Winger Jaromir Jagr scored a pair of power-play goals, Wayne Simmonds was involved in controversy with Sean Avery, and center Brayden Schenn suffered an upper-body injury in the Flyers' lively 5-3 exhibition win over the New York Rangers on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Jagr, 39, has a total of three goals in two games. He figures to bolster a power play that was 19th among 30 teams with a 16.6 percent success rate last season. The Flyers' power play was 3 for 8 Monday.
"With G at center," Jagr said, referring to Claude Giroux (three assists), "it's a lot easier to play. He's a genius."
Asked whether Giroux reminded him of anyone, Jagr smiled.
"[Me] when I was younger," he said, later calling Giroux "a little Mario Lemieux."
Schenn, battling for a roster spot, was injured in the third period, and general manager Paul Holmgren said he didn't think it was serious. Holmgren said Schenn may sit out Thursday's exhibition game against New Jersey.
There were 23 penalties in the fight-filled game.
"It seems like there's going to be lots of murders," said goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, when asked of his impression of the Flyers-Rangers rivalry. "Make sure we have enough ambulances."
Simmonds and Avery got into a scrum and shouting match in the first period. Afterward, Avery said Simmonds called him a homophobic name. Simmonds declined to say what Avery said he called him, but said the Rangers forward called him something "I wasn't too happy about."
Winger Zac Rinaldo, meanwhile, may start the season as the Flyers' enforcer. By default.
Jody Shelley will miss the season's first five games because of a suspension, and his expected replacement, Tom Sestito, could be suspended after getting a five-minute boarding penalty against Andre Deveaux in the first period Monday.
Matt Read (power-play goal, one assist) continued to impress, and Danny Briere had three assists.
Hartnell update. Scott Hartnell said he was "not very concerned" about the elevated heart rate that caused him to miss the third period of Friday's exhibition in Detroit.
Hartnell said he has been "working out the last couple of days and feeling fine." The winger will visit a cardiologist Tuesday.
"I don't know if it was kind of a freak thing," he said of the heart beat, "but I'll have a stress test and see what's going on."
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at scarchidi@phillynews.com, 215-854-5181, or on Twitter at BroadStBull.
