03/09/10 3-2 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total NYI 1 1 0 - - 2 PHI 0 1 2 - - 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total NYI 13 5 7 - - 25 PHI 14 11 10 - - 35

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Game Wrapup

Philadelphia Flyers 3, New York Islanders 2

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Simon Gagne was credited with the game- winning power-play goal with 6:06 remaining in regulation, as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the New York Islanders, 3-2, at Wachovia Center.

Claude Giroux and Jeff Carter also scored for the Flyers, who have won two straight and earned at least one point in four of their first five games following the Olympic break (3-1-1). The Flyers have now defeated the Islanders 15 consecutive times, which marks the longest active stretch of victories by one team over any single opponent in the league.

Michael Leighton turned aside 23 shots for Philadelphia.

Rookie John Tavares and Kyle Okposo scored for the Islanders, who are fading from the playoff race and have now dropped three straight. Dwayne Roloson allowed three goals on 35 shots in the loss.

With the scored tied at 2-2 in the third period, a boarding minor called on Trevor Gillies proved costly for New York. An attempted clear by the short- handed visitors was barely kept inside the zone at the left point by Matt Carle, and the disc was then corralled by Giroux atop the left circle.

Giroux sent a pass across the slot for Gagne at the bottom of the right circle. Gagne spotted captain Mike Richards open at the top of the crease and attempted to pass to Richards, but the puck instead deflected off the stick of New York defenseman Mark Streit and past Roloson at the 13:54 mark.

The Isles pulled their netminder with just over a minute to go, but the Flyers used several clears and key faceoff wins in their defensive zone to hold on for the victory.

The Islanders opened the scoring at the 7:06 mark of the first period. A shot by Richard Park from the slot was saved by Leighton, but the puck squirted loose behind the netminder. Tavares hustled in from the right side, gained control of the puck at the near post and tucked it in for his 18th goal.

New York moved ahead by two at the 10:27 mark when Okposo beat Leighton with a wrister from the inner rim of the right circle.

The Flyers cut their deficit in half at 12:03 of the second frame via Carter’s 30th goal of the season. Danny Briere held control behind the net along the rear boards and sent a quick pass to Carter, who lit the lamp with a snap shot from below the left circle.

A nifty move by Giroux knotted the contest at the eight-minute mark of the third. Skating on the power play, Richards held control along the left half- wall and sent a centering pass for Giroux, who was streaking down the slot, accepted the pass from Richards and scored with a backhander from the top of the crease behind a full head of steam.

Game Notes

The Flyers have now won five straight and 11 of their last 13 on home ice overall to improve to 20-11-2 this season in Philadelphia…The last time the Isles beat the Flyers was February 12, 2008..The Flyers were 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Islanders failed on their lone chance with the extra skater…Philadelphia will host Boston on Thursday before it concludes the current four-game homestand with a Saturday matinee against Chicago.
Last updated: March 9, 2010 at 10:28 PM

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
07:06 NYI John Tavares (18) Tip-In – Assists: R. Park (15) & B. Gervais (12)

2nd Period
10:27 NYI Kyle Okposo (14) Snap Shot – Assists: J. Bailey (16) & B. Gervais (13)
12:03 PHI Jeff Carter (31) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Briere (20) & K. Timonen (29)

3rd Period
08:00 PHI PPG – Claude Giroux (14) Backhand – Assists: M. Richards (28) & C. Pronger (40)
13:54 PHI PPG – Simon Gagne (12) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (26) & M. Carle (24)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
18:00 NYI Josh Bailey : Hooking – 2 min

2nd Period
01:04 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Tripping – 2 min

3rd Period
07:24 NYI Mark Streit : Boarding – 2 min
08:00 NYI Sean Bergenheim : Hi-sticking – 2 min
12:32 NYI Trevor Gillies : Boarding – 2 min

3/7/10 3-1 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total TOR 1 0 0 - - 1 PHI 1 2 0 - - 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total TOR 7 11 10 - - 28 PHI 8 7 10 - - 25

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Michael Leighton made 27 saves to help the Philadelphia Flyers take a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Wachovia Center.

Danny Briere, Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter each had a goal for the Flyers, who snapped a two-game slide. Chris Pronger added two assists in the win.

Nikolai Kulemin scored the lone goal for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped five of their last six. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 22 stops in the loss.

Toronto took four penalties over a 4:34 span in the first period, with Colton Orr taking three of the minors.

