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Tuesday, 10.25.2005 / 12:00 AM
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Philadelphia Flyers
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The Philadelphia Flyers are starting to get their offense in gear. All they need now is for Peter Forsberg to score a goal.
The Flyers go for their fourth straight win as they take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Forsberg, a perennial All-Star and the NHL's MVP in 2003, has no goals in six games, but leads the team with 12 assists.
"I want to get a goal here soon. It's kind of frustrating not getting one, but as long as my teammates are scoring and we're winning games it's OK," he said. "But down the road I have to start scoring too. I'm not going to try to force it, I'm just going to keep working hard."
Forsberg left the Colorado Avalanche during the offseason to sign a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Flyers. His line, which includes Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble, has 29 points.
On Saturday, Forsberg had two assists in the Flyers' 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"As a line we played pretty well tonight. I'm playing with two great players," Forsberg said.
Philadelphia has scored 16 goals during its three-game winning streak after scoring 10 in its first three contests.
The Canadiens have won two straight and three of their last four games, including Saturday's 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders.
Steve Begin scored with 1:45 left in the third period to lift Montreal to its second straight win at home.
"He just works so hard every night and it feels really good to see that kind of effort get rewarded on a night like tonight," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said of Begin, who has three goals this season.
Saku Koivu had a power-play goal and assisted on Alex Kovalev's second of the season - also with the man advantage - as Montreal built a 2-0 lead 13:31 in.
The Canadiens nearly squandered the lead as the Islanders tied it at 3-3 on Alexei Yashin's goal at 17:07 of the third period.
"That's the way hockey goes now with all those changes and rules," Begin said. "When you've got the lead you've got to keep on pushing. It's never over. You never know what can happen and tonight was a perfect example. We kept just kept pushing and we came out with two points, two huge points for us."
STANDINGS: Flyers - 8 points, 2nd place (tied), 3 PB, Atlantic Division. Canadiens - 12 points, 1st place (tied), Northeast Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Flyers - Gagne, 7 goals; Forsberg, 12 assists and 12 points; Donald Brashear, 13 PIM. Canadiens - Koivu and Michael Ryder, 4 goals; Kovalev, 8 assists and 10 points; Sheldon Souray, 18 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Oct. 23): Flyers - Power play: 12.7 percent (6 for 47), 24th in NHL. Penalty killing: 76.3 percent (29 for 38), 28th. Canadiens - Power play: 18.8 percent (10 for 53), 13th. Penalty killing: 84.4 percent (49 for 58), 12th.
GOALTENDERS: Flyers - Robert Esche (2-2-0, 3.04 GAA); Antero Niittymaki (2-0-0, 3.41). Canadiens - Jose Theodore (5-2-0, 3.01); Yann Danis (1-0-0, 1 SO, 0.00).
2003-04 SEASON SERIES: Flyers, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: April 1, 2004; Flyers, 2-0. At Montreal, Gagne and Michal Handzus scored for the Flyers, while Sean Burke made 24 saves.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Flyers - 1-1-0 on the road; Canadiens - 2-2-0 at home.
The Flyers go for their fourth straight win as they take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Forsberg, a perennial All-Star and the NHL's MVP in 2003, has no goals in six games, but leads the team with 12 assists.
"I want to get a goal here soon. It's kind of frustrating not getting one, but as long as my teammates are scoring and we're winning games it's OK," he said. "But down the road I have to start scoring too. I'm not going to try to force it, I'm just going to keep working hard."
Forsberg left the Colorado Avalanche during the offseason to sign a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Flyers. His line, which includes Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble, has 29 points.
On Saturday, Forsberg had two assists in the Flyers' 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"As a line we played pretty well tonight. I'm playing with two great players," Forsberg said.
Philadelphia has scored 16 goals during its three-game winning streak after scoring 10 in its first three contests.
The Canadiens have won two straight and three of their last four games, including Saturday's 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders.
Steve Begin scored with 1:45 left in the third period to lift Montreal to its second straight win at home.
"He just works so hard every night and it feels really good to see that kind of effort get rewarded on a night like tonight," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said of Begin, who has three goals this season.
Saku Koivu had a power-play goal and assisted on Alex Kovalev's second of the season - also with the man advantage - as Montreal built a 2-0 lead 13:31 in.
The Canadiens nearly squandered the lead as the Islanders tied it at 3-3 on Alexei Yashin's goal at 17:07 of the third period.
"That's the way hockey goes now with all those changes and rules," Begin said. "When you've got the lead you've got to keep on pushing. It's never over. You never know what can happen and tonight was a perfect example. We kept just kept pushing and we came out with two points, two huge points for us."
STANDINGS: Flyers - 8 points, 2nd place (tied), 3 PB, Atlantic Division. Canadiens - 12 points, 1st place (tied), Northeast Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Flyers - Gagne, 7 goals; Forsberg, 12 assists and 12 points; Donald Brashear, 13 PIM. Canadiens - Koivu and Michael Ryder, 4 goals; Kovalev, 8 assists and 10 points; Sheldon Souray, 18 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Oct. 23): Flyers - Power play: 12.7 percent (6 for 47), 24th in NHL. Penalty killing: 76.3 percent (29 for 38), 28th. Canadiens - Power play: 18.8 percent (10 for 53), 13th. Penalty killing: 84.4 percent (49 for 58), 12th.
GOALTENDERS: Flyers - Robert Esche (2-2-0, 3.04 GAA); Antero Niittymaki (2-0-0, 3.41). Canadiens - Jose Theodore (5-2-0, 3.01); Yann Danis (1-0-0, 1 SO, 0.00).
2003-04 SEASON SERIES: Flyers, 3-1.
LAST MEETING: April 1, 2004; Flyers, 2-0. At Montreal, Gagne and Michal Handzus scored for the Flyers, while Sean Burke made 24 saves.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Flyers - 1-1-0 on the road; Canadiens - 2-2-0 at home.
