Gagne lifts Flyers over Hurricanes in OT

Simon Gagne scored his second goal of the game 48 seconds into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers won their fifth straight game, 3-2 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Mike Richards also scored for the Flyers, who won their fourth straight at home. The Flyers had not won five straight games since Dec. 22-29, 2005.

Justin Willliams and Eric Staal scored for the Hurricanes, who had their three-game winning streak snapped by Pittsburgh on Friday night.

Gagne stopped a pass from Derian Hatcher with his skate, then snapped the game-winner into the net. It was his 400th career point.

Williams, an ex-Flyer who leads the Hurricanes with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists), gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead with 2:08 left in the second period. He deflected Cory Stillman's shot from near the boards between the pads of goalie Martin Biron.

Richards pulled the Flyers even at 2-2 a minute and a half into the third period with a slapshot from the top of the right circle on a power play.

Gagne put the Flyers ahead 5:12 into the first period. Danny Briere tipped Braydon Coburn's pass to Gagne, who flipped it past Carolina goaltender John Grahame.

Staal made it 1-1 with a power play goal 46 seconds later, lifting the puck into the net from left of the crease after taking a cross-ice pass from Jeffrey Hamilton.

Staal's goal snapped Biron's shutout streak at 143 minutes and 20 seconds, dating back to a 3-1 win over the Islanders on Oct. 13.

Biron, who has started all seven Flyers games, had blanked Atlanta and New Jersey, both 4-0, in his previous two starts.

Biron was almost as sharp on Saturday, stopping 40 of 42 Carolina shots while improving his record to 6-1. Grahame had 28 saves.

Notes:@ The Hurricanes completed a six-game road trip with a 3-1-2 record. ... Carolina LW Erik Cole was scratched because of a foot injury. ... The Flyers had stopped 13 straight power plays at home before Staal's first period goal. ... Staal leads the Hurricanes with six goals.