Philly had extended power-play time thanks to the infractions and were able to put the puck into the net. On a 5-on-3, Pronger used the slap-pass from the high slot to send it to the low left circle where Carter slammed it into the wide open net for his 30th goal of the season at the 13:22 mark.

The Maple Leafs tied the game 3:55 into the second, as Carl Gunnarsson threw a shot on net from the left point that was knocked down in front, and Kulemin backhanded the puck in from the right side.

The Flyers, though, scored twice in a 1:16 span late in the second to take the lead back for good.

The first goal came after a right circle faceoff win as the puck came around to the left side. Daniel Carcillo slid the puck over to the left circle where Gagne kicked it from his skate to his stick and snapped the puck into the net at the 17:09 mark.

A bit later, Briere made it a 3-1 game as he wristed home the puck in the slot off a pass from Braydon Coburn.

Leighton made 10 stops and helped Philadelphia kill a couple of power plays in the third period to hang on for the win.

Game Notes

Philly returns home to face the Islanders on Tuesday…Toronto hosts Boston on Tuesday…The Flyers have taken two of three against the Leafs this season…Philly went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Toronto was 0-for-4.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
13:22 PHI PPG – Jeff Carter (30) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Pronger (38) & M. Richards (27)

2nd Period
03:55 TOR Nikolai Kulemin (12) Backhand – Assists: C. Gunnarsson (7) & J. Finger (8)
17:09 PHI Simon Gagne (11) Snap Shot – Assists: D. Carcillo (8) & C. Pronger (39)
18:25 PHI Danny Briere (23) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. Coburn (13) & M. Carle (23)

3rd Period
none

Penalty Summary

1st Period
07:52 TOR Colton Orr : Roughing – 2 min
07:52 TOR Colton Orr : Cross checking – 2 min
11:23 TOR Dion Phaneuf : Hi-sticking – 2 min
12:26 TOR Colton Orr : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min
17:49 PHI Darroll Powe : Tripping – 2 min
19:49 TOR Viktor Stalberg : Hi-sticking – 2 min

2nd Period
05:26 PHI Claude Giroux : Hi-sticking – 2 min
13:53 TOR Jamie Lundmark : Hooking – 2 min
13:53 PHI Arron Asham : Unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 min
17:24 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Roughing – 2 min
17:24 TOR Dion Phaneuf : Slashing – 2 min

3rd Period
00:28 PHI Chris Pronger : Slashing – 2 min
00:28 TOR Phil Kessel : Slashing – 2 min
04:15 PHI Jeff Carter : Holding – 2 min
08:07 TOR Jay Rosehill : Misconduct (10 min) – 0 min
08:50 TOR Dion Phaneuf : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
08:50 PHI Scott Hartnell : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
10:48 TOR Viktor Stalberg : Hooking – 2 min
14:00 PHI Jeff Carter : Slashing – 2 min

3/5/10 3-2 OT Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 0 1 1 0 - 2 BUF 0 1 1 1 - 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 10 10 9 0 - 29 BUF 15 6 12 2 - 35

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Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) – Tim Connolly scored 2:31 into overtime to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at HSBC Arena.

In the extra session, Philadelphia goaltender Michael Leighton stopped Toni Lydman’s initial shot from the point, but Connolly was on the doorstep to bury the rebound.

Thomas Vanek and Adam Mair also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who won for just the second time in their last 10 games. Ryan Miller made 27 saves to record his 31st win of the season.

Buffalo moved into first place in the Northeast Division with the win, one point ahead of Ottawa.

Simon Gagne and Mike Richards provided the offense for Philadelphia, which has dropped two straight on the heels of a five-game winning streak. Leighton stopped 32 shots.

The Flyers grabbed a 2-1 lead when Richards intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, broke in alone and beat the U.S. Olympian on a deke to the backhand with 8:51 remaining in the third period.

Mair’s backhander from the low slot tied the game with 5:58 to play.

Gagne banged home a Lukas Krajicek feed to open the scoring four minutes into the second period.

Buffalo took advantage of a lapse in communication between Leighton and Philadelphia defenseman Chris Pronger to quickly draw even.

Pronger believed Leighton was going to come out to play a loose puck and slowed up in his pursuit. However, Vanek raced to beat Leighton to the disc and banked it off the goaltender as he retreated to the crease at 6:14 of the middle stanza. It was the 300th career point for the Austrian left winger taken fifth overall by Buffalo in 2003.

Game Notes

Connolly registered three goals and four assists in the four games against Philadelphia this season…The Flyers fell to 28-7-4 when scoring first…Buffalo improved to 8-2-6 when tied after two periods.

