GAME DAY PREVIEWS
PLAYOFFS ROUND 1: EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS
Updated: Sunday May 2, 1999 9:05AM EST
Sunday May 2, 1999 Toronto at Philadelphia 7:30pm
Toronto leads 3-2
The Toronto Maple Leafs attempt to win their first playoff series in five years tonight when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Six of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Yanic Perreault put a soft backhander past John Vanbiesbrouck 11:51 into overtime giving Toronto a 2-1 triumph on Friday for a three games to two lead. Dmitri Yushkevich tallied the first goal for the Leafs.
The Flyers held the Maple Leafs scoreless the first 118 minutes of this series, but find themselves one game from elimination.
Toronto has not won a playoff series since 1994 when it defeated San Jose in the Western Conference semifinals.
Eric Desjardins and Rod Brind'Amour each have four points to lead Philadelphia.
Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph is third in the playoffs with a .945 save percentage while Vanbiesbrouck is fourth at .937.
The second and third period will go a long way in determining a winner. The team that has lost all five games in this series has gone scoreless in the final 40 minutes of regulation.
Should the Flyers prevail, Game Seven would be Tuesday night in Toronto.
Friday April 30, 1999 Philadelphia at Toronto 7pm
Series tied 2-2
The Philadelphia Flyers hope to carry the momentum from Wednesday's victory into tonight when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Five of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The Flyers blanked the Maple Leafs in the series opener 3-0 before dropping consecutive 2-1 decisions. Defenseman Eric Desjardins scored the go-ahead power-play goal in the second period and added two assists in Philadelphia's 5-2 victory at home in Game Four.
Left wing John LeClair scored a pair of goals Wednesday after tallying once in the first three games. Desjardins and center Rod Brind'Amour lead the Flyers with four points apiece.
Philadelphia went 1-for-14 on the power play in the first three games but converted twice in five opportunities in Game Four. The Flyers held Toronto scoreless in 17 chances with the man advantage before the Leafs were 2-for-8 Wednesday.
Both goaltenders have been solid for their respective teams. Philadelphia's John Vanbiesbrouck has a .935 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average, while Curtis Joseph is at .938 and 2.02.
Center Steve Sullivan and defenseman Bryan Berard lead the Leafs with three points apiece, while captain Mats Sundin has been held to just one goal.
Game Six is Sunday at Philadelphia.
Wednesday April 28, 1999 Toronto at Philadelphia 7pm
Toronto leads 2-1
The Philadelphia Flyers hope to avoid heading back to Toronto in a hole and even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight in Game Four against the Maple Leafs.
This series did not get off to a good start for the Maple Leafs, who were blanked at home by John Vanbiesbrouck in the opener, 3-0. But Toronto rallied for a 2-1 victory in Game Two on Saturday and edged the Flyers, 2-1 on Monday.
After a sub-par performance in the opener, Leafs goaltender Curtis Joseph, who has been excellent in the past two postseasons with Edmonton, has stopped 64 of 66 shots in the last two contests. Overall, "Cujo" has a stellar .955 save percentage.
After a resurgent regular season, veteran right wing Steve Thomas has continued his solid play in the postseason with a team-best two goals. Center Steve Sullivan and defenseman Bryan Berard each have two points.
The Flyers have struggled to score goals with captain Eric Lindros still recovering from a collapsed lung. He is likely out for the playoffs. No Flyer has more than one tally and center Rod Brind'Amour leads the team with two points.
Philadelphia is just 1-for-14 on the power play through three games but has allowed just one tally in 17 shorthanded chances.
Game Five is Friday at Toronto.
Monday April 26, 1999 Toronto at Philadelphia 7:30pm
Series tied 1-1
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who went the first 118 minutes of this series without a goal, look to continue their heroics from Saturday when they battle the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Three of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals tonight.
Steve Thomas scored Toronto's first goal of the postseason at 18:01 of the third period and captain Mats Sundin tallied the game-winner 56 seconds later en route to a 2-1 victory.
Thomas got involved earlier in the game when he hit Philadelphia defenseman Eric Desjardins in the head against the boards, but was not penalized drawing the Flyers' ire.
"I know (Flyers general manager) Bobby Clarke said that he thought it was a suspendable hit," Flyers coach Roger Neilson said. "I really didn't see enough of it to say that, but it was certainly a penalty. Letting one go like that can really hurt somebody."
Toronto is 0-for-13 on the power play in the series while Philadelphia is 1-for-9. No player in this series has more than one point.
Flyers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck has enjoyed an outstanding series despite the loss in Game Two. He has a .957 save percentage.
Philadelphia has dropped four of its last five playoff games at the First Union Center dating back to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.
Game Four is Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Saturday April 24, 1999 Philadelphia at Toronto 7:30pm
Philadelphia leads 1-0
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.
Thursday April 22, 1999 Philadelphia at Toronto 7pm
Series tied 0-0
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers square off in the postseason for the first time since 1977 when they meet tonight in Game One of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The Maple Leafs and Flyers met in the conference quarterfinals three straight seasons from 1975-77 with Philadelphia taking all three series, including a 4-0 sweep in the last encounter.
Toronto's home games back then were played in the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens, but tonight will be the first postseason game ever at the Air Canada Centre.
Philadelphia looked to enter the postseason as a strong contender for the Stanley Cup after a stretch of 24 games with only one loss during the season. But the Flyers went on a 12-game winless streak that spanned February and March and finished the campaign without home-ice advantage in the first round. The Flyers will be without leading scorer and team captain Eric Lindros, who continues to battle back from a collapsed lung and may not return until next season.
All-Star left wing John LeClair will have to pick up the slack left by Lindros. LeClair had three goals and five assists as Philadelphia took three of four regular-season meetings from Toronto. The Leafs' lone victory, however, snapped the Flyers' 15-game unbeaten streak.
Mats Sundin is Toronto's captain and leading scorer with 31 goals and 52 assists.
Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph will have to be on his toes as the Maple Leafs defense allowed more goals than any other playoff team. Joseph, who led Edmonton to a first-round victory over the Colorado Avalanche last season, played in 62 games for Toronto and made an amazing 1,903 saves -- the second most in the league.
Philadelphia netminder John Vanbiesbrouck posted a 2.18 goals-against average. He was stellar in helping the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996.