April 4, 2012, New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers game story for Metro Newspaper in NYC
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LEN REDKOLES/NHLI/GETTY IMAGES
Brandon Prust and the Rangers beat down the Flyers for the sixth time this season.
Brandon Prust stood triumphant over a fallen Zac Rinaldo at center
ice, moments after the Rangers’ left winger had decisively decisioned
the Philadelphia center in a first-period fight.
It was symbolic a scene — a living, breathing portrait of the Rangers’
dominance over the Flyers, both on the ice last night and over the
course of the season.
The Rangers will have home ice advantage throughout the Eastern
Conference playoffs following their 5-3 win over Philadelphia last
night. The win clinched the Rangers’ first Atlantic Division and Eastern
Conference regular season championships since 1993-94.
“It’s great for us,” Ryan Callahan said. “Our main goal was to finish
top four in the conference and try to get that home-ice advantage. Once
we accomplished that, you set your eyes on winning the conference.”
The Rangers’ 51 wins are second most in franchise history. The 1993-94 team won 52 regular season games.
The Rangers have the best record in the league and have an opportunity
to clinch home-ice throughout depending on the outcome of their last two
games and what happens with Vancouver and St. Louis.
“It means something,” Callahan said of clinching the division and the
conference. “Home ice throughout, until the Stanley Cup Finals. That’s
the biggest thing.”
Henrik Lundqvist (37 saves) was brilliant early in winning his
career-high 39th game. His diving, cross-crease robbery of Wayne
Simmonds 2:01 into the game caused the Flyers’ wing to stare to the sky
in frustration.
Lundqvist stymied the Flyers’ initial surge and his mates responded with
an offensive explosion. Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov and
Ryan Callahan tallied goals in a span of 12:13 to send the Rangers into
the first intermission with a 4-0 lead.
“You don’t expect to get four goals against a good team like that,” Brad
Richards said of the four goal first. “You don’t script those things.
We just happened to be opportunistic.”
Marian Gaborik potted his 41st of the year late in the second period.
The dominance was thorough. Twelve Rangers recorded at least one point
and six Rangers were plus-one or better. McDonagh and Gaborik finished
with two points each.
Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia in the second period,
and Andreas Lilja added a third-period marker. Ilya Bryzgalov allowed
all five Rangers goals on 19 shots in his first action after missing the
Flyers’ last three games as he recuperated from a bone chip fracture in
his right foot.
Even though Mike Rupp dismissed the idea that the Blueshirts were in the
Flyers’ heads following the optional skate in the morning, the Rangers
will have the memory of their supremacy against the Philadelphia
goaltending should the rivals cross paths in the playoffs. Bryzgalov and
Sergei Bobrovsky each went 0-3 against the Rangers this season.
“We don’t think about who we’re going to get in the playoffs. We still
have a couple games left,” Gaborik said. “We need to keep our confidence
in the last couple games to tune up for playoffs. We don’t want to take
it easy.”
Follow Rangers and Devils writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman as both teams head into the playoffs.
Follow Rangers and Devils writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman as both teams head into the playoffs.
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1139285--rangers-clinch-best-record-in-east-home-ice-advantage
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 2:44 PM
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