Flyers Vs. Rangers: Philadelphia Takes No Penalties, Holds Off New York Comeback

The Flyers did something yesterday that they’ve only done two other times in their history. Come on, it’s the Flyers. You can guess this.

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Yes, for the first time since a loss in November 2000, the Philadelphia Flyers went an entire game without committing a penalty. Considering they were at Madison Square Garden in New York City for this one, that’s all the more shocking.

Coming in to Sunday’s contest, the Flyers were seemingly ready for revenge. In the last meeting between these teams, Sean Avery had pummeled the heck out of Philadelphia defenseman Matt Carle. It was Carle’s first NHL fight and Avery beat him even after dropping him to the ice. The orange and black were furious at the time, but on Sunday, revenge never happened. That storyline never played out at all.

That’s probably because the Rangers jumped to a 1-0 lead after a shaky Flyers start, and after a Philadelphia comeback ignited by Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux gave them the lead, New York was still in the midst of their own comeback effort. It was a close game in late February with severe implications for the Blueshirts, and when games get that playoff feel to them, the whistles usually vanish and the hockey usually wins the day.

At the end of this Sunday, despite a 15-3 Rangers shot barrage in the third period, Philadelphia was able to hold on and pull out another two points.