while Fedotov is 0-2. The Flyers did not conduct a morning skate, so their line-up has not been finalized. However, Ersson, who turns 25 tomorrow, is expected to get the nod in net tonight.
The Flyers held the Canucks to just two goals in their season opener but have surrendered 16 goals in the three games since, including allowing six goals in a game twice (at Calgary and at Seattle).
With two goals and two assists, rookie Matvei Michkov shares the team lead in scoring with Laughton and Bobby Brink. They each have four points through four games. Both of Michkov’s goals came in an overtime loss in Edmonton, and all four of his points so far have come on the power play.
Philadelphia has scored a power play goal in each of its first four games and has cashed in five times overall this season.
Flyers captain Sean Couturier is sitting on 499 career NHL points.
Tonight’s referees: Kelly Sutherland & Justin Kea
Tonight’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse & Dave Tomlinson
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