Flyers Fall To The Rangers, 2-1
NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Callahan scored a power-play goal before leaving with an injury in the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
Defenseman Michael Del Zotto had a goal and assist for the Rangers (3-3), who have won two straight for the first time this season. Philadelphia (2-5) has dropped two in a row.
Kimmo Timonen ended Lundqvist's shutout bid 7:09 into the third with a power-play goal after the Rangers were caught with too many men on the ice.
Philadelphia's power play failed twice in the second half of the period when the Flyers pressed for the tying goal.
Ilya Bryzgalov, back in the net after his first game off, was solid in making 26 saves for Philadelphia.
New York got back at the Flyers after losing 2-1 last week in Philadelphia. Last season, the Rangers won all six games over the Flyers.
The Rangers, who have won three of four overall, have one game left on a three-game homestand that ends Thursday against Pittsburgh.
This victory, however, came at a cost for the Rangers, who lost Callahan to an apparent left arm injury during a dustup with Flyers forward Max Talbot.
The two tussled at the side of the net after a save by Lundqvist, and Talbot pulled Callahan to the ice by his arm. Callahan skated directly to the tunnel, clearly favoring his left arm as it dangled.
Soon after, Timonen scored from the high slot after he was left alone when New York had all four players involved in a scrum in the right corner. Rangers coach John Tortorella was angry on the bench after the goal.
The power play for both sides told the story in the second period. Philadelphia was turned away by the Rangers during a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted for 1:17, and then allowed a power-play goal to New York 3:32 after the teams got back to full strength.
Philadelphia had a chance to at least get even after Brad Richards was called for holding, and Derek Stepan took a delay-of-game penalty 43 seconds later when he shot the puck over the glass.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette used his lone timeout, but his club got very few pucks to the net despite controlling play throughout. Philadelphia had an added benefit when Jeff Halpern lost his stick in front, but still couldn't create anything.
The Madison Square Garden crowd let out a roar when Stepan left the penalty box, and then had more reason to cheer when Callahan doubled New York's lead.
The Rangers had scored only twice in 22 power-play chances over their first five games, and failed again on their lone opportunity in the first period. But Del Zotto got involved again to help New York net its second goal of the night.
Rick Nash took a shot from the high slot that Del Zotto tipped in front of Bryzgalov. Callahan got the rebound, calmly settled the puck down as he shifted to his right, and the easily slid a shot into the open right side at 11:31 for his second goal of the season and 200th NHL point.
New York had the lead for all but 1:57 of the game.
The Rangers struck quickly after their top line couldn't get the puck out of its zone during the game's first shift.
New York worked the puck around in the Philadelphia end, and Del Zotto let go a shot from the left point that slid across the ice through a maze of legs and skates and found its way past Bryzgalov, who appeared not to see the puck as Benn Ferriero screened him.
Ferriero was given the only assist on Del Zotto's second goal of the season, earning his first point in two games since joining the Rangers.
NOTES: The Rangers put rugged D Stu Bickel back in the lineup in place of D Steve Eminger. Bickel was scratched from Saturday night's victory over Toronto after he played in New York's first four games of the season. Eminger had played in three straight after sitting out the first two games. ... The teams will meet three more times, including twice in New York. ... The Flyers are 2-for-27 on the power play in their five losses this season and 3-for-10 in their two wins. They have allowed only one power-play goal in their victories. ... Linesman Jean Morin was hit in the face by a stick during the Callahan-Talbot scuffle and briefly left the ice.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
