HAWKS BACK OFF TRACK

Flyers 2 0 3 5
HAWKS 1 1 0 2

Mike Knuble scored on a deflection with 8:33 left in the third period, snapping a tie and lifting the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

At the edge of the crease, Knuble redirected Michal Handzus' shot from the left-wing boards past goalie Craig Anderson.

Mike Richards added an insurance goal with 6:25 left. Branko Radivojevic scored into an empty net with 51 seconds left.

Ben Eager and R.J. Umberger also scored for the Flyers, 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. Philadelphia, which played the 10th game of a team-record 11-game road trip on Wednesday, is 8-1-1 on the swing.

Radim Vrbata and Andy Hilbert scored for Chicago, which has lost 11 of 12. The Blackhawks broke a 10-game losing streak Tuesday at Washington.

Philadelphia's Antero Niittymaki made 12 saves. Anderson stopped 26 shots.

Eager opened the scoring 2:42 into the first period by converting his own rebound.

Anderson stopped Eager's first shot from the right side of the net. The puck bounded into the slot, off Chicago defenseman Todd Simpson, and back to Eager, who fired in a high shot.

Vrbata tied it 1-all at 5:29, firing into an open net with Niittymaki down and out of position. Vrbata broke down right wing, faked Niittymaki to the ice, circle behind the net and fired before the goalie could recover. Umberger gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead at 10:40. After going around the Chicago net, he fired from a rising sharp-angle shot that appeared struck Anderson and deflected in.

Hilbert tied it 2-all at 5:10 of the second period on a deflection, the Blackhawks' fourth shot of the game.

Simpson picked off a weak outlet pass by Philadelphia's Jeff Carter's at the right point and fired. Simpson's drive was redirected in by Hilbert at the front of the crease.

After Knuble's deflection game the Flyers a 3-2 lead with 8:33 left. Richards made it 4-2 following a turnover by Chicago's Jim Vandermeer.

HOME