EASTERN SEMI-FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 3:
#4 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs #8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Series tied 1-1
Game time: Tuesday May 11th, 1999 7:30pm at Pittsburgh
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin hopes to build on a heroic performance when his club visits the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game Three of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Sundin broke out of a postseason scoring slump with two goals and two assists as the Maple Leafs posted a 4-2 victory over the Penguins on Sunday, evening the series at one game apiece.
Sundin, who led Toronto in scoring during the regular season, had amassed just two points in the Maple Leafs' seven previous playoff games.
The question heading into tonight's game is whether the league's leading scorer, Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr, is healthy enough to step back into the hero's role for his club.
Jagr missed four games in the conference quarterfinals against New Jersey with a nagging groin injury only to return to action and score the winning tally in Game Six as well as recording a pair of assists in the decisive seventh game.
Jagr has not tallied against Toronto and was slow getting up after a big hit from Sundin in the second period of Sunday's setback.
The Leafs scored more than two goals for the first time in these playoffs and rebounded from a Game One shutout loss for a second straight series.
Game Four will be played here on Thursday.
#6 BOSTON BRUINS vs #7 BUFFALO SABRES
Series tied 1-1
Game time: Wednesday May 12th, 1999 7:30pm at Buffalo
The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres battle at Marine Midland Arena tonight with their Eastern Conference semifinal series deadlocked at one game apiece.
The teams split two games in Boston with the Bruins posting a 4-2 victory in the opener on Thursday before Buffalo rebounded for a 3-1 win in Game Two on Sunday.
Both teams have been getting excellent goaltending. Boston's Bryon Dafoe is 5-3 with a .937 save percentage and two shutouts while Dominik Hasek have been even better with a 5-1 record, a .953 save percentage and one shutout.
Bruins center Jason Allison was held without a point for the first time in these playoffs in Game Two. Allison and captain Ray Bourque are tied for the team lead with eight points.
Captain Michael Peca is Buffalo's leading scorer with seven points and no Sabre has more than two goals.
The Sabres are getting consistent production from their power play with at least one man-advantage tally in all six playoff games. Overall, Buffalo is 6-for-27 on the power play. Boston is 7-for-38 in eight postseason contests, including 3-for-14 in this series.
Including the regular season and two first-round games against Ottawa, Hasek has allowed three goals or less in 11 straight home games.
The Sabres won all three home games against the Bruins during the regular season.
Game Four is Friday at Buffalo.