Flyers crush Senators to remain unbeaten

OTTAWA (AP)

Matt Read's fast start was too much for the struggling Ottawa Senators.

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The Philadelphia rookie had a goal and two assists in the opening 20 minutes as the Flyers built a four-goal lead and went on to beat the Senators 7-2 on Tuesday night. Read added a third assist in the third period.

''This is the NHL and nothing comes easy, but I felt good and got a couple bounces and enjoyed my time out on the ice,'' Read said.

The four-goal outburst was enough for Senators coach Paul MacLean to make a goaltending switch to start the second period as Craig Anderson came on in relief of Alex Auld, who faced just 10 shots. Anderson made 17 saves but surrendered three goals late in the third period.

''I think we stopped playing when they got that first goal and allowed them to get three more,'' Senators coach Paul MacLean said. ''We started playing in the second period when the pressure was off. We're not very pleased at all and we need to have an evaluation of our team and how we play because we're not doing it very well.

''We win as a team, we lose as a team and we'll fix it as a team.''

Wayne Simmonds, Claude Giroux and Max Talbot also scored for the Flyers (4-0-1) in the first period. James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier and Harrison Zolnierczyk scored in the final 5 minutes of the third period. The goals for Couturier and Zolnierczyk were their first in the NHL.

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''It was pretty special,'' said Couturier, who didn't have much of a celebration as his goal gave the Flyers a 6-1 lead.

''Yes I was happy, but it was the sixth goal and I didn't want to disrespect the opposition either.''

Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 21 shots in his first start of the season.

Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson had the only goals for the Senators (1-5). Ottawa had chances but was shut out on five power-play opportunities, including a span in the second period where they had extensive stretches playing 4-on-3 and 5-on-3.

The Senators held a players-only meeting after the game.

''It was a wake-up call to all of us,'' defenseman Chris Phillips said.

''We have to be more accountable, figure out what our identity is and be better to a man really. We can't go home thinking 'I had my guy and everyone else did a bad job.' We have to take a long hard look at ourselves and figure out how we can be better and how each guy can help out the team more.''

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The Senators fell to the Colorado Avalanche 7-1 at home on Thursday, but were better in a 2-1 loss to the Capitals in Washington on Saturday.

''It's certainly not our intention and not what we wanted to happen. You wonder where it's going wrong and what the problem is,'' Phillips said.

The Flyers were 3 for 6 on the power play.

Jaromir Jagr had a good scoring opportunity in the second period and another in the third, but is still looking for his first goal with the Flyers.

The crowd of 18,059 was all over Auld early after he let in two very soft goals and two questionable ones.

The first goal from Read and the third from Giroux were on floater shots that were meant more to create rebounds than find the net. Simmonds' goal was scored off a rebound during a large scramble in front.

Talbot gently placed the puck between Auld's pads off a pass from Read in the final minute of the period. It was Talbot's first goal since joining the Flyers as a free agent.

''It was pretty special and nice to get one in orange and white. It feels nice to get one, but it feels nice to get the win as well,'' Talbot said.

The Senators got on the board late in the second period when Daniel Alfredsson fed a cross-crease pass to Spezza, who scored from the side of Bobrovsky. Karlsson scored with 20 seconds to play.

NOTES: The Flyers won in Ottawa for the first time since Nov. 24, 2007 - a 4-3 victory. They had lost seven straight there since then.