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Upshall, Biron help hand Bruins third straight loss

Mar 11, 2007 - 6:26 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Based on the play of Scottie Upshall and Martin Biron, you would have thought it was the Philadelphia Flyers fighting for a playoff berth.

Upshall had a goal and an assist and Biron made 26 saves as the last-place Flyers dealt the Boston Bruins their third consecutive loss with a 4-1 triumph.

With the loss, Boston (32-31-5) fell to 13th place in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the final postseason spot.

"I think it's a good sign for our hockey team when we are playing teams with a lot at stake," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "We are starting to show signs that we can beat good teams and we can be a good team ourselves. Maybe it's a different scenario for our team, but we are showing we can be a good team with a lot on the line."

Acquired from Nashville on February 15 in the deal involving Peter Forsberg, Upshall has played well for Philadelphia, entering with four goals and three assists in 10 games since arriving. The 2002 sixth overall pick continued to impress in this one, setting up Simon Gagne for his 37th goal less than two minutes into the game and scoring a shorthander in the third period to stake the Flyers to a 3-1 lead.

"It's really nice to be a part of what I think is going to be a great thing here in the next few years," Upshall said. "I'm playing with some great players and I am playing with a lot of confidence. It's a great opportunity, and I'm trying to take advantage of it."

"He's a well-rounded player," Stevens said. "He is very good at both ends of the rink. He is defensively responsible and he can be a game-breaker type of player."

Gagne left the game with six minutes remaining in the contest with a groin strain and will not accompany the team to Phoenix for its game on Monday.

Biron, who was obtained from Buffalo at last week's trade deadline, made his fifth straight start for Philadelphia. The 16th overall selection in the 1995 draft came through with another solid performance, stopping the final 24 shots he faced - including eight in the third period - to improve to 3-1-1 with the Flyers.

Mike Richards scored his third goal in five games and Dmitry Afanasenkov added an empty-netter and an assist for Philadelphia, which had lost seven of its previous nine games.

"Confidence is a big thing," Richards said. "This month, we've been playing solid hockey, and today it was just putting together a full 60 minutes. That's what we did and it paid out in the end."

Defenseman Dennis Wideman netted the lone goal for the Bruins, who have scored just twice during their current slide.

"We had our chances. It wasn't like we didn't have any," said Boston goaltender Joey MacDonald, who made 25 saves. "We just need to find a way to score. We had a lot of shots on goal, but we still need more goals. We don't have to get the pretty goals."

The Flyers, who improved to 11-0-1 when leading after two periods, opened the scoring at 1:58 of the first, when Gagne one-timed Upshall's pass by MacDonald from the left faceoff circle.

Wideman drew Boston even with his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, a one-timer from above the right circle that beat Biron.

After a scoreless middle session, Richards put Philadelphia ahead for good 76 seconds into the third with his seventh of the season following a turnover.

"I don't know how the puck got turned over, but Afanasenkov just kind of stepped around a guy and threw it to me," Richards said. "My first shot wasn't really where I wanted to put it, but the rebound came right back to me and I tried to get it over (MacDonald)."

Upshall doubled the lead with 6:43 remaining, scoring on a one-timer from the right circle after R.J. Umberger pounced on a turnover by Wideman in the Bruins' zone.

"I wouldn't say it was a bad break. It was a bad play by me," Wideman said. "I had the puck and I had to make the right play, but I didn't. I lost the puck along the wall and they turned it into a goal. I can't do that. It was just a bad play."

"We don't score and we lose momentum," Boston coach Dave Lewis said. "We give up a shorthanded goal and it's disappointing because most of the season, it's been one of our strong points."