OTTAWA -- Suddenly the Philadelphia Flyers look like a contender.
The Flyers won their second straight game with a 5-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. This is a sharp contrast to Philadelphias start to the season, when it scored more than two goals in a game only once, winning just four times in its first 15 games. Jakub Voracek scored twice and Steve Mason made 24 saves as the Flyers won consecutive games for just the second time this season. "We got back to the basics," said Matt Read, who had the Flyers first goal Tuesday. "The first month we tried to do things when we didnt have them and now were just keeping things simple by getting pucks deep and getting pucks out when we have to and winning puck battles along the boards. "Those little things turn into victories." Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers (6-10-1), while Claude Giroux added two assists. It was Masons first shutout of the season and the 20th of his career. "This was an extremely sound effort all around and from a defensive standpoint we didnt give a lot up," Mason said. Craig Anderson stopped 26 of 31 shots in his first start in over a week after suffering a neck injury in a loss to Dallas on Nov. 9. The Senators (7-7-4) were shutout for the first time this season and had a three-game winning streak snapped in the loss. Robin Lehner started and won all three games in Andersons absence and was named the NHLs first star of the week last week. When Senators coach Paul MacLean was questioned as to whether he was disappointed with his teams effort, he responded by saying he thinks the whole city is disappointed. "We had been playing well and we got exposed by a team that was a little more desperate than we were," said MacLean, who faced some criticism for starting Anderson rather than the hot hand in Lehner. "There are only 20 guys from Philadelphia that are happy with their game. I dont think theres anyone on our team that should be happy with their game and Craig is no different than the rest of us. There were 20 guys that went out there and 20 guys that didnt get the job done." The Flyers led 3-0 after the second intermission and got goals from Lecavalier and Schenn to put the finishing touches on an embarrassing night for Ottawa. There was very little flow through most of the first period, further evidence that both clubs are enduring early-season struggles. "I dont think we had much jump and it started early. We werent handling pucks and we kept it along the walls a lot which kind of slows things down and makes it tough to create momentum," said Senators forward Zack Smith. "There were a couple of giveaways in the defensive end that cost us, but you lose 5-0 and you cant say the effort was there." The Flyers opened the scoring late in the first period when Read collected a puck behind the Senators net and scored on a wraparound. His attempt actually hit the far goalpost but then found the back of Andersons leg and was redirected across the goal-line. That 1-0 lead was quickly doubled in the second period as Voracek scored his first of the game 28 seconds into the period. Voracek was behind the goal when he took a pass from Scott Hartnell and quickly reached around, beating Anderson to the post for his second goal of the season. A touch more than 10 minutes later, Voracek gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead as he collected a rebound and put a shot over an outstretched Anderson with 30 seconds still remaining in an interference penalty to Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki. The Flyers nearly took a 4-0 lead on some nifty passing between Voracek, Hartnell and Giroux, but Anderson made a diving save with the handle of his stick as time expired in the period. Notes - Senators forward Erik Condra missed his fifth straight game Tuesday night with a muscle strain in his right leg. Forward Steve Downie played his second game of the season with the Flyers and first after missing four straight with a concussion. Claude Giroux collected his 300th NHL point, all with the Flyers, with his first of two second-period assists Tuesday. Chris Phillips and Eric Gryba were scratches for the Senators while Michael Raffl, Andrej Meszaros and Hal Gill sat for the Flyers -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. . The two-time Olympic halfpipe gold medallist informed ESPN on Monday he plans to compete in Apsen, Colo. Mexico needed a spectacular Raul Jimenez goal in the 85th minute to beat Panama 2-1 on Friday and revive its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. The result moved Mexico into fourth place in CONCACAF qualifying, three points ahead of Panama and three points behind third-placed Honduras with one game to play. The top three teams qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the fourth team faces an intercontinental playoff against New Zealand. In the last round of games, Honduras is away to already-eliminated Jamaica and needs only a draw to secure a World Cup berth, while Mexico is away to Costa Rica and Panama hosts the United States. Both Costa Rica and the U.S. have already qualified for Brazil 2014. Mexico went ahead in the 40th minute through Oribe Peraltas goal off a pass from Javier Hernandez, who missed a chance to double that lead from the penalty spot in the 58th. Panama stunned the home crowd by equalizingg in the 81st, as Luis Tejada beat goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa to a through pass, touched the ball around the keeper and put it into the empty net. Then came the brilliant winner from Jimenez, who had only just been brought on as a substitute. Standing near the top of the penalty area, he received a long pass from Fernando Arce with his back to goal, used his right foot to knock the ball about a dozen feet in the air and lashed in a powerful overhead kick than arrowed just inside the post and left Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo frozen to the spot. Meanwhile in other CONCACAF qualifiers, Honduras guaranteed itself of at least a playoff spot by winning 1-0 at home against Costa Rica, with Jerry Bengtson scoring the sole goal in the 65th minute, and the U.S. won 2-0 at home against Jamaica, with Graham Zusi opening the scoring in the 77th and Jozy Altidore adding an insurance goal in the 81st.
