Rangers bully Flyers, ride into 10-game streak

For many, it's safe to say that the New York Rangers are back. The point streak has reached ten games, with Thursday's 6-1 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden a perfect example of their remarkable turnaround.

They ended Philadelphia's six-game point streak in the process, and it wasn't even close. The Flyers, who had beaten the Rangers 3-1 in November, couldn't get anything going as New York skated circles around them, especially in the third period. A dozen players found the scoresheet. The positive vibes have returned, and so have the numbers. Since January 2nd, the Blueshirts paced the NHL in points (19) and goals (43). Igor Shesterkin, who made 35 saves in this one, has been remarkable. He improved to 6-0-1 since returning from injury with a .948 save percentage, a 1.43 GAA, and 11.21 goals saved above expected, proving why he's the highest-paid netminder in the sport's illustrious history.

And if you look at the broader picture, the Rangers are now sitting in the 8th playoff spot with a .542 points percentage. But this is no longer a lucky run. The Broadway boys are returning to 2024 Presidents Trophy form, and the Flyers got to see how much things have changed since their 4-15 November/December swoon firsthand.

Shaky Start, Fourth-Line Fireworks:

The Rangers started shaky, trading odd-man rushes and struggling to execute clean passes. Their troubles began just 85 seconds in when the Flyers, one of the league's best rush teams riding a six-game point streak, capitalized. After a K'Andre Miller chance was stopped, three Blueshirts forwards got caught too deep. Filip Chytil made a poor pinch, and no one covered for Miller or stayed high in the neutral zone. It led to a 3-on-1 where Morgan Frost and Travis Konecny set up Owen Tippett, whose skate deflected Frost's pass into the net. The tally of 85 seconds was the league-leading eighth time New York allowed a quick strike, and it didn't sit well with the bench, especially since they had emphasized avoiding this scenario in scouting meetings.

The Flyers maintained the pressure, hemming the Rangers in their zone. A 40-second stretch of puck-watching led to a Ryan Lindgren penalty after Calder Trophy candidate Matvei Michkov was left wide open. The Flyers nearly extended their lead, but Shesterkin and the defense held strong, even as a shorthanded 2-on-1 chance for Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck were stopped by Samuel Ersson, who has been stellar lately.

The Flyers' discipline faltered, though, with Bobby Brink taking an interference penalty in the offensive zone to cut their power play short. The Blueshirts responded with a burst of energy. Chytil created a breakaway but couldn't convert, as Mika Zibanejad struggled, missing a one-timer and a golden chance on the power play.

The momentum finally shifted when Braden Schneider stepped up. After waiver-wire sensation Arthur Kaliyev battled to keep the puck in the offensive zone, Schneider made a slick move down the boards and sent it into the crease, where it deflected off a Flyers skate and in.

That tied the game at 1-1, and the Rangers weren't done. Just 1:26 later, the Matt Rempe-Sam Carrick-Adam Edstrom line generated sustained pressure in the offensive zone. Rempe won a board battle, fed the puck back to Ryan Lindgren at the point, and Edstrom tipped in Lindgren's shot for a 2-1 lead, and the fourth line earned a standing ovation from the Garden crowd for their relentless effort.

Miller, Fox, and Schneider continued to shine defensively, making key plays to stifle the Flyers' chances. Meanwhile, Zibanejad struggled, missing another breakaway and hesitating on opportunities. The Flyers lost steam after their penalty on their power play, and the Rangers settled in to close the period ahead.

Rangers Rise, as Flyers' Hopes Demise:

The second period started fast, with Bobby Brink nearly scoring 28 seconds in, but his backhander went wide. The Flyers stuck with the play, forcing Shesterkin to make some big stops, including one that knocked his mask off. The Rangers’ defense stepped up quickly after that, meeting a Flyers rush with four men back and regaining control. Another Zibanejad giveaway led to an Owen Tippett chance, while Kaliyev’s breakout pass to Chytil came too late for Chris Kreider to finish.

Then, the Rangers made their move. Artemi Panarin, Trocheck, and Miller combined for a beautiful goal. Panarin fed Trocheck out wide, who battled in front to screen Ersson, while Miller ripped a shot from the slot to make it 3-1 with 15:16 left. That assist marked Panarin’s 30th of the season and his 50th point, continuing his streak of 10 straight seasons with 30+ assists.

However, Philly pushed back hard. A sloppy play by Smith nearly cost the Rangers when Joel Farabee got a great look, but Shesterkin’s poke check bailed them out. The Flyers charged with a flurry of chances around Igor’s net, forcing him to freeze the puck. Meanwhile, the Blueshirts couldn’t capitalize on odd-man rushes, with Alexis Lafrenière and Trocheck having one broken up and Chytil getting poke-checked.

The ice tilted more in Philly’s favor as they hemmed the hosts in for two full minutes, creating multiple chances that went wide or were stopped by Shesterkin. This pressure led to a Flyers power play after a Panarin hooking penalty. However, Will Borgen, Miller, Lindgren, and Trocheck shut down the Flyers man advantage, keeping sticks in lanes and defending the slot hard. The broad street bullies didn’t register a single shot on their power play, and Zibanejad almost scored shorthanded off a Panarin feed, but Ersson denied him.

The period closed with more Flyers chances, including a dangerous Sean Couturier shot through a screen that Shesterkin stopped and a Brink one-on-one against Fox that went high. The breadman came close to extending the lead, hitting the post on a breakaway and getting stopped on the rebound. Edstrom also earned some love from the bench after blocking a Travis Sanheim shot with his knee and hobbling off the ice.