PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jaromir Jagr scored two power-play goals and had three points, and Claude Giroux and Danny Briere each had three assists as the Philadelphia Flyers outlasted the New York Rangers, 5-3, on Monday night.
On the same day that the 2012 Winter Classic was officially announced to be played at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2 between these same two teams, Jagr, a former Ranger making his first home appearance as a Flyer, made a grand entrance in front of the faithful, and now has three preseason goals.
The game had a regular-season feel, as both of the team’s star goaltenders, Philadelphia’s Ilya Bryzgalov and New York’s Henrik Lundqvist, were in net, and the two rivals combined for 77 minutes in penalties.
Brian Boyle had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (1-1-1), who watched Jagr leave New York for the KHL in 2008 only to sign with the Flyers this summer. Jagr, 39, showed no rust as he took a regular shift, and was still out there with two minutes left in the game, looking for the hat trick.
Braydon Coburn scored the winner at 6:35 of the third period for the Flyers (4-0-0), and Wayne Simmonds added his first as a Flyer with an empty netter at 19:32.
Bryzgalov made 17 saves, while Lundqvist made 26.
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