Ersson gets first career NHL shutout as Flyers beat Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- — Joel Farabee had two points and Samuel Ersson made 28 saves to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

In his fifth start of the season, Ersson earned his first career NHL shutout against the league's highest scoring team and gave the Flyers their fifth win in six games.

“I think that’s what’s been impressive about (Ersson), he’s just very calm and he gets about his business," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "It helps the team. So, I’m happy for him.”

Farabee’s goal and assist came 1:27 apart in the first period. After Zack MacEwen opened the scoring early in the first, Farabee’s goal gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. He then helped set up a goal from Noah Cates that made it 3-0. Wade Allison scored about 2 minutes into the third period.

“(Farabee’s) obviously such a smart player and really deceptive,” Cates said. “Coming off surgery and whatnot this offseason, it maybe took him a little to get into the season, but … he’s been great for us lately especially.”

Craig Anderson made 34 saves for Buffalo, which was shutout for the first time this season and lost for just the second time in the past 10 games.

“I thought tonight our guys looked and felt emotionally drained,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “They just had a really difficult time executing things that they execute simple. They didn’t look like themselves. We fought the puck all night and we didn’t look fast.”

MacEwen opened the scoring at 2:04 of the first when a pass from Patrick Brown glanced off him and past Anderson. Farabee made it 2-0 at 13:31 of the first after an Owen Power gaffe and fired a wrist shot past Anderson. Cates made it 3-0 when he buried a rebound off a Travis Konecny shot in front.

“I think we just keep getting better,” MacEwen said. “We’re starting to trust our game and our structure. With that, I think we’re kind of playing the right way and it’s creating more offense for us, we’re scoring more goals. It’s just something we’ve got to keep building.”

COMRIE ACTIVATED

Sabres goalie Eric Comrie was activated from injured reserve on Monday. Comrie has been out of action since he sustained a lower-body injury Nov. 16 against Ottawa. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was loaned to AHL Rochester to make room on the roster.

JOKIHARJU STATUS

Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju has been out since Dec. 9, when he was injured in a game against Pittsburgh. Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said the team will update Jokiharju's status Tuesday; it’s expected he’ll be ready to return to the Sabres lineup as soon as this week.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host Washington on Wednesday night.

Sabres: Host Seattle on Tuesday night.

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