New York Rangers

They were set to face off against the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In his first season behind the bench was now Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault. What ensued was a battle of a seven-game series that featured ups and downs the entire way. Here is a closer look at the Flyers 2014 playoff series against the Rangers.

It's fitting that the Flyers next opponent is Washington, given how a 3-2 regulation win on Jan. 8 against the then-NHL-best Capitals was the start of something that is becoming a magical run for the Orange and Black.

Derek Grant got his first two points as a Flyer, assisting on a shorthanded goal and getting the eventual game-winning goal in the Flyers 5-3 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

The Flyers have the chance to extend their winning streak to six games on Sunday afternoon, as they once again face the Rangers, this time on the road. 

In the middle of a game where the scoreboard showed 4-1 and 5-1 for most of the third period, it is the small defensive plays that will quickly be forgotten, but those little plays have the Flyers where they are. Where they are, on Saturday morning, is second in the Metropolitan Division and on a five-game winning streak.

Friday's game doesn't lock the Flyers into anything just yet, but it was another statement that this team continues to put together solid games within the division and draws closer to solidifying their spot. Giroux was a big player in that result again, scoring twice in the Flyers 5-2 win over the Rangers.

A recent surge has the Rangers just two points out of a playoff spot, while the Flyers, on a four-game winning streak of their own, look to maintain their place in third in the Metro with their sights now firmly set on taking another step and trying to catch the teams at the top.

Kevin Hayes struck for a pair of goals in the third period against his former team, including the game-winner as the Flyers went into the holiday break with their fourth straight win, defeating the Rangers, 5-1, on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center.

New Flyers bench boss Alain Vigneault faces his most recent former team for the first as the Flyers and Rangers face off in the final game before the holiday break.

Carter Hart finished with 31 saves in 65 minutes and Henrik Lundqvist had 32. In a shootout, Mika Zibanejad had the only goal to lift the Rangers to a 2-1 shootout win over the Flyers.