New York Rangers tie franchise record with 10th straight win - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — Alexis Lafreniere scored, Matt Rempe netted his first career goal and sparked his streaking club with a first-period fight, as the New York Rangers tied a franchise record with their 10th straight victory, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Saturday.

Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves for the surging Rangers, who can set a club mark for consecutive victories on Sunday at Columbus. The Rangers, who are leading the Metropolitan Division, have not lost since Jan. 26.

«It was good,» Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said of the win. «It had a little bit of everything.»

Rempe, promoted from the American Hockey League last week, is the first Rangers skater with a goal and a fighting major in the same game within the first five games of their career since Ryan Callahan in March 2017, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Philadelphia veteran Nicolas Deslauriers battled Rempe in a heavyweight duel just three minutes into the game. Both players landed heavy punches, with Deslaurier getting cut on the forehead by one of Rempe's hard right hands. The fight ended with Deslaurier tackling Rempe to the ice.

«That's a good, old-fashioned hockey fight,» Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said.

But Rempe's goal proved much more valuable, as he scored the game winner at the 6:31 mark of the third period, helping New York tie its franchise season record of consecutive wins, matching runs from the 1939-40 and 1972-73 seasons. It's also the NHL's longest winning streak this season behind the Edmonton Oilers' 16-game surge from Dec. 21 to Jan. 27.

Rempe, a 6-foot-7 rookie sixth-round pick playing in his fourth career game, deflected Barclay Goodrow's shot off his right skate and past goaltender Samuel Ersson with 13:29