Flyers Win Over Blue Jackets

Hot offensive on the ice, against Columbus on Saturday night

Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr scored during a five-goal first period, helping the Philadelphia Flyers rout the Columbus Blue Jackets 9-2 on Saturday night.

Sean Couturier scored twice for the Flyers and five other players had goals. James van Riemsdyk, Max Talbot and Jakub Voracek also scored in the first, giving Philadelphia three fewer goals(five) than total shots for Columbus (eight).

The Flyers piled on in the second, with Wayne Simmonds and Matt Carle scoring 20 seconds apart to make it 8-0. Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason was yanked late in the first period after allowing three goals on 12 shots.

Allen York gave up two goals on five shots and was replaced by Mason in the second.

For a game, at least, the Flyers were the big winners in the offseason trade that sent leading scorer Jeff Carter to Columbus. Carter is sidelined with a broken foot and has only three assists in five games this season.

Philadelphia obtained Voracek, who had an assist during the first-period scoring rampage, and first- and third-round draft picks. The Flyers used their first-rounder on the 18-year-old Couturier and he already has five goals.

Carter's No. 17 now belongs to Simmonds and he has three goals. The Flyers entered with a league-high 47 goals. The NHL-worst Blue Jackets were dominated from the opening
faceoff. Van Riemsdyk returned from a one-game absence with a lower-body injury to score 1:38 into the game.

From there, it seemed every Flyers player took advantage of his shot to pad his stats.

Jagr caught a break on the power play when the puck appeared to shoot off a Columbus skate, crediting him with his fifth goal.Voracek made a nice feed to Talbot, who attacked the net and
pounded the puck past Mason.

That made it 3-0 and Mason was finished--at least for the period. He was replaced in a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Thursday night.

The switch didn't matter. Giroux scored and Columbus called a timeout. The break didn't matter. Voracek scored with 35 seconds left in the first.

Voracek was excited after beating his former team for the goal,pumping his fist and flashing a wide smile. He said this week he had something to prove after Columbus coach Scott Arniel said a lack of conditioning had kept Voracek from breaking into elite status.

Mason returned for the second period and his numbers were worse three goals on 10 shots. Couturier scored a short-handed goal to start the second,capping a nice trio for the Flyers. They also had even-strength and power-play goals.

Simmonds scored and the arena announcement was interrupted by Carle's goal that made it 8-0 only 20 seconds later.

"As I was saying," public address announcer Lou Nolan said to a laughing, sellout crowd, "Flyers goal was scored by No. 17, Wayne Simmonds."

This really was a laugher for Philadelphia. After the second period, the Flyers staff needed 20 minutes in the third just for research.

They found:

  • The Flyers had eight players score in a game for the fifth time. It was the first time since Oct. 23, 1983, in an 8-5 win vs.Toronto.
  • The Flyers led by eight goals after the second period for the first time since Oct. 18, 1984, vs. Vancouver. They led 9-1 after two and won 13-2.
  • The Flyers led 5-0 after one period for the first time since April 3, 2009 vs. Toronto. They led 5-0 and won 8-5.  Whew!


Derek Dorsett spoiled the shutout with a goal against Ilya Bryzgalov late in the third period.

Bryzgalov faced only 14 shotsthrough two periods and was never really pressured by the hapless
Blue Jackets. Grant Clitsome scored in the final minutes to make it 9-2.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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