Jagr has goal and assist in Flyers' preseason win

DETROIT - In the summer, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren gambled by giving free-agent right winger Jaromir Jagr a $3.3 million, one-year contract - outbidding Pittsburgh and Detroit - and hoping the future Hall of Famer could still be productive at age 39.

So far, so good.

In his Flyers debut Friday night, Jagr had a goal and an assist in the opening period as he sparked the Flyers to a 3-1 exhibition win over the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena.

Jagr says playing in NHL-sized rinks - not his age - is what concerns him the most about his comeback.

"It may take me a while to get my timing back," he said.

On Friday, however, he showed no ill effects from spending the previous three years out of the NHL, playing in the wider Russian rinks, where the games are more about finesse.

"It's two different games with the same rules," Jagr said before the game. "You've got to skate a lot more [in Russia], and here most of the guys are a lot bigger, and most of the teams play the trap, and the style is more aggressive. Hopefully, it won't take me that long [to adjust], but the game has changed from when I played three years ago."

After the Flyers (2-1-1) fell into an early 1-0 hole, Jagr and impressive rookie center Sean Couturier helped set up James van Riemsdyk's third goal in the last two preseason games. Fifty-two seconds later, with 1 minutes, 42 seconds to go in the period, Jagr scored off an assist from Scott Hartnell to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Hartnell poked the puck away from defenseman Garnet Exelby out front, and Jagr wristed a 15-footer past goalie Jimmy Howard.

"I want to get - how do you say it? - to NHL [level] as quick as I can," Jagr said.

Which sounds funny when you consider Jagr's NHL resumé includes 646 goals and 1,599 points.

While Jagr's return was the main story line, winger Matt Read collected a goal and an assist and took a major step toward winning a roster spot. Read, 25, who was impressive in a brief stint with the AHL Phantoms last season, has four points in three preseason games.

Breakaways. Sergei Bobrovsky was sharp again in goal. He has allowed one goal in two games. . . . Center Michael Nylander, a former linemate of Jagr's who is attempting to make the team on a tryout contract, has not played in any of the Flyers' four exhibition games. He is bothered by a minor lower-body injury, which is not related to his offseason, spinal-fusion surgery, according to Holmgren. Nylander is expected to play Monday against the Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center. . . . Rookie winger Mike Testwuide could join Jody Shelley on the suspension list. In the first period, he was given a five-minute, checking-from-behind major - he leveled Brendan Smith - and a game misconduct. . . . Hartnell was plus-3, while Couturier, Read, Andreas Lilja, and Erik Gustafsson were each plus-2.