EASTERN QUARTER-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 3:
#1 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs #8 BUFFALO SABRES
Philadelphia leads 2-0
Game time: Sunday April 16th, 2000 7:30pm at Buffalo
The Philadelphia Flyers hope to have a little more luck on their side Sunday night when they try to take a commanding three games to none lead over the Buffalo Sabres. John LeClair scored a phantom goal in the second period as the Flyers posted a 2-1 victory to take a two games to none lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. LeClair's goal actually went through the side of the net to the left of goaltender Dominik Hasek but officials did not see it. The equalizer stood as soon as the puck was dropped at center ice.
It was not the first time that Buffalo has been victimized by a controversial call. Last year in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against Dallas, the Sabres were burned by the replay rule, which surprisingly was not used on an overtime goal scored by Brett Hull, whose skate was in the crease.
Buffalo had led on a first-period goal by Miroslav Satan before LeClair and Eric Desjardins scored on the power play for the Flyers. Rookie Brian Boucher made 30 saves to improve to 2-0 lifetime in the playoffs. Boucher, who stopped 18 shots in Thursday night's 3-2 win, led the league with a 1.91 goals-against average and was fourth with a .918 save percentage in 35 regular-season games.
Hasek, who made 25 saves, looked flustered midway through the second period. After making a nifty glove save on a one-timer by Mark Recchi while being simultaneously poked by Keith Primeau, he charged the Flyers center and received a penalty.
In the last playoff series between the teams in 1997, Philadelphia won the first three games of the series before eliminating Buffalo in five games. The Sabres have never taken a series after falling behind, 0-2.
#2 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs #7 PITTSBURGH PENQUINS
Pittsburgh leads 2-0
Game time: Monday April 17th, 2000 7pm at Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins look to continue their playoff dominance over the Washington Capitals and grab a commanding three games to none lead over the Washington Capitals as they host Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Pittsburgh grabbed a two games to none lead on Saturday with a 2-1 overtime triumph over Washington. All-Star Jaromir Jagr got the game-winner at 5:49 during the Penguins second OT power play. The Capitals killed all eight power plays before Jagr's game-winner.
Before the series, the reigning Hart Trophy winner declared he wanted to duplicate the feat of Penguins owner Mario Lemieux by bringing the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh. After collecting four assists in Thursday's opener, Jagr set up the Penguins' first goal before getting the game-winner.
The win put the Penguins in the driver's seat in the best-of-seven series. Because of a scheduling conflict, Game 3 also will be in Pittsburgh on Monday before the Capitals host the next two contests, if necessary.
Peter Bondra scored the lone goal for Washington, which improved from an embarrassing 7-0 home loss in the opener but has never won a playoff series after losing the first two games.
Penguins goaltender Ron Tugnutt, acquired from Ottawa for veteran netminder Tom Barrasso, has been the difference in the series. He stopped 37 shots, including 15 in the second period, to improve to 10-2 against Washington over the past four seasons.
Jan Hrdina has two goals and three assists in the first two games of the series, while Josef Beranek has three assists.
Washington should have leading goal scorer Chris Simon back in the lineup tonight after he served his one-game suspension for cross-checking Pittsburgh defenseman Peter Popovic in the series opener.
The Capitals, who have dropped four of five all-time playoff series with the Penguins, have never won a playoff series after losing the first two games.
#3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #6 OTTAWA SENATORS
Toronto leads 2-0
Game time: Monday April 17th, 2000 7pm at Ottawa
The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to take a commanding three games to none lead against the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when the scene shifts to the Corel Centre tonight for Game Three. Steve Thomas scored twice in a four-goal second period and Curtis Joseph made 29 saves as Toronto rolled past Ottawa, 5-1, in Game Two on Saturday. After a 2-0 blanking in Game One, Joseph extended his shutout streak to 99 minutes, five seconds before Sami Salo scored in the second period.
Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin also scored in the second period for Toronto, which got two assists apiece from Jonas Hoglund and Tomas Kaberle. Sergei Berezin tallied in the third period for the Maple Leafs.
Joseph is 11-8 in the playoffs with Toronto over the last two seasons and owns a .983 save percentage and 0.50 goals-against average this season. Both totals are second only to Ron Tugnutt of Pittsburgh.
Sundin and Kaberle each have three points and a plus-4 rating in the two games for the Leafs.
This is the first time Toronto has enjoyed a 2-0 series lead since 1995, when it was eliminated in seven games by Chicago in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Acquired from Pittsburgh to give Ottawa a lift in goal, Tom Barrasso has been anything but spectacular. He owned a 59-50 playoff record prior to this season, but has a dismal .848 save percentage this year.
The Senators have trailed 0-2 in a series on two previous occasions and lost each time. This occurred against Washington in the 1998 East semifinals and against Buffalo in last year's East quarterfinals.
Game Four is here on Wednesday.
#4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs #5 FLORIDA PANTHERS
New Jersey leads 2-0
Game time: Tuesday April 18th, 2000 7:30pm at Florida
The New Jersey Devils look to take a commanding three games to none lead as they visit the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. New Jersey won a pair of one-goal games at home to take a two games to none lead. Defenseman Scott Stevens' goal off a 2-on-1 break with 16:18 left lifted the Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Panthers on Sunday night. Fellow defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who returned after serving a 10-game suspension, had a shorthanded goal for New Jersey.
The Devils are 4-0 in playoff series when winning the first two games. They have not had a 2-0 series lead since the 1997 East quarterfinals against Montreal.
Already thin up front, the Devils lost center Sergei Brylin to a bruised right knee following a knee-to-knee collision with Florida's Oleg Kvasha early in the second period. Jason Arnott suffered a sprained right wrist in Game 1, but returned on Sunday.
Martin Brodeur has performed well in goal for New Jersey while trying to recapture his reputation as a prominent post-season player. He stopped 22 of 23 shots on Sunday and 42 of 46 in the series.
Mike Sillinger scored Florida's lone goal on Sunday, his second in as many games, by converting a rebound on Pavel Bure's bad-angle shot just after a power play expired late in the first period. The Panthers were 0-for-6 with the man advantage.
The Panthers have lost the only playoff series in which they fell behind, 2-0, getting swept by Colorado in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.