Flyers lose to Rangers in Winter Classic preview

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NEW YORKThe National Hockey League wanted it. The fans wanted it. And HBO wanted it.

They all wanted the same thing Friday night at Madison Square Gardena snappy, hard-hitting hockey game between the Rangers and Flyers to advance the Winter Classic.

Well, they all got what they wanted, albeit the Rangers defeated the Flyers again, 4-2, ending a three-game road trip for Peter Laviolettes club, who picked up just three of six points as they head into the Christmas break.

The loss dropped the Flyers to the fourth seed from the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston is No. 1.

The Flyers are 0-2 this season against John Tortorellas Rangers, who led 2-0 before NHL goal leader Marian Gaborik buried the Flyers just 1:48 into the final period with his 21st goal via a breakaway.

A couple of wacky deflections, which have plagued goalie Ilya Bryzgalov all season, did the dirty deed again.

Not much I can do, he said. Ive had a lot this year. What do you propose?

Its frustrating, he said, not seeing clean shots. His remedy? He suggested the Flyers need to play more aggressive on defense.

I dont know what to do guys, Bryzgalov said. Maybe we should play tighter defense and box out the guys.

But still, the first goal was way out of the net and he hit it on the stick and its between my back. Like a bad angle. I guess its just bad karma. Bad luck, bad karma.

I dont know what to do but continue to work. I hope some day its going to change. A New Year is coming. Maybe the New Year everything is going to be different.

Of concern here is that two of the Flyers biggest challengers in the EastBruins and Rangershandled them pretty good in December, outscoring them, 10-2.

Boston won 12-0 again, theyre playing really well, theyre abusing teams out there and this is the time of year you need points, but you dont play your best hockey this time of year, Scott Hartnell said.

Its not like were trying to save itWeve got to be better. Two times in a row weve come in here and got outworked, outbattled and outscoredThis is gonna hurt.

New York had the better scoring chances and made a big push after that goal to add some more. The Flyers played without Danny Briere (bruised right hand).

Despite 24 shots, Hartnell accurately pointed out that the Flyers did not make life all that hard on goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

I dont think we tested him enough tonight, Hartnell said. When hes on, hes on and its tough to beat him.

Andrej Meszaros got one back for the Flyers on the power play midway into the final period and James van Riemsdyk scored his first goal in nine games late to make it closer than it really was.

Things went all south on the Flyers after the Rangers made it 2-0 late in the second period.

That second goal probably, when youre not having the luck offensively against a team and dropping the goals you want, Laviolette said.

We were just a little bit off it seemed. We had lots of zone time, were back down there generating shots and attempts at the netThey come back and throw in the second one.

When Laviolettes Flyers were last here on Thanksgiving weekend, they made a feeble attempt at actually playing the game. No energy, no skating, no nothing.

That wasnt the case in this one as all that energy they showed at morning skate was unleashed in a physical game and especially in the first period, which saw the Rangers get the best of them in the hitting department.

The Rangers had 15 hitsfive from rookie defenseman Stu Bickelto the Flyers six.

Among the highlights, CSN bench reporter Steve Coates was injured as Rangers defenseman Anton Stalman nearly sent Matt Read over the bench with a legal hip check. Reads skate caught Coatsey up high, leaving him with bruised ribs, he said.

You also had Zac Rinaldo and Tim Erixon rolling around on the ice. You had Ruslan Fedotenko taking out Marc-Andre Bourdon. Tommy Sestito threw his weight around a couple of times but Brandon Dubinsky got the better of him on the side boards.

Then, in the periods final minutes, Bourdon bravely took on Rangers tough guy Brandon Prust in a spectacular fight that saw both of them trade some legit punches.

Prusts last punch, however, to Bourdons head was a total TKO as Bourdon appeared stunned and out on his feet before hunching over to the ice. Bourdon returned for the second period.

Truth is, the Rangers won the physical battles and that should carry over to the Winter Classic.

I dont think that didnt not try tonightI dont think it was a lack of effort, Laviolette said. It builds up to the Winter Classic, sure.

The Rangers scored twice in the second period thanks to Bickel.

Its been a whirlwind since being called up, Bickel said.

Bryzgalov had a terrific save during a 36-second, 5-on-3 Rangers power play as he went full spread to stop Gaborik with his left pad off a slap pass from Brad Richards.

Shortly after a Flyer power play, Dubinsky had a breakaway and fired wide of the net with a great shot angle on Bryzgalov.

Not even a minute later, Bickel fired from distance and Derek Stepan put his stick straight out and redirected the puck under Bryzgalovs glove for a 1-0 lead at 10:18.

The Flyers came right back with an excellent scoring chance on Jakub Voraceks tricky shot off Lundqvists chest that resulted in Brian Boyle giving Sestito a facewash on the rebound. They dropped the gloves and the 6-foot-5 Sestito won the bout.

Lundqvists save on Voracek was the turning point because the Rangers got a quick goal after that to keep the momentum going.

Bickel, playing in just his third NHL game, ripped another point shot at 15:29 that ex-Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko redirected off the camera inside the net for his fourth assist over that span. The puck was in and out so fast, the officials had to go to review.

Good goal.

I saw the puck come to my chest to catch it and deflected and I didnt know where the puck goes, Bryzgalov said. Good for him.

Laviolette didnt seem to agree with Bryzgalovs assessment that the only way to prevent these weird deflections is better defense.

I dont know, pucks were wide of the net; Im not sure what youre talking about, he said.

Told that the goalie thinks the Flyers need to box out more, Laviolette replied, Im not sure.

Loose pucks
The Flyers have lost four in a row to the Rangers going back to last season. ... Over that span, the Rangers have outscored the Flyers, 16-4.In the losses to Boston and the Rangers, the absence of Chris Pronger was huge, while both those teams got elevated defensive performances from their blue line corps.The Flyers sent Sestito back to the Phantoms after the game. He wouldnt comment but his reaction to GM Paul Holmgren telling him he was being sent down said volumes.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.

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