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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- John LeClair was on the ice for 22 shifts Saturday, but the New York Rangers made him seem invisible.
LeClair, the Flyers' leading scorer with 35 goals, attempted just one shot as the Rangers shut down Philadelphia's top line and earned a 3-2 victory.
|  | | Philadelphia's Mark Recchi and the Rangers' Rich Pilon didn't back off from a little stickwork. |
"We played with a lot of confidence and did a good job checking their top line," Rangers coach John Muckler said. "(Rob) DiMaio and (John) MacLean were able to shut down LeClair. We wanted to keep him as off balance as possible."
LeClair, Keith Jones and Keith Primeau combined for just four of Philadelphia's 28 shots. Primeau centered the top line because the Flyers were playing their third consecutive game without captain Eric Lindros, out with his fourth concussion in two years.
"We know they haven't played together that much," said DiMaio, a former Flyer. "We came in here concentrating on a defensive game. Our goal was to shut down LeClair."
Valeri Kamensky scored two goals and Mathieu Schneider had the game-winner for the Rangers, who were playing without injured goalie Mike Richter and center Petr Nedved.
Kirk McLean filled in for Richter and stopped 26 shots. He did not allow a goal over the final 41 minutes.
"The guys in front did a good job keeping that clear," McLean said. "They seemed to be buzzing around the corners and the sides. It was a good win for all of us."
The victory gave the Rangers 72 points as they battle four teams for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Rookie Simon Gagne scored both goals for the Flyers, who remain five points behind conference leader New Jersey.
Schneider gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead when he one-timed a cross-ice pass from Radek Dvorak over John Vanbiesbrouck's stick side with 6:36 left in the second period.
Vanbiesbrouck had 18 saves in his third straight start for the Flyers, and struggled in his bid to establish himself as the team's No. 1 goaltender heading into the playoffs.
He allowed two high shots by Kamensky to sail past him and tie the score twice in the first period. The first fluttered over his shoulder 5:04 into the game for a 1-1 score, and the second floated in on the glove side at 8:51 to make it 2-2.
"Not too many teams will be able to put it down your throat like that in the slot," Vanbiesbrouck said about Schneider's goal.
The Flyers had taken a 2-1 lead just 37 seconds prior to Kamensky's second goal when Mark Recchi took a pass from Peter White, skated down the right wing, dodged Rangers captain Brian Leetch and backhanded a pass to Gagne, who slid the puck under McLean.
Recchi and White also assisted on Gagne's first goal 61 seconds into the game.
"They really did a good job checking us and got us out of our game because we couldn't work our low plays," Flyers interim coach Craig Ramsay said.
The Flyers' best opportunity to tie the game came midway through the third when Luke Richardson fired a shot from the point that got by McLean. But the puck hit Craig Berube's skate and settled in front of the net, where Leetch cleared it.
"We just couldn't get any flurries going," LeClair said. "We weren't creating enough. We had some chances, but we needed to turn it up more. We had to get more shots. The second period was really
lackluster for us."
Richter, who is nursing a sore knee, is expected to start Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. Nedved, who has bruised ribs, could be out up to two weeks. Theo Fleury replaced him at center and had one assist.
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Doctor: Lindros experienced pain-killer overkill
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Valeri Kamensky scores for the Rangers.
avi: 518 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Valeri Kamensky fires the puck over the head of John Vanbiesbrouck.
avi: 554 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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