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SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
NONE

2nd Period
04:01 PHI Simon Gagne (10) Tip-In – Assists: L. Krajicek (2) & K. Timonen (28)
06:14 BUF Thomas Vanek (19) Wrist Shot – Assists: T. Connolly (42) & A. Mair (6)

3rd Period
11:09 PHI Mike Richards (26) Backhand – Assists: none
14:02 BUF Adam Mair (3) Backhand – Assists: M. Grier (10)

OT Period
02:31 BUF Tim Connolly (15) Snap Shot – Assists: T. Lydman (12) & R. Torres (13)

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period
NONE

2nd Period
11:48 BUF Tim Connolly : Tripping – 2 min

3rd Period
03:59 PHI Ryan Parent : Holding – 2 min
15:53 PHI Braydon Coburn : Tripping – 2 min

OT Period
NONE

03/03/10 7-4 Loss SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 0 3 1 - - 4 FLA 2 4 1 - - 7 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 6 16 20 - - 42 FLA 14 17 12 - - 43

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Game Wrapup

Florida Panthers 7, Philadelphia Flyers 4

Sunrise, FL (Sports Network) – David Booth and Bryan McCabe each had a goal and three assists as the Florida Panthers clobbered the Philadelphia Flyers, 7-4, at BankAtlantic Center.

Michael Frolik scored twice while Jason Garrison had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who had dropped seven straight coming into the game. Tomas Vokoun made 38 saves in the win.

Florida made a pair of moves during Wednesday’s trade deadline as it acquired defenseman Mathieu Roy from Columbus for the rights to forward Matt Rust and brought in forwards Byron Bitz and Craig Weller along with a second-round pick in the 2010 draft from Boston for defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and the rights to defenseman Matt Bartkowski.

Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Michael Leighton started in net, but was pulled in the second period after giving up four goals on 26 shots. Brian Boucher finished the game between the pipes and allowed two goals on 16 shots.

The Flyers made no moves during Wednesday’s trade deadline.

The game started off feisty as there were three fights in the first 2:45 of the contest.

Florida, though, was the first team to get on the scoreboard as Cory Stillman’s shot from a sharp angle at the left boards hit off of Leighton then off the chest of Steven Reinprecht before going in the net at the 7:12 mark.

With 1:44 to play in the first, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead as Frolik snapped a wrister into the left corner.

Philly made it a one-goal game with a power-play marker at the 8:03 mark of the second as Danny Briere jammed home a rebound.

There was then a three-goal spurt over 36 seconds and when the dust settled the Panthers had a 4-2 lead.

The first goal came on a Booth slap shot from the right circle, but Carter scored 12 seconds later as he tipped in a Mike Richards shot. Just 24 seconds later, Garrison’s first NHL goal capped the outburst.

The Panthers weren’t finished, though, as goals from Stephen Weiss at the 15:01 mark and Frolik at the 17:40 mark of the second made it a 6-2 game.

Ville Leino scored his first goal as a Flyer with 19 seconds left in the second as he lifted a backhander home.

Philly made it a 6-4 game with 9:20 to play as Ryan Parent scored his first NHL goal when he jammed home a rebound from the left side.

The Flyers controlled play for much of the remainder of the game, but were unable to get any more past Vokoun and McCabe’s empty-netter sealed the win.

Game Notes

Florida had not scored more than two goals in its previous 15 games. The team tied a season-high in goals as it also posted seven goals in a 7-1 win over the Islanders on December 14…Carter has a six-game goal-scoring streak…Philly plays in Buffalo on Friday…Florida hosts Carolina on Saturday…Florida took three of four against Philly this season.
Last updated: March 3, 2010 at 10:37 PM

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
07:12 FLA Steven Reinprecht (14) Tip-In – Assists: C. Stillman (16)
18:16 FLA PPG – Michael Frolik (14) Wrist Shot – Assists: J. Garrison (2) & K. Ballard (14)

2nd Period
08:03 PHI PPG – Danny Briere (22) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Hartnell (24) & J. Carter (26)
12:04 FLA David Booth (4) Slap Shot – Assists: K. Ballard (15) & B. McCabe (21)
12:16 PHI PPG – Jeff Carter (29) Tip-In – Assists: M. Richards (26) & C. Pronger (36)
12:40 FLA Jason Garrison (1) Snap Shot – Assists: S. Matthias (4) & B. Allen (7)
15:01 FLA PPG – Stephen Weiss (23) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. McCabe (22) & D. Booth (5)
17:40 FLA Michael Frolik (15) Wrist Shot – Assists: B. McCabe (23) & D. Booth (6)
19:41 PHI Ville Leino (5) Backhand – Assists: B. Betts (6) & C. Pronger (37)

