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Flyers win third straight behind Biron

Mar 1, 2008 - 10:42 PM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) - Martin Biron is quickly erasing the memory of the Philadelphia Flyers' recent 10-game losing streak.

Biron stopped 33 shots and Braydon Coburn snapped a second-period tie as the resurgent Flyers won their third straight game with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.

Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, whose record 10-game slide had the Flyers moving south in the Eastern Conference standings. Biron has reversed things by winning all three games in the recent streak, including triumphs Monday against Buffalo and Thursday against Ottawa.

"I've been trying to do things a little differently out there, things that make me more efficient," Biron said. "You're feeling better every time on the ice because guys are doing the job they're asked to do."

The revival comes as the Flyers (33-25-7) continue to play without injured forwards Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Joffrey Lupul. The strong play has made those absences easier to take.

"I told Marty and (Antero Niittymaki) that if we're going to get out of the slide our goalie is going to have to be our best player," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "Marty is playing some of his best hockey of the year."

The victory gives the Flyers 73 points and moves them within one point of the New York Rangers for sixth place in the East.

Bill Guerin scored his landmark 20th goal of the season for the Islanders, who have lost three of their last four games following a six-game winning streak.

The Stanley Cup was on display in a Nassau Coliseum concourse and the team will have a ceremony before Sunday's home game with Florida to honor the "Core of the Four" - the players who were members of all four Stanley Cup teams of the early 1980s. It did little Saturday to inspire the Islanders (31-28-7), who remain in 10th place in the East.

"It's a will to want the puck, and we're not doing that on a consistent basis," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. "We've got to work with what we've got."

Rick DiPietro stopped 27 shots for the Islanders. Nolan confirmed after the game that DiPietro will miss Sunday's contest against Florida to attend funeral services for his grandmother.

Philadelphia took the lead for good at 14:42 of the second when Coburn one-timed a perfect pass from Daniel Briere from the left circle past DiPietro.

"Tonight we only got one chance (on the power play) and that was a huge goal," Briere said. "That's not easy, a one-timer with the puck coming all the way across the ice like that."

The Flyers opened the scoring late in the first when Carter took a behind-the-net pass from Scott Upshall and beat DiPietro from between the circles for his 21st goal of the season.

"I've been feeling good lately and we're starting to get some bounces," Carter said.

New York converted on the first power play of the game when Guerin wristed a shot from the right circle over the shoulder of Biron at 8:30 of the second. Guerin scored for the first time since February 9 and became the second player in NHL history to score 20 or more goals in a season for six different teams, joining Ray Sheppard.

"I don't know if it's good or bad," Guerin said of the distinction. "Maybe it's a good level of consistency over the years."

Carter helped give the Flyers a two-goal cushion when he stripped the puck from Miroslav Satan, and Mike Knuble was credited with a shorthanded tally at 9:31.

"It seems like their penalty killers are jumping on the top guy, and that's happened a few times to us," Satan said.

Upshall closed out the scoring in the final minute with an empty net goal.

New York's Brendan Witt returned to the lineup after missing eight games with a sprained knee.