The Flyers had off a couple days after a great weekend on the road and returned home this week.

After a good weekend, it seems that Antero Nittymaki might be taking over the number one spot in goal. He was in net Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.

The Flyers seemed a little surprised by the upbeat Senators who have been playing well lightly despite a rough season. The Sens scored late in the first for the lead. The Flyers didn’t get much going in the second as Ottawa scored twice including a bad goal given up by Nittymaki.

The team was finally able to crack Ottawa when Darroll Powe put home a rebound off a shot from Scottie Upshall in the third period. Ottawa regained a three goal lead not much later. It was back to two when Mike Richards scored a beautiful goal about halfway through the period. Ottawa finished the game off with another goal to win it 5-2.

Nittymaki sat on Saturday and Sunday after it was revealed that he was sick on Thursday during the game. Scott Munroe was recalled from the Phantoms to back-up Marty Biron.

A Saturday afternoon tilt against the New York Islanders produced a lot of goals for the Flyers in a quick amount of time. Rookie Claude Giroux opened the scoring when he scored the easiest goal of his young career after a beautiful pass from Scottie Upshall. Scott Hartnell scored 44 seconds later after deflecting a shot from Jeff Carter, who the goal was originally credited to.

The boys did not play particularly well in the second but Biron was there and kept the game at 2-0. The Islanders made it a game with a goal early in the third.

Then the Flyers pulled away with a flurry of goals right after the Islander goal. Originally, Glen Metropolit and Scottie Upshall made it a 4-1 game but the goals were given to Matt Carle and Arron Asham after the goals hit off Islander players.

Simon Gagne then scored on a penalty shot to conclude the scoring. All three goals were scored in 67 seconds. Marty Biron won his 10th consecutive start against the Islanders with the 5-1 victory.

The Flyers visited the New York Rangers for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon. And it wasn’t much of a match.

The first period only had one goal as Claude Giroux continued to get hot with an almost empty-net goal after the Ranger goalie found himself out of the net. Giroux went on to add two more assists. Early in the second, Mike Richards scored in a 5-on-3 disadvantage. He became the first player in history to do that three times.

The Flyers then went on to score three goals in 1:49 to blow open the game. Matt Carle, Glen Metropolit and Mike Knuble made it 5-0 before the halfway point of the second period.

The Rangers did score two goals in the game but the Flyers evened the season series at one with a 5-2 victory.

Danny Briere surprised many people this week as he was on the ice beginning to skate. He is targeting a February 24 comeback when the Flyers are in Washington.

The Flyers are off again until Thursday when the Buffalo Sabres come to town. The Pittsburgh Penguins will come to town on Saturday for the last time with a new head coach. The Flyers and the Phantoms will host their annual Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival on Sunday at the Wachovia Center.