BUFFALO, N.Y. — Brian Elliott stopped 23 shots to shut out the Buffalo Sabres for a second time this season in leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-0 win.
The Flyers were spurred by a replenished lineup in which four players returned after spending two weeks in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
They included Scott Laughton, who scored a breakaway goal to make it 3-0 with 1 minute, 6 seconds remaining in the second period. Sean Couturier had a goal and assist to extend his points streak to five games.
The Sabres dropped to 2-6-1 in their past nine and played their second game without captain Jack Eichel, who is listed day to day with a lower body injury.
Eichel was declared a late scratch after pregame warm-ups Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils after suffering a lower body injury that coach Ralph Krueger said was entirely new and had nothing to do with the reason he didn't skate in the morning.
"Jack's lower body complication showed up in the warm-up actually. It was not related to him not skating this morning, so it definitely caught us all by surprise. The first diagnosis on it is day to day and the feeling that he had that there was a risk of putting him into the game situation," Krueger said.