2016-11-25 NHL PHI vs NYR
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist (#30)
NEW YORK (NY) – The Rangers and Flyers were teams headed in two different directions coming into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Flyers, after starting off slow to the year had won four straight, including two important divisional games. New York had lost their previous three, all in regulation, but a three goal first period outburst sparked a convincing blowout victory.
“Everyone had a little chip on their shoulder” Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei remarked. “We had something to prove”.
The game started off as bad as the last three, yielding a goal in the first 2:06 of the game to Jordan Weal off of a beautiful deflection. The original shot by Radko Gudas would have gone a foot wide but Weal was able to redirect in mid air past Henrik Lundqvist to give the Flyers the early lead.
Four minutes later, Rick Nash got a dastardly monkey off his back, potting his 10th of the year and just his first in the last month to tie the game. The goal came off a breakaway when Pavel Buchnevich made a great pass out of his zone to hit a streaking Nash who broke free from center ice.
Nash would strike again later, getting his second of the night, and knows he’s been deserving. “Personally I feel like my games been good, just haven’t been able to put the puck in the net. Tonight, two go in”.
J.T Miller, Paul Carey and Michael Grabner got the other three goals for New York. Carey’s goal was the Rangers first short handed goal of the year off a breakaway with 10 seconds left in the first period, while Grabner’s was his 20th of the year.
New York out worked, outshot and out hustled Philly all night, something that hasn’t been seen in some time. The Flyers only had 26 total shots on net, but when they had opportune scoring chances, Lundqvist came up to shut the door.
“Hanks big save when we were on the power-play, then we come right down and score, that in my mind was a big turning point” head coach Alain Vigneault remarked postgame.
With the win, Lundqvist becomes the first goaltender in NHL history to earn at least 20 wins in 13 consecutive seasons at any point during the course of a career (via @NYRangers).
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