3rd Period
10:40 PHI Ryan Parent (1) Snap Shot – Assists: B. Betts (7) & I. Laperriere (12)
19:16 FLA EN – Bryan McCabe (8) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Booth (7) & G. Campbell (11)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
00:03 PHI Ian Laperriere : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
00:03 FLA Gregory Campbell : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
00:05 PHI Arron Asham : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
00:05 FLA Nick Tarnasky : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
02:45 FLA David Booth : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
02:45 PHI Mike Richards : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
03:03 FLA Keith Ballard : Holding – 2 min
11:29 PHI Ian Laperriere : Hooking – 2 min
13:28 PHI Chris Pronger : Hi-sticking – 2 min
16:45 PHI Arron Asham : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
16:45 FLA Nick Tarnasky : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
16:54 PHI Braydon Coburn : Tripping – 2 min

2nd Period
00:47 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Hooking – 2 min
07:33 FLA Bryan Allen : Hi-sticking – 2 min
10:27 PHI Scott Hartnell : Roughing – 2 min
10:27 FLA Bryan Allen : Roughing – 2 min
12:07 FLA Bryan McCabe : Interference – 2 min
14:21 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Roughing – 2 min

3rd Period
00:35 PHI Scott Hartnell : Hooking – 2 min
13:26 FLA Stephen Weiss : Tripping – 2 min
19:59 PHI Ryan Parent : Interference – 2 min

3/2/10 7-2 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 1 1 5 - - 7 TBL 1 1 0 - - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 8 14 12 - - 34 TBL 13 9 16 - - 38

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Tampa, FL (Sports Network) – Mike Richards posted a goal and three assists as Philadelphia used a five-goal third period to ground Tampa Bay, 7-2, at St. Pete Times Forum.

Claude Giroux had two goals and one helper, and Simon Gagne added a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who had hit the Olympic break with four consecutive victories.

Michael Leighton stopped 36-of-38 shots to earn his 14th win of the season.

Steven Stamkos recorded both goals for the Lightning, who had dropped three in a row before the break.

Starter Antero Niittymaki was lit up for six goals on 31 shots in the loss. Mike Smith finished the game by yielding a goal on three shots.

The Flyers forged ahead thanks to a pair of power-play goals early in the third.

On the first, Richards had a defender draped all over him but slipped a pass to Gagne for an easy tap-in at the 17-second mark and a 3-2 edge. Giroux then tipped home a Gagne wrister off another Richards dish for a two-goal lead at 4:34.

James van Riemsdyk converted a Giroux pass at 9:27 for a 5-2 game, then Giroux chased Niittymaki from the net when he slipped the puck between two defenders and tipped a shot in at 11:31 for a 6-2 contest.

Jeff Carter then beat Smith on a short-handed breakaway with 5:33 remaining to cap the scoring.

Philadelphia got on the board with 9:26 left in the first period, when Richards’ shot deflected off a skate and past Niitymaki. Tampa countered four minutes later as Stamkos ripped a shot home from the slot.

Stamkos’ stuffer in the crease off a dish from Steve Downie put the Bolts ahead 2:26 into the second, but Dan Carcillo picked up the puck from a Richards faceoff win and tucked a shot under the fallen Tampa netminder at 4:58.

Game Notes

The Flyers swept all four games from the Lightning for the first time since going 4-0-0 against the Bolts during the lockout-shortened 1995 season…Philadelphia matched a franchise single-game high for goals against Tampa Bay, first set in a 7-1 win on October 21, 1997…Prior to the game, the Flyers announced that goaltender Ray Emery will have season-ending surgery to repair damage to his right hip. Emery, who had not played since February 1, finished the season with a 16-11-1 record, 2.64 GAA and three shutouts.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
10:34 PHI Mike Richards (25) Tip-In – Assists: D. Carcillo (7) & C. Pronger (35)
14:38 TBL Steven Stamkos (36) Wrist Shot – Assists: M. St Louis (50) & M. Ohlund (12)

2nd Period
02:26 TBL Steven Stamkos (37) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Downie (22) & R. Malone (23)
04:58 PHI Daniel Carcillo (9) Backhand – Assists: M. Richards (23)

