Flyers' single goal is good enough to beat Rangers

The post All-Star break portion of the season began Tuesday with the Rangers trying to extend a three-game winning streak against a Philadelphia Flyers team that was behind them in the standings and playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

At the start of Tuesday night with 34 games to be played over 68 days in the remainder of the season, the Rangers knew they needed to start fast and string some wins together if they were to claw their way back within shouting distance of the playoff race.

But David Quinn’s group was without one of its hottest players, Mats Zuccarello, out with a foot infection, and without another of its most talented forwards, Pavel Buchnevich, a healthy scratch for the fourth time this season. And the Flyers, with all their struggles this season, came in having won four in a row.

In the end, the Flyers got a goal one minute, 40 seconds into the first period from Oskar Lindblom and made it stand up, getting 38 saves from backup goalie Anthony Stolarz and dealing the Rangers a 1-0 loss at the Garden that could be the beginning of the end for their playoff hopes.

They are 21-21-7 now, for 49 points — still nine points out of a playoff spot.

“Without a doubt, the wins are crucial right now,’’ said defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. “Tonight definitely stings. But the way we performed tonight, you just have to look at it positively and know that, if we keep having that type of effort and putting that game out there on the ice, we should have some wins piling up.’’

Quinn called himself “frustrated’’ at the team’s inability to find a way to win, despite what everyone in the locker room largely described as an encouraging performance. In their first game back after a nine-day layoff, the coach thought his team struggled at the beginning of the game, but did get better.

“You can’t start the game off that way and give up five scoring chances in one sequence and expect to survive that,’’ Quinn said. “So, it’s 1-0, two minutes into the game. But you don’t give up another one the rest of the game, you feel like your chances are going to be pretty good. We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances.’’

Before the game, the news that Buchnevich had once again played his way into the press box was a big deal, a bigger deal than the return of center Kevin Hayes, who had missed the last nine games  due to an upper body injury.

Buchnevich, the 23-year-old Russian right wing, had so annoyed Quinn that the coach left him out of the lineup even though with Zuccarello out, he had no spare forward on the roster to replace him.

Instead, Quinn dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards for the third time this season, inserting defensemen Neal Pionk — who missed the last three games before the break with a lower body injury — and Brendan Smith, a healthy scratch for six of the last seven.

“I’ve said this before: I don’t love playing seven ‘D,’’’ Quinn said  Tuesday morning  at the Garden. “But sometimes there are things more important than that.’’

So what made him decide to scratch Buchnevich?

“He’s got to play better,’’ Quinn said.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.