Flyers hold off the Canucks 3-1 in a matchup of struggling squads

Michael Bunting and Travis Konecny scored in the first two periods to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Monday night in a matchup of struggling teams. Travis Sanheim added an empty-net goal for Philadelphia (5-10-5), and Christian Dvorak had two assists. Joseph Woll stopped 18 shots for the Flyers, who were coming off a 4-3 overtime loss Sunday night at Calgary. They had dropped three in a row (0-2-1) and six of seven (1-4-2). Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored a power-play goal with 7:16 remaining for the Canucks (3-16-1), who have lost six consecutive games. They are 1-15-1 since a 2-1 start. Vancouver continued to press after Lekkerimaki's goal but couldn't find the equalizer. Leevi Merilainen finished with 14 saves. The Canucks came within inches of tying it on a power play with 5:52 left, but Lekkerimaki's shot pinged off the crossbar. Sanheim's short-handed empty-net goal sealed it with 58.3 seconds to play. That was Philadelphia's first shot on goal in the third period. Bunting returned to the lineup after sitting out five games as a healthy scratch. He skated on the top line alongside Dvorak and Owen Tippett. Flyers: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Canucks: Host the New York Rangers on Friday. In: Vancouver Canucks Sports NHL Philadelphia Flyers Featured Local Savings