PHILADELPHIA -- The last time goaltender Steve Mason was between the pipes, he was yanked after allowing three goals on just 10 shots.

"No way around it," Mason said after the Dec. 8 game against the New York Islanders. "I've got to be better."

On Thursday night, in his return to net after sitting three straight, Mason wasn't just better.

Mason was brilliant, recording his first shutout of the season and leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Wells Fargo Center.

"You come to the rink, you work hard and try to put on a happy face, but personally you're not happy with the role you're in but that's something you accept," Mason said. "The thing you control is how hard you work in practice to prepare."

The focus paid off as he stopped all 36 shots he faced to help the Flyers (14-12-6) improve to 7-2-1 in their past 10 games. Late in the second period, he sent a message with a sprawling glove save on defenseman Alexander Edler, as Philadelphia fended off a five-on-three by Vancouver.

"After that stop he made in the second period, I knew it was gonna be something good tonight," said Flyers left winger Michael Raffl, who scored a goal along with center Sean Couturier.

Meanwhile, the Canucks (11-14-8) saw their road woes continue, as they have dropped the first three games of a six-game trip. Even worse, Vancouver is 1-7-3 in its past 11 road games, a stretch in which it was outscored 37-16.

On the current road trip, the Canucks have been outscored 12-2.

"Teams go through these dry spells every season," Vancouver left winger Daniel Sedin said. "It's a matter of how quick you can get out of them. Right now, we need some goals."

On top of the struggles, center Henrik Sedin left the game and did not return after sustaining a lower-body injury in the second period.

Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins had no update on Sedin afterward, but did say a forward would be called upon Friday from American Hockey League affiliate Utica.

"I thought the guys played hard," Desjardins said. "It doesn't always work when you play hard, you (don't always) get a win, but I thought our effort was better tonight."

Vancouver backup goalie Jacob Markstrom (1-3-2) stopped 30 shots but received little help.

"I thought we played a great game," Markstrom said. "It's tough right now for sure."

Couturier iced the game with less than three minutes remaining when he scored off a rebound, assisted by right winger Wayne Simmonds and left winger Jakub Voracek.

"Tonight was another one of those games where it's a 1-0 lead and we weren't really scared to lose," Couturier said. "We still kept playing and we got two points -- that's the most important (thing).

"Lately we're trusting each other, playing the system and getting results."

As a Flyers power play expired at 16:45 of the first period, defenseman Evgeny Medvedev fired a shot from the point and Raffl deflected it high past Markstrom for a 1-0 lead.

After the Flyers jumped on top, they had a golden chance to extend their lead with a five-on-three courtesy of two Canucks penalties. However, Vancouver impressively held its ground by killing off both penalties before the first intermission.

"We played good," Daniel Sedin said. "Five-on-five I thought we were the better team. We need a little extra from each and every guy and we'll get through this."

At the tail end of the second period, the Canucks went on their five-on-three advantage but that's when Mason made his highlight-reel save on Edler.

"Outstanding performance from the start of the game all the way through," Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said of Mason. "A couple of big saves none bigger than the second."

NOTES: Canucks backup G Jacob Markstrom received his sixth start and first since Dec. 5. Starting G Ryan Miller was pulled from his previous start on Dec. 15 when he surrendered six goals in 40 minutes. ... D Luke Schenn (lower body), C Sam Gagner (upper body) and D Mark Streit (groin) remained out of the Flyers' lineup. D Luca Sbisa (hand), C Brandon Sutter (sports hernia) and D Dan Hamhuis (facial fracture) were out of the Canucks' lineup. ... Flyers C Vincent Lecavalier, Canucks D Andrey Pedan and Canucks LW Ronalds Kenins were healthy scratches.