Rangers salvage split of back-to-back with Flyers

NEW YORK --Pavel Buchnevich and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and an assist to help the New York Rangers get their first win in three games, 4-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

"We were a little bit more opportunistic, and I didn't think there was a big dip in our game," Rangers coach David Quinn said.
Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil scored, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin each had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 26 saves for the Rangers (24-18-6), who are fifth in the eight-team MassMutual East Division, six points behind the fourth-place Boston Bruins. The Rangers lost 3-2 to the Flyers here Thursday after losing 6-1 at the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

The Bruins, who lost 6-4 at the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, have two games in hand on the Rangers. The top four teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"You do a lot of scoreboard watching," Quinn said. "Anyone that tells you you don't is lying to you. We can't control what's going on away from us. We know the task in front of us. We just have to continue to approach each night in the right way, and when we do that we have a chance to win. We did it enough tonight. I think we have to do it more moving forward here, but we did it enough tonight to win."
Oskar Lindblom scored, and Alex Lyon made 20 saves for the Flyers (21-19-7), who are sixth in the East Division, five points behind the Rangers and 11 points behind the Bruins.
Philadelphia didn't score on a 5-on-3 for 1:21 late in the second period while trailing 2-1.
"I think it was one of the turning points," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. "We had a lot of Grade A opportunities to fight our way back into this game. Didn't give up much in the first period, really two scoring chances, and we were down 2-1 but we had some great looks on that 5-on-3 and we had some great looks 5-on-5. Their goaltender just seemed to be at the right place at the right time tonight, and it was the difference for me."
Philadelphia has scored 12 goals in its past seven games (2-4-1).
"Lack of confidence," Flyers forward Scott Laughton said. "Seems like when we have the play it's bouncing off our stick or something, but we've got to figure it out. It's been a tough stretch for a group, but the thing is you've got to stay as positive as you can and you've got to work through this. It's a frustrating time right now, and everyone's in it together and you've got to sort it out. It's frustrating, and I don't really have the answer."
Kreider scored on the power play to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 6:02 of the first period. Panarin's diagonal pass from the left face-off circle found Kreider with his stick on the ice at the right post for a redirection and his 20th goal of the season.
Lindblom scored off a pass from Jakub Voracek 45 seconds later to make it 1-1 at 6:47.

Buchnevich skated out of the corner and along the goal line toward the right post to score his 20th of the season 49 seconds after Lindblom's goal, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 7:56.
Lafreniere, playing his second straight game on the top line, started the play by getting the puck to Zibanejad in the right circle as he was falling down. Zibanejad got it to Buchnevich in the corner.
"I think we're three players that have great vision, so I think we're moving the puck well," Lafreniere said. "We'll still try to learn how to play together, and it's getting better."
During the 5-on-3 in the second period, the Flyers had two shots on goal and the Rangers blocked one.
"Really just an inspiring effort from the guys on the ice for that 5-on-3," Kreider said. "That was awesome to see."
Lafreniere made it 3-1 at 9:24 of the third period, tucking the puck around the right post after Robert Hagg couldn't stop Buchnevich's pass through the slot.
Philadelphia had a goal disallowed at 12:27 because of goaltender interference by James van Riemsdyk.
Chytil scored from the goal line with a shot that went off Lyon to make it 4-1 at 13:40.
"We tightened it up defensively, especially the first and second period," Georgiev said. "Got the lead and didn't try to get another one. We just played the game, didn't force anything. Got the huge 5-on-3, and that helped definitely a lot."
NOTES: Flyers forward Jackson Cates, who signed as a free agent out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth on April 13, made his NHL debut. He played 11:19, had three shots and won five of eight face-offs. … Kreider scored his 11th power-play goal, tying him with Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski for the NHL lead.