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Rangers hope for good start to second half of the season

Jan 27, 2007 - 1:42 PM NY Rangers (23-21-4) at Philadelphia (11-31-5) 1:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers hope to start the second half of the season better than they finished the first.

New York should have a strong chance to achieve that goal when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

The third-place Rangers trail the first-place New Jersey Devils by 15 points in the Atlantic Division while the Flyers are already looking toward next season. Philadelphia's 27 points are the fewest in the league.

A key for the Rangers, 1-4-0 in their last five and losers in 11 of their last 16, will be how center Jaromir Jagr performs in the second half. Jagr leads the Rangers with 42 assists and 60 points. He averaged over a point per game during the first three months of the season but has showed signs of slowing down lately.

Jagr, whose assist total is fourth in the league, has eight points in eight January games.

The Flyers entered the break with another long losing streak. Philadelphia's current streak is eight games and follows a nine-game losing streak from December 2 through December 23.

Philadelphia, 3-14-3 at home this season, has also endured two six-game losing streaks early in the season.

The lone bright spot of the Flyers this season has been Simon Gagne, who leads Philadelphia with 23 assists and 36 points. Gagne has points in four straight games with three goals and an assist.