Flyers 4, Rangers 2: Kris Versteeg’s Empty Netter Halts New York’s Comeback Effort

Prior to this one, we wondered if the Philadelphia Flyers would look for revenge on Rangers forward Sean Avery. In the last meeting between these two Atlantic Division rivals, Avery pummeled soft defenseman Matt Carle in Carle’s first NHL fight, and the Flyers certainly had long memories about it.

Instead, for just the third time in their long history, the Flyers avoided the penalty sheet all together as they held off the Rangers for a 4-2 victory. Claude Giroux and Jeff Carter teamed up for two goals while Dan Carcillo added the game-winner and Kris Versteeg’s first as a Flyer came with an empty net.

The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was pretty dull after the Philadelphia Flyers took a two-goal lead over the home-standing New York Rangers, but Derek Stepan’s third period goal has both his team and the crowd back in the game.

Brian Boucher failed to notice the puck that bounced by him off the stick of Stepan. The goal came just moments after Boucher seemed to be seriously injured. He made a brilliant save on a Stepan chance and fell to the ice in obvious pain. He shook his hand and flailed his legs back and forth in the crease while the officials blew the play dead.

Dan Carcillo isn’t known for scoring goals, and he probably shouldn’t have one today. He does, though, and Henrik Lundqvist certainly wants it back.

On a bit of a broken play in front, Carcillo just threw a backhanded chance on goal through a Rangers defenseman. Inexplicably, Lundqvist lifted his left pad off the ice and the puck found its way under and into the back of the net. It was the complete opposite of what you’d expect from both players -- a goal from Carcillo and a weak one allowed from Lundqvist.

Claude Giroux and Jeff Carter are finding some chemistry this afternoon. After Giroux’s assist on Carter’s first period goal, the two teamed up on the power play midway through the second to give Philadelphia their first lead of the game.

Carter had a great chance at the net on the power play, but Henrik Lundqvist was up to the task. He turned the puck aside and Carter found his own rebound below the goal line, where he dished out front to Giroux who lifted the shot over the prone Ranger goaltender.

Early in the first period, Flyers defenseman Sean O’Donnell went down hard in the corner. He made his way to the bench and sat around for a little while before making his way down the tunnel to the locker room during a break in play.

According to the team, he suffered a lower-body injury on the play and will not return. It looked like his knee, but we can’t be sure about that. We won’t know more until after the game or Monday.

Claude Giroux is a magician with the puck, and with time running down in the second period and his Flyers struggling, some hard work in the offensive zone helped them get on the board.

Giroux stripped Ryan McDonagh of the puck in the corner before evading two Rangers defenders and backhanding the puck towards the net. It was deflected by Jeff Carter and may have hit the skate of Scott Hartnell before beating Henrik Lundqvist. Tie game, 1-1.

For the second game in a row, the Philadelphia Flyers are being outplayed by an Eastern Conference team in desperate need of points. Despite one tough chance on Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers have thoroughly outplayed the Flyers in all three zones.

The Rangers first goal, scored 12:43 into the first, was a great example of that. With the puck bouncing around in front, New York had about five cracks at the net. The Flyers had about that many chances to get rid of the puck, too, but failed to do so. Wojtek Wolski knocked the puck through Brian Boucher, who looked lost for the entire sequence, to give New York the 1-0 lead.

You can see today’s game on NBC at 12:30 p.m. For full TV information around today’s five games, click here.

So the big question today as the teams face off at Madison Square Garden: can the Flyers match the intensity of the Rangers, who clearly have a much bigger stake in this game? If the last meeting between these teams is any indication, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.