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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Rookie Simon Gagne is fitting right in with the veteran Philadelphia Flyers.
Gagne continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist and rookie Brian Boucher made 27 saves, leading the Flyers to a 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
|  | | Keith Jones and the Flyers moved within three points of East-leading New Jersey. |
"Any time you have rookies like that that are instrumental to your playoff chances, management's got to feel good," veteran Flyers winger Rick Tocchet said. "They're helping for the present, but they're also going to be here for the future."
Gagne needed just 2:25 in the second period to collect his two points as the Flyers took a 2-0 lead. The 20-year-old center set up John LeClair's power-play blast from the right boards that sailed under Nashville goaltender Mike Dunham's glove at 8:17.
Then Gagne took care of matters himself, whacking the rebound of his own shot off the goalpost and by Dunham at 10:42. The rookie has six points in the last three games, and his 19 goals are second among NHL rookies to the Rangers' Michael York.
"I was a little bit surprised to score again tonight," Gagne said.
He still can't quite believe he's playing night after night with the likes of LeClair and Mark Recchi.
"Last year, I saw these guys on TV," Gagne said.
Philadelphia defenseman Eric Desjardins assisted on both goals, giving him 50 points on the year.
The Flyers have the NHL's best power play at 22 percent, but that includes 10 power-play goals from injured captain Eric Lindros (migraines), who missed his fifth straight game.
Philadelphia nearly took a first-period lead, when Keith Primeau had a point-blank shot at an open right side of the net with Dunham down. Nashville's Greg Johnson deflected the shot over the crossbar.
Boucher stopped the Ville Peltonen's backhander on a 2-on-1 later in the period. He faced just 14 shots the final two periods.
"Fortunately I was able to get a few saves in the first period," Boucher said. "We were able to get going in the second."
The Flyers came in limping, with Lindros sidelined and with just a 1-1-1 record in their last three games. Nashville was returning home after a very successful road trip during which the Predators went 2-0-1-1.
Nashville has only 13 wins at home in 36 games, the same number of victories as the Predators have on the road.
"If you're ever going to get to the next level, the home record is beneficial," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We play the same style wherever we play."
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