Into First

It seemed like history was going to repeat itself. Monday night the Rangers had taken a 2-0 lead only to see the Flyers score three-straight to beat them. Saturday, the Rangers took a 2-0 lead only to see the Flyers score three-straight, but that is where the pattern ended. This time, the Rangers clawed their way back and won the game 4-3 in overtime to take over first place in the Atlantic Division.

Appropriately, the game had the intensity of a playoff game. Tough checking, tight play and great goaltending punctuated a well-fought contest. After Philadelphia took a 3-2 lead, the Rangers tied it up with 42 seconds remaining on a goal by Petr Sykora. As regulation time expired, the Flyers took a penalty and the Rangers took advantage in the extra period with Jaromir Jagr scoring his 35th of the season to win the game.

The only bad news for New York was the potential loss of Petr Prucha. Prucha was involved in a collision along the boards during the second period and had to be helped off the ice. The Rangers will have a tough time replacing his scoring if he is gone for an extended period, but with the league shutting down next week for the Olympics, New York will hope Prucha can come back in March.

Photo by AP/Rusty Kennedy via ESPN