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BOX SCORE
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Rangers are about to discover how
much adversity they can stand.
Just over a week after the Rangers lost top goalie Mike Richter
to a season-ending knee injury, New York learned before Wednesday
night's 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers that they will
probably finish the season without leading scorer Theo Fleury.
|  | | Before Wednesday's game, Rangers president and GM Glen Sather told reporters the team was shocked over Theo Fleury's admittance into a substance-abuse program. |
Fleury, the team's leader in goals with 30 and points with 74,
voluntarily entered the substance abuse and behavioral health
program run jointly by the NHL and the players' association. The
32-year-old Fleury is out indefinitely.
"The mood before the game was a little dull," said Kirk McLean
who made 38 saves. "The reasons were obvious. During the game it
was great. Obviously guys are a lot happier with the win."
The 10th-place Rangers rallied behind their adversity and moved
eight points behind Carolina and Boston in the race for the final
playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
Focus was an understandable problem for the Rangers in light of
the day's events.
"This morning when we found out what was going on, it was like
a huge cloud came over the room," McLean said. "The guys dealt
with it and we all understand the situation. We pulled together.
He'll get it straightened out. He'll be back."
Rangers coach Ron Low was proud of the way his team responded.
"We talked about adversity and overcoming it," Low said. "I
thought Kirk was really good tonight. He stood tall and made a lot
of great saves for us in the third period. All the guys stepped
their game up."
McLean faced 21 shots in the third as the Panthers tried to
muster a comeback. He played solid throughout, twice stopped Mike
Sillinger on second-period breakaways and denying Pavel Bure with a
sliding stop with less than two minutes remaining.
Brian Leetch opened the New York scoring with his 200th career
goal. Sandy McCarthy, Petr Nedved and Radek Dvorak also scored as
the Rangers ended a three-game losing streak.
Greg Adams scored twice for Florida, which ended a road trip in
which they lost all five games.
"Guys still have a few things to play for," Panthers coach
Duane Sutter said. "Guys are playing for contracts. Pavel is
playing for history. Guys are playing to save their jobs."
Leetch, the league's top scoring defenseman, staked the Rangers
to an early lead with a power-play goal on a shot from the right
point at 6:46 of the first period.
McCarthy and Nedved had second period goals as the Rangers
extended the lead to 3-0.
McCarthy fired a slap shot from the top of the right circle
through the pads of Roberto Luongo at 3:30. Nedved, using Radek
Dvorak as an effective low-slot screen, drilled a wrister from the
between the circles past Luongo at 18:20.
Trevor Kidd replaced Luongo to start the third period.
Adams ended McLean's bid for his first shutout since 1999 at
8:24, a goal set up by McLean's poor clearing pass. Dvorak put the
Rangers ahead 4-1 at 10:36 and Adams closed out the scoring with a
power-play goal with 49.4 seconds remaining.
Game notes
Dvorak played in his 250th consecutive game, the third
longest streak among active players. Only Tony Amonte (309) and
Oleg Tverdovsky (272) have been more durable. ... Fleury was one
six Rangers who had played in every one of the team's first 62
games. ... New York has scored the first goal in nine straight
games. It is the Rangers' longest first-goal streak since the
1993-94 season. ... Rangers D Rich Pilon missed the due to a
"tweaked" left hamstring. He is day to day. ... Luongo made a New
York start four days after he was denied a chance to start against
his former team the New York Islanders.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Rangers' Fleury enters substance-abuse program
Clement: Fleury's best move
Fans in dark about Fleury's absence
NHL substance-abuse history
RECAPS
Columbus 5
Phoenix 2
Montreal 4
Pittsburgh 2
NY Rangers 4
Florida 2
Toronto 2
San Jose 1
Edmonton 5
St. Louis 3
Vancouver 5
Dallas 4
Detroit 3
Anaheim 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Leetch scores his 200th career goal.
avi: 540 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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