After a positive week, the Flyers finished their season long home stand of five games with games against Buffalo, Washington and the New York Rangers. They also visited the Rangers this week.

Tuesday’s game against Buffalo was a very good game for the team. Buffalo only managed two goals in the game. One came early in the first for the lead and the other late in the third. With 14 seconds left in the first period, Scott Hartnell began an impressive night with a power play goal. The game remained tight as both goalies let nothing by in the second period.

The Flyers exploded for four unanswered goals in the third. Jeff Carter opened the scoring 27 seconds in. Then Mike Richards and Carter each scored 1:25 apart. Hartnell ended the rout with five minutes to go. It was Hartnell’s second goal and fourth point of the night. The late Buffalo goal made it 5-2.

Thursday night it was the final showdown between two new rivals, the Flyers and the Washington Capitals. The game was tight throughout but came on the wrong end for the Flyers.

Washington opened the scoring with a late power play goal in the first period on a deflection. Each team had eight shots in the first period and the Flyers out shot the Caps in the game 36-30.

Midway through the second, Mike Richards faked a shot and fed Mike Knuble who was wide open for the tying goal. The tie did not last long as Darroll Powe had a costly turnover in the defensive end which gave Alex Ovechkin an easy goal which ended up being the deciding goal.

Caps goalie Jose Theodore was outstanding although the Flyers offense wasn’t what it usually is. Each team did have a goal disallowed in the third period which could have prevented the Flyers from tying the game.

Danny Briere, who returned against the Devils left the game Thursday against Calgary. He missed Saturday and Tuesday’s game after some side effects from his surgery. He returned Thursday and started on the fourth line while getting some power play time.

Saturday was the start of a home-and-home with the Rangers. Marty Biron was in net for the fourth straight game and was fantastic. He did get the day off on Sunday.

The Rangers jumped out early on the road with a quick goal. Scott Hartnell didn’t let the Rangers leave with a first period lead. It was his 25th of the season. Along with Hartnell, Mike Richards stayed red hot as he scored the only goal of the middle stanza.

Arron Asham, not known for his scoring, scored twice in the third period and his line mates Dan Carcillo and Claude Giroux each piled up two assists on the goals. The Rangers added a late goal in the 4-2 loss to the Flyers.

Sunday by no means was Antero Nittymaki’s best game but it was more the teams fault. Simon Gagne tied the game in the second on the power play but that was the only goal of the game for the Flyers.

The Rangers scored three power play goals on nine opportunities which did the Flyers in this game. Braydon Coburn took one of them. However, it was a major for high sticking and he was thrown out of the game. He will not face suspension. The final was 4-1 in favor of New York who is now tied for 5th in the East.

This week, the Flyers will travel to Detroit, Buffalo and Pittsburgh as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament comes to Philadelphia.