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Flyers down Canadiens with a pair of late scores

Dec 16, 2010 - 4:17 AM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - James van Riemsdyk tallied a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the third period as Philadelphia downed Montreal, 5-3, at Bell Centre.

Jeff Carter added a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who have won four in a row and six of their last seven overall, improving to 21-7-5 on the season.

"For our line it was a good game," Carter said. "We've been working on getting chances and we capitalized on those chances, and got a few in. It wasn't our best effort, but we'll take the two points and get out of here."

Claude Giroux and Nikolay Zherdev also tallied, while Sergei Bobrovsky posted a career-best 38 saves on 41 Montreal shots for the win, moving his record to 15-4-3.

Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta scored for the Canadiens, losers in three straight since winning three in a row. Scott Gomez and Mike Cammalleri each posted a pair of helpers in defeat.

Carey Price was tagged with five goals for the first time all season, and suffered his second straight loss despite 25 saves.

Philadelphia took a 4-3 advantage with the power play and 5:33 remaining in regulation. Seconds after failing to find a loose puck at his feet in the crease, van Riemsdyk smartly followed up Carter's shot and scored into an open net.

"It was just sitting there. They might have lost it in the skates, but it popped out onto my stick. The puck seemed to be following us around a lot," said van Riemsdyk of the lead score. "We were able to get some key opportunities and buried them. This was a game we needed to win."

Mike Richards then saved a Canadiens clear along the right boards at the blue line and fed ahead to Giroux, who spun Price around and slid a shot inside the right post for a 5-3 game just 61 seconds later.

Price was pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute to no avail.

Carter snaked around a Montreal checker and beat Price on the backhand to give Philly a 1-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the first period.

It was 2-0 for the visitors at 2:33 of the second period as van Riemsdyk's shot near the boards on the left wing deflected off a skate in front and sailed by Price.

Montreal finally solved Bobrovsky on a two-man advantage with 1:51 remaining in the second period when P.K. Subban rocketed a shot home from a cross-ice feed by Gomez.

Zherdev's errant centering pass on a wraparound try caromed into the net at 5:31 of the third and the Flyers led 3-1.

The Habs answered at 7:01 when Plekanec shoved a loose puck through Bobrovsky's pads, then knotted the game at 9:55 when Gionta's wrister slid between the rookie netminder's pads and trickled over the goal line.

"We didn't get the bounces and we made some bad decisions," Subban said. "It ended up costing us. We turned pucks over and then it was in our net."

Game Notes

This is Philadelphia's best record after 33 games since the 1986-87 club went 24-7-2 in that season's first 33 contests...Giroux tied a career-high with his 16th goal of the season...The Flyers have won two of three over the Canadiens this year...Van Riemsdyk posted his second career multi-goal game, after a two-goal performance in a 7-4 win at Pittsburgh on January 7...Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger suffered an upper-body injury in the third period and did not return.