NEW YORK _ David Quinn gave Henrik Lundqvist an early birthday present when he started the goaltender Sunday afternoon against the Flyers at Madison Square Garden. Coming on the day before Lundqvist's 38th birthday, it was the franchise icon's first start since Feb. 3.
It did not go especially well.
Two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal by the Flyers in the first period undid Lundqvist and the Rangers, and the Rangers ended up losing their second straight game _ and second straight to the Flyers _ 5-3. The Rangers fell behind 4-0 before three power-play goals _ two by Mika Zibanejad _ made the final score more respectable.
With the loss, the Rangers (35-26-4, 74 points) failed to gain ground in the Eastern Conference wild-card playoff race. With 74 points, they remained two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, who currently hold the second and final wild-card spot. The Blue Jackets play Sunday night at home against the Vancouver Canucks.
Matt Niskanen (at 1:52) and Sean Couturier (at 11:19) scored power-play goals for the Flyers in the first period, and Michael Raffl scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 17:53 to make it 3-0 Philadelphia after one period. Derek Grant scored on a breakaway at 1:23 of the second period to make it 4-0 before Zibanejad's first power-play goal got the Rangers on the board at 12:31 of the period.
Travis Konecny scored the Flyers' third power-play goal at 15:34 of the second to make it 5-1 before the Rangers got a couple of power-play goals _ one by Pavel Buchnevich and a second from Zibanejad _ to make it 5-3. Lundqvist finished with 21 saves.
