Flyers overwhelm Canadiens, 6-0, in Game 1

For those who were concerned that there would be a hangover effect from their monumental win in Boston Friday, the Flyers had the perfect antidote.

Storm the net, chase the Amazing Playoff Goalie in the second period, and show everyone you can play just as well in a playoff opener as in four straight, adrenaline-soaring desperation games in the previous series.

The Flyers, getting a standout performance from goalie Michael Leighton and goals from six players, routed the Montreal Canadiens, 6-0, Sunday night before an animated, roaring crowd at the Wachovia Center.

"We didn't have a long turnaround - just one day in between [series] - and we were able to carry a lot of the momentum that we had in the last two periods of Boston in Game 7," said defenseman Braydon Coburn, who started the rout with a power-play goal just 3 minutes, 55 seconds into the game.

Rookie James van Riemsdyk also scored by muscling into position out front, giving the Flyers a 2-0 second-period lead against goalie Jaroslav Halak.

"We talked about that a lot - getting pucks and bodies in front of the net," said van Riemsdyk, who scored in his second straight game after a 16-game drought without a goal. "We wanted to make [Halak's] job as difficult as possible. He's a guy, when he sees the puck, he's going to make most of the saves. He's been incredible throughout the whole playoffs, and we're going to have to make his job miserable in front of the net."

After Simon Gagne scored the Flyers' third second-period goal to chase Halak (four goals on 14 shots) and take a 4-0 lead, the orange-clad crowd erupted in mocking chants.

"Ole. Ole-ole-ole . . . ole . . . ole."

Yep. The same song fans in Montreal sing when their beloved Canadiens are on a roll.

The Flyers lead the Eastern Conference finals, one game to none, with Game 2 at the Wachovia Center on Tuesday night.

In playoff history, the Flyers are 21-8 in series in which they win Game 1. It was their most lopsided playoff shutout since a 7-0 win over Minnesota in the 1980 Cup semifinals.

Don't expect Montreal to be fazed. The Canadiens dropped a 6-3 decision to Pittsburgh in their semifinal opener - Halak was also yanked from that game - but bounced back and eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champs in seven games.

Coburn (power play), van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere, Gagne (power play), Scott Hartnell, and Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers, who on Friday became the third team in NHL history to win a playoff series after losing the first three games.

Leighton notched his first shutout since Dec. 30 against the New York Rangers. Then again, he missed nearly two months because of an ankle injury. Since his return - he replaced the injured Brian Boucher - Leighton has been extremely sharp in the first four playoff games of his career.

The Flyers were 2 for 6 on the power play but, in essence, they had three goals with the extra skater because Briere scored one second after a penalty expired. Montreal was 0 for 4 on the power play.

"There's no doubt that special teams is one area that we have to be better at," Montreal coach Jacques Martin said. "We didn't compete at the level that we need to."

Early second-period goals by van Riemsdyk and Briere gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead.

And when Gagne, using Ville Leino as a screen, made it 4-0 with a power-play goal with 10:07 left in the second period, Halak was replaced by Carey Price.

Halak put together a Conn Smythe Trophy resume in the first two playoff rounds. The award is given to the league's best playoff performer, and, having keyed a remarkable run against top-seeded Washington and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh, Halak was the hottest goalie left in the playoffs.

And, so, naturally, he was outplayed by Leighton, a guy the Flyers claimed off reentry waivers from Carolina in December.

Leighton saved the Flyers' season by going 16-5-2 after his arrival.

In Sunday's opening period, he made 13 saves - including several brilliant ones - as the Flyers built a 1-0 lead despite managing just six shots.

Mike Richards thought the Flyers were sluggish for most of the first period.

"But Leights kind of stood on his head for the first little bit and let us kind of weigh into the hockey game," Richards said.

Leino set up the goal by patiently holding the puck and getting off a point-blank shot that Halak turned away. Coburn, however, knocked in the rebound as Halak was defenseless with 16:05 left in the first period.

Thirty seconds into the second period, van Riemsdyk scored on his own rebound to increase the lead to 2-0. Giroux gained control of his face-off win and tapped the puck to van Riemsdyk in front.

About four minutes later, just as a Montreal penalty expired, Briere scored from deep inside the left circle with Hartnell screening in front. It was Briere's eighth goal of the playoffs and it hiked the Flyers' lead to 3-0.

Gagne's goal, which made it 4-0, was his fifth in five games since he returned from a broken foot. The Flyers are 5-0 in those games.

The Flyers had insisted they wouldn't be flat after their emotional 4-3 win Friday in the epic series-clincher in Boston - and they were right.

"I really feel like we're ready. We're still dialed in," coach Peter Laviolette said before the game, before his team moved to within three wins of advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ole. Ole-ole-ole . . . ole . . . ole.

"The fans here are pretty hard-core and that's why we love them," Giroux said with a smile.