PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sean Couturier had a hat trick, assisted on the game-winner by Rasmus Ristolainen and the Philadelphia Flyers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. The loss was the first in regulation for Minnesota and snapped its seven-game point streak to start the season. Ristolainen, who is usually a stay-at-home defenseman, crashed the net and jammed home the rebound of Couturier’s shot for his first goal of the season at 17:36 of the third period.
Couturier, who entered the game with a 32-game goal drought, scored the first one of the game a little more than a minute in, added a second goal on a scrum in front of the net in the third period, and finished off the hat trick with an empty net goal. Couturier’s first goal was his 500th point in his NHL career. Travis Konecny had a goal and three assists, Nick Seeler had a goal and an assist and rookie Matvei Michkov scored the first even-strength goal if his career for Philadelphia.
Marcus Foligno scored a pair of goals for Minnesota. Brock Faber, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jake Middleton also scored for the Wild, who allowed at least five goals in regulation for the first time this season. TAKEAWAYS Wild: Matt Boldy may not have scored a goal, but he was a menace in the game registering nine shots on goal.
He seemed to create a lot of offense for Minnesota and eventually earned a secondary assist on Eriksson Ek’s power play goal. Flyers: Jett Luchanko, who on opening ni.
