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Flyers rout Blue Jackets

Nov 6, 2011 - 6:49 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Saturday night was an exercise of scoring balance as the Philadelphia Flyers got goals from eight different players en route to a 9-2 thrashing of the Columbus Blue Jackets from Wells Fargo Center.

James van Riemsdyk scored and added two assists, rookie Sean Couturier scored a pair and former Blue Jacket Jakub Voracek finished with a goal and two helpers for the Flyers, who bounced back after a 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

"It feels good," Couturier said. "I mean it was two nice passes that I got. Tonight every one stepped up and that's important."

Jaromir Jagr, Claude Giroux, Max Talbot, Wayne Simmonds and Matt Carle also netted goals for the Flyers.

Ilya Bryzgalov was solid in net, stopping 33-of-35 shots fired his way.

The nine-goal outburst is the Flyers' highest single game total since they defeated the Montreal Canadiens 9-5 on February 6, 1997.

"I think it was just nice to come out and play well," Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think from the start we did the right things, pucks went in the net and I think more than anything we wanted to play the game the right way and because of that you get results you're looking for."

Derek Dorsett and Grant Clitsome scored for the Blue Jackets, who fell to 2-11-1 on the season.

Steve Mason made 21 saves and Allen York stopped 3-of-5 shots.

The Flyers began the offensive avalanche just 1:38 into the opening stanza with good forechecking in the offensive zone. Erik Gustafsson pinched in deep from his left point position and brought the puck behind the net before finding van Reimsdyk wide open in the slot and the big winger wristed it stick side past Mason to give his team the lead.

The Flyers struck again at 3:09 of the first period on the power play when Jagr fired the puck from a sharp angle to the left of the net. The puck deflected off Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin and into the net.

Philadelphia made it 3-0 at 13:09 with some great passing off the rush. Voracek brought the puck into the offensive zone with speed on the right wing and found a cutting Talbot, who backhanded it through the legs of Mason from the slot.

The Flyers came up with their fourth goal of the period at 14:37 when Jagr stripped Tyutin in the right corner and found Giroux, who snapped it past York from the slot to make it 4-0.

Voracek capped an explosive first period when he wristed one from the point that got through traffic and past York with just 35 seconds to play in the period to make it 5-0.

After a completely dominating first period, Philadelphia added three more in the second period with goals coming from Couturier at 7:08, Simmonds at 15:50 and Carle at 16:10.

Dorsett got the Jackets on the board at 13:13 of the final period when he took a pass in the slot from Rick Nash and buried it high blocker side on Bryzgalov to make it 8-1.

"We were obviously just embarrassed and embarrassed very quickly, time after time," Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel said. "We were down within the first fifteen minutes."

The Flyers made it 9-1 at 16:27 of the third period when Voracek brought the puck into the offensive zone on the left wing, swung around behind the net to the right circle and fired a shot on net that was deflected in front by Couturier for his second goal of the night.

Clitsome capped the scoring at 17:30 when he picked up a loose puck in the high slot and wristed one on goal that got through traffic in front and past Bryzgalov.

Game Notes

Former Flyer Jeff Carter, who was traded to the Blue Jackets in the offseason, did not play due to a broken foot...Talbot has four goals in his last five games...Philadelphia has scored 24 first-period goals this season...The Flyers established a new season high for goals in one period with five in the first stanza...Fifteen Flyer players had at least one point...Columbus fell to 0-7-0 on the road this season...Flyers winger Danny Briere had two assists...Erik Gustafsson collected his first NHL assist in the first period...Carle finished with a plus-5 rating, while Gustafsson was a plus-6...Philadelphia was 1-for-5 with the man advantage, while Columbus failed on two power play chances...The Flyers travel to Tampa Bay to battle the Lightning on Wednesday, while the Blue Jackets will face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.