Flyers lose after 13-round shootout

Well, that was entertaining. After 60 minutes of regulation, 5 minutes of overtime, and 26 shooters in a shootout, the Rangers defeated the Flyers 5-4 Saturday night at the Wachovia Center in a game that had a playoff atmosphere.

It was quite the back and and forth contest, and for the most part, the Flyers contained Jaromir Jagr and outplayed the Broadway Blueshirts. But in the end, Marcel Hossa (Marian's younger brother) beat Antero Niittymaki in the 13th round of the shootout. For those wondering, the record was set last season when the Rangers beat the Capitals in a 15-round shootout at the Garden. Marek Malik won that one for New York with his unbelievable between the legs, flip the puck in the net move.

Simon Gagne had 2 goals tonight for the Flyers, and Peter Forsberg also cleaned up some garbage for his 1st goal of the season as well. Petr Nedved and Geoff Sanderson both continued their solid play over the first two games, and Sanderson scored his 1st goal as a Flyer to tie the game at 3-3 in the 2nd period.

In the 3rd, the Rangers tied the game at 4-4 when Adam Hall got the credit for a puck that bounced off the glove of Flyers winger Randy Robitaille. The game went to overtime, and there were few chances for either side in the OT. So on it was to the shootout.

And it went on, and on, and on, and on... until Hossa ended it by beating Niittymaki five-hole for the victory. Henrik Lundqvist was the star of the game for the Rangers, stopping 35 of 39 Flyers shots in regulation, plus the 13 he faced in the shootout.

Up next for both squads is a rematch on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. No word yet on whether or not Niittymaki will go again for the Flyers or if Robert Esche will get another chance in net. Game time is 7:00, and the Garden will be energized for another fierce early-season divisional battle.

Hossa beats Flyers in shootout