ATLANTA — Danny Briere and Claude Giroux scored third-period goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2 on Friday night.

Philadelphia has won five of six to open a four-point lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference. The Thrashers have just one regulation win in their last 11 games.

Jody Shelley and Kimmo Timonen gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead, each scoring his second goal during a 21-second stretch late in the second. Jeff Carter added his 18th goal, an empty-netter, in the final minute.

Andrew Ladd and Rich Peverley scored for Atlanta.

Before last season, when Atlanta swept the series in four games by an aggregate 13-6 score, the Flyers won 14 straight over the Thrashers.

Philadelphia scored five goals for the third straight game. The Flyers began the night averaging 3.4 goals per game, second only to Detroit in the NHL.

Briere scored his 24th goal of the season with 7:12 left, beating Ondrej Pavelec with a wrist shot.

Briere has six goals and five assists in his last six games and has 10 goals and 23 points in 24 career games against Atlanta.
Giroux made it 4-2 with 2:57 left with his 17th goal.

NOTES: Philadelphia improved to 30-7-3 against the Thrashers. ... Flyers D Chris Pronger, who has missed the last 11 games to recover from right foot surgery, participated in the morning skate, his first time on the ice with teammates since he was injured Dec. 15. There is no immediate timetable for Pronger's return. ... Ladd has three goals and six points in the last five games. ... Atlanta LW Evander Kane (mid-body) returned from a two-game absence.