Flyers Win Game, Tie for Division Lead

Rick Tocchet points to one player when explaining the Philadelphia Flyers` recent success - linemate Daymond Langkow.

"Langkow is the key to our team," Tocchet said of the six-year NHL veteran. "I hate to put all that pressure on him, but when he goes, our team goes. You`re starting to see that he`s the type of guy who`s stringing great hockey games together. He`s been our best player the last three weeks."

Langkow had a goal and two assists, and Tocchet scored twice as Philadelphia snapped San Jose`s five-game winning streak Thursday night with a 4-3 victory over the Sharks.

Langkow, who has played in 172 consecutive regular-season games for the Flyers since being acquired from Tampa Bay in a December 1998 trade, has 10 points in his last four games. But he was reluctant to take credit for Philadelphia`s recent success.

"I don`t know about that," Langkow said of Tocchet`s compliment. "It`s a team game. We have checking lines and we have scoring lines.

Everybody knows what their role is and what they`ve got to do out there. We`ve been doing that and that`s why we`re winning games."

The Flyers remained unbeaten (3-0-3) under new coach Bill Barber and moved into a first-place tie with New Jersey atop the Atlantic Division.

Keith Primeau also scored as the Flyers chased Evgeni Nabokov, the NHL`s leading goalie.

Nabokov, who leads the league with 19 victories, was replaced by Steve Shields 2:21 into the second period after allowing three goals on only 10 shots.

Patrick Marleau scored two goals, and Alexander Korolyuk added the other for the Pacific Division-leading Sharks, who entered with the NHL`s best road record (11-3-2). San Jose dropped to 9-2-1 against Eastern Division teams.

Three of Philadelphia`s goals came on the power play as the Flyers snapped an 0-for-19 drought with the man-advantage.

"We didn`t win a couple of draws," San Jose`s Todd Harvey said. "They got some quick shots off those draws and they went to the net and found their way in. We had a couple of miscommunications."

San Jose narrowly missed tying the game when Korolyuk and Scott Thornton each hit posts with third-period shots.

Langkow put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 on the Flyers` first shot of the game at 8:15.

San Jose tied it 1:55 later when Marleau`s wrist shot bounced off the shoulder of Philadelphia goalie Roman Cechmanek, who had 25 saves while extending his unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1).

The Flyers went ahead 2-1 and snapped their power-play drought when Simon Gagne found Tocchet with a cross-ice pass at 14:22.

Nabokov was lifted after Primeau`s power-play goal in the second period.

Marleau whipped a wrist shot from inside the left circle to cut it to 3-2 at 10:42, but Tocchet was credited with his second goal when Dan McGillis` shot from the blue line bounced off his leg into the net.

Korolyuk scored on a scramble in front with 2:27 left in the second to make it 4-3.

"We threw everything we could at them and they were just able to hang on," said San Jose`s Tony Granato, who assisted on Korolyuk`s goal.

Notes:
Langkow was part of a deal in which the Flyers sent Chris Gratton back to the Lightning for Mikael Renberg. ... The last time Philadelphia scored four or more goals in three consecutive games was in February 1999. ... San Jose, which entered leading the NHL in road penalty killing, allowed power-play goals on just three Flyers shots in their first three of four attempts. ... The Flyers are 13-3-2 against San Jose. ... The Sharks have two games left on a six-game road trip. ... With Owen Nolan`s assist, the San Jose line of Vincent Damphousse, Jeff Friesen and Nolan has 45 points in 15 games.

Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Author: AP