Flyers 5 - 3 Hurricanes
Final
  for this game

Flyers set to battle Hurricanes at RBC Center

Nov 14, 2011 - 3:48 PM (Sports Network) - The Flyers put together a sharp effort on Sunday for a win despite a three-day layoff between games. Philadelphia's next test is to keep its legs going on back-to-back nights as it visits the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center.

The Flyers opened up a three-game road trip last Wednesday with an overtime loss to the Lightning, then hung around in Florida for a few days before visiting the Panthers on Sunday and notching a 3-2 victory. Philadelphia got goals from Danny Briere, Braydon Coburn and Matt Read to move to 4-0-2 in its last six.

The club is also 5-1-1 on the road this season and is tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the New York Rangers, two points behind first-place Pittsburgh.

"I thought our guys really competed well, skated well," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. "I think coming off of those two days off practice yesterday was really good and if you look at our Conference it's tight. There's no wiggle room."

Read's goal came on a penalty shot awarded while the Flyers were shorthanded. He slipped a puck through Florida goaltender Jose Theodore at the 4:14 mark of the period for the eventual game-winner. Ilya Bryzgalov made 31 saves on the night.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, take aim at their first set of consecutive victories since a three-game win streak from Oct. 12-18. They snapped a season-high four-game slide with a 5-3 win over the Penguins on Saturday.

Tuomo Ruutu scored twice and Jeff Skinner had a goal to give the Hurricanes an early 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh then scored three straight goals in the third period to even the game, but Eric Staal ensured his club wouldn't drop a fifth straight by scoring with 4:34 remaining in the game.

Staal also assisted on Chad LaRose's goal about two minutes later and tallied his first goal since Oct. 18. It was also Staal's first even-strength marker of the season.

"You're in that position, you're up 3-0 and then all of a sudden it's 3-3, you can either shell up and call it a night or you can rear your head and go after the next goal," said Staal. "I think as a group we showed a lot of character and fought hard and got it back."

Skinner also notched two assists and Cam Ward made 37 saves. The rally prevented Carolina from losing for the first time this season when leading after two periods (6-0-0).

The Hurricanes have struggled in recent seasons against the Flyers, who are 16-1-3 in the past 20 meetings. That includes a mark of 9-1-1 in their last 11 at Carolina.

The Flyers scored four third-period goals when the clubs met in Philadelphia on Oct. 29. Jaromir Jagr had two of those, giving him 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists) in 70 career games versus the Hurricanes.

Claude Giroux had a goal and three assists in the 5-1 win at Wells Fargo Center and Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots.

Carolina backup Brian Boucher, a former Philadelphia goaltender, gave up five goals on 34 shots to take the loss.






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