Pettersson pots five points, Vancouver Canucks down Philadelphia Flyers 6-2

Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson (40), of Sweden, reaches for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

For Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson, marking a career milestone on Saturday night was big - but getting a rookie goalie his first NHL win was bigger.

Pettersson registered a pair of short-handed empty-net goals and three assists, and hit a career-high 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists) on the season as the Canucks downed the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2

“Obviously (the point total) was something that was on my mind when I got close,” the Swedish centre said. “But I'm happy we got the win and happy for Arturs (Silovs) to get his first NHL win.”

Silovs stopped 35 shots en route to the victory.

The 21-year-old Latvian netminder was called up from the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday and made his debut in a 6-4 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

“We wanted to get the win for him,” Pettersson. “I think last game we didn't defend good enough and we didn't help him but he still kept us in the game. And today I think was a better effort, our defensive game was better. Obviously, stuff to work on but it's a step in the right direction.”

Silovs said he found out Thursday that he'd be starting against the Flyers and that his second game was much easier. Getting the win “felt great,” he said.

The young netminder's best save of the night came midway through the second period when he stymied Travis Konecny with a pad stop on a short-handed breakaway.

“It was kind of a surprise,” Silovs said. “I thought someone's getting a puck and then he got a break where I was like, it was like a quick reaction. So it was good to make a stop for our team.”

At least one of Silovs' teammates was effusive in his praise for the burgeoning goalie.

“Oh, I am happy for Art. He is best player today. You see how many saves? A lot,” Russian winger Andrei Kuzmenko said with a laugh. “He was good. Good boy.”

Anthony Beauvillier scored twice for the Canucks (22-30-4), and Kuzmenko and Phillip Di Giuseppe each added a goal. Veteran defenceman Luke Schenn contributed three assists and J.T. Miller registered a pair of helpers.

Scott Laughton and Morgan Frost replied for the Flyers (22-25-10), and Carter Hart stopped 17-of-21 shots as Philly lost its fourth straight game.

Despite the result, coach John Tortorella saw the loss as an improvement over the 6-2 drubbing his team suffered at the hands of the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

“We played better,” he said. “We really need to try to find some more offence consistently, but I thought our effort was better than the last game.”

Before putting away two empty-net strikes in the final two minutes of the game, Pettersson registered three assists.

Midway through the second, the Canucks went on the power play after Konecny was called for tripping.

Just four seconds into the man advantage, Pettersson - who won the hardest shot competition at the NHL's all-star festivities earlier this month - launched a rocket from the point and Beauvillier tipped it in to put the Canucks up 3-1 at 13:35.

The Canucks were 1-for-2 with the man advantage Saturday and the Flyers went 1-for-2.

The win snapped a three-game skid for the Canucks, who are 4-5-1 since Rick Tocchet took over as head coach on Jan. 22.

“We need some positive stuff around here, right?” Tocchet said of the result. “It's been kind of negative and we need some positive.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2023.