PHILADELPHIA _ Matt Read had become the Forgotten Man on the Flyers.
No goals in 26 games will do that.
But the 30-year-old right winger showed a glimpse of his productive years Thursday night, sparking the Flyers' 3-1 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens at the Wells Fargo Center.
Taking a feed from Sean Couturier on the rush, Read fired a shot from the top of the right circle past Carey Price to put the Flyers ahead, 2-1, with 16 minutes, 28 seconds remaining.
It was his first goal since Nov. 3. After scoring five goals over his first five games, Read had managed just one goal in his last 33 games before Thursday.
Price fell to 1-7 in his last eight appearances at the Wells Fargo Center.
Couturier added an empty-net goal with 13.1 seconds remaining.
The Flyers started their longest homestand of the season _ five games _ with a hard-earned victory. They rebounded from Tuesday's dreadful 5-1 loss in Carolina and allowed only Montreal 16 shots.
Shortly after Read's seventh goal of the season, Michal Neuvirth made two big stops on Paul Byron to keep the Flyers ahead, 2-1.
Midway through the third, the Flyers were unable to convert on their third power-play of the night.
Claude Giroux tied the game at 1 by scoring a power-play goal with 2:10 remaining in the second period.
From above the left circle, Giroux whipped a shot that deflected off the stick of defenseman Andrei Markov and off the glove of Price before trickling into the net.
It was just the Flyers' third power-play goal in their last 25 chances.
Falling behind has become a Flyers trademark this season.
For the 34th time in 52 games they allowed the first goal. This time, it was defenseman Nikita Nesterov firing a one-timer from the point past a screened Neuvirth, giving Montreal a 1-0 lead just 4:51 after the opening faceoff.
Markov sealed Jake Voracek from the puck and enabled it to get back to Alex Galchenyuk, who sent a feed to Nesterov. Nesterov was acquired from Tampa Bay last week.
It marked the 12th time in the last 15 games the Flyers had surrendered the first goal.
The Flyers, who hold the Eastern Conference's final wild-card spot, had the last 10 shots of the first period but were unable to get a Grade-A chance against Price.
Montreal recorded 3-1 and 5-4 wins over the Flyers earlier in the season, with both victories at the Bell Centre.
