Flyers' van Riemsdyk has that winning knack

SAN JOSE - James van Riemsdyk has been in the right place at the right time this week.

The 20-year-old Middletown, N.J., native netted the difference-making goals in the Flyers' victories against New Jersey and Los Angeles this week. He now has four game-winners for the season.

As a result, skating into the Shark Tank in San Jose last night, van Riemsdyk had an opportunity to match the NHL record for game-winning goals by a rookie. In fact, van Riemsdyk leads the NHL with four game-winning goals this season.

Neither of van Riemsdyk's goals this week were go-ahead goals. Each one - against the Devils' Martin Brodeur and the Kings' Jonathan Quick - gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead in those games but late goals by the opposition made them decisive.

Another winner came as the second goal in a 5-1 win over Ottawa.

"I don't know what it is," van Riemsdyk said with a grin. "For whatever reason, they end up saving us."

That game-winning stat might not be legit, but van Riemsdyk's season has been so far.

Heading into last night's action, van Riemsdyk trailed only the Islanders' John Tavares for the rookie scoring lead. Tavares (19 points) is only two ahead of van Riemsdyk, who has six goals and 11 assists. No Flyer has ever won the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year.

"I think James has earned the right to play in the situations he has been playing in," coach John Stevens said. "He's on the ice in a lot of key situations. He's had a big impact on our success in the early part of the year."

Simon Gagne, who is recovering from his abdominal surgery on Nov. 3, has been skating at the Flyers Skate Zone back home in Voorhees, N.J., this week. Gagne has been joined by injured forward Arron Asham (strained oblique) and player development coach Derian Hatcher on the ice.

"Simon is probably ahead of schedule, based on the reports," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "I think we are looking for him to return toward the end of December. That would be a reasonable target date."

Asham strained his oblique in the second period of Monday night's game against New Jersey, which caused him to miss the team's five-game road trip out West. Holmgren said that he would be out 10 to 14 days, which would put him back in time for Vancouver's trip to the Wachovia Center on Dec. 3.

Hockey Canada executive director Steve Yzerman was scouting at last night's game. He said Ray Emery will receive consideration for the Canadian Olympic team if he continues to play this well . . . John Stevens would not say whether Ray Emery or Brian Boucher would start tonight against Scottie Upshall and the Coyotes in Phoenix. After a 37-save performance on Wednesday in Los Angeles, 'Boosh' might have earned a start with the second leg of back-to-back games. Stevens said he would inform the goalies of his decision last night on the plane ride to Arizona . . . Tonight is Upshall's first game against his former team since being traded at last year's deadline for Dan Carcillo. *

For more news and analysis, read Frank Seravalli's blog, Frequent Flyers, at http://go.philly.com/frequentflyers.