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Flyers top Canadiens in historic win

Jan 26, 2011 - 5:46 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux scored two of Philadelphia's three power-play goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves, as the Flyers topped the Montreal Canadiens, 5-2, at Wells Fargo Center.

The victory marked the 1,000th home win in Flyers history, the first franchise of the expansion era to reach the mark.

Chris Pronger notched four assists, Kimmo Timonen added a power-play tally and Dan Carcillo also scored for the Flyers, who capped an impressive month of January with a 10-2-0 mark and currently sit atop the NHL with 71 points.

"When you look at our lineup, it's impressive," said Carcillo. "When a team looks at our defense, it is intimidating to play us. The biggest thing we have found this year is consistency."

Mathieu Darche and David Desharnais scored for the Canadiens, who are winless in three of their last four games. Montreal failed to earn a point for only the second time in its last 12 games.

Carey Price yielded four goals on 34 shots in the losing effort.

In the latter stages of the opening period, Montreal was whistled for three penalties in under two minutes and the Flyers took advantage with a pair of power-play goals.

Carter's 23rd goal at 17:42 gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead. Standing atop the crease, Carter redirected home a shot from the right circle by captain Mike Richards.

Only 63 seconds later, Timonen made it a two-goal advantage. The Flyers passed the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone until Timonen held control near the centerpoint. He drifted in near the high slot and released a blazing slap shot that Price never saw, thanks to a screen in front by Carter.

"Moving our feet and moving the puck quicker, then getting some traffic in front," said Pronger of the keys to the Flyers' power-play success. "Kimmo's goal was a prime example of that -- just getting pucks to the net and having bodies there."

Carcillo's third goal of the season 23 seconds into the second period gave Philly a three-goal cushion. Pronger's shot from the right point was stopped and Carcillo, who had position in the goal mouth area, swiped a backhander behind Price from in close.

At the 12:43 mark of the middle session, the Habs got on the scoreboard via Desharnais' third marker of the season -- his one-timer from the high slot made its way through heavy traffic and past Bobrovsky.

With 3:08 to go before the second intermission, Giroux netted his 19th goal. Scott Hartnell carried the puck down the left-wing side and, from below the circle, sent a pass across the low slot for a successful redirection tap-in by Giroux at the right post.

"If you give them chances like that, they will bury you," said Darche.

Darche tallied with less than five minutes to go in regulation and brought Montreal within two, but Danny Briere's empty-net goal inside the final minute sealed the victory.

Game Notes

The Flyers ended 3-for-5 on the power play and held the Habs scoreless on their seven chances with the extra skater...Montreal forward Jeff Halpern, who had missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury, returned to action...The Flyers improved to 16-7-2 at home and has captured five of the last seven meetings vs the Habs...Philadelphia won the season series, 3-1...The four assists for Pronger tied his career best. It marked the fifth time that he has recorded four helpers in a game.