After a wild first period in which both teams scored three times and chased each other’s goaltender, the Rangers and Flyers eventually settled down and needed the shootout to decide a winner yesterday afternoon at the Garden. Goals by Brendan Shanahan (first star) and Nigel Dawes in the shootout were the difference as the Blueshirts came away with a 5-4 victory for their fourth consecutive win and in the process, stopped Philadelphia’s three-game winning streak.

The scoring started early and often in the matinee and the visiting Flyers struck first when Vaclav Prospal beat Henrik Lundqvist just 68 seconds in; it was his 30th goal of the season and first since coming over from Tampa Bay. But Martin Straka answered back a little over three minutes later (his 12th) with a power-play goal.

Four minutes after that, the Flyers regained their one-goal lead with a tally from Braydon Coburn (his seventh) on the power-play, but that lead was short-lived as well. Fredrik Sjostrom fired the puck past Antero Niittymaki at 11:36 off a scramble in front of the net to even the score at two. When Ryan Callahan scored his sixth goal of the season just short of the 14 minute mark, the Rangers had their first lead of the period, but they were unable as well to protect it very long.

Jeff Carter’s goal less than two minutes later knotted the game (at three) for the third time before 16 minutes had elapsed. The frenzied first frame featured porous defense and two goaltenders that weren’t on top of their game. Shots on goal favored the home team 13-8.

Stephen Valiquette replaced the ineffective Lundqvist (who made only five saves) to start the second and surprisingly, Niittymaki was still in net after his disappointing start; but that was about to change as well. Christian Backman’s goal at 1:51 gave the Blueshirts their second one goal lead (his first tally with the Rangers since being acquired from St. Louis) and sent the Flyers’ netminder to the bench. Martin Biron was called on the finish the game.

Both Valiquette and Biron faired much better than the starters and the Rangers and the Flyers settled down, playing tighter defense. Backman’s effort stood up for the reminder of the period and the Rangers took 4-3 lead into the locker room.
Shots were even at seven in the second stanza, which featured a stretch of non-stop action that lasted for almost eight minutes.

Jeff Carter’s second goal of the game (and 23rd overall) at 11:49 evened the score once again and made the tense third period even more exciting, but neither team was able to come away with the two points in regulation. Shots again favored the Rangers 12-9. With the ensuing overtime session unsuccessful, the shootout had to determine who would earn the extra point.

The third round was unnecessary as both Shanahan and Dawes beat Biron and Valiquette stopped Kimmo Timonen while Carter hit the post. With the two points the Rangers remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference (76 points), tied with Boston, who has played two fewer games. The Flyers earned a precious point (for a total of 74) and are still in the thick of it. The Rangers are just five points from the top of the conference and are only the same five points ahead of the currently ninth place Buffalo Sabres; that’s how crazy the race for the playoffs positions are.

Valiquette made 17 saves and was selected second star in his third win versus the Flyers this season. Biron was perfect in regulation with 21 saves but was not so in the shootout.

The next two games for the Rangers are a home-and home series with the Islanders, who are in a far more desperate situation for points with their recent slide. The first game is Tuesday night at MSG and then the conclusion is Thursday night at the Nassau Coliseum.