Richards, Carter score two each for Flyers in win

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Mike Richards and Jeff Carter scored two goals apiece and rookie David Laliberte and Scott Hartnell also tallied, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

The Flyers' excitement over their victory was offset by the news that star winger Simon Gagne will miss six to eight weeks. He is scheduled to have hernia and hip surgery on Tuesday.

Without Gagne, who has one goal and four assists this season, the Flyers peppered Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki, scoring two goals in the first period, three in the second and one in the third.

Steven Stamkos and James Halpern scored for Tampa Bay.

The Flyers (7-4-1) have scored 12 goals in the past two games, and won for the fourth time in the past six. Goalie Ray Emery stopped 26 shots.

Despite leading the team in goals this season, Richards had gone six games without scoring. His first goal came off a feed from Chris Pronger, who corralled a bouncing puck. Hartnell assisted on Richards' second score. Carter had gone seven games without scoring.

Laliberte, recalled from the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms last week to replace Gagne, become the first Flyer to score in his first two NHL games since Eric Lindros on Oct. 6 and 9, 1992. He's the fifth to do that in Flyers franchise history.

Stamkos scored the first goal for Tampa Bay (4-4-4), capitalizing on a Danny Syvret turnover. Halpern netted the second, late in the third period. The Lightning have lost three of four.

NOTES: The Flyers have scored the first goal in 10 of their past 12 games. ... Pronger has recorded at least one point in eight straight games. ... Carter has played in 225 straight regular-season games.

___

November 02, 2009 07:56 PM EST

Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.