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Flyers-Rangers wrapup and Gameday Preview vs. Carolina |
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The Flyers played one of their best all-around games of the season in shutting out the Rangers 2-0 at the Wachovia Center. It was important that the club show it could elevate its game against an opponent that had been playing well of late, and the Flyers did just that. Philly limited the Blueshirts chances and avoided getting pinned in their own zone for prolonged stretches. Scoring in the waning seconds of the middle period was also huge, enabling the Flyers to go to the second intermission with a two-goal cushion.
The next Daily Drop at Versus.com will look at the Dan Carcillo fight with Marian Gaborik and the events that followed. In a nutshell, John Tortorella's anger at the Philadelphia bench should have directed at his own club -- including Gaborik, who was the first one to drop his gloves (a game but foolhardy move). Yes, Sean Avery subsequently fought Carcillo, but it was too little too late, which was a pretty apt description of the game itself for the Rangers. New York competed for the most part, but the Flyers were the hungrier and better club.
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When the Flyers take on Carolina on Saturday afternoon, Philly absolutely cannot afford a letdown on the heels of the emotional win over the Rangers. The Flyers will be looking to complete a season series sweep against the Canes. With back-to-back matinee games over the weekend, there's a chance Michael Leighton could face his ex-mates on Saturday before the Flyers come back with Ray Emery against the Penguins on Sunday.
Emery looked much sharper in shutting out the Rangers than he had in his first two starts back but really wasn't tested much. Emery still didn't look comfortable early in the Rangers game but he got better and better as the game progressed, especially in the third period.
Barring injury, the Flyers will probably go with the same lineup on Saturday that they did in the two wins that opened the current six-game homestand -- i.e., Darroll Powe on wing on the Mike Richards line, Claude Giroux centering the third line.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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