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Flyers take down struggling Sabres

Nov 22, 2013 - 4:41 AM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Read scored twice and Ray Emery stopped 29 shots as Philadelphia continued its recent success with a 4-1 decision over Buffalo on Thursday.

Vincent Lecavalier and Scott Hartnell also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games.

Steve Downie and Sean Couturier added a pair of assists for Philly, which won for the first time all season when trailing after one period.

"We had our opportunities and we shot as much as we always say we need to shoot more so I guess tonight was one of those nights," Lecavalier said about facing Miller, a possibility to start for Team USA in Sochi. "He was hot, I think he had 25 saves and we only scored one goal, so that's obviously a pretty good average. But we just kept coming and maybe that's the difference between now and what it was a month and a half ago."

Tyler Myers notched the lone goal and Ryan Miller made 42 saves for the Sabres, losers of three in a row and eight of the last 11.

Philly moved ahead 3-1 just after the midway point of the third period while on the power play, as defenseman Mark Streit fed Lecavalier for a blistering drive from the right circle.

Miller was called to the bench for an extra skater with 1:10 remaining. The Sabres had two shifts of pressure on Emery, but Hartnell flipped a shot into the empty net inside of 11 seconds on the clock.

"It doesn't take rocket science to figure it out. We have to do simple things," said Sabres head coach Ted Nolan of his team's continued struggles. "We have to play the game. We have turnovers and we can't take foolish penalties. We can't take a bounce off the puck and slip in corners. We have to play a smarter game. And to play within what our strengths are."

After skirting disaster due to a brief two-man disadvantage, the Sabres picked up a score with 92 seconds remaining in the first period. Three Buffalo players had chances in close on either side of Emery in a goal-mouth scramble, and Myers was credited with the final poke from the left side.

The Flyers finally equalized with 5:51 left in the second, when Downie's feed from the right boards led to Read's knuckling one-timer from the slot.

Read put the hosts ahead less than minutes later. Left alone in the slot after a failed Buffalo clear, he took a Downie dish, pulled Miller into the butterfly and roofed a shot from in close.

"I think he creates offense for them on that line," Flyers head coach Craig Berube said of Downie. "He has very good vision with the puck and he's strong with the puck, makes a lot of little plays. He is a good player along the walls, doesn't panic with the puck along the walls."

Game Notes

Before Read's first score, the Sabres hadn't allowed a goal to the Flyers in their last 133:52 of game time, dating back to a 3-2 loss in Philadelphia on Mar. 10 -- which included a 1-0 victory in Buffalo on Apr. 13 ... The contest marked the first time in NHL history that both head coaches were members of the Canadian First Nations: Nolan (Ojibwe) and Berube (Cree) ... The Flyers have won six of the eight meetings with the Sabres since the start of the 2011-12 season ... Philadelphia also improved to 8-5-1 (including playoffs) against Nolan as Buffalo bench boss ... The Sabres welcomed back forward Mikhail Grigorenko after a three-game absence, while forward Luke Adam and defenseman Brayden McNabb, recalled from AHL Rochester on Wednesday, made their season debuts.