Claude Giroux scored twice, and both Scott Laughton and Sean Couturier added multi-point efforts as the Flyers dispatched the Rangers, 5-2, on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Jakub Voracek added four assists and nine different Flyers registered points as the Orange and Black erased an opening goal from Jesper Fast to rail off five-straight goals before settling for the three-goal margin in the win.
The Rangers would get the quick start as Jesper Fast made a great individual effort to flag down an Artemi Panarin pass and move in to beat Carter Hart to make it 1-0. Hart fought off Fast’s original shot, but the rebound was cleaned up by Fast in front.
Are you kidding me with that pass Artemiy Panarin? Great work by Jesper Fast to beat Carter Hart. Rangers up 1-0 pic.twitter.com/P8xhAhUGvU
— Fitz (@FitzGSN_) February 29, 2020
Look Carter knows he wants that one back, but please don’t yell at the man for trying to make a “flashy” glove save, like he tried to stop the puck and he messed up: it’s not that serious.
After spending much of the period chasing the Rangers, the Flyers would catch a break to get them even with a little over three minutes left in the first.
A dump in hit a broken stick behind the Rangers net and settled for Jakub Voracek to hit Sean Couturier, who beat Alexandar Georgiev in front to even things up at 1-1.
Voracek finds Couturier in front for the goal! pic.twitter.com/wT9Vt6qckP
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 29, 2020
That would be all the scoring in the first, all even at 1-1 for the first 20 with Fast and Couturier the goal scorers.
Hart settled down toward the end of the second and was really strong early in the second as the Rangers really started out strong.
New York would get the first power play of the game, too, with Philippe Myers off for interference on this below call. Which, uh, you be the judge.
Penalty on Phil Myers: Two minutes for being tackled pic.twitter.com/BdSvi9V12B
— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) February 29, 2020
The Flyers would kill of the red-hot Rangers’ power play with ease thanks to help from the man with the big pillows in net as Hart was sharp on the kill.
With 9:25 left in the second the Flyers would get their chance to go on the man-advantage as Adam Fox picked up a holding call.
Nothing was doing on the power play, but the Flyers would strike afterwards by taking advantage of a juicy rebound from Georgiev.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel fired one off the blocker of the netminder and James van Riemsdyk was there to pound home the rebound to put the Flyers on top 2-1 with just under seven minutes left in the second.
NAK creates a rebound with the original shot, and JvR puts it home. pic.twitter.com/dnyQT9HHzu
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 29, 2020
The captain wouldn’t waste much time giving his club a two goal lead.
After narrowly missing a chance earlier in the shift, Claude Giroux absolutely buried a one-timer to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead with 4:55 left off a perfect feed from Couturier.
The “old captain” has still got it. pic.twitter.com/3gdeMrkGD6
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 29, 2020
JVR and Giroux’s goals are the only markers in the second as the Flyers took a 3-1 lead to the final 20 in this one.
Looking for further insurance to start the third the captain would give his club just that.
Armed with another power play, Giroux would re-direct a Voracek feed past Georgiev to push the Flyers’ lead to 4-1 and in firm control in this battle of red-hot Metropolitan Division teams.
Giroux with his second of the night! pic.twitter.com/NCim2ysaAF
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 29, 2020
But the Flyers weren’t done piling on their rivals, and to add insult to injury it was former Ranger Kevin Hayes doing the honors to push the lead to 5-1 with 7:04 left.
Voracek comes out of the box and feeds Hayes for the goal! pic.twitter.com/Hp1OzthwM0
— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) February 29, 2020
That would be all the scoring from what ended up being a rather dominant effort from the Flyers as they scored five-straight goals, cruising to a 5-2 win over the Rangers in the first of a weekend home-and-home series with the Blueshirts.
