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Lundqvist, Avery help Rangers continue hot stretch

Mar 22, 2007 - 4:22 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- After Colton Orr knocked out Todd Fedoruk, Henrik Lundqvist shut out the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lundqvist posted his fifth shutout of the season and Sean Avery scored twice as the New York Rangers continued their push for a playoff spot with a 5-0 triumph over the lowly Flyers.

Brendan Shanahan returned after an absence of more than a month to record two assists and rookie defenseman Dan Girardi also set up a pair of goals for the Rangers (37-28-9), who moved within one point of the idle Tampa Bay Lightning (40-30-4) for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. New York has earned at least one point in 11 of its last 12 games (8-1-3).

"I think the last two months, we've been playing good hockey and now we're starting to get the points as well, which is huge for us," Lundqvist said. "(These) are fun games to play and it's important points. I think that's why we're playing better."

Just 21 seconds into the game, Orr engaged in a fight with Fedoruk and landed a hard punch to the side of the Philadelphia enforcer's head, which hit the ice as he fell. Fedoruk was attended to by a member of the Flyers' medical staff and was carried from the ice on a stretcher and taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion.

"The same thing could have happened to me. It's part of the game," Orr said. "I hope he is all right. You don't want to see that happen. It's a tough game, but you don't want to see him get hurt like that."

"You never want to see a guy get hurt," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "When a guy leaves the ice, especially on a stretcher, it's something you don't ever want to see. Obviously, he got hit hard and he was injured. Immediately, you're thinking for his safety. I'm glad they had help there right away."

Having just come back from a similar injury, Shanahan offered plenty of sympathy to Fedoruk.

"I feel really bad for him because I know what he's going through," Shanahan said. "I saw immediately when he hit the ice, when your arms go up by your side like that, it means that you are knocked out. It was an eerie feeling. Obviously, I was concerned about him, but at the same time, I had some flashbacks myself.

"I heard he had some fighting spirit left when they were getting (him) on the stretcher. He didn't want to get on. That was a good sign. It's an unfortunate thing."

Things failed to get better for Philadelphia as Petr Prucha scored the only goal New York needed just over three minutes later. Captain Jaromir Jagr doubled the lead 86 seconds into the middle period with a power-play tally before Avery began his first multi-goal performance as a Ranger during a man advantage at 7:50 for a 3-0 bulge.

"They beat us three weeks ago when we thought it was going to be an easy win for us," Jagr said. "This time, we wanted to make sure it's not going to be the same game."

After Jed Ortmeyer scored midway through the third, Avery completed his second two-goal effort of the season with 7:26 remaining to cap the scoring.

Lundqvist had a fairly easy night, stopping seven shots in the first period, eight in the second and just two in the third en route to his seventh career shutout. It was the second blanking in three games for the Swede, who has allowed just four goals in his last four contests.

"We know every mistake can cost us a game, so that's why we managed the puck better," Lundqvist said. "We made the better choices out there."

The shutout was the Rangers' first at home against the Flyers since March 30, 1981, when Steve Baker helped New York earn a 0-0 tie.

Sidelined since February 17 with a concussion suffered in a vicious collision with Philadelphia's Mike Knuble, Shanahan had a successful return to the lineup, setting up both of Avery's goals. The 38-year-old missed New York's previous 15 games.

"It was great. I wanted to step in and fit in and not distract or disrupt," Shanahan said. "I wanted it to be about the team and getting the win and keeping our focus. Obviously, the warm welcome I received and my teammates welcoming me back (was nice)."

"First of all, it's just great to see him back out on the ice," Lundqvist said. "Secondly, he's a great player and it means a lot for this team, both on the ice and here in the locker room. It's fun to have him back. He didn't look rusty at all."

Matt Cullen recorded his 200th career assist for the Rangers, who improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine home contests.

"Judging from the comments on the bench, the guys knew that this was an important game and we had to get thinking about what we have got to do," New York coach Tom Renney said. "So everything we had hoped to hear was certainly there."

Antero Niittymaki made 29 saves for the Flyers, who have lost three in a row and five of six.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," Stevens said. "We generated some chances but didn't finish. It was an uphill battle. ... They were the better team tonight."

Prucha scored his 19th goal of the season at 3:40 of the opening period, carrying down the left wing and cutting to the slot before using defenseman Denis Gauthier as a screen to beat Niittymaki. Gauthier also was a factor in New York's second tally, as Jagr's shot from the slot deflected off his stick and past the netminder early in the second.

Avery netted his third goal in four games less than seven minutes later on a wrist shot from high in the right faceoff circle.

"The assist can go to the fans because I didn't want to hear them start yelling, 'Shoot,'" Avery said. "I thought I'd just get that over right away."

Ortmeyer made it 4-0 when he slapped the puck by Niittymaki after Cullen's blast from the left circle caromed off the end boards. Avery completed a nifty passing sequence 2 1/2 minutes later for the final margin.

"Cally (Ryan Callahan) made a great pass to Shanny, and the goalie's obviously nervous when Shanny's in that position," Avery said. "He slid it over and I just went five-hole, and it was in."