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NEW YORK (AP) -- Facing the impending departure of Roger Neilson
has weighed on the minds of the Philadelphia Flyers. Now that he is
no longer with the team, the Flyers are ready to show just how good
they are.
John LeClair's 30th goal midway through the third period capped
a two-goal rally Sunday night as the Flyers beat the New York
Rangers 3-2 in the first game without their cancer-stricken coach.
|  | | New York's Mathieu Schneider, right, knocked Eric Lindros off his feet but the Flyers prevailed. |
"It was a big win for us," said coach Craig Ramsay, leading
the team in Neilson's absence. "The guys really played hard in the
third."
Neilson, 65, has multiple myeloma -- a rare form of bone marrow
cancer -- and will be away for the remainder of the regular season
and at least through one round of playoffs while undergoing
treatment.
"It's really been incredible," Ramsay said. "I can't even
imagine how anyone could have done a better job when he made the
final talk to the players about him being out and not being able to
come along."
Neilson wanted to keep coaching through this week, but doctors
advised against it.
"I think we were well-prepared for this," Ramsay said. "Maybe
it came a little bit sooner, but we were prepared for what was
going to happen. Roger's done a magnificent job from Day 1 of
finding out about the disease, getting everybody ready."
The Flyers, 13-9-7 since Neilson was diagnosed Dec. 9, won two
straight for the first time since Jan. 8-11.
Neilson's last game behind the bench was a 4-2 victory Saturday
over Washington.
"We've had discussions, and we really wanted to get out of this
(slump)," said Mikael Renberg, who scored at 4:07 of the third to
tie it at 2.
"It's a positive feeling within the team now," Renberg said.
"Of course, we wish Roger all the best and we think about him, but
we know we have to look forward now."
Renberg did notice some changes with Ramsay calling the shots.
"Everybody had a chance to get into the game," Renberg said.
"In crucial situations, at the end of periods, he used our big
guys but that's OK."
LeClair became just the third Flyers player to record five
straight 30-goal seasons when he put Philadelphia ahead 7:41 into
the final period.
Keith Jones passed to LeClair at the right of Rangers goalie Kirk McLean and LeClair knocked it in.
The goal came just 3:34 after Philadelphia tied it.
New York, clinging to the final playoff spot in the Eastern
Conference, is in an 0-4-1 stretch. The Rangers, one point ahead of
ninth-place Buffalo, are 1-5-2 since the All-Star break and only
have 21 games left to straighten things out.
"As you get into March, every game is critical," Rangers
forward Tim Taylor said. "There's got to be an urgency. If there's
not an urgency, we're in trouble."
The Flyers, who own the league's top power play, are 0-for-20 --
including 0-for-3 Sunday -- with the man-advantage spanning five
games.
But Philadelphia got the tying goal 12 seconds after a penalty
to Petr Nedved expired. Valeri Zelepukin waited behind the Rangers
net and found an opening to get the puck to Renberg, who tipped in
his eighth goal.
"It was a good pass from Zelly," Renberg said. "I just put it
on the net and it went in."
Flyers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck had shut out the Rangers in two
previous meetings this season, but New York finally solved him.
Vanbiesbrouck, who has lost his grip as the Flyers top goalie
and been criticized for allowing soft goals, gave up another one
that gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
Rookie Mike York skated in and slipped a shot past
Vanbiesbrouck's left pad at 13:56. York leads NHL rookies with 19
goals.
The Flyers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Daymond Langkow's
13th goal at 11:30. Langkow has scored in three of Philadelphia's
last five games.
Radek Dvorak tied it on a spectacular short-handed breakaway,
started by Nedved, at 7:59 of the second.
From behind his own net, Nedved lifted the puck down the ice. Dvorak outraced the Flyers' defense to gain control in the Philadelphia zone, stick-handled deftly around defenseman Chris Therien and deked to beat Vanbiesbrouck between the pads.
Dvorak, who has 14 goals, has scored twice and set up five others in six games.
The score stopped a scoreless drought of 147:59 the Rangers had
against Philadelphia and Vanbiesbrouck this season.
McLean made 28 saves in place of Mike Richter, who missed his fourth game since injuring his knee during All-Star weekend.
Vanbiesbrouck stopped 30 shots, including a few in the last 30
seconds after McLean was pulled for an extra skater.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Flyers try to stick to plan without Neilson
RECAPS
Chicago 6
Detroit 4
Dallas 2
Colorado 1
Philadelphia 3
NY Rangers 2
Phoenix 4
Atlanta 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 John LeClair's 30th goal of the season was a game-winner.
avi: 613 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Daymond Langkow redirects a shot past Kirk McLean.
avi: 747 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Radek Dvorak beats John Vanbiesbrouck for a short-handed goal.
avi: 635 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 John LeClair's 30th goal was good, but the win was better.
wav: 147 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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