Flyers Win Streak Snapped In Shootout Loss To Rangers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored in a shootout and Henrik Lundqvist reached 20 wins for the 11th straight season, leading the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller scored in regulation for the Rangers.
Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds scored for Philadelphia, which had won four straight overall and six in a row on home ice.
Lundqvist improved to 20-12-4. He is the only goaltender in NHL history to have won 20 games in each of his first 11 seasons and joins Martin Brodeur and Tony Esposito as the only goalies who have won 20 games in 11 straight seasons over the course of their careers.
Lundqvist stopped Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux in the shootout, and Jakub Voracek shot wide of the net. Lundqvist finished with 36 saves.
Philadelphia had the best chances to win it in overtime, but Lundqvist saved Gostisbehere's slap shot with a minute left and then stopped Matt Read's chance from point-blank range 14 seconds later.
Lundqvist showed why he's had so much success in a stellar second period when he stopped all 11 Philadelphia shots, including several excellent scoring chances.
The Rangers goalie denied Voracek from close range midway through the period and then used his blocker to stop a Voracek blast from the right circle 30 seconds later.
And he made a great save on Giroux from right in front of the crease with 6:46 left before denying Gostisbehere on a breakaway with 1:03 to play in the period.
Kreider put the Rangers ahead 2-1 with the lone goal of the second period, finishing a 2-on-1 from close range after a nifty backhanded pass from Rick Nash 4:49 into the period.
Simmonds' power-play tally with 9:27 remaining in the third period tied it at 2. Voracek set up the goal with a great pass across the crease, and Simmonds one-timed it home for his 12th goal of the season to snap Philadelphia's 0-for-12 skid on the man-advantage.
Philadelphia opened the scoring four minutes into the game on Schenn's 10th goal of the season. Sean Couturier passed the puck across the crease to a wide-open Schenn, who wristed it into the open net.
The Rangers tied it with a power-play goal with just under four minutes left in the period following an interference penalty on Michael Raffl that left New York's Derek Stepan flattened along the boards.
The Rangers made Raffl pay when Miller took a long pass from Ryan McDonagh from the defensive zone and fired a wrist shot under Steve Mason's arm from the left circle. Mason made 29 saves for Philadelphia.
Notes: Rangers D Dan Girardi returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Islanders because of a cut on his hand. . Gostisbehere was back in the lineup after missing two games with a lower body injury. . Flyers D Nick Schultz was presented with a silver stick by GM Ron Hextall in a pregame ceremony to commemorate his 1,000th game on Wednesday. He became the 301st player in NHL history to achieve the feat. . The Flyers lead the five-game season series 2-1. They next will play Feb. 6 in Philadelphia.
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