Philadelphia @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 28, 2020 ) NY Rangers 2, Philadelphia 5

The Philadelphia Flyers have matched a season-high winning streak to move into contention for both a playoff slot and first place in the Metropolitan Division. The surging Flyers take aim at a season-high sixth consecutive victory and bid to complete a home-and-home sweep of another red-hot club when they visit the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia closed within three points of Washington atop the Metropolitan Division with a 5-2 victory Friday night, snapping the Rangers' five-game winning streak and improving to 8-1-0 in their last nine meetings against them. "We're not there yet. But I think if we're going to continue to play the way we do, we can make a run," Flyers forward Jakub Voracek told reporters. "Everything's got to be clicking. It's clicking right now. We've got to make sure it's clicking in a month and a half." Friday's setback was a double whammy for New York, which had its nine-game road winning streak halted and denied the team a chance to move into a tie for the second wild card. More damaging to the Rangers was an injury to top-line forward Chris Kreider, who is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a fractured foot while blocking a shot in Friday's game.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: NBC, TVA

ABOUT THE RANGERS (35-25-4): Linked to trade talks for weeks before signing a seven-year, $45.5 million contract Monday, Kreider absorbed what could be a crushing injury for the team's No. 3 goal scorer (24). “I don’t know how to put it into words, really," linemate Mika Zibanejad told reporters. "Obviously a key player and a key guy in the locker room and on the ice, and for our line and the rest of the team.” Artemi Panarin joined Brian Leetch, Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr as the only Rangers with multiple point streaks of 12 games in a season.

ABOUT THE FLYERS (37-20-7): Netminder Carter Hart improved to 18-2-2 with a 1.67 goals-against average at home after turning aside 26 of 28 shots Friday, but he takes a 3-10-1 mark and 3.88 GAA on the road into Sunday's matchup. Philadelphia's No. 1 line combined for three goals and eight points Friday as Claude Giroux scored twice, Voracek collected four assists and Sean Couturier had one goal and set up another. “We’re no different than any other team," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault told the media. "You need your top players to perform.”

OVERTIME

1. Giroux has six goals and 14 points over the past 10 games.

2. Rangers G Alexandar Georgiev has made three starts in four days while G Henrik Lundqvist last started on Feb. 3.

3. The Flyers are 7-for-18 on the power play in their last seven games.

PREDICTION: Flyers 4, Rangers 3