(Sports Network) - Sean Avery and Blair Betts scored in the third period to lift the New York Rangers over the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, in the season finale for both teams at Wachovia Center.

Brandon Dubinsky tallied twice for the Rangers (43-30-9), who ended the season with three straight wins and, as the seventh seed in the conference, begin the playoffs at Southeast champion Washington. That series starts Wednesday at 7 p.m. (et).

Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves for his 38th win of the season.

"A great, great effort," said Lundqvist. "I think everybody's just happy we got a good solid game and now we can get ready for the playoffs. This was a good win for us. We won three straight games and we're excited to get started."

Danny Briere posted a goal and assist for the Flyers (44-27-11), who dropped three of their final five games and failed to lock up the fourth seed in the East.

Philadelphia needed just one point to move ahead of the Penguins, but instead will open the postseason on the road at Pittsburgh, which registered one more regular-season victory. Their matchup also begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. (et).

"Whenever you play a team that much, you obviously have some players you dislike, and they have the same thing here. It's gonna be a tough series," said Flyers captain Mike Richards of the upcoming series against their cross- state rivals.

Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also lit the lamp, but Martin Biron was denied his 30th win of the season and 200th career victory, taking the loss after allowing all four goals on 31 shots.

Avery one-timed a Scott Gomez feed from the left wing 4:35 into the third for a 3-3 deadlock, then Betts knocked home his own rebound for a 4-3 Rangers lead at 9:02.

Arron Asham missed a wide-open net with just under six minutes left in regulation, and several other close calls for the home team went by the wayside.

Biron went to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:12 to play, but Lundqvist and the Rangers defense managed to shut down the Flyers the rest of the way.

"I'm a little ticked off about this one, the way we entered the third period with a lead," Briere admitted. "I'm just disappointed. It is what it is, and we'll just have to move on and get ready for the playoffs."

Giroux took a cross-crease feed by Briere and slid the puck home from along the goal line at 5:26 of the first. The Rangers equalized via the power play, as a Derek Morris drive from the point hit Dubinsky's skate in front and trickled in at 8:07.

Carter used a laser-precision wrister inside the right post for a power-play goal and a 2-1 Flyers lead at 12:36, but Dubinsky netted a shorthanded goal a little more than two minutes later.

Briere put Philadelphia back on top by deflecting an Andrew Alberts floater from the point 2:19 into the second. Biron kept New York off the board with 10 stops in the frame.

Game Notes

The Rangers won four of six meetings this season...Dubinsky's second score was the first shorthanded goal given up by the Flyers this season. The club had not allowed a goal while on the power play in 103 games...Carter finished the season with 46 goals, second in the NHL to Alex Ovechkin (56)...Philly was denied a chance to reach the 100-point plateau for the 18th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2005-06.



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