3rd Period
00:17 PHI PPG – Simon Gagne (8) Wrist Shot – Assists: M. Richards (24) & K. Timonen (27)
04:34 PHI Claude Giroux (13) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Gagne (20) & M. Richards (25)
09:27 PHI James van Riemsdyk (14) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (24) & A. Asham (13)
11:31 PHI Claude Giroux (14) Backhand – Assists: S. Gagne (21)
14:27 PHI SHG – Jeff Carter (28) Backhand – Assists: none

Penalty Summary

1st Period
12:27 PHI Simon Gagne : Hooking – 2 min
16:32 TBL Mattias Ohlund : Roughing – 2 min
19:16 TBL Steven Stamkos : Roughing – 2 min

2nd Period
05:32 PHI Braydon Coburn : Holding – 2 min
09:26 PHI James van Riemsdyk : Holding – 2 min
13:32 TBL Jeff Halpern : Hooking – 2 min
13:47 PHI Scott Hartnell : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min
17:10 PHI James van Riemsdyk : Slashing – 2 min
19:11 TBL Victor Hedman : Hooking – 2 min

3rd Period
00:46 TBL Matt Smaby : Holding – 2 min
03:03 TBL Ryan Malone : Charging – 2 min
06:16 TBL Vincent Lecavalier : Interference on goalkeeper – 2 min
10:02 TBL Steve Downie : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
10:02 PHI Daniel Carcillo : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
10:02 TBL Steve Downie served by Alex Tanguay : Slashing – 2 min
12:58 PHI Arron Asham served by Danny Briere : Holding – 2 min
12:58 PHI Arron Asham : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
12:58 TBL Zenon Konopka : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
14:40 TBL Mattias Ohlund : Slashing – 2 min
19:38 PHI Scott Hartnell : Slashing – 2 min

2/13/10 6-2 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 3 2 1 - - 6 MON 0 1 1 - - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 9 8 9 - - 26 MON 7 11 10 - - 28

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Montreal, QC (Sports Network) – Danny Briere registered his first hat trick of the season, as Philadelphia dominated Montreal, 6-2, in the finale of a home-and-home set from Bell Centre.

Blair Betts, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who closed out their pre-Olympic schedule with four consecutive wins.

Michael Leighton earned his 13th victory of the season by making 26 saves.

“We had a couple home-and-homes there. It was important for us to come in and get off to a good start,” said Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger. “A 3-0 lead set the tone for our bench. We took it from there, we didn’t want to sit back as we did last night. Betts’ shorthand goal set the tone for the rest of the night.”

Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez registered power-play tallies for the Canadiens, who have dropped three of four in advance of the league’s shutdown.

Jaroslav Halak allowed five goals on 17 shots through two periods. Carey Price finished the game stopping eight of the nine shots he faced.

Briere lifted a rebound over Halak to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead 4:37 into the contest, and Richards snuck a shot inside the right post at 11:10 for a two- goal lead and a power-play score.

Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead when Carter backhanded a bouncing puck past a sliding Halak with 4:10 left in the period.

“Obviously this wasn’t the start we wanted, and it hurt us,” Gionta admitted. “Before this weekend, we were three ahead and now it’s reversed. Not the games we wanted to play. It is what it is now. We’ll have to regroup after the break with 19 games left and try to make a push.”

The Canadiens finally solved Leighton on a power play at 6:59 of the second period when Gionta tipped Roman Hamrlik’s point shot, but Betts tallied on a short-handed breakaway at 10:38.

Briere gave the Flyers a 5-1 cushion on the man advantage with six seconds to play when he tipped in a Pronger point shot.

Gomez tipped in a Hamrlik shot early in a Habs power play for a 5-2 game at 6:06 of the third period, then Briere got a chance for a third goal after he was awarded a penalty shot with 9:07 left in the game.

He made a stick-fake on Price, pulled the goaltender to the left side, and lifted a backhander high for a 6-2 lead.

“On the penalty shot, when I’m in the middle of the ice, I think about the different moves I have available,” said Briere of his mindset. “All I was thinking about was the crowd booing me, and in a sense, it was a good thing. It cleared my mind and gave me a chance to not even think about the shot. Coming down on Price, I had a couple ideas, but in the end I changed my mind about the shot and it worked.”

Game Notes

Briere’s last three-goal game occurred on November 21, 2007 at Carolina…The Flyers resume play on March 2 at Tampa Bay and the Canadiens return to the ice that same day in Boston…It was the most goals the Flyers scored in Montreal in a regular-season tilt since a 6-2 decision on October 15, 2002.

