Flyers top Flames to snap 10-game skid
CALGARY, Alberta -- Scott Laughton scored twice to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Valtteri Filppula and Michael Raffl had a goal and an assist each for the Flyers, who snapped their 10-game losing streak (0-5-5).
Wayne Simmonds also scored, while Jakub Voracek had three assists for Philadelphia (9-11-7).
Goalie Brian Elliott, who played for the Flames last season before signing with the Flyers in the offseason, made 43 saves to improve his record to 7-6-6.
Troy Brouwer and Sean Monahan scored for the Flames, who wrapped up their four-game homestand with a 1-3 record.
Mike Smith finished with 16 saves for Calgary (14-12-1).
Brouwer opened the scoring at 18:15 of the opening frame with his first goal of the season and first since March 27 to snap out of a 32-game drought. After swatting the rebound of a Curtis Lazar shot through Elliott's legs, Brower raised his arms and looked skyward.
It didn't take long for the Flyers to tie things up as Filppula swatted the puck past Smith just 61 seconds later. Defenseman Andrew MacDonald took the initial point shot that hit Voracek in front of the net and bounced right to Filppula for an easy goal.
The Flyers then scored three goals in 71 seconds in the second period to take a 4-1 lead.
Laughton tipped a point shot by Shayne Gostisbehere that hit the post and then bounced off of Smith and into the net at 7:31. Raffl one-timed a pass from Voracek past the Flames' netminder 25 seconds later.
Then with Michael Frolik in the penalty box for high sticking, Simmonds tapped a rebound past Smith at 8:42. The Flames had reason to be upset with the power-play goal after replays showed that it was MacDonald, not Frolik, who high-sticked teammate Sean Couturier in the face.
The Flames outshot the Flyers 21-7 in the second and were finally rewarded when Monahan snapped a shot to the short side past Elliott with 1:15 left in the period.
Laughton restored Philadelphia's three-goal advantage when he scored his third goal of the season at 1:51 of the third.
NOTES: Flyers D Radko Gudas sat out the eighth game of his 10-game suspension for slashing Winnipeg Jets C Mathieu Perreault on Nov. 16. He has sat out both of Philadelphia's games against Calgary this season and is eligible to return to the lineup on Dec. 12 at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Philadelphia also scratched D Mark Alt and C Jori Lehtera. ... After being a healthy scratch for the past two games, C Curtis Lazar drew back into Calgary's lineup in place of C Matt Stajan, who had suited up for four straight contests. ... Flames C Freddie Hamilton was scratched for the third straight time, while D Matt Bartkowski sat out his fourth straight game. Bartkowski has only played one of the past 12 games for the Flames. ... Calgary captain D Mark Giordano played in his 700th NHL game.