POSTGAME 5: Flyers Fall Short in Rangers Finale

The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the New York Rangers, 4-1, at Madison Square Garden on Friday evening. The Flyers finished their season series with the Rangers with a 4-3-1 record.

The Rangers sandwiched first period goals by Chris Kreider (PPG, 20th goal of the season) and Pavel Buchnevich (20th) around an Oskar Lindblom tally (7th). The second period was scoreless.
In the third period. Alexis Lafreniere (9th) gave the Rangers a two-goal lead. Filip Chytil (8th) added insult to injury with a flat-angle goal that banked in.
Alex Lyon took the loss. He stopped 20 of 24 shots.
Alexandar Georgiev had some rebound issues but came up with all but one save. He stopped 26 of 27 shots.
The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play, with a failed 5-on-3. Philly was 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Recently signed to an entry-level contract, Jackson Cates made his NHL debut for the Flyers. Nolan Patrick exited the lineup.
TURNING POINT
Loose defense on the Buchnevich goal resulted in New York quickly reclaiming a just-lost lead in the first period. They never relinquished it again.
MELTZER'S TAKE
1) The Flyers had a better start at 5-on-5 than they did early in the first period on Thursday. Nonetheless, Philly once again found themselves playing from behind. First period shots were 7-6 in the Flyers favor. New York had the only two power plays.
2) In a span of less than two minutes of game action, the game went from scoreless to a 1-0 Rangers lead to tied at 1-1 and then a 2-1 New York edge.
After looking dangerous but going 0-for-3 on the power play on Thursday, the Rangers connected on their first man advantage as Artemi Panarin carved the box with a pass to Kreider for a re-direct in close at 6:42. Adam Fox got the secondary assist.
Lindblom had some self-made puck luck at the net, as the puck went in off the skate of Libor Hajek at 6:47. The assists went to Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek.

Then, with Phil Myers committed up the boards and Shayne Gostisbehere sagging back to defend a potential pass, Buchnevich had time and space to step out in front and, with Lyon on all fours, scored at 7:56. Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere earned the helpers.
3) Much of the second period was sloppy for both teams, with bouncing pucks on bad ice, players falling down, overskated pucks and errant passes. Scott Laughton took exception to a Kevin Rooney check on Couturier that was close to a knee-to-knee hit and dropped the gloves with the New York player.
4) With 4:26 remaining in the second period, the Flyers went on a lengthy 5-on-3 power play. Philly was unable to capitalize then averted disaster on a shorthanded breakaway for Filip Chytil as play moved to 5-on-4.
5) Couturier had multiple scoring chances during the game; none better than a point blank look early in the third period that Georgiev got with the blocker while deep in his net. With 10:34 left 9n in the third period, Lafreniere gave New York an insurance goal on a broken play around the Flyers' net. The assists went to Buchnevich and Zibanejad.
With 7:33 left, the Flyers had a would-be Justin Braun rebound goal on a Travis Konecny breakaway disallowed for goalie interference by James van Riemsdyk. Replays appeared to show that K'Andre Miller pushed JVR into Georgiev. Play was already being blown dead as Braun put the puck in the vacant net.
Lyon allowed a bad goal by Chytil from a severe angle along or just behind the goal line. The Rangers took a 4-1 lead at 13:40.