FLYERS CLAIM FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT

Peter Laviolette kept delivering the same message Sunday that he had been preaching for the three or so weeks -- Trust the process because most of the time it will get you to where you want to go. The Flyers, just 3-7-1 over their last 11 coming into Sunday's winner-take-all game against the New York Rangers, wanted to get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They did by doing exactly what their coach told them to do. Philadelphia played strong for 65 minutes at Wachovia Center, but still needed goals from Danny Briere and Claude Giroux, plus a pair of saves by Brian Boucher in the shootout, to clinch a playoff berth with a 2-1 win. The Flyers, who outshot the Rangers, 47-25, wrapped up the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and will open the playoffs either Wednesday or Thursday at New Jersey. Henrik Lundqvist made 46 saves and Rangers forward P.A. Parenteau scored in the shootout, but Boucher (24 saves) stuffed Olli Jokinen in the last half of the third round to seal it. "I thought they were fantastic for 65 minutes and a shootout," Laviolette said. "Guys did everything they possibly could to make sure we were moving on. It's an emotional game and I think we got rewarded for the game we played. I thought we played a terrific hockey game. Our guys played about as hard as they could, they really did." Considering the shots on goal and time of possession, the Rangers couldn't say they dominated the play, but they did give themselves a chance to do something that three weeks ago nobody thought was possible. The Rangers were 10th in the East after a 2-1 loss at Boston on March 21. They were counted out, but went on a 7-1-1 run to make Sunday's game matter. "I think we gave ourselves a chance by playing the way we did down the last three weeks," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal told NHL.com. "It would have sucked to lose 2-1 in regulation and it sucks to lose in a shootout. Either way it's a loss. The format is the way it is, it's just that this was Game 82 and the winner gets in. We lost and it sucks." (Flyers.com)