Flyers Routed 8-2 by Caps in Laviolette's Debut

With Peter Laviolette making his Flyers debut behind the bench, Tomas Fleischmann and Mike Green scored two goals apiece, and Nicklas Backstrom added a goal and four assists, leading the streaking Washington Capitals to a 8-2 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night.

It was the seventh loss in eight games for the Flyers, who fired coach John Stevens on Friday and hired Laviolette to replace him.

The Southeast Division-leading Capitals didn't miss two-time NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin, who served the final game of a two-game suspension. Washington won its fifth straight.

Philadelphia's poor play continued, as the Capitals took a 1-0 lead just 57 seconds in when Fleischmann knocked in a rebound off Brendan Morrison's slap shot.

Mika Pyorala tied it at 12:06, knocking a rebound past goalie Jose Theodore and ending Philadelphia's goal-less streak at 172 minutes, 10 seconds. The Flyers' previous goal was scored on Nov. 27 in the first period against Buffalo. They were shut out in consecutive losses to Atlanta and Vancouver before Stevens was
fired.

Washington stormed ahead with three goals during a 9-minute power play that began at 14:33 of the first period and carried into the second. Dan Carcillo and Matt Bradley got into a shoving match at center ice, and Philadelphia's Carcillo landed a big punch as Bradley was dropping his gloves.

Bradley fell to the ice and left the game. Carcillo received 19 minutes of penalties and a game misconduct, resulting in the power play. The Flyers' 18 penalty minutes per game lead the league.

Fleischmann scored his second goal of the game with 3:20 left in the period, on a wrist shot from just outside the circle, that beat Ray Emery to the glove side.

Just 20 seconds later, Green scored on a wrist shot from the top of the circle that sailed over Emery's shoulder.

Emery was pulled in the second period after allowing a goal to Chris Clark, and Brian Boucher came on and surrendered three more goals.