EASTERN QUARTER-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 5:
#1 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs #8 BUFFALO SABRES
Philadelphia wins 4-1
Game time: Philadelphia advances to the second round.
#2 WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs #7 PITTSBURGH PENQUINS
Pittsburgh leads 3-0
Game time: Friday April 21st, 2000 7pm at Washington
The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to end their series with the Washington Capitals tonight in Game Five of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals before there is any talk about a dubious event in team history. Pittsburgh became only the second team in NHL history to blow a three games to none series lead when the 1975 squad fell in seven games to the New York Islanders. The first was the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, who blew the advantage against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Washington overcame a pair of disallowed goals and kept its season alive by rallying for a 3-2 victory in Game Four on Wednesday. The Capitals had apparent goals disallowed in the first and third periods but erased a 2-1 deficit.
Pittsburgh's Ron Tugnutt made 34 saves but took a penalty for slashing Richard Zednik with 8:19 to play. Washington took the lead for good on the ensuing power play as Jeff Halpern put in a rebound of Ken Klee's shot from just inside the blue line.
After being thoroughly outplayed by Tugnutt in the first three games, Caps goaltender Olaf Kolzig made the lead stand up with key saves on Pat Falloon and Matthew Barnaby in the final five minutes. He stopped 21 shots for his -- and his team's -- first playoff victory since Game Six of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals, ending a seven-game postseason losing streak.
"Nobody said this was going to be a four-game series," Penguins coach Herb Brooks said. "Washington is a very good hockey club, we know that."
If the Capitals win tonight, Game Six will be Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
One player the Capitals have not been able to stop in any of the previous games has been superstar Jaromir Jagr, who scored in the final minute of the first period in Game Four. He has nine points in the series to lead all scorers.
John Slaney, a former Capital who spent most of the season in the American Hockey League, scored for Pittsburgh in Wednesday's loss. Playing for the injured Jan Hrdina, Slaney beat Kolzig to the glove side for his first playoff goal since 1994.
Slaney set an AHL record for defenseman this season with 30 goals in only 49 games, but he also spent significant time at center, where he played for Hrdina.
Hrdina has been bothered by a pulled rib muscle and is questionable for tonight. Left wing Rene Corbet has a shoulder injury and his status is also up in the air.
#3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #6 OTTAWA SENATORS
Series tied 2-2
Game time: Saturday April 22nd, 2000 7pm at Toronto
With the home team winning each of the first four games, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators Saturday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Toronto grabbed the first two contests at the Air Canada Centre, but Ottawa rallied for two victories, including a 2-1 triumph on Wednesday. Andreas Dackell scored off a pair of odd-man rushes and Tom Barrasso made 31 saves.
The Senators had been outscored 7-1 over the first two contests, but gained a 6-4 advantage in the two games at the Corel Centre and reduced this series to a best-of-three affair.
Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle each had three points in the first two games in Toronto. But Sundin had just one point on the road and Kaberle was kept off the scoresheet in Ottawa. Sundin, Steve Thomas and Jonas Hoglund are tied for the team lead with four points for Toronto, which lost to Chicago in 1995 the last time it had a two games to none cushion.
In an ironic twist, the team with the edge in shots has lost all four games. Ottawa was outshot 36-15 in Game Three and 32-22 on Wednesday.
The Senators enjoyed a four-game winning streak to start the season and have not won three straight since March 4-9. The Maple Leafs have not dropped three in a row since March 18-23.
Game 6 is Monday at the Corel Centre and the winner of this series faces the fourth-seeded New Jersey Devils in the conference semifinals.
#4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs #5 FLORIDA PANTHERS
New Jersey wins 4-0
Game time: New Jersey advances to the second round.