New York Rangers

Alain Vigneault’s postgame press conference lasted about two and a half minutes. But it was his tone and clearly visible frustration that told the story. The Flyers coach and his staff may have received a vote of confidence of sorts from Fletcher just a day earlier, but the veteran bench boss knows when the ship is sinking and he becomes the first guy on the chopping block.

It wasn’t a result that was as out-of-hand as the others recently, but it was a defeat all the same, as the Flyers took the loss for the seventh straight game, 4-1, to the Rangers.

The Flyers pay a visit to the New York Rangers for the first time this season, and get a former Ranger back in their lineup as well, hoping this could be one of the internal improvements that starts to turn their season. 

The Flyers 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers rookie squad was secondary to the potential loss of Wade Allison, who exited in the second period with an apparent leg injury. There was no update on his status postgame.

In the first of two games this weekend against the Rangers to close out Rookie Camp, the Flyers picked up a 6-3 win on Saturday.

Now with nine games to go, the countdown is on until the end of the season. The Flyers sit 11 points out of the final playoff spot. Their tragic number is down to seven. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. Friday’s game was just another example of all of the problems this team had over the course of this grueling schedule and this prolonged stretch of games without stringing together wins.

The Rangers scored two goals in the first period, then added two more in the third to claim a 4-1 result from the Flyers on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Flyers return to MSG on Friday night for one final meeting against the Rangers this season. Game time is at 7 p.m.

From James van Riemsdyk’s well-timed goals to Brian Elliott’s sharp performance, the Flyers got back in the win column, holding off the Rangers in the late stages of the third to secure the result.