EASTERN QUARTER-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 2:
#1 NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs #8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
New Jersey leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 24th, 1999 2pm at New Jersey
The top-seeded New Jersey Devils hope to maintain the home-ice advantage and take a two games to none lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series today against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Petr Sykora scored a pair of goals and Czech countryman Patrik Elias added two assists as New Jersey won the series opener, 3-1 on Thursday. Martin Brodeur made 24 saves to improve to 32-23 in the playoffs.
The Devils usually stifle the opposition but were outshot, 25-22, Thursday.
Penguins star right wing Jaromir Jagr assisted on Jan Hrdina's first-period goal and had four shots on goal.
Only 16,209 fans were in attendance at Continental Airlines Arena for Game one, nearly 3,000 short of a sellout.
The teams will not have a day off as the series resumes in Pittsburgh for Game Three on Sunday afternoon.
#2 OTTAWA SENATORS vs #7 BUFFALO SABRES
Buffalo leads 1-0
Game time: Friday April 23rd, 1999 7pm at Ottawa
The Ottawa Senators must win Game Two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight against Dominik Hasek and the Sabres in order to avoid heading to Buffalo in a deep hole.
The Senators were victimized by an acrobatic Hasek, who came up huge in Buffalo's 2-1 victory. Hasek stopped 40 shots and helped kill eight of nine power plays as the Sabres stole home-ice advantage from the Senators.
Buffalo managed only 15 shots but snapped an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3) in the series. They had not beaten Ottawa since December 31, 1997. The Sabres also won their third straight postseason meeting from the Senators after taking Games Six and Seven in a first-round matchup two years ago.
"The Dominator" returned from a hernia on March 19 and was in top form down the stretch, allowing three goals or less in his last 12 starts. He surrendered a total of 11 goals in his last eight games.
Buffalo captain Michael Peca had a goal and an assist in the series opener, giving him two goals and nine assists in his last 10 contests.
Senators captain Alexei Yashin was held without a point Tuesday but did have eight shots on goal. Yashin led the Senators with 44 goals and 94 points in the regular season.
The series shifts to Buffalo for Games Three and Four on Sunday and Tuesday.
#3 CAROLINA HURRICANES vs #6 BOSTON BRUINS
Boston leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 24th, 1999 7:30pm at Carolina
Already down one game in the series, the Carolina Hurricanes will likely be without center Ron Francis tonight when they host the Boston Bruins in Game Two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The Hurricanes did not get off to a good start in the franchise's first playoff appearance in nearly seven years Thursday with a 2-0 loss in the opener. Carolina failed to get any of its 19 shots past red-hot Byron Dafoe as the Bruins stole home-ice advantage.
Dafoe, who recorded a league-leading 10 shutouts during the regular season, has allowed two goals or less in nine straight games, yielding only 11 in that span.
Boston received offense from a pair of unlikely sources as checking-line center Rob DiMaio and enforcer Ken Belanger scored goals.
Francis, the only member of the Hurricanes to play all 82 regular-season games, suffered a sprained right ankle in the first period Thursday and is listed as doubtful for tonight. An X-ray taken Thursday in Greenesboro revealed no breaks or fractures, but an MRI Friday morning showed a sprain.
The Hurricanes-Whalers franchise was appearing in the playoffs for the first time since losing to Montreal in overtime in Game Seven of the 1992 Adams Division semifinals.
Carolina goaltender Arturs Irbe nearly matched Dafoe, holding the Bruins scoreless until DiMaio tallied at 1:50 of the third period. Irbe is 9-12 lifetime in the postseason.
The series shifts to Boston for Games Three and Four on Monday and Wednesday.
#4 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Philadelphia leads 1-0
Game time: Saturday April 24th, 1999 7:30pm at Toronto
With two of the next three games on home ice, the Philadelphia Flyers look to take a commanding two games to none lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
John Vanbiesbrouck stopped a penalty shot and helped stifle the NHL's highest-scoring offense in Philadelphia's 3-0 victory over the Leafs in the series opener. Vanbiesbrouck finished with 25 saves for his fifth career playoff shutout and stopped Toronto's leading scorer, Mats Sundin, on a penalty shot.
Playing without ailing captain Eric Lindros, the Flyers got goals from Valeri Zelepukin, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins in shutting down the Leafs. Toronto scored a league-high 268 goals during the regular season.
Lindros, the team's leading scorer, continues to battle back from a collapsed lung and may not return until next season.
What made Vanbiesbrouck's effort even more impressive is that he outplayed counterpart Curtis Joseph, who has sparkled in the postseason the last two years with the Edmonton Oilers.
The series moves to Philadelphia for Games Three and Four on Monday and Wednesday.