PHILADELPHIA (AP) - While his teammates mobbed him after a late goal, Dan Carcillo trash-talked with Flyers fans through the glass before hitting the bench for a celebration.
One fan made an obscene gesture, but Carcillo wasn’t fazed in the least.
Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi and Carcillo scored goals, leading the Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Friday in Philadelphia.
Carcillo, a former Flyer, briefly engaged a taunting fan after he scored an insurance goal in the third period.
“Nothing surprises me about this city and the way people act,” Carcillo said.
Known as “Car Bomb,” Carcillo had 100 penalty minutes and only four goals in the regular season - and wanted to prove he could do more than camp out in the penalty box.
“When you get pigeonholed into a role, it’s hard to change people’s minds in this league,” he said. “When you get in and you get an opportunity like this, you’ve got to make the most of it.”
The Rangers took an early 2-0 lead and that was enough of a cushion for a team that led the Eastern Conference with 25 road victories. Lundqvist was backed by a defense that blocked 28 shots to stymie the Flyers.
“It’s a big part of the game right now to pay the price like that,” he said. “I think it brings a lot of energy to the group when you see a big block like that because every play matters right now.”
Mark Streit scored for the Flyers. Ray Emery struggled in net in his third straight start of the postseason for Steve Mason, and was lifted late in the third period.
While all signs point to Mason for Game 4, coach Craig Berube has not announced a decision.
“I’ll be ready to go,” Mason said.
Mason hadn’t played since a collision on April 12 left him with an upper-body injury. He got in this game with 7:15 left and the Flyers down 4-1.
Berube said Mason was healthy, but went with Emery because of his strong first two games. Emery had 31 saves in a Game 2 win.
“Ray just came off a big win. It’s not a difficult decision,” Berube said.
After a rough outing, it seemed liked the wrong one - right from the start.
Rick Nash’s shot wide of the net deflected off the bottom of Emery’s glove, and Stepan shoveled the puck in for a 1-0 lead only 3:54 into the game.
St. Louis made it 2-0 midway through the period with a sharp deflection off Girardi’s shot from the blue line. The Rangers had two goals on eight shots.
Emery settled down and the Flyers finally generated some offensive pressure, even though leading scorer Claude Giroux failed to get going.
Giroux, third in the NHL with 86 points, had no shots on goal in the first two games and didn’t get one in the first period. He did rush the net late in the first, creating space for Streit to score over Lundqvist’s stick on a 4-on-4 chance.
Giroux finally attempted a shot with 6½ minutes gone in the second period and the Flyers down 3-1. The captain clearly needs to start scoring for the Flyers to win the series. He’s not alone.
“We have to get the pucks through, even move it sideways,” Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen said. “We have to watch tape and find a way to get them through. We have to find a way to move it around quicker.”
Girardi fired a clean slapper high from the point over Emery’s left shoulder for that 3-1 lead early in the second.
Down two goals, Jakub Voracek took out some pent-up frustration on Carl Hagelin with a flurry of punches that sent both players to the penalty box and the crowd into a frenzy.
Carcillo went after Giroux in the scrum, giving the Flyers the added bonus of a power play. But the Rangers blocked two shots on the power play.
The Rangers closed off the shooting lanes with 20 blocked shots through the first two periods. Lundqvist took care of the rest.
“It’s just a matter if the D is getting involved in the play, and it doesn’t matter if it’s me or anyone else,” Girardi said.
Carcillo sealed the win with a goal soon after he left the penalty box in the third.
NOTES: St. Louis had one goal in 19 regular-season games for the Rangers. He has two in the first three playoff games. … Flyers defensemen have three goals in three games. … NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attended. He said the league was close to announcing the teams in next season’s Winter Classic and that the league would not stage six outdoor games. He also said Islanders owner Charles Wang has received “a number of expressions of interest” in buying the Brooklyn-bound team.
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