Panthers  1    Flyers  5

Recap: Philadelphia vs. Florida

Sports Network | October 24, 2009

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Daniel Briere lit the lamp twice and added an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers took a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers at Wachovia Center.

James Van Riemsdyk had a goal and an assist while Arron Asham and Simon Gagne each had a goal for the Flyers, who have won two straight following a three- game losing streak. Ray Emery made 17 saves in the win.

David Booth scored the lone goal while Tomas Vokoun was charged with five goals on 38 shots for the Panthers, who have dropped their past three games and seven of eight, overall.

"We had a good first period from an energy point of view," said Florida coach Peter DeBoer. "I thought we created some chances. We gave up too much, we were a little too loose and gave them some opportunities."

The big story of the game, though, was Booth leaving the contest on a stretcher after a hit from Philadelphia captain Mike Richards.

Booth had just dumped the puck off to another Florida player in the neutral zone as Richards hit him high under the chin with his shoulder down.

Booth appeared to be knocked unconscious as he fell to the ice and play was whistled dead with 2:55 left in the second period. He lay on the ice and was attended to by several medical personnel. He was eventually strapped to a stretcher and wheeled off the ice and taken to a local hospital. He did have movement in his extremities, but no further word has been made on his condition. He is being kept overnight to remain under observation.

Richards was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a 10-minute game misconduct for the hit.

"I saw him with the puck going up the middle," said Richards. "Obviously with a guy going up the middle I was trying to eliminate him from the puck. He dished it off and everything happened so quickly."

Philly got on the board at the 5:23 mark of the opening period as Van Riemsdyk laid out a perfect backhand pass in the slot for Briere's one-timer.

Booth was credited with Florida's tying goal with 5:01 to play in the period, as a floater from the left boards hit Booth and another skate before trickling through Emery.

Less than five minutes into the second, the Flyers took a 2-1 lead as Richards took the puck into the zone and dished off a pass to Asham, who settled the disc and slipped it into the net.

Skating on the power play, Philadelphia took a 3-1 lead. Richards blasted a shot from the right point that Vokoun stopped, but Gagne was at the doorstep to slip the puck home with 3:58 left in the frame.

After killing off the five-minute major on the Richards penalty, the Flyers had a power play and took a three-goal lead as Briere's one-timer from in front of the net just 5:03 in made it a 4-1 game.

Van Riemsdyk's first goal of his career, a breakaway that he finished by slipping a backhand between the pads of Vokoun with 2:59 to play, capped the scoring in the game.

The Flyers host San Jose on Sunday...Florida has off until Wednesday when it will host Ottawa...These teams split the series last season and Florida took the first game of the series in this campaign, a 4-2 win in Florida on October 16...Richard, Jeff Carter and Chris Pronger each had two assists in the game for Philadelphia...Asham has a goal in three straight games...Philadelphia went 2-for-5 on the power play while Florida failed on its four chances.