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Flyers fall flat in 6-0 loss to Bruins; Couturier hurt

The Flyers saw their seven-game win streak end in abrupt fashion while their bad luck on the injury front continued.

Philadelphia Flyers' Maxime Talbot collides with Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas in the second period. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Flyers' Maxime Talbot collides with Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas in the second period. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)Read more

The Flyers saw their seven-game win streak end in abrupt fashion while their bad luck on the injury front continued.

It all made for a miserable matinee and the most lopsided loss of the season.

The Boston Bruins made quick work of the Flyers, scoring three goals in the first nine minutes during Saturday afternoon's 6-0 win at the Wells Fargo Center.

Besides the defeat, which was their first of the month, Flyers rookie center Sean Couturier was lost for the game after suffering a head injury.

With 48.7 seconds left in the first period, Couturier was hit in the back of the helmet by teammate Kimmo Timonen's slap shot. Couturier, who was screening goalie Tim Thomas, stayed down for a few minutes. He then skated off, not to return.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said that Couturier was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital for observation.

"Fortunately it hit him in the helmet, but we thought it was best to get him in the hospital and get him checked," Holmgren said.

Before going to the hospital, Couturier was tested by the Flyers.

"Whatever the test they do is, his scores were the same as they were in training camp," Holmgren said. "I think it's more what they're checking for now, is just damage to the skull and obviously checking him out to see if there's any internal damage."

The Flyers weren't settled in their home digs long before Boston took a 1-0 lead, just 27 seconds into the game. Boston's Rich Peverley sent the puck on goal and it was tipped in by Benoit Pouliot for his fifth goal of the season.

Things only got worse from there.

"Right after the first goal, instead of responding, we just kind of sat back even more," center Danny Briere said.

The Flyers didn't want to use their growing list of head injuries as an excuse. On Thursday the team said Chris Pronger was out for the regular season and postseason with a concussion. Centers Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn continue to recover from concussions.

"I think a team that starts looking at those excuses is setting itself up for failure," said Jody Shelley, who engaged in a first-period fight with 6-foot-9 Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.

Just 2:50 into the game, Boston made it 2-0 when Daniel Paille scored from close range.

Chara scored on a power play slap shot, extending the lead to 3-0 just 8:08 into the game.

"I think we were real slow, we didn't have energy today, and they got every bounce," said Timonen.

It was 4-0 after the first period, and 5-0 when goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was pulled for Sergei Bobrovsky after surrendering Nathan Horton's power play tip-in of a Chara shot with 12:54 left in the second period.

The way Thomas was playing in recording his 30th career shutout, the Flyers weren't coming back.

"We got to 4-0 and tried to shut it down for the rest of the night and didn't give an opportunity to a great team like Philly to get back into the game," Thomas said.

The Flyers and Bruins both have 43 points to lead the Eastern Conference. Boston has now won four in a row.

The Flyers had beaten the defending Stanley Cup champions, 2-1, in the opening game of the season at Boston.

"We have to learn from this game," said Jaromir Jagr. "We played the Stanley Cup champions. Maybe we thought we are better than we are."