Lundqvist helps Rangers clinch playoff spot, down Flyers

Hockey Betting Lines

04/09/2009 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henrik Lundqvist stood tall down the stretch and finished with 37 saves to help the New York Rangers clinch a playoff spot for the fourth straight year with a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden.

Markus Naslund and Ryan Callahan collected the goals for New York, and Chris Drury posted two assists.

The Rangers moved into a tie for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with Montreal at 93 points apiece. Montreal picked up a point in the OT loss to Boston and clinched the East's final playoff seed.

It was the final home test of the regular season for New York, which will complete its schedule Sunday in Philadelphia. However, this is not a home-and-home series, as the Flyers are playing a road game against the New York Islanders on Saturday. Montreal ends its season by hosting Pittsburgh Saturday.

Danny Briere got the goal for Philadelphia, while Martin Biron turned back 29- of-31 shots in the setback, the club's fourth in its last six games.

The Flyers secured a playoff spot with Tuesday's victory over the visiting Panthers, which also helped New York move into position for its clinching win.

Philadelphia has 97 points and remained tied with Carolina and now Pittsburgh for the fourth seed in the East after the Hurricanes lost to Buffalo and the Penguins downed the Islanders on Thursday. The 'Canes and Pens both have one game left in the regular season, while Philly has two remaining.

New York grabbed the lead just 52 seconds in on a questionable non-call in the crease. Biron appeared to cover a Drury shot, but there was no whistle, and the Rangers kept whacking away at the netminder as he drifted back into the net amid a pile of surging players. Referee Don VanMassenhoven signaled goal and, despite a protest from Philadelphia head coach John Stevens, it was allowed.

A Callahan shot through traffic from the high slot made it 2-0 at 12:06 of the first.

Briere took a cross-ice feed from Mike Richards at the left side of the net for a power-play goal at 9:14 of the second to halve the lead.

Lundqvist robbed Daniel Carcillo point-blank with the glove close to 4 1/2 minutes into the third to preserve the lead.

The Flyers were robbed by the iron later, as Briere's shot that rang off the left post with about four minutes remaining, but Lundqvist's 10 stops in the third ultimately clinched the all-important win.

Game Notes

The Rangers have a solid 26-11-4 record as the host this year and have won four straight and eight of their last nine home contests...Philadelphia is 19-14-7 as the road club this year and has dropped its last three as the visiting club...The Rangers took a 3-2 lead in the season series.

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