Flyers 5, Sabres 1
PHILADELPHIA -- A four-goal, second-period eruption carried the Philadelphia Flyers to a dominating 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center.
After a scoreless first period, the Flyers (24-20-9) poured it on in the middle stanza en route to snapping a three-game losing streak.
Five Flyers scored and nine collected at least a point, highlighted by defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere tying Philadelphia's franchise rookie point-streak record at 10 games, which also is the longest active streak in the NHL.
The Sabres (21-28-6) received a third-period goal from left winger Jamie McGinn but lost their third straight and seventh in the past nine.
Flyers goaltender Steve Mason (13-14-7), making his sixth start in 10 days, took the support and ran with it, making 41 saves for the win.
After allowing four goals on 12 shots Tuesday before being yanked, Sabres goalie Robin Lehner (2-4-1) surrendered five more and stopped 23 shots Thursday.
The Flyers received an unusual spark from center R.J. Umberger to open the floodgates in the second period. The 33-year-old snapped a 50-game goalless skid dating back to last season with a tally at 1:23.
Umberger, who had gone over a full calendar year since his last goal (Jan. 27, 2015), raised his arms and looked toward the rafters in celebration after jumpstarting Philadelphia's onslaught.
Less than a minute later, center Brayden Schenn padded the Flyers' advantage with a snap shot assisted by left winger Michael Raffl.
Right winger Wayne Simmonds followed suit at 8:33 as he deposited a huge rebound from the circle off a shot by Gostisbehere for his 20th goal.
With Gostisbehere's assist on the play, the 22-year-old pushed his point streak to 10 games, tying Mikael Renberg's franchise rookie record set in 1993-94.
Also, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Gostisbehere became the first NHL rookie defenseman to record a 10-game point streak since the Colorado Rockies' Barry Beck did so twice in 1977-78.
Raffl then punctuated the prolific second period with a nice move and a goal at 15:57, handing Philadelphia a healthy 4-0 lead at the second intermission. During the period, nine Flyers registered points.
After McGinn cut the margin to 4-1 at 10:04 of the third, Philadelphia center Nick Cousins capped off the scoring with his first NHL goal 29 seconds later. He and Raffl finished with two-point games.
NOTES: The Flyers made a pair of changes, inserting C R.J. Umberger and C Jordan Weal into the lineup while sitting LW Matt Read and C Scott Laughton. Umberger was a healthy scratch the previous five games. Weal, acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 6, appeared in just his second game with Philadelphia. ... Sabres RW Justin Bailey made his NHL debut after being called up Wednesday from AHL Rochester to replace C Zemgus Girgensons (lower body), who was put on injured reserve. Bailey, a 2013 second-round draft pick of the Sabres, had 10 goals and 13 assists in 47 games with Rochester. ... Flyers G Michal Neuvirth was activated off injured reserve before the game and backed up starting G Steve Mason. With Neuvirth back, G Anthony Stolarz was returned to AHL Lehigh Valley. ... Sabres standout rookie C Jack Eichel was in the lineup despite missing Wednesday's practice for maintenance reasons.