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Rangers blank Flyers behind steady Lundqvist

Nov 6, 2007 - 4:31 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Jaromir Jagr's groin may have been hurting but it was not apparent when he scored on the final shot of the first period.

Jagr scored with 33 seconds remaining in the first and Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Jagr was considered a game-time decision as he tweaked a groin during Saturday's win over the New Jersey Devils. In case Jagr was unable to play, the Rangers recalled Greg Moore from the minors.

"I made sure in between periods to get the treatment that I needed," Jagr said. "Last game I got the treatment I needed after the first and I felt good in the second and then I didn't do it. I thought it's good and this game I made sure I get the treatment when I needed it.

If he was feeling any pain, Jagr made sure to get treatment during both intermissions and that led to one of the best all-around games by the Rangers' captain. He led all New York forwards by playing just over 24 minutes and recorded his fifth-multiple point game of the season when he set up Brendan Shanahan's power-play tally in the third.

"He's a great player and he just showed it tonight again," Lundqvist said. "He didn't skate this morning and I wasn't sure if he was going to play or not and then he stepped out and played a great game to help us get this win. That's what a leader does for his team."

"I thought it might have been have his best game of the year," Shanahan added. "Right from the beginning, puck control and his skating, a very strong game. Not just scoring but the way he scored that goal is a confidence builder."

Jagr decided against sitting out when he participated in warmups and the Rangers came out hot, firing a season-high 22 shots in the opening period on Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron.

"Nobody knows their body like Jaromir knows his," New York coach Tom Renney said. "After a little bit of adjusting this morning with (trainer Jim Ramsay) and then going out there after our skate, he said it felt much better. The idea was for him to take the warmup and after the warmup, he told me,'I have to go'. That's all I can tell you."

They finally broke through after Daniel Briere was called for tripping, negating Philadelphia's first power play and creating a 4-on-4 situation.

With more open ice to work with, Jagr took a behind-the-back pass from defenseman Daniel Girardi in the neutral zone, skated in and blasted a wrist shot from above the right circle over Biron's left shoulder and into the top right corner of the net. It was just Jagr's third goal of the season and second on New York's 5-1-0 homestand.

"He comes in, he takes a step to the outside and he gets a great wrister," Biron said. "He puts it right between my shoulder and the glove, right underneath the bar. It's just one of those shots, one of those plays that an All-Star player doing an All-Star play out there."

Lundqvist made Jagr's goal stand up as he made 11 saves in the first, stopped 14 more in the second, including Scottie Upshall on a shorthanded breakaway midway through the period. In the final 2 1/2 minutes of the second, he made a blocker save on Joffrey Lupul, a toe stop on Briere and a stick save on Simon Gagne.

"Going into the third with a one-goal lead is fun," Lundqvist said. "It keeps you sharp."

Lundqvist made five saves in the third and preserved the shutout with sprawling toe save on Lupul during a goalmouth scramble with 5:13 remaining. Lundqvist, who has started every game this season, recorded his 11th career shutout and finished the homestand with a 0.83 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage.

"Thanks to Hank, he's playing great," Jagr said. "I still feel that we've got enough chances and good enough shots to be able to score more goals. Hank's been great."

Shanahan made it 2-0 with 3:21 to play in the contest with a power-play goal. Shanahan skated into the slot and took a pass from Jagr that he slapped past Biron for his fourth goal of the season.

"It was a great pass," Shanahan said. "It's probably part of his game not many people know. He knows exactly where to put it and the speed to put it on."

Biron turned in a solid 43-save showing. He kept it a one-goal game with just under 16 minutes remaining in the second by denying Shanahan on a breakaway and later turned back blasts by Marcel Hossa and a stuff attempt by Brandon Dubinsky.

The Flyers gave the Rangers seven power-plays, including a 5-on-3 late in the game that prevented coach John Stevens from pulling Biron for the extra attacker. Those penalties, which included an unsportsmanlike conduct minor to Briere, dropped the Flyers to 2-4-0 on an eight-game road trip.

"We come out here on the road and wait to see what our opponents do and react to them," Stevens said. "We can't do that. We have to go out and set the tempo and let the other team react to us."

"We're going in, we're trying to contain early in the game instead of being the team trying to put the pressure on. We wait for the second and third period to start doing that. It cost us in a few games. It puts a lot of pressure on Marty back there to hold the fort."

The contest was the first time that the teams were meeting in New York since March 21 when Colton Orr knocked out Todd Fedoruk just 21 seconds into the contest. While Orr did not figure in the physical play, Sean Avery fought Mike Richards just 54 seconds in and with 13 minutes left in the first, Jason Strudwick tangled with Riley Cote.