When the Flyers traded goalie Brian Boucher to Phoenix for center Michal Handzus and goalie Robert Esche in June, they knew it was a calculated risk.

Handzus, 25, had been a versatile player in both St. Louis and Phoenix, but it had been two years since he scored 25 goals for the Blues.

However, among the Flyers, Handzus is tied with Keith Primeau for second in goals with five. They trail only John LeClair, who has seven, and are ahead of Mark Recchi and Jeremy Roenick, who have four apiece.

If Handzus keeps it up, 25 goals will be a distant benchmark.

"Handzus has a big bite on our team," coach Ken Hitchcock said, referring to the center's role. Handzus' line can be on the ice during penalty-killing situations, leaving Roenick, Recchi and LeClair with energy to play on offense.

Of all the Flyers' centers, Handzus has been the unluckiest so far because his wingers keep changing. Hitchcock, like Roger Neilson and Craig Ramsay before him, prefers to pair players on lines.

Left winger Radovan Somik was a perfect complement to Handzus because both are puck-savvy and defense-conscious.

However, because of a persistent groin pull and a subsequent hip flexor injury, Somik has been in and out of the lineup, forcing Hitchcock to change his wingers daily. Yet Handzus keeps producing points.

"He's been the guy we've changed the most," Hitchcock said. "Every time there has been an injury or there's a change, it affects his line, and he has responded. I think what makes him a good player is that everyone who goes and plays with him plays well. I don't think that is an accident."

Handzus said it had been no problem adjusting to Paul Ranheim on one shift, then Pavel Brendl, Todd Fedoruk or even Justin Williams on others.

"You get used to it," he said. "I don't think it's a big deal. You get to talk more on the bench and get to know each other. We just say, on the forecheck, the first guy goes hard, and we're talking about what we'll do down low, who is picking up the puck from behind. It's little stuff, which is very important."

And it led to one of Handzus' two goals Saturday in a 6-2 rout of the New York Islanders. Ranheim drove the puck hard from the blue line, with Handzus on the chase as the first forechecker.

"I don't know if Snow got a piece of it with his glove, but it hit the backboards and he was driving the net and got it," Ranheim said. Garth Snow was the Islanders' goaltender.

Handzus is "a smart player," Ranheim said. "He's good offensively and defensively.

"He is in the right position, which makes it real easy to do your job. He does a lot of things well - doesn't dazzle you with flash, but he is always in the right position to drive the net and score goals."

Loose pucks. Somik skated hard yesterday in practice and will be reevaluated today. He might play tomorrow against Phoenix. Marty Murray (groin pull) skated on his own. Hitchcock said the medical staff was working with both players... . Todd Fedoruk (sprained right thumb) also missed the Islanders game, and Chris McAllister was a healthy scratch... . Keith and Lisa Primeau, along with Mark and Alexa Recchi and Eric and Tracy Weinrich, will visit Children's Hospital of Philadelphia this afternoon to distribute Halloween fun packs: Flyers hats, and pumpkins filled with goodies such as key chains, pennants and logo pins.