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Another Bryzgalov SO helps Flyers subdue Panthers

Mar 9, 2012 - 5:00 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Philadelphia took down Florida, 5-0.

Bryzgalov improved to 7-2-1 with three blankings over his last 11 starts, and recorded his 27th career shutout.

Thursday's victory marked Philadelphia's first home shutout of Florida since a 2-0 win on October 24, 1999 and proved to be the club's first regular-season regulation shutout at home since a 2-0 decision over the Rangers on January 21, 2010.

Bryzgalov credited his teammates.

"I think all 60 minutes was a great effort by the team not only just the last five minutes. They played the whole game diving for the pucks to blocking to protecting the passing lanes. They tried to make my job as easy as possible," he said.

"I think it was an unbelievable team effort tonight," Bryzgalov continued. "That's why we had success tonight. This is all part of the team job, the shutout, the team deserved it."

Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Scott Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr and Eric Wellwood all lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won four in a row and six of eight.

Jose Theodore allowed five goals on 35 shots for the Panthers, who have lost three of four.

The Flyers got on the board with 9:25 to play in the opening period, thanks to a bit of unexpected luck. Claude Giroux's pass into the slot was intended for Hartnell, and though he totally fanned on the shot, Schenn was there in the right circle to sweep it home.

Read doubled the advantage when his poke through a goalmouth scramble slid home at 3:06 of the second period.

Hartnell atoned for his earlier gaffe and made it 3-0 on a breakaway down the left wing culminating in a wrister just under the crossbar with 7:11 to play in the second.

Jagr beat Theodore from between the circles on a power play at the 2:35 mark of the third, and Wellwood broke free up the middle off an Erik Gustafsson dish for a 5-0 game with 1:27 to play.

"It's tough. Composure seems to be an issue at times for us," said Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen. "Our special teams were ineffective in the first period. You gotta find a way to score goals."

Game Notes

Philadelphia forward Danny Briere played in his 800th NHL contest, but his goal drought extended to 21 games...Flyers forward Jakub Voracek did not play due to an upper-body injury suffered on Tuesday and defenseman Pavel Kubina sat out with a lower-body issue...Philly GM Paul Holmgren revealed before the game that winger James van Riemsdyk's foot surgery was successful and that the timeline of 4-6 weeks is still accurate...To offset some of the injury issues, the Flyers recalled forward Harry Zolnierczyk and defenseman Brandon Manning from Adirondack (AHL)...The Panthers scratched forward Kris Versteeg.