Flyers answer the bell in matinee defeat of Bruins

Special to the Phanatic

Philadelphia, PA -- Despite a decimated defensive corps which was patched together with four players from the AHL, Ilya Bryzgalov managed to stop 33 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers put the brakes on a four-game skid with a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center.

Mike Knuble, Matt Read and Ruslan Fedotenko each scored once to help the Flyers remain within striking distance of the final playoff berth.

The Orange and Black produced the surprising victory in front of a near-record crowd of 19,997, matched only by the attendance in a 5-4 loss to the Penguins on March 7.

"It was a huge two points for us," Read remarked. "Hopefully from here we can just play with confidence like we did tonight, keep on the same tracks and keep going."

Nathan Horton scored the lone Boston goal, while Tuukka Rask allowed two goals on 21 shots for the Bruins, who have lost two straight and three of their last four.

"I think we were working hard but just couldn't buy a goal and maybe gripping our sticks a little too much," Horton admitted. "Once they got the lead they were playing back. Like I said, we had our chances though."

Boston racked up 12 shots in each of the first two frames, but the Bruins were unable to break through Bryzgalov until the opening stages of the final frame.

Horton started the play by skating into the Philadelphia zone and sliding a cross-ice feed to the right point for Dennis Seidenberg. The Boston defenseman then fired a slapper that was knocked down in front and the loose puck ended up on the stick of Horton, who fired it home from in close to make it 2-1 at the five-minute mark.

Bryzgalov was able to keep the Bruins off the board from there and after Rask left the net in favor of an extra attacker, Fedotenko buried an empty-netter with 58.4 seconds left to account for the final margin.

The Flyers opened the scoring late in the first period after Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara was whistled for hooking at 13:50.

On the ensuing man advantage, Knuble camped out in front -- where the Boston blueliner would have been patrolling -- before one-timing Brayden Schenn's centering feed past Rask to make it 1-0 at the 15:19 mark.

The Flyers doubled their edge early in the second when Jakub Voracek skated into the zone and slid a cross-ice pass to the left circle for Read, who rifled a one-timer past Rask for a 2-0 advantage just 3:18 in.

Notes: Boston had won four straight in the series and hadn't lost in regulation in Philadelphia since March 10, 2007...Philadelphia defenseman Oliver Lauridsen, recalled from Adirondack of the AHL on Friday, made his NHL debut and posted one shot in 17:12 of ice time...Fedotenko notched his first goal in 28 games, since his only other tally this season on Jan. 26...Boston went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Philadelphia finished 1-for-1...Just after the start of the contest, the Flyers announced the acquisition of defenseman Kent Huskins from the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round pick in June's draft -- a transaction which may not even be completed, if Philadelphia does not re-sign Huskins before October 1.