PRONG-WILLED

CHRIS PRONGER is selective.

Last year, he skipped the entire preseason. Last night, Pronger didn't need to play in the Flyers' second-to-last preseason tuneup against the visiting Devils, but he wanted to test his surgically repaired wrist and back.

Plus, he knew it was his only remaining chance before the regular season starts next Thursday in Boston - because he didn't want to go to Newark, N.J., for tomorrow night's game with the Devils.

"Let's put it on my headstone that I won't go to Newark for a preseason game," Pronger said.

Who would?

For Pronger, there is little left to overcome on the ice. His 1,327 games (including playoffs) and 2007 Stanley Cup ring speak for themselves.

As goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov admitted after the game, it gets "harder and harder" each training camp to try to mentally get up for preseason games. For the most part, they're utterly meaningless - a way for teams to sap a few extra bucks out of season ticketholders on the backs of rookies fighting for jobs.

"I didn't think it was one of those situations where he had to be there," coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's not trying to prove anything. He's played a lot of games in his career. If he just walked into the Boston game, or whenever he's ready to come back, I'm sure we'd get a great effort out of him.

"But I think it's important for him."

Pronger, after all, hadn't played a live game since April, when he muscled out three playoff games after one of the most trying seasons of his career. His 50 regular-season games were the least he had played since 2002-03. Pronger has undergone five different surgeries since July, 2010 - including knee, foot, hand, back and wrist procedures.

Pronger got 19 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time.

"I've been working pretty hard," Pronger said. "I've spent a lot of hours away from the rink and the media, away from your scrutiny, and I don't know how I'll feel until [today]. But I felt pretty good."

Pronger got an assist when Wayne Simmonds knocked in the game-tying goal on the power play in the second period. The Flyers went on to win, 2-1, as Jaromir Jagr scored in the third period, his fourth goal of the preseason.

"I felt OK," Pronger said. "It was a good way to get back into the flow. It was pretty choppy, but quick. As the game settled in, you feel a little bit more structure, a little bit more comfortable, you're able to do a few more things.

"And you're able to get in a few scrums and a few more pushing matches."

After two subpar starts in the preseason, with an excessive 3.03 goals-against average, Ilya Bryzgalov was looking to rebound before next Thursday night's opener. He did so by stopping 17 of 18 shots in the first 29:30 before swapping with Sergei Bobrovsky, who finished the game by pitching a shutout.

"I feel better and better every day," Bryzgalov said. "I'm not 16 years old, I'm 31. I need some time."

After six full seasons in the NHL, Bryzgalov said it's tougher to play in the preseason because your body gets "more and more beat up every year," but he said it's not hard to want to play against countryman and sniper Ilya Kovalchuk.

"That is a challenge," Bryzgalov said. "It's always fun to play against great players like Ilya, [compared] to guys with limited skills and limited talents. That's what the game is all about."

Prior to last night, Bryzgalov had allowed six goals on 44 shots for a save percentage of 86.4 percent.

"There were some tough goals that had gone in against him in the first couple games, some on redirects," Laviolette said. "I thought he looked really sharp."

The Flyers' power play continued to click, going 2-for-4 with the man advantage, bringing their total to 5-for-11 in the last two games . . . Goaltender Michael Leighton hit the waiver wire for the 10th time in his well-traveled career, this time with the intention of sending him to AHL Adirondack. Leighton, who carries a salary-cap hit of $1.55 million, is expected to battle with Johan Backlund, who is also on a one-way contract, and Jason Bacashihua for two available spots with the Phantoms . . . Claude Giroux snagged two assists, increasing his total to a league-high seven helpers in four preseason games. Giroux was also limping postgame after blocking a shot just to the inside of his knee. General manager Paul Holmgren said Giroux is "fine."