PHILADELPHIA -- If the Flyers continue to play as well as they did on Saturday, theyll have little trouble making the playoffs. Matt Read scored a pair of goals to lift the Flyers to a convincing 4-0 victory over the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. "We were looking for a game like that a long time ago where we make sure that everybody follows the game plan and everybody plays 60 minutes," said Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who had a pair of assists. "It feels pretty good." Scott Hartnell and Vincent Lecavalier also scored for Philadelphia, which is in the middle of a tightly bunched pack of teams battling for a playoff spot. The Penguins, who are comfortably atop the Metropolitan Division, were shut out for the fourth time this season. Pittsburgh played without its third- and fourth-leading scorers, Chris Kunitz (lower body) and James Neal (concussion). The Flyers neutralized Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. "They did a lot of what we expected," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. "We werent able to handle it, and in all aspects of the game we werent good." Besides Kunitz and Neal, the Penguins continued to be without top winger Pascal Dupuis (knee) and defencemen Kris Letang (stroke) and Paul Martin (hand). But Bylsma wouldnt use injuries as an excuse. "We have capable guys, guys who have done well for us before," he said. "We have to find ways to win within our roles regardless of whos in there. We werent able and ready to do that today." Philadelphia played like the first-place team in a matchup between two the leagues top rivals. "We want to finish higher and want home-ice advantage," Giroux said. "Its there for us to take but we have to keep playing like this." The Flyers came out with a high-energy attack from the opening faceoff in one of their best efforts of the season. Steve Mason made 25 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 23rd of his career. "Everything felt very under control," Mason said. Leading 2-0 after one period, Philadelphia made it 4-0 with a pair of second-period goals. Lecavalier made it 3-0 when he scored on a breakaway after taking a stellar pass from Luke Schenn. Then, Read tallied his second of the game by finishing a beautifully executed 3-on-1 with Giroux and Sean Couturier with 17 seconds remaining in the period to give Philadelphia a 4-0 advantage. Couturier passed to Giroux in the slot and Giroux faked the shot before going back to Couturier, who whipped it across the ice to a wide-open Read. Read tapped home the goal past a sprawling Fleury, who was fooled by Girouxs fake. "Its hard to miss those when theyre right on your stick," Read said. "I benefited from those two making a great play." Mason kept Pittsburgh scoreless with a strong second period that included a point-blank stop of Jayson Megna six minutes into the period and a solid save on Simon Despres try from the left circle with 33 seconds left. The Flyers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two nice goals in the first period. Hartnell opened the scoring with a power-play goal 3:50 into the game by one-timing Girouxs pass from the slot. The shot changed directions when hitting Brooks Orpiks stick and went off Fleurys left shoulder and in. A little more than four minutes later, Read scored a short-handed tally on a one-timer from close range after taking a deft pass from Couturier from behind the net and firing it over Fleurys left shoulder. The Flyers unveiled an 8-foot, 1,300-pound statue of Hall of Fame coach Fred Shero prior to the game on the former site of the Spectrum, which is adjacent to the Wells Fargo Center. Shero coached the Flyers for seven seasons and won a pair of Stanley Cups, in 1974 and 75. Sheros son, Ray, who is the Penguins general manager, was among those who attended the pregame ceremony. Notes: Kunitz, who has 59 points on the season, warmed up but didnt play. Kunitz crashed into the goal post in the third period of Tuesdays game against Washington. Bylsma was noncommittal when asked whether Kunitz would play Sunday. ... G Ray Emery returned to his role backing up Mason. Emery hadnt dressed since suffering a lower body injury Feb. 27 against San Jose. ... Crosby, who leads the NHL with 88 points, entered with 75 points in 30 career games against Philadelphia. ... The teams will play a rematch at 12:30 Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Nike Huarache Uomo Blu . