Flyers top Rangers to end skid at eight

FLYERS 4 RANGERS 1

Bobby Brink scored the goahead goal early in the second period, Samuel Ersson stopped 24 shots and the Flyers snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Rangers on Thursday night at the Garden.

Cam York, Travis Konecny and Noah Cates also scored for the Flyers, who were 0-6-2 since defeating Boston at home on March 23. Ryan Poehling added two assists as Philadelphia stayed alive in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Rangers had won seven in a row against the Flyers and were 10-0-1 in their last 11 meetings with Philadelphia.

Ersson improved to 22-18-7 while allowing only a goal to Artemi Panarin.

The Rangers remained at 53 wins, one shy of a franchise record.

York opened the scoring at 4:21 of the first, rifling the puck past Jonathan Quick for his 10th goal.

Panarin tied it with his 47th goal on the power-play goal at 18:19 of the first. Panarin has 117 points, six shy of the franchise record set by Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06. He also set a Rangers record with points in 65 of 80 games this season. The 32-year-old forward has points in 11 consecutive games, with nine goals and 14 assists.

Brink put the Flyers ahead with his 11th goal at 3:29 of the second when his shot toward the net deflected off Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller’s stick and past Quick.

Konecny made it 3-1 with his team-leading 32nd goal with 47 seconds remaining in the second.

Cates increased the Flyers’ lead to 4-1 with his sixth goal at 5:56 of the third.

Defenseman Adam Fox received the Rod Gilbert “Mr. Ranger” Award, given to the player “who best honors Rod’s legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.” Gilbert, the Hall of Fame right wing who holds the franchise record for goals (406) and points (1,021), died in August 2021.

DEVILS 6, MAPLE LEAFS 5

Jesper Bratt broke a tie with 1:14 left with his second goal of the game and the already-eliminated Devils beat Toronto Thursday night, overcoming Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews’ NHL-leading 67th and 68th goals of the season.

Matthews has the most goals in the NHL since Mario Lemieux scored 69 in 1995-96.

Bratt also collected an assist, Timo Meier notched two goals and an assist, and Erik Haula and Nolan Foote also scored for the Devils.