NEW YORK (AP) - Steve Mason and the Philadelphia Flyers have struggled since winning 10 in a row last month. They’re feeling a little better now after getting consecutive victories for the first time in 5 1/2 weeks.
Mason stopped 34 shots for his 31st career shutout, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored 2:36 apart in the third period and the Flyers beat the New York Rangers 2-0 on Wednesday night.
Philadelphia, which beat the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime in Brooklyn on Sunday night, improved to 5-9-3 since their long win streak ended Dec. 17.
“It’s definitely something to build off of for everybody,” said Mason, 4-8-2 in his last 14 starts. “It’s been a tough stretch the last month or so mentally I think for everybody. We’ve had two games recently over here on the road against two quality hockey clubs and to be able to come away with four points is definitely something to build off.”
Mason got his first shutout of the season and first since last March 5 against Columbus. He helped Philadelphia end a five-game losing streak to the Rangers and get its second win in the last 13 meetings at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s a real good road win,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. “In this building, obviously it’s a hard place to win. At times, it wasn’t our prettiest effort or our cleanest effort, but it was a real good team effort.”
Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves for the Rangers, who ended a three-game winning streak.
The Flyers took the lead at 6:09 of the third, just 34 seconds after the Rangers’ Matt Puempel was sent off for tripping. Voracek fired a shot from the right slot that was stopped by Lundqvist, but Brayden Schenn jabbed at the puck, it went to Simmonds and he backhanded it in for his 20th.
Voracek doubled the lead with some help from the Rangers as he knocked the puck off Michael Grabner’s right skate, left skate and off the left goalpost and in for his 14th at 9:45.
New York went 0 for 3 on the power play and is now 0 for 14 over its last four games.
“It’s the type of game where you feel you deserve more, but there’s some games like this,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said.
The Rangers controlled play in the brisk-paced first two periods, outshooting the Flyers 27-16.
Grabner’s shot on a 2-on-1 rush hit the crossbar and deflected into the crowd about 7 1/2 minutes into the game, and Mason slid to his left to stop a slap shot by Rick Nash a minute later.
Adam Clendening fired a shot off Mason’s glove with about 3:15 left in the first, and then the goalie caught an attempt by Puempel seconds later.
Grabner was also denied on two attempts in close by Mason seconds apart with just over a minute left in the opening period.
“Mase played great for us,” Simmonds said. “He allowed us to get our feet under us.”
Mats Zuccarello got the puck through Mason’s legs early in the second, but it deflected off a goalpost. The Flyers’ goalie then stopped Nash on a tip attempt about nine minutes in.
Lundqvist had nice stick saves on Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux less than a minute apart later in the second.
NOTES: The Flyers had given up a power-play goal in five of the last six games (seven in 27 chances). … Mason got his 94th win with the Flyers, moving into sole possession of third place on the franchise list. Ron Hextall is first with 240 and Bernie Parent second with 232. … The teams conclude the four-game season series April 2 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won the first two meetings. … The Rangers were without D Marc Staal (upper body injury) for the ninth straight game, and C Kevin Hayes (lower-body injury) for the second in a row. … The Rangers had their 210th consecutive regular season sellout and their 251st in a row including the playffs.
UP NEXT
Flyers: Host Toronto on Thursday night in their last game before the All-Star break.
Rangers: Host Columbus on Tuesday night in their first game after the All-Star break.
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