Flyers best Hurricanes

By Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

Jeff Carter's two goals and one assist led the way as the Philadelphia Flyers posted their biggest win of the season over the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-1, at the Wachovia Center.

Simon Gagne had a pair of helpers for the Flyers, who halted a four-game skid. Mike Knuble notched a goal and two assists, while Derian Hatcher and Braydon Coburn also lit the lamp.

The win did not come without cost, though. Defenseman Denis Gauthier left the game on a questionable hit from behind by Carolina's Craig Adams early in the first period as Gauthier was turned towards the glass. He suffered a sprained right wrist and did not return.

Martin Biron stopped 23 shots to earn the win in his first start since signing a two-year deal to remain with the club.

Ray Whitney provided the lone offense for the Hurricanes, who have dropped two straight following a three-game win streak.

John Grahame surrendered four goals on 24 shots for his second consecutive loss.

Despite a paltry 11 shots through the first 40 minutes, Philly took to a one- goal lead into the third period against the defending Stanley Cup champions, then added three more scores to skate away with a surprising victory.

Knuble put the Flyers up 3-1 at 3:55 of the third when his no-look backhand shot from along the goal line hit the net just above a fallen Grahame.

Coburn's right point shot that hit a body in front and deflected home put the orange and black ahead by a 4-1 count at 5:07 and effectively wrapped up the game.

Grahame went to the bench with more than a minute left in regulation, and Carter batted a puck out of mid-air into the empty net with 33 ticks left to close out the scoring.

The loss keeps Carolina in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 84 points, two behind eighth-place Montreal.

The Flyers went up 1-0 with 6:29 to play in the first on Carter's 12th goal of the season. On the play, Carter wheeled around the net from the right wing to the left, causing Grahame to lose his stick in the process. The puck came to Joni Pitkanen for a shot that was deflected in the slot by Knuble right back to Carter for a slam-dunk into a half-open net.

It was 2-0 with 12:05 to go in the second as Hatcher notched his third of the year, a rare power-play goal, finishing off a three-on-one in close by redirecting Stefan Ruzicka's pass through Grahame from the slot.

Midway through the period, Carolina was awarded a penalty shot as referee Wes McCauley determined Flyers defenseman Lasse Kukkonen prevented a Hurricanes power-play chance from going into the net by closing his hand on the puck. Justin Williams took the shot, which Biron stopped with the top of his right pad.

However, only four seconds before intermission, Carolina got on the board to make it a 2-1 game. Whitney's low slapper zipped along the ice from the left point, and slid through Biron, who was screened in front.