Hartnell's 2 Goals Lead Flyers Over Carolina
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Scott Hartnell scored two goals and Claude Giroux added one to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.
Playing without center Danny Briere, who began a three-game suspension for a crosscheck on the Islanders' Frans Nielson on Saturday, the Flyers won their fourth straight after losing four of five, and took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Hurricanes have lost two of three.
Hartnell's first goal came at 12:29 of the first period. He scooped up a rebound of Jeff Carter's shot, and, with his back to the net, flipped a shot past Justin Peters' glove side.
Carolina's Patrick Dwyer tied the game early in the second period when his wrist shot beat Sergei Bobrovsky, who was making his fourth straight start. Jeff Skinner, the seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft and, at 18, the youngest player in the league, assisted on Dwyer's goal, collecting a turnover by James van Riemsdyk.
Giroux gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead at 11:21 of the second period, 5 seconds into a power play created on a hooking penalty by former Flyer Joni Pitkanen. Giroux took a pass from Mike Richards and blasted a turnaround slap shot by Peters.
Peters, making his second start of the season in relief of starter Cam Ward, made 34 saves.
Hartnell gave Philadelphia a two-goal lead in the third, taking a pass from Kimmo Timonen and pushing it by Peters. The goal gave Hartnell seven points in five games against Carolina, three goals and four assists.
Joe Corvo pulled the Hurricanes within a goal with 27 seconds left in the game, pounding a shot to Bobrovsky's left.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, who led Carolina to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2006, started Bobrovsky over veteran Brian Boucher, who had a 5-1-0 career record against the Hurricanes. Bobrovsky, a 22-year-old rookie, made 26 saves.
Notes: Carter, who assisted on Hartnell's goal, has eight points in his past five games against the Hurricanes, four goals and four assists. ... Jody Shelly of the Flyers played in his 550th career game. ... Philadelphia ran its record to 66-24-14-4 against the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise. The Flyers won their seventh straight game against Carolina. Since losing 2-1 in regulation to Carolina on Dec. 19, 2006, they are 13-0-3.
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