Panthers Edge Beezer, Flyers

Mark Parrish doesn't score goals, unless it's in bunches.

Parrish, who leads all NHL rookies in goal scoring, had another pair Thursday night in leading the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Parrish, the top goal scorer among rookies, scored his seventh and eighth of the season. He had two Oct. 9 against Tampa Bay and four against Chicago Oct. 31 and was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October.

"I hope it keeps going," Panthers coach Terry Murray said, "because we certainly needed his scoring."

The Panthers also got a standout performance from goaltender Kirk McLean, who made 39 saves.

"He played unbelievable," said Parrish, who allowed only a third-period goal by Petr Svoboda. "It's a big win for us to come into a place like this. This team has a lot of heart and that is how we're going to win a lot of games."

McLean was especially sharp in the second period when the Flyers outshot Florida 16-7 and again in the third when Philadelphia held a 13-2 shot advantage, a season low for one period for the Panthers.

"You have to have that kind of goaltending on the road," said Murray, who was making his first appearance in Philadelphia since he was fired after guiding the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997. "Mac was very patient and I think he gave us some confidence whenever we needed it."

Philadelphia' 0-5-2 string matches its longest winless streak since the 1994 club went 0-6-1.

"I don't think I've ever seen a stretc quite like this," said Philadelphia coach Roger Neilson, who has watched his Flyers score only four goals despite outshooting their opponents 107-53 in the last three games.

You have three or four games when you are a little snakebit," added Neilson. "We dominate the game, we outshoot the team by double or more, and we just cannot seem to get the puck in the net."

Parrish scored his first on a power play at 2:07 of the second period when he flipped the puck low past the glove side of Flyers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck.

Parrish made it 2-0 at 18:46 of the period when he stuffed a shot between Vanbiesbrouck's legs after taking a feed from Rob Niedermayer, who flushed the puck out of a scramble in the corner. Svoboda's first goal of the season, a slap shot from outside the left circle, brought the Flyers within 2-1 at 1:25 of the third period.

Philadelphia failed on four power plays and has gone 0-for-15 with the advantage in the last three games. It was also a disappointing debut against his former team for Vanbiesbrouck, who signed with the Flyers as a free agent this season after setting the Panthers' all-time record with 106 career wins.

He has won only one of his last eight starts (1-4-3). Vanbiesbrouck was shaken up after a collision with Florida's Peter Worrell with 1:17 left in the third period but said that he was not seriously hurt.

"I just kind of lost my breath and hurt my shoulder and my ribs a bit," Vanbiesbrouck said. "I was just trying to go get the puck before he did."

A goal by Philadelphia's Mark Bureau was disallowed at 7:32 of the second period when Jody Hull was detected in the crease by referee Bill McCreary.

© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved