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Flyers open season against rolling Rangers

Oct 11, 2008 - 10:07 AM NY Rangers (3-0-0) at Philadelphia (0-0-0), 7:00 pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Flyers begin their quest to prove last season's success was no fluke against a team already off to a rousing start.

Daniel Briere and the Flyers drop the puck on the 2008-09 campaign on Saturday by hosting the New York Rangers, who have won three straight games.

Dropping the ceremonial first puck at the Wachovia Center will be Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska and the Republican candidate for the vice presidency of the United States.

One season removed from a dismal 22-win output, Philadelphia improved by 20 wins and rode a torrid second-half streak all the way to the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games.

Briere was a major reason for the drastic boost.

The Quebec native netted 31 goals and recorded 41 assists - including nine goals and seven assists during the playoffs - in his first stint with the team after departing from the Buffalo Sabres.

The Flyers, who finished sixth in the league in goals per game (2.99) last season, will have to solve either Henrik Lundqvist or Stephen Valiquette if they plan on starting 2008-09 on the right foot.

Lundqvist has yielded just four goals in his team's three victories thus far, while registering a .950 save percentage. For his part, Valiquette was 3-0-1 against Philadelphia last season.

Thanks to goals from Brandon Dubinsky and newcomers Aaron Voros, Wade Redden and Nikolai Zherdev, New York cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in its home opener on Friday.