PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Connor Bedard increased his rookie-leading scoring total with an assist, Filip Kurashev, Joey Anderson and Lukas Reichel each added a goal and an assist as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated Philadelphia on Saturday night. They defeated the Delphia Flyers 5-1.
Nick Foligno and Mackenzie Entwistle also scored, helping rebuild Chicago, which entered the game with the second-fewest points in the NHL. The Blackhawks improved their record to 22-47-5 overall and 7-29-1 on the road. Arvid Söderblom made 29 saves.
Tyson Forster scored for the Flyers and Samuel Arson made 19 saves.
This season, the second year under coach John Tortorella, was expected to be another rebuild, but the Flyers have become a surprise playoff contender. The last time they made it to the postseason was in 2020. The Flyers entered Saturday holding the last playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, just one point behind fourth-place Washington. Philadelphia has seven games left.
Tortorella was shaking his head early and often behind the bench as the Flyers struggled to win against the lowly Blackhawks, who had already been eliminated from the playoff race.
Reichel's wraparound just 2:01 into the game gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead, and Kurashev received a nice cross-ice pass from Bedard before going past Elson's glove side to make it 3-on-2. .
Bedard's 36th assist increased his team-leading point total to 57, also leading Chicago. The Blackhawks selected the 18-year-old star player with the No. 1 pick in last spring's draft.
After Philadelphia assistant captain Scott Laughton dropped Ryan Donato's glove at the end of the first period, in an apparent attempt to inspire his team, the Flyers, in Foerster's 20th game of the season, lost the second half of the season. The game was tied within 2-1 just 17 seconds into the period.
However, Philadelphia was unable to score the tying goal, and the Blackhawks took a two-point lead with 2:32 left in the second half on Foligno's one-timer from the frame on a power play. Third goals from Anderson and Entwistle further extended the Blackhawks' advantage.
The Flyers were hurt by their own performance on the man advantage, going 0-for-3. Philadelphia converted at an NHL-worst 13.2% on the power play.
Ivan Fedotov served as Philadelphia's backup goaltender after joining the Flyers on Friday. The club drafted the 6-foot-6 27-year-old in the seventh round in 2015, but he has yet to suit up for the Flyers due to issues with leaving Russia to play in the KHL. Wearing an unpainted white goalie mask, Fedotov received loud cheers during warm-ups.
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Blackhawks: At Islanders on Tuesday night.
Flyer: We will host Islanders on Monday night.
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