Samuel Ersson earned the win in net with 24 saves on 25 shots. Jonathan Quick denied 21 of 25 shots in a losing cause.
The Flyers were 0-for-4 on the power play. The Rangers were 1-for-4.
Philadelphia's win brought the Flyers to 85 points on the season. In other NHL games of direct interest to the Flyers, the Buffalo Sabres beat the Washington Capitals by a 4-2 score, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a 6-5 overtime decision over the Detroit Red Wings, and New York Islanders earned a 3-2 win in overtime over the Montreal Canadiens.
As a result of Thursday's outcomes, the Flyers made a little bit of headway in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The Flyers remain four points behind the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders (three remaining games) hold a game in hand over the Flyers but Philly holds a 29-27 regulation win edge in the event of a points tie. It would take back-to-back wins by the Flyers and three straight regulation losses by the Islanders for Philly to finish ahead of the Isles.
In the battle for the final wildcard spot in the East, the Flyers are in somewhat better shape. Philly is is one point plus a 31-29 regulation wins plus a tiebreaker disadvantage behind the Penguins (three remaining games). The Flyers are tied in points with the Capitals and Red Wings but both teams hold one game in hand. In the event of a points tie, the Flyers and Caps are in a dead heat in regulation, regulation plus overtime and total wins. The Flyers have a 29-27 regulation wins tiebreaker edge over the Red Wings.
The Flyers have two games remaining: Saturday at home against the New Jersey Devils and Tuesday at home against Washington. Before coming to Philly, the Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and the Boston Bruins on Monday.
The Penguins host Boston on Saturday, the Nashville Predators on Monday and finish up on the road against the Islanders next Wednesday. The Islanders visit the Rangers on Saturday and the Devils on Monday before hosting the Penguins in the regular season finale.
Detroit visits the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and then finishes with a home-and-home set against the Canadiens on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
71 Tyson Foerster - 25 Ryan Poehling - 11 Travis Konecny
74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 10 Bobby Brink
27 Noah Cates - 14 Sean Couturier - 19 Garnet Hathaway
86 Joel Farabee- 21 Scott Laughton -89 Cam Atkinson
8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim
24 Nick Seeler - 9 Jamie Drysdale
5 Egor Zamula - 77 Erik Johnson
33 Samuel Ersson
[82 Ivan Fedotov]
TURNING POINT
The Flyers all-around performance throughout the game was outstanding: 19 blocked shots, strong goaltending from Ersson and timely offense. The Brink goal, which proved to be the game winner and deflected off a defender's stick, lifted a big weight off the Flyers' shoulders. The Flyers were able to generate some chances in transition, scoring four goals off the rush. They defended very well.
POSTGAME 5
1) Cates made a good defensive play on Adam Fox on the opening shift of the game. The Rangers spent the next several shifts in the Flyers' zone, although contained to the perimeter. At 4:21, York opened the scoring.
Ersson was tested for the first time at 5:24, making a good stop on Jimmy Vesey. The Vincent Trocheck line followed with a dominating shift, featuring chances for Artemi Panarin and Trocheck.
The Rangers went on the game's first power play at 8:25, as Scott Laughton was penalized for a stick hold on Will Culle. Twenty-one seconds later, Panarin was called for interference. The teams skated 4-on-4 for 1:39. Through 10:19, shots on goal were tied at 5-5.
Couturier and Tippett generated a strong shift with play back at 5-on-5. With 12:25 left, a hustling Foerster generated a scoring chance and was tripped by Jacob Trouba after a blocked shot. The Flyers went to the power play. The Flyers generated solid possession time and a couple of shots on net, but did not score.
Ersson stopped a deflected shot at 16:22. The Flyers were called for too many men on the ice, putting the Rangers on their second power play. Ersson gloved down a Trocheck shot. After a failed clear by Johnson, Ersson stopped a Mika Zibanejad one-timer from center point. The Rangers went on 42-second two man advantage at 17:41 on a charging minor on Johnson. With four seconds left on the 5-on-3, Panarin scored to tie the game at 1-1.
The Rangers remained on a 5-on-4 power play. Konecny had a shorthanded rush attempt. With just 2.7 seconds left in the period, a Johnson clearing attempt went off referee Chris Rooney's skate into the slot. Ersson made a vital save on Jonny Brodzinski.
2) First period shots on goal were 12-9 Rangers. Shot attempts were 23-23. Scoring chances were 14-12 Rangers. High-danger scoring chances were 7-3 Flyers Faceoffs were 10-8 Rangers.
3) Sanheim missed the net on an open scoring chance on the opening shift of the second period. At 49 seconds, the Rangers went back to the power play again as Couturier was called for a slash on Zibanejad's stick at the Flyers' defensive blueline.
Hathaway and Sanheim combined for a clearing play. York blocked a Panarin shot. Hathaway blocked another shot in the waning seconds of the kill. At 3:29, Brink scored.
The Flyers went back to the power play at 6:06 as Miller checked Konecny from behind into the offensive right side boards for a boarding minor. Frost made a backchecking play break up a shorthanded chance for Kreieder.
Through 10 minutes of the second period, shots on goal were 5-5. The Trocheck line generated a dangerous next shift.
At 11:29, after Quick tripped Hathaway, referee Chris Rooney called offsetting minors on the New York goalie (slashing) and Hathaway (unsportsmanlike conduct). Brodzinski served the Quick penalty. The teams skated 4-on-4. With Kreider going to the net, Ersson stopped a Fox shot/pass. Cates prevented a potential 2-on-1 with a good backchecking play.
Atkinson had a one-timer from the deep right slot. The Couturier line came out next. The line got caught on a long D zone shift. Hathaway came up with a clutch block. With 1:10 left in the period, Ersson gloved down a Panarin shot for a stoppage.
On the next shift, with 46.2 seconds left in the period. Konecny opened a 3-1 lead.
4) Second period shots on goal were 11-11 (23-20 Rangers overall). Shot attempts were 25-15 Rangers (48-38 Rangers overall). Scoring chances were 9-9 (24-21 Rangers overall). High-danger scoring chances were 5-5 (12-9 Flyers overall). Faceoffs were 14-8 Rangers (24-18 Rangers overall).
5) The Flyers started the third period with a power play as a result of the Rangers receiving an extra penalty from a scrum after the buzzer at the end of the second period. Philly was unable to capitalize.
With play back at 5-on-5, the Trocheck line generated heavy pressure against the Laughton line. Lafreniere hit the crossbar. Cates made it 4-1 at 5:56.
Through 10 minutes, shots on goal were 3-2 Flyers. The Flyers kept their shifts short, getting fresh troops out as often as possible. At 13:00, Drysdale forced Quick to hold onto a puck with a point shot. The Flyers got an offensive zone faceoff out of the play.
At 13:40, Konecny had a breakaway opportunity against Quick. Konecny was unable to elevate the puck with Quick committed to the ice. TK was unable to find the five hole.
The Flyers continued to play a very tight-checking game. The Rangers did not generate any more shots or scoring chances.
Third period shots on goal were 7-2 Flyers (27-25 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 13-9 Rangers (61-46 Rangers overall). Scoring chances were 5-3 Rangers (29-23 Rangers overall). High-danger scoring chances were 2-1 Rangers (12-11 Flyers overall). Faceoffs were 5-3 Rangers (29-21 Rangers overall).
