Michal Neuvirth of the Philadelphia Flyers defend against Viktor Tikhonov (No 14) of the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AFP)

By Sam Carchidi
The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Flyers’ uncanny, regular-season home success against the powerful Chicago Blackhawks continued Wednesday night.
Sizzling backup goalie Michal Neuvirth recorded his second consecutive shutout and Sam Gagner, Claude Giroux and Matt Read scored goals, keying the Flyers’ 12th straight regular-season home win against the Blackhawks, 3-0, at the electric Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers (2-1-1) got stellar goaltending and penalty killing, outhit the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, and put together their third strong effort in four games.
Neuvirth (30 saves) has shutouts in his first two starts with the Flyers. Jeff Hackett also did it in the 2003-04 season.
The Flyers’ last regular-season home loss to Chicago was November 9, 1996, a 4-1 defeat. John LeClair scored the Flyers’ goal. Garth Snow was the losing goalie, and Ron Hextall, now the team’s general manager, was flawless in nearly 25 minutes of relief.
Yeah, it’s been a while.
Neuvirth’s 120 consecutive scoreless minutes at home are the longest ever by a Flyers goalie at the start of the season. Overall, he has a scoreless streak of 132:05.
With about 8 { minutes left, Neuvirth made perhaps his best save of the night, denying Jonathan Toews on a rebound while Chicago was on a power play. The Hawks outshot the Flyers, 14-3, in the first 16 minutes of the final period, but Neuvirth had all the answers.
Read iced the win by scoring on a rebound with 2:35 remaining.
Giroux knocked in a rebound after Michael Raffl’s wraparound was stuffed by goalie Corey Crawford, giving the Flyers a 2-0 lead with 3:39 left in a second period dominated by the home team.
Giroux didn’t score his first even-strength home goal until the 36th Wells Fargo Center game last season, also against Chicago. This year, he did it in the second home game.
With the Flyers on a power play, Gagner scored his first goal as a Flyer to give the hosts 1-0 lead with 14:25 left in the second. From just above the right circle, Gagner beat Crawford with a well-placed wrist shot.
Four minutes later, Neuvirth stopped Marian Hossa on a shorthanded breakaway, keeping the Flyers ahead.
Neuvirth, coming off a 1-0 win over Florida and making his second straight start because Steve Mason was dealing with a personal matter, made six saves in a scoreless first period, including close shots by Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane.
Kane was booed and/or serenaded with unflattering chants every time he touched the puck. The star winger is under investigation for his role in an alleged sexual assault but has not been charged.
The Flyers nearly took an early lead while on a power play, but Giroux’s one-time blast from the left circle caromed off the right post with about 10 { minutes left in the opening period. Giroux’s line, with wingers Raffl and Jake Voracek, entered the night with no goals in the first three games and just one point combined. Giroux changed that in the second period.
Before the game, rookie coach Dave Hakstol, whose team managed just four goals in the first three games, said he was unconcerned by the first line’s struggles.
“They’ve started to create a lot of opportunities ... especially the last game and half,” Hakstol said. “They’re doing a lot of the right things.”
It was the first time Chicago captain Toews had played against a team coached by Hakstol, his college coach at North Dakota.
“You could feel his eyes on the back of your head when you were sitting on the bench if you knew you did something wrong,” Toews joked after the morning skate. “I think he was always fair and did whatever it took to win.”
Chicago slipped to 2-2. The Flyers have won two straight since a 7-1 spanking in Florida.
Thanks to the NHL’s quirky schedule, the Flyers will have a five-day break before their next game, Tuesday against visiting Dallas.
They go into that break feeling good about themselves.