Flyers 2, Canucks 1: Carter Hart's brilliance continues as win streak hits 8 games

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The Flyers have completely forgotten what it’s like to lose.

Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier scored the Flyers' only goals in a 2-1 win Monday night over the Canucks, extending the NHL’s longest winning streak to eight games.

The victory also marked No. 2,000 in the organization’s history.

Here are my observations from the Wells Fargo Center:

• Nolan Patrick was an absolute force in this game early on as he came out flying in the first period. Patrick played with a determination and found that “fifth gear” in the offensive zone.

Patrick’s zone entry led to the Flyers' first goal of the game as Travis Konecny fed Sean Couturier for the goal. Wisely, Patrick didn’t force the puck into traffic.

He also hit an early post and his line drew two first-period power-play opportunities.

• Uncharacteristically, Carter Hart was susceptible to rebounds in this game on shots that he typically gobbles up. However, to Hart’s credit, he was able to angle those rebounds away from danger or to a defenseman down low. Hart’s positioning was still on point as he denied Vancouver sniper Brock Boeser on a number of good looks and finished with a career-high 41 saves.

• Voracek has the ability to be a relentless power forward when he’s engaged and that was clearly the case when he powered his way to the net, beating Jacob Markstrom on a breakaway three minutes into the second period. That goal lit a fuse into Voracek as he completely undressed defenseman Derrick Pouliot, leading to another scoring opportunity.

With this goal, Voracek now has at least one point in eight of his last nine games (one goal, 10 assists).

• The Flyers could have put this game out of reach early in the second period when Konecny caught the Canucks in a line change with James van Riemsdyk and Patrick rushing up the ice. Konecny held on to the puck a little too long and by the time he decided what to do, it was too late.

• That sequence turned the momentum in the direction of the Canucks, who could have trailed, 3-0, but instead cut the deficit to 2-1 on a strange play in which Hart came out of his net to play the puck. However, the 20-year-old wound up sending a pass to Boeser, who stuffed it home. Definitely a momentum-killer and tough play for Hart. 

• For whatever reason, the Flyers have been scorched in the second period recently. They gave up another second-period goal in this game and have now surrendered 25 second-period goals over their last 15 games.

• A big blow on a scary play for Vancouver when defenseman Alexander Edler got his stick caught in Voracek’s skate. The force of Voracek’s speed flung Edler downward and his head slammed to the ice. Edler blacked out on the play and was taken off on a stretcher.

You could tell the home crowd was deeply concerned with fans in the lower bowl all standing to ensure Edler was OK. The Canucks had to make due without their No. 1 defenseman.

• The Carter Hart save of the night:

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