Gagner, Giroux score shootout goals, Flyers beat Rangers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Sam Gagner and Claude Giroux made up for missed opportunities when they were needed most.
Gagner and Giroux scored in a shootout to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
Mark Streit and Scott Laughton scored Philadelphia's goals and Steve Mason had 37 saves. Mason stopped Dominic Moore to end it and beat Henrik Lundqvist.
''Obviously, Henrik is one of the best and it's a great measuring stick, but at the same time you can't focus too much on what the other guy is doing, cause you have your own job to do,'' Mason said.
J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard had goals for the Rangers. Lundqvist was sensational in regulation and overtime with 46 saves, but he gave up two goals on three shots in the shootout.
Flyers forward Michael Raffl is fine after being helped to the locker room in the second period. He took an elbow to the head and went to the bench before needing assistance going down the tunnel. Raffl has an upper-body injury.
''I just talked to him; he's actually cracking jokes,'' general manager Ron Hextall said.
Flyers players appeared concerned as Raffl exited.
''The whole team was worried, but he looks good now,'' Giroux said. ''It was pretty scary.''
The Rangers were 16-5 against Philadelphia since March 6, 2011.
The Flyers are 4-1 since an 0-1-1 start. The Rangers are 2-0-2 since dropping two straight.
''I felt really good during the game, but during the shootout I wasn't very good at all,'' Lundqvist said. ''It was a pretty exhausting game, and I should've taken more time to reset. I felt like my timing was way off. It's disappointing.''
Gagner had a breakaway in OT, but lost the puck near the crease. He shrugged it off and started the shootout with a goal.
''Obviously you're not happy about that one, you want to atone for it in the shootout and I was able to do that and help the team get a win so it's a nice feeling,'' Gagner said.
After Mason stopped Mats Zuccarello, Giroux scored a nifty goal. Giroux hit the crossbar on a turnaround backhander during a power play in the final minute of the second period. He hasn't scored a goal against the Rangers since Feb. 11, 2012.
Derek Stepan slid one between Mason's legs to keep the shootout going. After Lundqvist stopped Wayne Simmonds, Mason kicked aside Moore's shot.
Lundqvist made consecutive, tough saves in front of the net to preserve the 2-2 tie with 6 minutes left in regulation. He stopped Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the slot a few minutes later and held off Philadelphia during a power-play opportunity that followed.
It was 2-2 when the Rangers had a go-ahead goal disallowed because of interference on Jarret Stoll in the second period. Coach Alain Vigneault challenged, but it was upheld after a video review.
''Jarret had been slightly pushed in and his stick was obviously behind Mason a little bit, but wasn't interfering any of his possibility of making the save,'' Vigneault said.
Laughton scored his first goal in 22 games, dating to last season, to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead early in the second. Laughton fired a shot from the left circle into the top corner over Lundqvist's left shoulder.
''I think everyone is buying in and that's the biggest thing,'' Laughton said.
But the Rangers tied it at 2-2 on Brassard's power-play goal a couple minutes later. Brassard's slap shot deflected off Flyers center Ryan White's skate and floated past Mason.
Streit ripped a one-timer from the slot past Lundqvist for a 1-0 lead just past the midpoint of the first period.
Miller then swatted a puck that bounced off his knee and in the air past Mason from the side of the net to make it 1-1.
Lundqvist made an outstanding, pipe-to-pipe sliding save with his right pad on Simmonds' shot off a two-on-one breakaway with Giroux late in the first period.
Notes: It was the overtime game in the series in 20 games since April 3, 2011. ... The teams met for the first of five games this season. ... Rangers lead the NHL in road wins (55) and road points (115) since 2013-14. ... Flyers C Sean Couturier didn't play because of an upper-body injury. ... Lundqvist is 28-13-4 vs. Philadelphia.
