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.
Flyers Vs. Rangers: Philadelphia Holds Off New York Surge, Wins 4-2
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.
New York controlled the first period and earned a 1-0 lead when Wojtek Wolski batted a bouncing puck through Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher. The Flyers fought back to take a two-goal lead before Derek Stepan cut that lead to 3-2 in the third period. The Rangers outshot Philadelphia 15-3 in the final 20 minutes, but Boucher was up to the task.
Marian Gaborik and Sean O’Donnell each left the game with injuries in the first period. Boucher went down in the third but stayed in the game. The Flyers now have just five points less than they finished with a year ago with 23 games left on the schedule. Philadelphia now has a 17 point lead over the Rangers in the Atlantic Division.
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