Flyers charge past Lightning

Centers Mike Richards and flu-ridden Jeff Carter snapped slumps with two goals apiece, and rookie right winger David Laliberte added his second goal in as many games, highlighting the Flyers' 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Wachovia Center.

Laliberte became the first Flyer to score in each of his first two NHL games since Eric Lindros in 1992. He became the fifth Flyer to perform the feat in the franchise's history.

James van Riemsdyk also continued his impressive play, contributing three assists and lifting his point total to 13, tops among NHL rookies.

"We're just keeping it simple and working hard coming back," van Riemsdyk said. "We're just kind of throwing pucks to the net and getting greasy out front."

Carter, one of several Flyers fighting the flu, hadn't scored a goal in seven straight games - his longest drought since a nine-game string in 2007-08 - while Richards ended a six-game goalless streak.

"They both have been getting a lot of chances, and it was only a matter of time before they produced," coach John Stevens said.

Said Richards: "The past couple of weeks, we've been trying to pass the puck into the net, instead of getting some dirty goals. We've been working on trying to get pucks to the net and bearing down in front. We did that tonight."

Carter, Richards, Scott Hartnell, and van Riemsdyk each had three points.

"When you have guys out of the lineup, you wonder where you're going to get the production from," Stevens said. "We're missing two guys that produce a lot of offense for us, but when that happens, you ask other guys to take advantage of the opportunities, and they have."

The Flyers were also minus Gagne and Briere on Saturday, when they trounced Carolina, 6-1.

"Obviously we have big shoes to fill, and we've stepped it up as a team," Richards said.

After Steven Stamkos' goal cut the Flyers' lead to 3-1 in the second period, Carter deftly set up Laliberte. Carter skated behind the net and fired a centering pass that the rookie knocked past Mike Smith.

"It's great to see the Lalibertes and the van Riemdyks and these guys take advantage of the extra ice time," Stevens said.

Just 35 seconds later, Richards' second goal of the night made it 5-1 and ended Smith's night. Richards dug out a rebound and scored on a clever backhander with 13 minutes, 1 second to go in the second period.

Smith was replaced by former Flyer Antero Niittymaki, who received a rousing ovation in his first game against his ex-teammates.

Flyers goalie Ray Emery made 26 saves, and one of Tampa Bay's goals deflected off teammate Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Emery has a 1.77 goals-against average in his last four games.

Afterward, Tampa Bay held a players-only meeting because of their listless play.

"There wasn't even any push-back," said Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet, who called it his team's worst defensive game of the season. "I mean, our wall work was terrible."

The Flyers took a 1-0 lead when Richards redirected a Chris Pronger point drive past Smith with 11:31 left in the first period, triggering the waving of thousands of Phillies/Flyers rally towels that were given to spectators.

With 45 seconds remaining in the opening period, Hartnell's fluky power-play goal gave the Flyers a 2-0 edge. Hartnell, to the right of the net, tried to fire a backhand pass to Claude Giroux in front, but the puck caromed off defenseman Andrej Meszaros and into the goal.

By midway through the second period, the game had turned into a rout.

"We've been keeping the game simple; getting pucks to the net, and our D has been doing a great job of getting pucks to the net," Hartnell said. "Two games don't make a season, but we have to build on it."