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Inside the Flyers-Rangers series

The faceoff battle The Flyers will try to improve in the faceoff circle Tuesday when the series shifts to the Wells Fargo Center for Game 3.

(Frank Franklin II/AP)
(Frank Franklin II/AP)Read more

The faceoff battle

The Flyers will try to improve in the faceoff circle Tuesday when the series shifts to the Wells Fargo Center for Game 3.

The New York Rangers have won about 54 percent of the draws in the series.

"They jump through quick and get a lot of pucks," Flyers coach Craig Berube said of the Rangers. "That's a lost draw. So it's about everyone being a little more ready in the circle. Not so much our centermen, but our wingers and defensemen in the D-zone, getting to the pucks before they do."

Flyers center Sean Couturier has been particularly ineffective on faceoffs, winning just 11 of 33 (33.3 percent). On

the flip side, Claude Giroux has won 20 of 35 (57.1 percent).

Dominic Moore (61.1 percent) and Derick Brassard (58.6 percent) have led the Rangers.

Power-play oddity

The Flyers' power play has had a split personality.

On the road, the Flyers had the NHL's best power play this season, clicking at 25.2 percent. At home, they had just a 15.1 percent success rate, placing them 25th in the 30-team league.

"It's a little harder when 18,000 people yell to shoot after 20 seconds of the power play," winger Jake Voracek said with a smile after Monday's practice. "No, just kidding."

Who's hot

Rangers veteran Martin St. Louis has points in both games with a goal and two assists.

Who's not

Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who had a shoulder injury late in the regular season, is minus-3 in the series.

Sea of orange

Vinny Lecavalier, who helped Tampa Bay win the 2004 Stanley Cup, on playing his first playoff game as a Flyer at the Wells Fargo Center: "I remember coming in here and everybody's in orange and how loud it is. It's definitely one of the highlights in the playoff run that we had. We played Montreal, which I thought nothing could compare to that. Then the next thing you know, we come to Philly and it's just as loud."

"It's an energetic arena to play in, and they feed off of that so you want to play a simple game," said the Rangers' McDonagh. "You can't be afraid to take an icing, take a whistle here or there to keep the game on your side."

- Sam Carchidi