EASTERN SEMI-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 6:
#1 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs #7 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Philadelphia leads 3-2
Game time: Tuesday May 9th, 2000 7pm at Pittsburgh
The Philadelphia Flyers look to put away the Pittsburgh Penguins and advance to the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night. The revitalized Flyers recorded their third straight win and grabbed a three games to two lead in the series with a 6-3 victory on Sunday that followed up Thursday's epic five-overtime win.
The last time the teams played in Pittbsurgh, Keith Primeau scored at 12:01 of the fifth overtime to end the third-longest game in NHL history.
Philadelphia, which dropped the first two games of the series by a combined score of 6-1, is within one win of advancing to the conference finals for the first time since 1997.
Andy Delmore became the first rookie defenseman to record a playoff hat trick in the post-expansion era on Sunday. He has scored five goals in the postseason for Philadelphia, all in the last three games.
The Penguins played most of Sunday's game without superstar Jaromir Jagr due to a recurring thigh injury, but the Czech-born right wing will play Tuesday. Jagr, who did not practice on Monday, is the leading scorer in the playoffs with eight goals and eight assists but has been held pointless in the last two contests.
On the bright side, Pittsburgh has rallied from 3-2 deficits four times since 1991, including a first-round upset of the New Jersey Devils last season. Jagr, then suffering from a groin injury, came off the bench to score the tying and winning goals for the Penguins in Game 6 in overtime.
Even if Jagr plays tonight, Pittsburgh needs improved production from Alexei Kovalev, Josef Beranek, and Rene Corbet.
The Penguins are just 2-for-24 on the power play in the series.
Should Pittsburgh defend home ice tonight, Game Seven would be in Philadelphia on Thursday. If the Flyers win, they will play New Jersey in the conference finals.
#3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
New Jersey leads 3-2
Game time: Monday May 8th, 2000 7pm at New Jersey
The New Jersey Devils look to put away the Toronto Maple Leafs and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in five years Monday night in Game 6 of the series. New Jersey is one victory away from making their first appearance in the East finals since 1995, when it defeated Philadelphia to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time.
The Devils went on to sweep Detroit, earning their first championship.
Rookie Scott Gomez made two brilliant passes which led to goals and fellow rookie, Toronto-native John Madden tallied the eventual game-winner as New Jersey hung on for a 4-3 triumph over the Maple Leafs in Game Five on Saturday. Patrik Elias, Sergei Nemchinov and Vladimir Malakov also scored for the Devils.
Gomez is the favorite for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. But coach Larry Robinson nearly made him a healthy scratch in Game 2 and that has sparked him to play his best hockey of the postseason. In the three games since, he has two goals -- one game-winner -- and three assists.
As the final horn sounded the teams battled in the first serious altercations of the series. Darcy Tucker, who had battled with goaltender Martin Brodeur all game long, got into another scrum with the netminder. Ex-Devil Steve Thomas reopened a gash under his left eye when he exchanged blows with New Jersey defenseman Scott Niedermayer.
But it did not stop there as an angry Maple Leaf fan taunted one of the Devils players as they left the ice following the game.
"Somebody jumped Marty, I don't know who," Madden said. "Cooler heads prevailed. A fan took liberties with one of our players when we were coming off the ice."
New Jersey has been outstanding on its special teams in the series. The Devils have killed all 18 of the Leafs' power plays while scoring five times in the last 16 chances with the man advantage over the last three games.
After winning all three of its home games against Ottawa and Game One of this series, Toronto has lost two straight at the Air Canada Centre and tonight will have to overcome what most likely will be the second sellout crowd of the postseason at Continental Airlines Arena.
Along with the struggles of their power play, the Leafs have had little offensive support from their top line. Captain Mats Sundin (one assist), Jonas Hoglund (one goal) and Thomas (one assist) have been held in check in this series after the line was the key factor in the elimination of Ottawa in six games.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph has kept Toronto in every game and has faced a barrage of shots as the Devils have kept the Leafs pinned in their own zone. The Devils have a 170-111 advantage in shots through five games.
Toronto is looking to force its first Game Seven since 1995. In their Western Conference quarterfinal battle with Chicago, the Leafs won Game 6 in overtime, but fell 5-2 in Game Seven.
New Jersey is 5-7 lifetime in Game 6 and has lost two straight. The Devils were eliminated by the Senators in 1998 and fell in overtime at Pittsburgh last season before bowing to the Penguins in Game 7.