The Flyers and the Rangers were duking it out for 7th/8th place in the east this afternoon. The game got off to a fast start with Vinny Prospal scoring his first goal as a Flyer and his 30th of the season on Henrik Lunqvist. But the Rangers answered back quickly, with Marty Straka scoring a PPG against Antero Niittymaki. The lead then went back and forth with the the first period ending at 3-3.

Tom Renney surprised everyone by replacing Lunqvist with Stephen “Flyer’s Kryptonite” Valiquette, to start the 2nd period. Valiquette had shutout the Flyers on two previous occasions this season.

It seemed to spark the Rangers, who got out to an early 4-3, by a goal by Christian Backman, while an injured Briere hobbled to the bench leaving his team shorthanded, meanwhile Valiquette played yet another period of shutout hockey against the Flyers.

However the Flyers would overcome the Valiquette Curse midway through the 3rd thanks to the hand-eye coordination of Jeff Carter, which tied the game at 4-4. However it would be the only goal past the kryptonite, with the Rangers winning 5-4 in a shootout.

Injury notes: Joffrey Lupul, and Mike Richards are skating for the Flyers.