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
04:37 PHI Danny Briere (19) Backhand – Assists: O. Bartulis (8) & S. Hartnell (22)
11:10 PHI PPG – Mike Richards (24) Wrist Shot – Assists: S. Gagne (19) & C. Giroux (23)
15:50 PHI Jeff Carter (27) Backhand – Assists: M. Carle (22) & S. Hartnell (23)

2nd Period
06:59 MTL PPG – Brian Gionta (17) Tip-In – Assists: R. Hamrlik (18) & J. Spacek (16)
10:38 PHI SHG – Blair Betts (7) Wrist Shot – Assists: none
19:54 PHI PPG – Danny Briere (20) Tip-In – Assists: C. Pronger (34)

3rd Period
06:06 MTL PPG – Scott Gomez (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: R. Hamrlik (19) & P. Subban (2)
10:53 PHI PS – Danny Briere (21) Backhand – Assists: none

Penalty Summary

1st Period
00:04 PHI Ian Laperriere : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
00:04 MTL Ryan O’Byrne : Fighting (maj) – 5 min
09:35 MTL Glen Metropolit : Hi-sticking – 2 min
17:13 PHI Arron Asham : Holding – 2 min

2nd Period
00:16 MTL Maxim Lapierre : Roughing – 2 min
00:16 PHI Lukas Krajicek : Roughing – 2 min
05:40 PHI Arron Asham : Tripping – 2 min
10:10 PHI Braydon Coburn : Holding – 2 min
15:29 MTL Tomas Plekanec : Interference – 2 min
19:07 MTL Jaroslav Spacek : Tripping – 2 min

3rd Period
01:36 PHI Chris Pronger : Hooking – 2 min
05:57 PHI Darroll Powe : Boarding – 2 min
10:53 MTL Ryan O’Byrne : PS – Tripping on breakaway – 0 min
11:18 PHI Oskars Bartulis : Holding – 2 min

02/12/10 3-2 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total MTL 0 0 2 - - 3 PHI 1 2 0 - - 3 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total MTL 6 7 12 - - 25 PHI 11 12 10 - - 33

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Game Wrapup

Philadelphia Flyers 3, Montreal Canadiens 2

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Jeff Carter scored twice as the Philadelphia Flyers held off the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, in the chippy opener of a home-and-home set.

Matt Carle also scored, while Michael Leighton made 23 saves for the Flyers, who were coming off a home-and-home sweep of the Devils. They will have a chance for another Saturday, the last game for both clubs before the Olympic break.

Glen Metropolit and Dominic Moore scored back-to-back early in the third period for the Canadiens. But the Flyers held on in a contest that concluded with a lengthy post-game scrum after Darroll Powe boarded Jaroslav Spacek late in the final period.

Carey Price made 30 saves in the loss.

Carter put the Flyers on top with 1:46 left in the opening period, when he stuffed in a puck in front. Then, 1:17 into the second frame he rifled a point shot that slipped past Price.

Two minutes later, the Flyers looked like they’d make it a runaway, as Montreal defenseman Ryan O’Byrne inadvertently tipped Carle’s shot past Price for a 3-0 Philadelphia edge.

But the Habs got close with a pair of scores early in the third. At the 2:05 mark, Metropolit tallied on a snap shot, and only 56 seconds later, Moore scored in his first game with his new club, as he was acquired from Florida on Thursday.

Moore gathered a loose puck to the left of the net and appeared to bounce a wrister off Leighton’s back into the goal.

Montreal got a power-play chance in the final minute, after Powe rammed Spacek into the end boards with 59 seconds to play. After the hit, Spacek curled up on the ice, grabbing his face, and eventually skated off the ice with his head facing down.

Powe was issued a boarding major and game misconduct at the same time Montreal’s Roman Hamrlik was whistled for roughing, but the Canadiens weren’t able to net the tying goal.

After the final buzzer sounded, players from both teams gathered together. A few fights broke out to escalate the issue, leaving gloves and sticks littered on the ice. Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and Montreal forward Scott Gomez were both given roughing penalties, while Timonen also got a misconduct penalty.

