Canucks Blank Struggling Flyers, 3-0

PHILADELPHIA -- On a high-powered offensive team like the Vancouver Canucks, goals come from a variety of sources.
 
Defenseman Willie Mitchell generally isn't one of them. But the defenseman opened the scoring with his his third goal of the season as the Canucks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night at the Wachovia Center.
 
Alexandre Burrows and Christian Ehrhoff also had goals, Henrik Sedin had a pair of assists, and Roberto Luongo stopped all 38 Flyers shots for his second shutout of the season. Taking in Luongo's second straight strong performance -- he made 27 saves in the Canucks' 5-2 win in New Jersey on Wednesday -- were Steve Yzerman, executive director for Canada's Olympic team, and assistant Doug Armstrong.
 
Vancouver won its second straight game to open a four-game road trip. The Canucks entered the game just 5-8-0 on the road, but now have won three straight away from GM Place.
 
The Flyers lost for the sixth time in their last seven games and have been shut out in consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 10-12, 2003. They lost 1-0 on Saturday in Atlanta. Their last goal came at 19:56 of the first period of against Buffalo on Nov. 27, and their scoreless streak is up to 160 minutes and 4 seconds.
 
Philadelphia, which entered the game tied for second in the League on the power play, went 0-for-5 against a Vancouver team that entered the game 21st in the League killing penalties and 24th on the road.
 
Brian Boucher played well in the loss, but stopped only 26 of 29 shots.
 
After a scoreless first period that saw strong goaltending from Luongo and Boucher, Mitchell opened the scoring at 13:38 of the second period. Tanner Glass bulled his way out of the corner and into the crease. Boucher stopped his shot, but Glass bumped Boucher enough that he couldn't recover in time to stop Mitchell's backhander from the slot.
 
The goal was Mitchell's first in 22 games, and just his 18th in 566 NHL games.
 
Burrows made it 2-0 when he was credited with a goal after Daniel Sedin's shot caromed off his back in front and went past Boucher at 17:28. Daniel and Henrik Sedin outworked the Flyers down low in the Philadelphia zone, with the puck eventually coming to Daniel in the high slot. Burrows was battling with Philadelphia's Chris Pronger in front, and the shot bounced off Burrows' pants for his eighth of the season.
 
Ehrhoff made it 3-0 at 16:41 of the third. Henrik Sedin walked through the high slot and backhanded a pass to Ehrhoff, who one-timed a shot that trickled under Boucher's arm for the defenseman's seventh goal of the season.
 
Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com