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Rangers visit Pronger-less Flyers

Dec 18, 2010 - 4:37 PM (Sports Network) - The Rangers overcame an injury to one of their top-scoring wingers to extend their winning streak last time out. Hopefully the Flyers took notes as they are set to be without one of the game's top defenseman for the foreseeable future.

Philadelphia, going for a fifth straight victory, will be without blueliner Chris Pronger as they battle a New York club this afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center that is looking for its first four-game winning streak of the season.

The NHL and Atlantic Division's leader in points with 47, the Flyers improved to 9-1-3 over their last 13 games on Wednesday with a 5-3 victory in Montreal. James van Riemsdyk tallied a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, while linemates Jeff Carter and Nikolay Zherdev also contributed. Carter finished with a goal and two assists, while Zherdev scored and added a helper.

"For our line it was a good game," Carter said. "We've been working on getting chances and we capitalized on those chances, and got a few in. It wasn't our best effort, but we'll take the two points and get out of here."

Claude Giroux matched a career high with his 16th goal and rookie Sergei Bobrovsky notched a career-best 38 saves for the Flyers, who lost Pronger to a broken right foot that will sideline the punishing defenseman for 4-to-6 weeks.

Pronger has four goals and 11 assists in 31 games this season, with one of those tallies coming in a 4-1 home victory over the Rangers on Nov. 4. That triumph was Philadelphia's fourth in its last six versus New York and third straight at home in this series.

Bobrovsky turned aside 20 shots in that victory and Zherdev also scored against his former club.

The Rangers won't have much sympathy for the Flyers tonight as they go for their sixth victory in their last seven on the road. After getting Chris Drury back for the first time since Oct. 15 on Wednesday, New York went out and posted a 4-1 win over the Penguins, but lost Ryan Callahan for 6-to-8 weeks because of a broken left hand.

Skating without Callahan, who is second on the club with 23 points, New York rallied for a 4-3 shootout victory over Phoenix on Thursday. Erik Christensen had the game-winner in the tiebreaker and Martin Biron made 30 saves over the first 65 minutes and three more in the shootout.

Derek Stepan had the game-tying goal with 5:43 left in regulation and Drury notched an assist for his first point in three games this season. Brandon Prust pulled New York to within one goal on a short-handed tally in the final ticks of the second period.

Of Prust's five goals this year, three have been while down a man.

"He is part of our core," New York head coach John Tortorella said about Prust. "He is not homegrown from our minor league system but he has grown into us. He has been killing penalties and is a big part of who we are."

Henrik Lundqvist got the start earlier this year versus the Flyers and gave up four goals on 21 shots, falling to 14-8-3 with a 2.84 goals-against average in his career versus Philadelphia.

Though Pronger is out, tough-guy Jody Shelley is eligible to return tonight for the Flyers after serving a two-game suspension for a hit from behind versus Boston last Saturday.