Kimmo Timonen broke a third-period tie with 9:32 left, then added a short-handed empty-netter to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday night in a preview of the Winter Classic.
Brian Boucher stopped 26 shots for the Flyers, who had lost 10 of their last 12 and entered the night tied for the second-fewest points in the NHL.
Vladimir Sobotka scored for Boston, and also had a first-period goal negated by an early whistle. Tim Thomas, making just his fifth start in a month because of an undisclosed injury, made 35 saves for the Bruins.
The longtime rivals are scheduled to meet again on New Year's Day at Fenway Park in the third annual Winter Classic outdoor game.
