Rangers shut down Flyers, 2-0

NEW YORK - The Flyers should get some early insight into their chances of challenging for the Atlantic Division crown this week.

There are two games against Sidney Crosby's ever-dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins and one against the new-look New Jersey Devils. Then there was tonight's encounter with the suddenly jelling New York Rangers.

Things didn't go well for the Flyers at Madison Square Garden in a 2-0 loss. Although the score was close, the Flyers' chances of scoring were not. Henrik Lundqvist shut out the Flyers for the first time this season, making 30 saves.

The Flyers were beaten to pucks early, seemed to get trapped in their zone for long stretches, managed few follow-up shots, and again had to rely on goalie Martin Biron to sustain them before they awoke from their coma.

They allowed 22 shots in the first period - the most in a period all season - and 45 in all as they fell to 2-4 on this road trip.

"We can't come out and wait to see what the other team is doing, and then get going," coach John Stevens said. "We're getting frustrated by the situation. To me, frustration, there's no place for it. Undisciplined penalties, frustrations in those situations - you should welcome the challenge and get energized by it."

Stevens' comments seemed to be aimed at center Danny Briere, who was nailed for hooking and unsportsmanlike conduct late in the game. The hooking call set up the Rangers' final goal.

"My stick got caught in [his] leg, and [Sean Avery] is good at embellishing," Briere said. "He went down easy. The other one, when they called [Braydon] Coburn [for hooking], I thought that one was iffy as well. And I asked [the referee] why he was just calling one side, and he took me out for another one [unsportsmanlike conduct]. That one is unacceptable. I have to be more disciplined."

Although the Flyers had the better chances in the final period, the Rangers iced the game with Brendan Shanahan's goal on that power play and improved to 7-2 on home ice.

For half the game, the Flyers generated no rushes and no offense.

Meanwhile, Jaromir Jagr continued his dominance. His third goal of the season, in the first period, gave him 38 goals in 78 career games against the Flyers. Jagr has 102 career points against them.

"What happened today was the same problem we had in Montreal," said winger Simon Gagne, back in the lineup after missing four games with a concussion. "We get the other team to take the tempo early and we chase the game. The Rangers are a tough team to battle back. In the first period, you can't allow 22 shots."

In the opening period, the Flyers were outshot by 22-11. Stevens has been stressing the need for more control and composure with the puck, but the Flyers displayed neither.

"It's just a lack of focus to start the games on the road," Mike Richards said. "We have to come out a little bit harder. Tonight's game wasn't a defensive battle. They took it to us. Even though we got pucks deep, it didn't seem like our forecheck was going."

It appeared that the Flyers would survive the first period until Jagr scored on a snap wrister in the final 33 seconds from the left circle.

Things weren't much better in the second period.

During a Flyers power play, the Rangers cleared the zone five times. The best scoring chance belonged to New York as the power play expired, with Shanahan testing Biron off a shorthanded rush.

The Flyers had few quality scoring chances in the period. One came when Scottie Upshall managed a shorthanded breakaway on Lundqvist. With Upshall bearing down on him, Lundqvist held his ground, making a chest save.

Soon after, Biron had to make a tough save at the post on a deflection from Marcel Hossa through traffic. It could have easily been 4-0 at that point.

Because Gagne was playing his first game in two weeks, his shifts were limited. However, he had a good scoring chance late in the period from the left circle with a shot through traffic that Lundqvist deflected.

The slow starts "are something we have to get better at," Gagne said. "We're fine in the second and third, but we need to bring that in the first period."