Game Notes

The Flyers were 0-for-6 on the power play, while Montreal went 0-for-3…The Canadiens have lost two of three overall…Scott Hartnell had a pair of assists for Philadelphia.
Last updated: February 12, 2010 at 9:09 PM

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Scoring Summary

1st Period
18:14 PHI Jeff Carter (25) Backhand – Assists: S. Hartnell (20) & D. Briere (19)

2nd Period
01:17 PHI Jeff Carter (26) Slap Shot – Assists: S. Hartnell (21) & B. Coburn (12)
03:17 PHI Matt Carle (4) Tip-In – Assists: D. Powe (5) & B. Betts (5)

3rd Period
02:05 MTL Glen Metropolit (13) Snap Shot – Assists: T. Moen (7) & P. Subban (1)
03:01 MTL Dominic Moore (9) Wrist Shot – Assists: R. Hamrlik (17) & J. Spacek (15)

Penalty Summary

1st Period
16:08 MTL Ryan O’Byrne : Interference – 2 min
19:07 MTL Scott Gomez : Hooking – 2 min

2nd Period
06:10 PHI Chris Pronger : Holding – 2 min
08:11 MTL Josh Gorges : Hi-sticking – 2 min
18:21 PHI Braydon Coburn : Delaying Game-Puck over glass – 2 min

3rd Period
04:13 MTL PK Subban : Tripping – 2 min
05:44 MTL Dominic Moore : Tripping – 2 min
07:39 MTL Sergei Kostitsyn : Tripping – 2 min
19:01 PHI Darroll Powe : Boarding (maj) – 5 min
19:01 PHI Darroll Powe : Game misconduct – 0 min
19:01 MTL Roman Hamrlik : Roughing – 2 min
20:00 PHI Kimmo Timonen : Roughing – 2 min
20:00 PHI Kimmo Timonen : Misconduct (10 min) – 0 min
20:00 MTL Scott Gomez : Roughing – 2 min

2/10/10 3-2 OT Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 1 1 0 1 - 3 NJD 2 0 0 0 - 2 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total PHI 6 6 1 2 - 15 NJD 7 8 7 1 - 23

*** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference ***

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For the second time in three nights, the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit to knock off the New Jersey Devils. Unlike Monday when Mike Richards sealed the deal with a third-period goal, the Flyers delivered the knockout punch in overtime on Wednesday.

Simon Gagne circled in the Devils’ zone uncontested before unleashing a wrist shot from between the circles that beat goalie Martin Brodeur 3:27 into OT to give the Flyers a 3-2 win and a sweep of their home-and-home series with their Atlantic Division rivals.

“Gags had a heck of a shift and scored a really big goal,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was a dominating shift. He was on the puck, dug it up again, made moves and dug it up again and made moves and finally got to a spot where he could let go and he let it fly.”

The goal was Gagne’s first in 13 games.

“It’s been tough,” Gagne said. “I’ve gotten some chances but I still haven’t been able to score goals. The team needs goals to win hockey games. It’s been on my mind the whole time. This is definitely going to take that big monkey off my back.”

Jeff Carter and Aaron Asham scored for Philadelphia, which beat the Devils for the fourth time in five games to wrap up its first season series win against New Jersey since going 3-2-0 with a tie in 2003-04. The teams play once more in March – a game that’s likely to draw more than the announced crowd of 5,580 fans who braved a blizzard to get to the PrudentialCenter in Newark.

“I think it is a good test to show what we are made of, where this team has come from and where this team needs to get to,” Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger said. “We certainly don’t want to make it a habit of getting down 2-0 in games and hopefully, that will be the last. Like I said, you don’t do this against the New Jersey Devils too often.”

New Jersey, meanwhile, has lost 11 of 15 and has seen its division lead over second-place Pittsburgh shrink to just one point.

“We found a way to lose. We just found a way to lose — it’s that simple,” Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. “We talk all the time about having long shifts. In the room before games, before practices and behind the bench. And we still have long shifts and it hurt us on the very last goal. We’re tired. And when you’re tired, you can’t run, you can’t skate and can’t chase anybody. You just stand.”

The Flyers spotted the Devils the first two goals of the game before rallying to tie. Carter connected for the equalizer, getting his 24th goal of the season off a left-circle snap shot that beat Brodeur to the long side 13:47 into the second.

“I think (the comebacks) go with how we have been playing, the turnaround,” Carter said. “Earlier, down 2-0, we were done. When we were in that stretch it was tough. It is something that has built over time.”

Brodeur, who yielded three of more goals for the sixth straight time and is 4-8-2 in his last 14 games, is puzzled by the recent slide.

