BOX SCORE

Youd have to go back to Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert.

They were the go-to guys on the 1971-72 New York Rangers squad that made it to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Boston.

Flyer fans will remember Emile Francis Rangers threesome for something else. They were part of the last Rangers team that swept an entire season series from the Flyers.

Now there are two Rangers clubs to share that distinction as John Tortorellas latest version of Broadway Blueshirts skated out of Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night with a 5-3 victory.

Again.

Six games. Six wins for the Rangers. Hardly a confidence booster for postseason.

The victory clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for New York while assuring the Flyers cant finish higher than fourth, but could still fall to sixth.

For the second time this season, the Rangers buried the Flyers with three power play goals. Ilya Bryzgalov (chip fractureright foot) made his return after a three-game absence, but the high slot was unattended for much of the game, allowing him to get burnt on open shots.

Did we mention the Flyers were just 1 for 8 with the man advantage? They had a crucial power play with 6:35 to go and couldnt dent Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Yeah, the game was over-officiated, but you knew coming out of Pittsburgh with the Flyers facing the Rangers that the officials were warned to keep a tight lid on this one.

No strangers for putting themselves in an early bind, the Flyers once again made things difficult for themselves.

Lundqvist weathered an early storm. Then, the Rangers got good pressure on the Flyers at the five-minute mark. For two straight shifts, they kept the Flyers pinned in their own end.

That was helped, in part, by Carl Hagelins dump-in pass from his knees under pressure, no less.

It led to a quick pass from Marian Gaborik behind the net that caught Matt Carle and everyone else near the high slot unaware as Ryan McDonagh lined a hard shot through Bryzgalovs pads at 6:45.

A minute after that, Wayne Simmonds had a gift of a rebound at Lundqvists crease and shot it up. The big Swede simply stole it out of the air.

Simmonds was visibly stunned by the save while the Rangers were energized to immediately feed on that emotion.

Bryzgalov had an off-balance left pad stop on McDonagh from up top, between the circles, but Brian Boyle managed to get a crazy backhander into the far corner, making it 2-0.

If that wasnt bad enough, the Rangers added two power play goals in the final two minutes of the period to really humiliate the Flyers.

Artem Anisimov turned a turnover into a great move, blowing past Marc-Andre Bourdon, to pick up a hooking call during a power play and scored. Then Ryan Callahan got his 29th during a 5-on-3 to bury the Flyers.

Callahans goal came on just the 11th shot by the Rangers.

Mind you, the Flyers tried to turn their fortunes around twice in the period with a couple of fights, but just the opposite followed.

A second effort by Jakub Voracek late in the second period got one goal back, but the fact remained Lundqvist outstanding as the Flyers forged ahead in shots.

First he denied Kimmo Timonen, then Claude Giroux, and finally Voracek during a Flyer power play in the final minutes that could have made a difference going into the third period.

Instead, both teams then traded power play goals in the periods final minute as the three-goal differential stood.

In short, a season of total dominance by King Henrik and Rangers against the Flyers.

Something to consider if the Flyers are lucky enough to face the Rangers late in the playoffs.

Loose pucks
Simmonds, who has swelling under his right eye, did not wear a shield at the morning skate but wore on during the game. His mom wanted him to wear it. Even with the shield, he took yet another shot to the face in the third period during a Flyer power play Brandon Prust decisioned Zac Rinaldo during a first period fight, while Jody Shelley tuned up on Mike Rupp later that same period. Rupp, of course, called Shelley irrelevant during HBOs 247 lead-in to the Winter Classic Defenseman Andreas Lilja, forced into action because of Nicklas Grossmanns injury, scored his first goal as a Flyer midway into the third period.
(More coming ...)
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net