Biron Improves to 6-0 Against Islanders

[March 24, 2008]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Martin Biron remained perfect against the Islanders this season, stopping 32 shots and helping the Philadelphia Flyers beat New York 4-1 on Sunday night.

Biron beat the Islanders for the sixth time this season and could make it 7-0 if he gets the start against them on Saturday. The Flyers won their third straight game and snapped a tie with Boston to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Flyers would love to avoid a potential matchup with No. 1 seed Montreal since the Canadiens finished 4-0 against them in the season series.

The Islanders were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race because at least one of the three Northeast Division contenders closest to them will finish with more points, preventing them from finishing eighth.

Vaclav Prospal, Braydon Coburn and Danny Briere all scored power-play goals for the Flyers. Scott Hartnell also scored for the Flyers.

Miroslav Satan spoiled the shutout late in the third with his 15th goal.

With Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro out for the season because of hip surgery, Joey McDonald made his first start of the year. New York was in the thick of the playoff chase after a six-game winning streak last month, but stands in 13th place in the East and out of the postseason.

Not the Flyers, who survived the scare of a 10-game losing skid and some recent third-period meltdowns to find themselves in position to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

The Flyers advertised playoff tickets go on sale this Saturday and they might be worth buying as long as they can avoid a collapse on their four-game road trip that starts on Tuesday.

Briere scored his 29th goal and Hartnell had his 23rd in the third to make it 4-0 and give Biron a needed cushion. The Flyers have blown leads in the final minutes over the past six weeks, lapses that dropped them from fighting for the top seed to battling for a playoff berth.

The Flyers had a two-man advantage on their first power-play goal in the first period. Briere signaled and delivered a crisp cross-ice pass toward Prospal and he popped in the puck for a 1-0 lead.

Coburn wound up from the faceoff circle and drilled a slapper midway though the second to make it 2-0.

Notes: Biron improved his career mark to 14-4-1 against the Islanders. ... Biron beat the Islanders 4-1 for the third time this season. ... Flyers D Randy Jones (hip) hopes to return Tuesday against the Rangers.

[Associated Press; By DAN GELSTON]

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