EASTERN SEMI-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 4:
#1 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs #7 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Pittsburgh leads 2-1
Game time: Thursday May 4th, 2000 7:30pm at Pittsburgh
The Philadelphia Flyers look to build on the momentum gained in their first strong effort of the series with the Pittsburgh Penguins when the teams battle in Game 4 of the Eastern Confernce semifinals. Rookie defenseman Andy Delmore scored his second goal of the game 11:01 into overtime, giving Philadelphia a dramatic 4-3 triumph over Pittsburgh in Game 3 on Tuesday.
The Flyers still trail the best-of-7 series two games to one, but a loss would have placed them in the unenviable position of having to win four straight to avoid elimination.
Philadelphia snapped an eight-game playoff overtime losing streak that dated to Game Three of the 1995 Eastern Conference finals against New Jersey, three months before Delmore began playing junior hockey. It was the longest OT skid in postseason history.
It was the first game where the Flyers outshot the Penguins and were able to come away with a victory. They had a 22-5 edge after the second period in Game Three and 44-18 overall. That boosted the Flyers' advantage in the series to 117-57.
However, Philadelphia has not been able to stop Pittsburgh's high-flying forwards. Jaromir Jagr, Jan Hrdina and Martin Straka are ranked among the top three in scoring.
Jagr, who was nominated for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, leads the league with eight goals and eight assists and rallied the Penguins into overtime with the game-tying tally with under six minutes remaining in regulation.
Winning in the second round has usually not been as easy for the Penguins, whose last trip to the conference finals came in 1996.
Pittsburgh has killed all 13 power plays against a Philadelphia team that was second in the league during the season with the man advantage and 9-for-28 in the first round against Buffalo.
Game 5 is Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
#3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
New Jersey leads 2-1
Game time: Wednesday May 1st, 2000 7pm at New Jersey
The New Jersey Devils seek to take a commanding three games to one lead in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night in Game 4 at Continental Airlines Arena. New Jersey erupted for three goals in an eight-minute stretch during the second period after a scoreless opening 20 minutes and coasted to a 5-1 triumph over Toronto on Monday.
One of the tallies came from rookie Scott Gomez, who was almost scratched from the lineup in Game Two. It was his first postseason goal since the opening contest against Florida, but his second game-winner of the playoffs.
New Jersey also took the first lead in the series by more than one goal and outshot Toronto, 14-2, over the final 20 minutes.
Another reason for the Devils' success over the last two games has been goaltender Martin Brodeur, who came within minutes of recording consecutive shutouts, until a meaningless goal by Kevyn Adams late in the third period. His 1.29 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in the postseason have propelled him among the league leaders in both categories.
New Jersey also received some offense from the power play, which had been blanked in the first two games of the series. The Devils were 2-for-8 with the man advantage after not scoring in their previous five chances.
Toronto has struggled and is even lucky to be down by only one game. The club has received no offensive support from the top line of captain Mats Sundin, former Devil Steve Thomas and Jonas Hoglund and the defense has supported goaltender Curtis Joseph.
However, most of the current Maple Leafs have been in the same situation before. Last season, they were down two games to one and rallied to defeat Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before bowing to Buffalo in five games during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Toronto still has not tallied in the first period in nine games during the postseason.
Game 5 will be Saturday night in Toronto.