• Recap
• Bleachers

Upshall spoils Sutter's coaching debut as Flyers beat Devils

Sep 18, 2007 - 3:57 AM TRENTON, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Scottie Upshall spoiled Brent Sutter's coaching debut.

Upshall scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 11:28 left in the third period as the Philadelphia Flyers posted a 3-2 win in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday.

Sutter was named the Devils' 14th coach in the team's 26-year history in July after Claude Julien was fired with three games remaining in the 2006 season.

Sutter has a daunting task in his first season as he takes over the reigns to a team that lost center Scottie Gomez and All-Star defenseman Brian Rafalski to free agency.

Upshall made sure the first game did not end well.

With the game tied at 2-2, Upshall took a cross-ice pass from Simone Gagne in the right circle and beat Antero Niittymaki stick side. Niittymaki was playing goal in place of Martin Biron, who played the first two periods.

Philadelphia got on the board first as Lasse Kukkonen scored 5:27 into the first and Mike Richards tallied with 1:32 left in the period.

New Jersey pulled within 2-1 with 19:48 left in the third as Zach Parise scored on a 5-on-3 power play. The Devils tied it with 14:40 left as Andy Greene scored from the blue line.

The Devils, who outshot the Flyers, 29-23, was without goalie Martin Brodeur, defensemen Dainius Zubrus and center Patrick Elias.

Meanwhile, the Flyers were without defenseman Denis Gauthier and forward Stefan Ruzicka.