Flyers 5, Sabres 2
Brayden Schenn scored twice while Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Read each recorded a goal and an assist as host Philadelphia halted its four-game skid (0-2-2).
Defenseman Mark Streit collected three assists for the Flyers, who maintained their two-point lead over Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division and climbed within two of the second-place New York Rangers with a game in hand. Steve Mason made 17 saves and notched an assist while Zac Rinaldo tallied before receiving a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Buffalo blue-liner Chad Ruhwedel.
Cody Hodgson scored a goal and set up another while defenseman Mike Weber also tallied for the Sabres, who have lost three straight and seven of their last eight (1-6-1). Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 32 shots as Buffalo completed an 0-3-0 road trip.
Read opened the scoring with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first period and Rinaldo beat Lieuwen to the glove side from the top of the left faceoff circle at 7:40 of the second for a 2-0 lead. Schenn deflected Streit's blast from the blue line during a power play with 5:40 remaining in the session and Lecavalier tallied from the right circle 3:38 later, when his shot glanced off Weber's stick.
Hodgson tipped blue-liner Christian Ehrhoff's shot past Mason at 7:26 of the third, but Buffalo was unable to convert again during the five-minute man advantage created by Rinaldo's penalty. Schenn beat Lieuwen from the right circle with 4:50 left to put it out of reach.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hodgson's goal was his 19th of the season, matching his career high set in 2011-12 with Vancouver and Buffalo. His assist on Weber's tally was his 41st point, also tying his personal best from 2011-12. ... Philadelphia won for just the second time in eight contests (2-4-2). ... The Flyers outscored the Sabres 13-6 in sweeping the three-game season series.