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Rangers dispatch Flyers with first-period burst

Jan 13, 2014 - 4:52 AM New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Daniel Carcillo, Rick Nash and Derick Brassard tallied in a span of seven-plus minutes early in the contest, and Henrik Lundqvist made 37 saves to lead the New York Rangers over the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1, at Madison Square Garden.

Chris Kreider added a goal and one assist for the Rangers, who moved into a second-place tie with Washington in the Metropolitan Division. Both clubs have 51 points, 17 behind idle Pittsburgh.

Mark Streit provided the lone offense for the Flyers, who lost back-to-back games this weekend after winning seven of their previous eight.

"We have to be more ready," Philadelphia head coach Craig Berube said. "You have to be as quick as them."

Ray Emery allowed all four scores on 35 shots in defeat.

The hosts got on the board just 2:14 after the opening faceoff, when Streit's attempted clear found the stick of Carcillo for a wraparound at the left post.

Only 28 seconds later, it was 2-0 after a blistering low shot from Nash eluded Emery's outstretched pad, slid inside the left post and in.

"The way we started the game helped everyone in here," Lundqvist said. "We got the crowd going and we got ourselves going."

Despite six shots on their first power-play chance of the game, the Flyers didn't solve Lundqvist, and the Rangers went up 3-0 minutes later on a one- timer from Brassard that resulted from a Mats Zuccarello dish.

A potential fourth goal from New York inside of two minutes left in the period was wiped out due to a delayed penalty call against the Flyers and the officials ruling that Emery touched the puck before Brassard was able to stuff it home.

The visitors prevented further damage and trailed just 3-0 despite a 17-13 shot edge, then killed off a brief two-man disadvantage at the outset of the second.

Ryan McDonagh missed a one-timer from the right side at an open net early in a Rangers power play at the midway point of regulation, but Kreider didn't miss in close thanks to a deflection off Philly defenseman Braydon Coburn's skate on a subsequent advantage and it was 4-0 for the hosts with 6:42 remaining.

Lundqvist almost let a floater from center ice by Brayden Schenn get by him early in the third, but the puck caromed off the far post.

Streit eventually put the visitors on the board during a power play thanks to a blistering point drive through a Tye McGinn screen at the 6:49 mark. Lundqvist stopped the remaining 14 Philadelphia shots in the period to claim victory.

Game Notes

The Rangers have won seven in a row against the Flyers in Manhattan, since dropping a 4-2 decision on Feb. 20, 2011 ... Entering play, Emery had been 7-1-0 with a 1.62 goals-against and .943 save percentage against the Blueshirts ... Kreider's power-play goal snapped Philly's streak of 26 straight short-handed kills ... Vincent Lecavalier notched his 500th career assist on his club's lone tally.