[Drew]

Source: ESPN.com

John LeClair had a goal and an assist in his first game of the season, and Robert Esche earned his sixth career shutout, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

Simon Gagne, Tony Amonte, Michel Handzus, and Marcus Ragnarsson also scored goals for the Flyers, who ended a three-game winless streak (0-2-1).

LeClair missed the first seven games of the season after breaking a bone in his left foot in training camp.

The Canadiens, who had won five of six, lost their second straight.

Esche was rarely tested and finished with 20 saves in his first win of the season. His best save came in the first period when he stopped Mike Ribeiro following a Flyers' giveaway.

LeClair scored at 12:06 of the second period, taking a pass from Justin Williams behind the goal and flipping it off the back post and into the net to extend Philadelphia's lead to 4-0.

Earlier in the period, LeClair picked up an assist when Williams found Handzus with a pass from behind the goal.

LeClair, acquired from Montreal in 1995, has scored 46 points (29 goals, 17 assists) in 31 games against his former team.

Gagne and Amonte converted rebounds within a span of 3:18 in the first period.

Gagne scored his first goal of the year at 5:38 when his shot bounced of the skate of Montreal defenseman Sheldon Souray. Amonte's goal came at 8:56, after Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore was unable to control a shot by Joni Pitkanen.

Ragnarsson's first goal of the season came on a power play at 9:21 of the third period.

Game Notes
Montreal's best scoring chance came when Souray hit the post during a power play early in the first period. ^Notes:@ Referee Terry Gregson left the game with a shoulder injury with just over 10 minutes left in the first period after colliding with Montreal D Stephane Quintal. ... Amonte, Handzus, and Williams have points in three consecutive games. ... Montreal played without C Saku Koivu (sprained knee), LW Darren Langdon (pulled groin), and LW Chad Kilger (eye injury). ... The Canadiens were coming off their longest homestand of the season where they went 4-2-0. ... Philadelphia D Chris Therien was back in the lineup after a two-game conditioning assignment in the AHL.

[Jlg-28]

good solid effort all the way around , other then Ragnarsson's turnover in which Esche mad a huge save and the flyers went the other way to score a goal