Flyers Bomb Panthers

    The Philadelphia Flyers routed the Florida Panthers 7-1 on Saturday night at BB&T Center as the Cats extended their losing streak to four games. It was the only appearance for the Flyers in Sunrise this season. The Panthers have been outscored 18-3 in their last four games.
    Philadelphia(2-3-0) left wing Matt Read, who is in his second NHL season, picked up his first career hat trick. Florida(1-4-0) left wing Quinton Howden played in his first NHL game tonight after being drafted by the team in 2010.
    The Flyers, who scored only five goals in their first four games, quickly got the initial lead on a power play at 3:10 of the first period. Center Claude Giroux passed the puck from the top right circle to defenseman Kimmo Timonen in the high slot. His slapshot was deflected in the crease by right wing Wayne Simmons for his second goal this season.
    Philadelphia went up 2-0 at 7:12 as Read zipped through the left circle by two defensemen and scored on a wrist shot in the low slot. He got a left-outlet pass from Giroux who was in the neutral zone.
    Rookie center Tye McGinn scored his first NHL goal in his third career game at 18:51 as the Flyers led 3-0. He redirected a pass in the low shot from defenseman Braydon Coburn who was by the left-wing boards. The Panthers pulled goalie Jose Theodore at the end of the first period after he allowed three goals on nine shots and was replaced by Scott Clemmensen.
    Both teams combined with three goals in 1:13 during four-on-four situations late in the second period. Coburn skated through the neutral zone as he went by the Panthers line and send a cross-ice pass to Read in the left circle. He hit a volley shot past Clemmensen at 18:34 for his second goal of the game.
    The Panthers got their lone goal of the contest at 19:10 as defenseman Ed Jovanovski sent a long lead pass from his own crease to center Peter Mueller at the Flyers line. He skated in alone on a breakaway and put the puck behind goalie Iyla Bryzgalov.
    Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn got his first goal with his new club which was unassisted with 13 seconds remaining in the period as he blasted a slapshot through traffic from the right point for a 5-1 lead.
    Read completed the hat trick with his third goal of the game 54 seconds into the third period on the power play. He blasted a one-time slapshot in the high slot area from a feed in the right corner by center Brayden Schenn.
    Philly capped the scoresheet to 7-1 at eight minutes of the third when center Ruslan Fedotenko got his first goal in his second stint with team. McGinn ripped the puck around the left corner to left wing Max Talbot behind the Panthers cage, he sent a pass to the left of the crease and Fedotenko put in a wrist shot from close range.
    Florida outshot Philadelphia in all three periods and had a shot advantage of 31-26. Bryzgalov made 30 saves on 31 shots while Clemmensen made 13 saves on 17 shots in two periods of play. The Panthers were held scoreless on the power play at 0-for-4 and Flyers went 2-for-7 on the man advantage. The Cats have off until Tuesday night when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.