FLYERS NEWS

What a difference a win makes. After enjoying their first 2 wins of the season over the weekend the Flyers, who couldn't buy a win during an 0-6 start, suddenly can't lose. Of course it helps when your opponent is as bad as the Atlanta Thrashers. Still ,the Flyers performance tonight was awe inspiring and although probably more a function of the totally inept Thrasher defense than anything, it was perhaps an indicator of what this team is capable of. After Marty Biron led the Flyers to their first two wins he strangely got night off tonight, in favor Antero Niittymaki and boy did it payoff, as Niittymaki shutout the Thrashers on just 24 shots. Meanwhile, Simon Gagne, Joffrey Lupul, and Mike Knuble each scored two goals on the night and the Flyers went 3 for 5 on the power play for their best goal scoring effort of the season thus far. Lupul got it started early in the first period for a 1-0 lead. Early in the 2nd period Knuble made it 2-0. Then with just seconds left in the period Gagne made it 3-0. Early in the 3rd, Lupul and Knuble traded goals to make it 5-0. Midway through the period Gagne scored to make it 6-0. Finally with the just over 3 minutes to play Glen Metropolit made 7-0 Flyers and mercifully, that's how ended. So the Flyers move to 3-3-3 overall for a total of 9 points which isn't bad at all this early in the season.