AP Photo / Gregory Smith
Philadelphia Flyers' Riley Cote, right, takes a punch to the face from Atlanta Thrashers' Eric Boulton, left, during a fight in the first period.
Photos: Thrashers 1, Flyers 0- Frequent Flyers: Briere out with flu, groin?
- Friends enjoying van Riemsdyk's success with Flyers
- Ross joins Flyers' list of walking wounded
- Flyers Notes: Laperriere likely to play tonight
- Brodeur becomes 60,280-minute man
- Flyers lick wounds after bruising 4-2 loss
- Flyers lose to Sabres in Black Friday game
RELATED STORIES
Flyers shut out by Atlanta
ATLANTA - For the last four years, the Atlanta Thrashers have been to the Flyers what the Washington Generals are to the Harlem Globetrotters: A punching bag.
That ended tonight. The punching bag fought back.
Atlanta ended a 14-game losing streak against the fading Flyers, getting outstanding goaltending from Johan Hedberg as it registered a hard-earned 1-0 victory in front of 16,018 at Philips Arena.
It was Atlanta's first win over the Flyers since a 6-5 overtime triumph on Nov. 18, 2005. The Flyers' 14-game winning streak against the Thrashers equals the longest against a team in the franchise's history. The Flyers also won 14 in a row against the Los Angeles Kings from 1978 to 1982.
It was the Flyers' fifth loss in their last six games.
The Flyers were 0 for 4 on the power play and are 0 for 9 with the extra skater in their last two games.
"We're creating enough good chances as when we were winning, but they're not resulting in goals," coach John Stevens said. "We have to find a way to dig in and sharpen up a bit. . . . Our power play has completely dried up."
Twelve seconds into the third period, the game's intensity was raised a few notches after Atlanta winger Colby Armstrong charged rookie James van Riemsdyk and appeared to elbow him in the face. Arron Asham went after Armstrong and gave him a pounding.
When the referees distributed the penalties, Armstrong was given five minutes for charging, five for fighting, and a game misconduct, while Asham was assessed two minutes for instigation, five for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct.
The Flyers came away with a three-minute power play, but were ineffective.
They got three shots and applied pressure on their fourth power play of the night - thanks to a high-sticking penalty to Christoph Schubert with 5 minutes, 25 seconds remaining - but Hedberg (34 saves) had all the answers. After the penalty expired, he made a sprawling save on Scott Hartnell with 2:25 left. He also robbed Mike Richards as he batted a rebound out of the air with a minute left.
The Thrashers and Flyers are two of the NHL's highest-scoring teams, so, naturally, a goaltenders' duel unfolded.
Atlanta, coming off a five-goal third-period eruption in a 6-4 comeback win over Carolina on Friday, entered the night leading the league with a 3.54 goals-per-game average. The Flyers were fourth at 3.26.
In the first two periods, though, the two backup goalies - the Flyers' Brian Boucher and Hedberg - were spotless before the Thrashers scored just as their five-on-three power play was expiring with 8:53 left in the second.
Center Rich Peverley, skating deep into the left circle, one-timed a pass from Pavel Kubina past Boucher to put Atlanta ahead, 1-0.
Peverly "didn't get all of it, and it kind of fooled me," Boucher said. "It was almost like a knuckler."
Boucher, who had a 1.61 goals-against average in three appearances on a recent five-game trip, didn't have to do much in the first period. The Flyers, despite missing four forwards who were ill or injured, dominated the period, outshooting the Thrashers, 12-3. The game was scoreless only because Hedberg made several acrobatic saves.
"If the guy at the other end stands on his head, like he did tonight, there's going to be nights when you lose even though you did a good-enough job to win," Bocuher said.
All told, Boucher stopped 17 of 18 shots, but it wasn't enough because the Flyers - who are showing signs of missing Simon Gagne (abdominal/hernia surgery) and Danny Briere (flu), among others - couldn't solve Hedberg.
"We can't make excuses. I think everybody goes through stretches where they lose key personnel," said Stevens, whose club has scored a total of four goals in its last three games.
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-854-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.
