Flyers vs Rangers, game 7. Right from the beginning , we’ve told you to look for this one to go the distance. As expected, this series has been the classic finesse vs grit, with both teams playing at the high level fans expect in the NHL playoffs . Last night, the Flyers jumped out to a four goal lead early, then held on to win 5-2 to tie the Rangers vs Flyers series at three game apiece and take the series into a decisive game 7.
In a rarity for NHL playoff series, game 7 of the Flyers vs Rangers series will be played tonight, without the typical day of rest to allow for travel between playoff games. There’s a great recap of the game six action here .
Tonight’s Flyers vs Rangers game will be one of three game 7’s in the NHL tonight. New York and Philadelphia battle it out for the right to play the Pittsburgh Penguins, who vanquished the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games. Other game 7’s tonight include the Los Angeles Kings vs San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild vs the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference.
The Rangers vs Flyers playoff rivalry dates back to the ’70s and the days of Philly’s Broadstreet Bullies. Back then, the games represented Philadelphia’s brawn against the New York Rangers’ tight, high finesse style of play. Today, the match ups are similar, with the New York Rangers skating around opponents while the Flyers mostly skate over opponents.
The Rangers showed plenty of fight in game six, putting shot after shot on the net, but were largely stymied by the stellar play of Philadelphia goalie Steve Mason. Mason blocked 34 of 36 shots faced, including some highlight reel-calibre glove saves. On the other end of the ice, Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals. He’ll have to play better than he did last night if the Rangers are to have any chance of advancing to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Mason has been a cut above throughout the first round of the playoffs. According to a Yahoo! Sports report , Mason has maintained a.939 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA. The big story of game six of the Rangers vs Flyers series, though, was Wayne Simmonds, who scored a hat trick that provided over half of the Flyers’ scoring.
Don’t miss the game 7 Rangers vs Flyers action tonight. You can watch the Flyers vs Rangers game streaming online live here.
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