Vatrano Scores Hat Trick as Ducks Down Flyers

The Flyers three previous games at home had all been strong performances from start to finish. Their fourth, which was also the Halloween Spectacular, was more of the "horror show" that John Tortorella had forecasted during training camp.

The Anaheim Ducks scored at least two goals in each period to hand the Flyers a 7-4 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

The Ducks got on the board just 58 seconds in. Off a neutral-zone turnover by Travis Sanheim, the Ducks moved up in transition. Mason McTavish whiffed on the shot attempt, but was able to get the puck to the side of the net for Ryan Strome to bury the rebound and make it 1-0.

On a power play, the Ducks were also able to capitalize and extend the lead. In the closing seconds of the man-advantage, Cam Fowler set up Frank Vatrano in the slot, and he fired a laser to the top corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season at 15:20.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 10-8 Flyers.

Just under seven minutes into the second period, the Ducks thought they had a goal as the puck appeared to be covered by Sam Ersson. After review during a TV timeout, the call on the ice was ruled a goal for Vatrano, his second of the game, to make it 3-0.

Two and a half minutes later, at 9:30, the Ducks opened up a 4-0 lead as Adam Henrique took advantage of a defensive breakdown.

The Flyers started on the comeback trail in the final 10 minutes of the period. Cam Atkinson got the Flyers on the board at 11:49 on a two-on-one off a pass from Owen Tippett for his fifth goal of the season. Just 46 seconds later, Travis Konecny scored his seventh goal of the season off the rush to make it 4-2.

Through two periods, shots were 21-16 Flyers.

The comeback bid was short-lived though, as the Ducks put the game away early in the third. On a power play, the Ducks opened up a three-goal lead as a turnover led to Trevor Zegras scoring his first goal of the season at 2:42.

After a Flyers timeout, the Ducks added another goal just 32 seconds later. Brett Leason finished off a rush by banking a shot in off Ersson to make it 6-2 Anaheim.

Konecny added his second goal of the game on the power play at 9:51 to cut the lead back to three. But a shorthanded goal for Vatrano at 11:12 completed the hat trick and brought the lead back to four. Joel Farabee scored with three minutes remaining to cap the scoring.

Ersson finished with 16 saves on 23 shots in the loss. Lukas Dostal made 27 saves on 31 shots in the win.

Strome finished with three points and Vatrano had three goals in the win. McTavish and Henrique had two points.

The Flyers get back on home ice on Monday night to take on the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• ANA Ryan Strome (2) (Mason McTavish) 0:58
• ANA Frank Vatrano (6) PP (Cam Fowler, McTavish) 15:20

2nd Period

• ANA Vatrano (7) (Jackson Lacombe, Strome) 6:58
• ANA Adam Henrique (1) (Jakob Silfverberg, Max Jones) 9:30
• PHI Cam Atkinson (5) (Owen Tippett, Cam York) 11:49
• PHI Travis Konecny (7) (Sean Walker, Scott Laughton) 12:35

3rd Period

• ANA Trevor Zegras (1) PP (Strome) 2:42
• ANA Brett Leason (2) (Sam Carrick) 3:14
• PHI Konecny (8) PP (Sean Couturier, Bobby Brink) 9:51
• ANA Vatrano (8) SH (Henrique) 11:12
• PHI Joel Farabee (4) (Brink, Noah Cates) 17:00

Game Statistics

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.