BY: DAVID KOLB
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (23-19-6) @ NEW YORK RANGERS (31-16-1)
METRO BATTLE
Tonight the New York Rangers play host to the Philadelphia Flyers at The Garden, marking the third of four games between the clubs this season. The Blueshirts took the first two games of the series in Philadelphia and will host the remaining games with the finale falling on Apr. 2 at Madison Square Garden. New York enters the night with momentum, following a third-straight win Monday over the Los Angeles Kings. The Flyers, meanwhile, have just ended their three-game skid Sunday by edging the Islanders 3-2 in overtime.
QUOTABLE
“The teams that are winning more than one game, you look at those teams, and the one common denominator is goaltending. And the one common denominator in goaltending is that timely save.”
– Coach Alain Vigneault on Henrik Lundqvist’s stellar play this past week.
RECLAIMING HIS THRONE
Lundqvist made 36 saves Monday to earn his third straight win. He now owns a 1.33 goals against average and .956 save percentage over the past three contests. “The King” enters tonight’s game 21-12-1 on the season with a 2.75 goals against average, compiling two shutouts along the way. Notably, both of Lundqvist’s shutouts have come in wins over the Flyers this season.
CLUTCH SIMMONDS
Wayne Simmonds tallied a goal and an assist in the Flyers’ 3-2 win over the Islanders Sunday. Simmonds tallied one assist in the first two games against the Blueshirts this season, and in 48 games has recorded 19 goals and 36 points along with 17 power play points (nine goals, eight assists).
SIX STRAIGHT FOR 36
Mats Zuccarello scored the game-winning goal Monday to extended his point streak to six games (one goal, seven assists over that span). Zuccarello leads the Rangers in points this season with 38, including nine points in nine games for the month. He’s notched one assist in two games against the Flyers.