BOX SCORE
Nothing has changed since last weekend. Or since the Winter Classic. Or since before Christmas, either.
Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers still own the Flyers. Except this time, they added some other things to their collection of Flyer memorabilia.
They now own the Flyers on special teams plus their collective souls, too.
John Tortorellas club shredded the Flyers penalty kill units with a trifecta -- three power play goals -- during Saturdays humiliating 5-2 rout over the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Afterward, Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, shredded his teammates, as well.
Im a little disappointed at the effort, the emotional level, a top team in the conference and league and to be honest. We got half the guys going and half not, he said.
NHL
That was my opinion. You might see differently, but that is what I saw. Its a big game for us and I was expecting more. It was tight game, they got three power play goals, we didnt score any.
They play the same way every night. Theres no surprises and if there is a breakdown their goalie makes the save and they block a ton of shots. Somehow they get the job done. They work hard. They play the same system every night and their goal plays really well every night.
Ryan Callahan had a hat trick on Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Five games against the Broadway Blueshirts and five Flyer defeats. Thats total domination.
You have to bring it every night, Timonen said. I dont care who you areEvery game matters. You have to bring it!
New York led 3-2 when the third period began, got a quick goal from Artem Anisimov, then rode out Lundqvist, who had 31 saves.
Timonen was asked whether this is where not having team captain Chris Pronger around to shake people up in the dressing room makes a difference.
Hes not here and we all should get by that by nowhes not coming back, Timonen said. Wed be more than happy to take him back but hes not here. Would he say something? I dont know. Who knows?
Coach Peter Laviolette wouldnt address Timonens remarks specifically, other than to point to the final period.
I don't like the way we came out in the third period, Laviolette said. That fourth goal took the steam out of it.
Before that, they had three power play goals and maybe only two or three even strength chances after two periods.
Through the first eight minutes of play, the Flyers mustered just one weak attempt on Lundqvist in a game that truly meant something.
Callahan gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead early on the power play before Wayne Simmonds tied at 13:03 with his 18th goal. Simmonds has five goals in February.
The tie didnt last long because the Rangers got their second power play goal three minutes later on a Marian Gaborik deflection to make it 2-1 at intermission.
Now if there were any question whether Claude Giroux had regained his shooters touch it was answered 6:36 into the second period when he took a home run pass from Simmonds for a breakaway that caught the Rangers in a bad defensive change.
Giroux deftly went forehandbackhand a couple of times as he snaked in on Lundqvist. As the goalie fell with his glove hand fully extended across the goal line, Giroux muscled the puck, pushing it through his arm into the net for his 22nd goal and fourth in six games to re-tie it at 2-2.
Again, however, trying to get a read on these two clubs at even strength is difficult as Callahan notched his second goal of the game three minutes later on the power play to push New York ahead once more, 3-2.
New Yorks crisp, quick passing dazzled the Flyers as Brad Richards and Michael Del Zotta beat both Timonen and Braydon Coburn with tic-tac-toe passing to Callahan.
They got three or four on the power play and we got to stay out of the box, Giroux said. We just shot ourselves in the foot there. Our PK has got to be better.
We have to do a better job at helping Bob. I dont know how many goals they got on back door tap-ins. We have to do a better job at killing penalties.
The Flyers have now gone consecutive Saturdays where they allowed the opposition three power play goals. The Devils had three last week during their 6-4 win in Philly.
That last Ranger power play, incidentally, was the result of a terrible goaltender interference call against Scott Hartnell that wasnt deserved but its a moot point in the overall scheme.
Timonen was asked whether the Flyers have as much collective talent as the Rangers?
Talent? Well, it comes down to effort, he replied. I dont think theres much skill level difference from bottom team to the top team, but it comes to the system, how you execute the system, how you play every night. Sometimes we go up and down. Then you lose games. Thats not the way championship teams play.
Everyone realizes we could have played better, Timonen said. It was a tight game, 2-2, but I felt we could have pushed more and pressured more. They got another two points.
We need everybody going at the same time. We just cant have one or two lines going and four defensemen or whatever. We need everybody going. This is the time of year when you need everyone going.
Sunday, the Red Wings will try to tie the Flyers' 1976 record of 20 consecutive wins on home ice at Joe Louis Arena.
Tomorrow, if were not ready to play, its even a tougher opponent than today, Timonen said.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net