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Briere, Flyers go for seventh straight home win

Nov 15, 2007 - 2:21 PM NY Rangers (10-7-1) at Philadelphia (11-6-0) 7:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - It's just like old times. The New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers will meet Thursday night for the top spot in the division.

Daniel Briere, who has six goals and a team-leading 13 assists, has really endeared himself to the fans in the City of Brotherly Love.

Not only has the 30-year-old center helped the Flyers reach the top of the Atlantic Division standings in his first year with the club, but he has also gotten them off to their best home start in 21 years.

Philadelphia has won its first six home games this season. It marks the franchise's best start since opening the 1986-87 campaign by winning eight straight at the Wachovia Center, back when it was known as the CoreStates Center. That team eventually reached the Stanley Cup Finals, falling to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

The biggest reason for the Flyers early success has been the play of Mike Richards, who leads the team with 10 goals and 20 points.

The Rangers, on the other hand, are starting to resemble the team everyone expected them to be coming into the season. With Tuesday's 4-2 triumph over the rival New Jersey Devils, they have moved to within one point of overtaking the Flyers for first place in the division.

After starting the season a dismal 2-5-1, New York has won eight of its last 10 contests due in great part to the play of Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist, who has started 17 of the Rangers' 18 games this season, has posted four shutouts and yielded just 13 goals over his last 11 games.