Biron sharp again, Asham nets a pair as Flyers beat Rangers

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Biron stopped 39-of-41 shots to help the Philadelphia Flyers take a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers in the opener of a home-and-home set at the Wachovia Center.

Aaron Asham had two goals while Scott Hartnell and Mike Richards each lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won three of their last four games and wrapped up a five-game homestand with a mark of 3-2-0.

Sean Avery and Nik Antropov each had a goal for the Rangers, who had won four of five coming into the game. Henrik Lundqvist was charged with four goals on 25 shots in the loss.

These Atlantic Division rivals will face-off at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The Rangers drew first blood off of a Flyers turnover. Holding the puck at the left point, Matt Carle attempted to dump back down low, but Antropov blocked the attempt. Antropov then raced down the other end on a breakaway and wristed the puck into the left corner at the 3:28 mark.

Philadelphia tied the game with 3:26 left in the first on a 2-on-1 break. Jeff Carter skated down the right wing with Hartnell on his left and let fly with a shot that Lundqvist stopped with the right pad. The rebound, though, kicked out to the left side and Hartnell buried it.

At the 6:07 mark of the second period, the Flyers took the lead. With another 2-on-1 rush, Richards sent a pass from the left to the right for Simon Gagne, but Gagne flubbed the shot. However, he did recover the puck in time to center it for Kimmo Timonen, who one-touched the puck over to the left side for Richards who pumped his own rebound into the net.

After a questionable elbowing call on Richards at the 13:14 mark of the second, the Rangers appeared to tie the game. A left circle faceoff win was drawn back to Derek Morris, who let fly with a slap shot that Biron stopped. The puck went into the air and Scott Gomez, who was behind Biron, knocked it home. However, Gomez appeared to knock it in with his glove and the goal was waived off by the on-ice official and a replay upheld the call.

Richards was again the victim of a questionable penalty a little over two minutes after his first when he was called for boarding Avery and the Rangers had another power play chance. This time, Biron came up with a big save as he stopped Nikolai Zherdev down low at the left side to help the Flyers carry the one-goal lead into the third period.

Philadelphia gave itself some breathing space at the 5:47 mark of the third. Claude Giroux had the puck behind the net and centered it to a streaking Asham, who tapped it in from down low for a 3-1 advantage.

Asham netted his second goal of the game with 5:27 left in the game when he picked up a dump along the left boards in the Rangers zone all alone and lasered a shot over the glove of Lundqvist.

Avery got the Rangers back to within two goals as his wrister from the left circle got past a sliding Biron with 3:41 to play.

New York pulled Lundqvist from the net late in the game for the extra attacker, but were unable to put any more pucks into the net.

Game Notes

Hartnell's goal was his 25th of the season, which ties a career-high he set in 2005-06 with Nashville...Giroux and Dan Carcillo each added two assists for the Flyers...Philly has won four of the last five against New York...Neither team scored on the power play with New York having four chances and Philly three.

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