“When you’re not doing well, guys are doing more individual things to get out of it and sometimes it goes negatively,” Brodeur said. “I think game-in and game-out, we’ve been losing the same way. But we have to hit it soon enough because we don’t want to allow teams back close to us. We gave ourselves a cushion in the standings, but it’s going down.”

The Devils played without forward Zach Parise, who practiced on Tuesday, but was listed as a late scratch with an upper-body injury. It marked the first time since Dec. 23, 2007, when he was sidelined with the flu, that Parise missed a game.

The Devils were also without defenseman Anssi Salmela (upper-body) and defenseman Bryce Salvador departed late in the first period after getting hit with a high stick in his own end.

Ilya Kovalchuk, meanwhile, is still looking for his first goal since being acquired last Thursday — he joined the Devils having scored 31 with the Atlanta Thrashers. Despite finishing with five shots in 26:27 of ice time against the Flyers, Lemaire thought Kovalchuk was tired.

“I did not think this was Ilya’s best game,” Lemaire said. “I think he looked a little tired — maybe the travel got to him.” Kovalchuk has two assists, 23 shots and a minus-2 rating in four games with the Devils.

The Devils were given a two-man advantage for 25 seconds midway through the third when Flyers defenseman Matt Carle was whistled for holding in front of his net, but the Flyers killed it off to keep the game squared at 2-2. The Devils finished 0-for-3 on the power-play and are 4-for-51 in the last 18 games.

“(The power play) is something that’s not been perfect,” captain Jamie Langenbrunner said. “We’re trying to get used to new situations. We have to find that next edge of sacrificing ourselves in front of the net and putting ourselves into those tough situations — getting some dirty ones. We have to find a way to get dirty and make it happen that way.”

With starter Ray Emery nursing a left hip injury, Michael Leighton made his fourth straight start in goal for the Flyers and was particularly busy in the third period when the Devils outshot the visitors, 7-1. He finished the game with 21 saves, including 16 in the final two periods and overtime.

The Devils, who have wasted two-goal leads in four of their last five games, took a 2-0 edge in the first on goals by Travis Zajac and Rob Niedermayer. Zajac connected for his 18th of the season on a shot from the left circle that squeezed through Leighton’s pads just 45 seconds into the game.

Niedermayer’s goal, his first in 13 games, came off a deflection in front of the net at 8:01. After pushing an offensive-zone draw into the right-wing corner, Rod Pelley returned a pass to Niedermayer. The veteran forward then threw a spinaround backhander from the bottom of the right circle that deflected off Leighton’s pad and hit defenseman Kimmo Timonen’s left leg before going high over Leighton’s right shoulder and into the net.

The Flyers made it 2-1 just 32 seconds later on Arron Asham’s rocket from the right faceoff dot that deflected off the shin of Devils defenseman Andy Greene and past Brodeur on the short side. The Flyers nearly evened the score with 5:15 remaining while on the power-play when Scott Hartnell’s tip off a 2-on-1 with Carter was denied by Brodeur’s left glove right along the goal line.

Referee Marc Joannette, in fact, went to the replay to confirm the puck didn’t cross the goal line after entering Brodeur’s mitt.

But the Flyers tied the game on Carter’s goal and spoiled the night for the hardy few who made it to the game when Gagne scored in OT – leaving the Devils shaking their heads.

“Guys are not feeling confident about themselves,” Brodeur said. “It’s been a little tougher to get going both offensively and defensively. We’re getting back bounces. It’s just a matter of time.”

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SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
00:45 NJD Travis Zajac (18) Snap Shot – Assists: B. Rolston (13) & M. Fraser (3)
08:01 NJD Rob Niedermayer (7) Wrist Shot – Assists: R. Pelley (6)
08:33 PHI Arron Asham (7) Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Giroux (22) & B. Coburn (11)

2nd Period
13:47 PHI Jeff Carter (24) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Briere (18) & S. Hartnell (19)

3rd Period
NONE

OT Period
03:27 PHI Simon Gagne (7) Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Timonen (26) & C. Pronger (33)

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period
10:23 PHI Danny Briere : Slashing – 2 min
13:17 NJD Colin White : Tripping – 2 min

2nd Period
03:00 NJD Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond : Interference – 2 min
08:27 NJD Martin Brodeur served by Vladimir Zharkov : Delaying Game-Ill. play goalie – 2 min

3rd Period
07:44 PHI Braydon Coburn : Interference – 2 min
09:19 PHI Matt Carle : Holding the stick – 2 min
10:48 NJD Patrik Elias : Hooking – 2 min

OT Period

NONE