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list. Nike SF Air Force 1 Bianche . Smith has spent the last three seasons with the Rockies, playing both left and right field, and has a .275 batting average with 51 homers and 181 RBIs in 487 major league games. http://www.scarpenikescontate.it/.J. - Pete Carroll is in support of the NFL looking further into whether medicinal marijuana could beneficial for players. Nike M2k Tekno Bianche . The Senators return from a lengthy layoff caused by Wednesdays attack on Parliament Hill to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Nike Tanjun Nere . Gomes drove in all three runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Cleveland rallied for a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.BALTIMORE -- It gets even harder from here on out for California Chrome. He won easily in his home state of California, he dazzled in the Kentucky Derby and he dug deep to win the Preakness on Saturday. Now comes the toughest test of all, the Belmont Stakes in three weeks. The chestnut colt with four white feet will attempt to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, something that hasnt been done since Affirmed in 1978. Since then, 12 horses have won the first two legs and failed to complete the sweep in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont; the last was Ill Have Another, who was scratched on the eve of the Belmont two years ago. "You have to have a very good horse to win these three races," said Art Sherman, the winning 77-year-old trainer. "Im hoping Ive got one right now." Maybe the horse with the modest pedigree and average Joe owners is the one. California Chrome defeated Ride On Curlin by 1 1/2 lengths in the Preakness, covering 1 3/16 miles in 1:54.84 on a sunny and cool day at Pimlico. Hes now won six straight races. The streak started with four in a row in California by a combined 24 1/4 lengths. Then California Chrome coasted home in the Derby by 1 3/4 lengths after opening up a big lead in the stretch. The margin dwindled in the Preakness as he fought off multiple challengers. California Chromes co-owner Steve Coburn shed tears after his colt crossed the finish line, dabbing them away with a blue-and-white bandanna. "I dont mean to be bold or cocky or arrogant," Coburn said. "I saw this baby when he was a day old, I told my wife, Carolyn, this horse is going to do something big. I dont know what it is, but were going to stay in the game to make sure this colt gets to be the best that he can be." Quite a statement from a guy with a one-horse stable. Coburn and partner Perry Martin bred an $8,000 mare to a $2,500 stallion to produce California Chrome. Based on the colts humble breeding, he probably shouldnt be on the verge of making history. His mother, named Love the Chase, won just one race. The owners were long shots to get this far, too. Coburn and Martin named their operation DAP Racing, which stands for Dumb Ass Partners. Their silks include an image of a donkey. Coburn and Perry who live on each side of the California-Nevada border get up early for their jobs -- Coburn working as a press operator and Martin running a lab that tests high-reliability equipment. "We just hope that this horse is letting America know that the little guy can win," Coburn said. Sent off as the overwheelming 1-2 favourite by a record crowd of 123,469, California Chrome bounced out of the gate running, with jockey Victor Espinoza moving the colt into the clear.dddddddddddd Pablo Del Monte, a 34-1 shot, charged to the lead and was soon joined by filly Ria Antonia. Espinoza tucked California Chrome into third, an ideal spot behind the leaders. They stayed there until making their move approaching the final turn. "I had to move early today," Espinoza said. "I had to start moving at the half-mile pole, which is tough for a horse to start moving early and keep going all the way to the end. California Chrome proved he can move." California Chrome went for the lead, catching Pablo Del Monte while Social Inclusion joined the chase. Pablo Del Monte soon dropped back along the rail, and California Chrome sprinted away from Social Inclusion at the top of the stretch. But there was one more challenge to come. Ride On Curlin, next-to-last in the 10-horse field, ranged up and briefly appeared ready to overtake California Chrome. Once again showing his class, California Chrome denied the threat. "Its an awesome feeling," Espinoza said. "Today it was just a crazy race. I got more tired mentally than physically. I see another horse go to the front. I was going to sit second. ... I sit back, as soon as the other horse got clear of me, it worked out perfect." Social Inclusion was ridden by Luis Contreras, a jockey based at Torontos Woodbine Racetrack. California Chrome paid $3, $3 and $2.40. Ride On Curlin returned $5.60 and $3.80, while Social Inclusion was another 6 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $3.40 as the 5-1 second choice. General a Rod was fourth, followed by Ring Weekend, Pablo Del Monte, Dynamic Impact, Kid Cruz, Bayern and Ria Antonia. Dynamic Impact is trained by Mark Casse, who is also based at Woodbine. Espinoza will get another crack at trying to complete the Triple Crown, after missing with War Emblem in 2002. He finished eighth in the Belmont that year. "You have to be a super horse to win," the jockey said. "Hopefully, California Chrome comes back good, and hes the one that hopefully can do it." Bob Baffert trained War Emblem, one of his three Triple tries that ended in failure. He missed with Silver Charm in 1997 and again the following year with Real Quiet, who lost the Belmont by a nose. "California Chrome is something. Hes a cool customer," Baffert said after the race. "He does everything right. Hes fast enough to stay out of trouble." ' ' '