Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- Matt Read knocked in a rebound with 18.6 seconds left to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 win over the Coyotes on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Read's sixth goal of the season made a winner out of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov in his first game against the Coyotes. Bryzgalov spent four years with Phoenix and blossomed into one of the NHL's top goalies. Phoenix sent Bryzgalov's negotiating rights to the Flyers in June, and he signed a nine-year, $51 million deal.

James van Riemsdyk scored for the Flyers (11-4-3).

Mikkel Boedker had the lone goal for the Coyotes (9-5-3). Goalie Mike Smith stopped 40 shots in his first regulation loss since Oct. 20.

Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr left with an undisclosed lower body injury. Jagr played only 1 minute, 22 seconds over three shifts before being forced out in the first period.

Bryzgalov said this week he was looking forward to a special game against his former team. He made 30 saves and had the stop of the game when he snagged Ray Whitney's breakaway moments after a Philadelphia turnover (see KEY MOMENT below).

Photo by Getty Images.

Bryzgalov earned the win thanks to Philadelphia's late push for the winner. Jakub Voracek and Max Talbot assisted on the deciding goal that came when Read pounded the puck past a surprised Smith.

With Jagr out, van Riemsdyk took his place on a line that included Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. Van Riemsdyk scored his seventh goal in the second to make it 1-0 at 12:37 of the second period.

Boedker tied it 3:38 into the third period off a rebound into the side of the net.

Even though Smith lost, he kept the Coyotes in the game facing heavy pressure all night. He stopped all 12 shots in the first period and 16 more in the second. It just wasn't enough.

► EDITOR'S NOTE: Dave Vest of phoenixcoyotes.com compiled this recap.

Trailing 1-0, Coyotes forward Ray Whitney skated the puck up the center of the ice on a breakaway in the second period. Whitney back-handed a shot on Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, but Bryzgalov gloved it with 5:56 left before the intermission.

► Click here to watch the KEY MOMENT.

• Defenseman Rostislav Klesla took a stick in the face in the first period and left the ice bleeding profusely. He returned to action after the first intermission and finished the game.

• The Coyotes were 0 for 4 on power plays. Phoenix has scored just one power-play goal in its past 19 tries over the last eight games.

• Defenseman Keith Yandle took a team-high five shots on goal.

• Center Kyle Chipchura won eight of 11 faceoffs.

• The Coyotes played minus center Daymond Langkow for a fourth straight game. Langkow has been granted a leave of absence from the team because of a death in his family.

• The Coyotes scratched Paul Bissonnette and Daymond Langkow.

• The Coyotes' next game is Saturday vs. Buffalo at the First Niagara Center. The puck drops at 5 p.m. (Arizona time). The game can be heard on XTRA Sports 910 (AM).

"The power play (0 for 4) is the reason why we lost. You can point at everything else but the reason is the power play. We didn't generate enough let alone get any really quality chances." "It’s frustrating that we give up late goals like that. It wasn’t a great game by our team. We hung around the game (and) we had a chance to make points and it’s disappointing we didn’t.” "It's a great feeling...It’s my former team and not an easy team to beat. It’s a good team. It takes the whole 60 minutes to win the game." Doan Tippett Bryzgalov