Flyers add to their growing list of statement wins by thumping Rangers

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Updated: Saturday, 12:45 a.m.

BOX SCORE

The Flyers have made their fair share of statements this season.

They added to the list Friday night with a convincing 5-2 win over the Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center.

New York had been rolling and gaining steam in the playoff race. The Rangers entered 9-1-0 over their last 10 games and had won nine straight on the road.

The Flyers stemmed the tide significantly.

Who better than Kevin Hayes to punctuate the party with a third-period goal.

The Flyers (37-20-7) have matched their season-best win streak of five. Since Jan. 8, they're 15-5-1 with an NHL-high 77 goals. Over that stretch, the Flyers have 31 points, tied with the Lightning and Bruins for most in the league.

The Rangers (35-25-4) have dropped both meetings with the Flyers thus far by a combined score of 10-3.

• A massive win on multiple fronts.

The Flyers have jumped the Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh lost Friday night to the Ducks, 3-2.

Just as important, the Flyers pushed away the Rangers a bit more, while improving to 13-4-4 within the Metro division, which is the deepest in the NHL.

• The Flyers completely flipped the game in a span of 2:05 during the second period. James van Riemsdyk finished a juicy rebound to seize a 2-1 lead before Claude Giroux turned and fired a filthy shot top shelf to put the Flyers in the driver's seat.

The Flyers sped away in the third period.

• Giroux and Jakub Voracek, the Flyers' household names, looked like the vintage duo in a rivalry game.

Voracek collected four assists to give him 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) and a plus-16 mark over the last 42 games.

Giroux had some real giddyap in his step, scored two goals, won 13 faceoffs and is on a 14-point run through the past 10 games.

Sean Couturier registered a goal and an assist ... ho-hum.

• Carter Hart improved to 18-2-2 at home.

The 21-year-old has been lights out in front of his fans, allowing two or fewer goals in 18 of his 22 home games.

Alexandar Georgiev, the Rangers' 24-year-old netminder, is 1-3-0 in four career games against the Flyers.

• Derek Grant, acquired at Monday's trade deadline, played well as his role increased.

He's another big body that can win important faceoffs and be tough to play against.

Grant won seven draws and played 15-plus minutes.

Another role player Scott Laughton had two more assists and was all over the place.

• Hayes is 2-0-0 against the Rangers this season. He returns to Madison Square Garden Sunday.

"I couldn't be more excited to be here in Philly, to start a new chapter in my NHL career where I have the security to be somewhere for a long term," Hayes said in September. "In New York, my longest contract was two years, the last three years it was trade bait basically every year."

• During a 1-1 game in the second period, a laughable penalty was called on Philippe Myers. The Flyers killed it off and then swung the momentum in their favor.

• Chris Kreider, the Rangers' third-leading goal scorer who signed a seven-year, $45.5 million extension Monday, suffered a fractured foot during the first period.

That's huge news. The Flyers play New York twice more over the final 18 games.

• The Flyers are scheduled to practice Saturday at noon in Voorhees, New Jersey, before heading to New York to play the Rangers Sunday (12 p.m. ET/NBC).

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