Flyers Win in OT

Roman Turek sneaked a peek at the puck, and the Philadelphia Flyers sneaked off with an overtime victory.

Keith Primeau tipped a loose puck past the St. Louis Blues` goalie, who failed to cover a pass that had been deflected, at 3:01 of the extra period in the Flyers` 2-1 victory Monday night. Turek appeared to have gloved Mark Recchi`s pass, then he lifted his glove to make sure, and it was just the opening Primeau needed.

"I`m speculating, but it looked like he lifted his glove a little bit to take a peek," Primeau said. "When he did, I was able to poke it in."

Blues coach Joel Quenneville didn`t mince words about the play.

"He kind of missed it," Quenneville said, adding that Turek "absolutely" should have gloved the puck.

The Flyers scored the game-winner on a 2-on-1 break after Blues defenseman Todd Reirden pinched in deep at the other end. Quenneville wants his team to go for broke in overtime and had no problem with Reirden`s decision.

"In overtime, anything can happen," Quenneville said. "I think we`re playing to win, we`re not looking for a tie, and they got there first."

Primeau got both of the Flyers` goals. He has 16 on the season, and has scored five times in the last three games.

"Primeau is hot right now," Recchi said. "We`ve just got to give it to him.

Everything he touches seems to be going in."

Dallas Drake`s third-period power-play goal had tied it.

The Blues followed up a 50-shot barrage against the expansion Wild on Saturday with only 25 in regulation, and 27 overall. St. Louis, 3-3-0-1 in the last seven games with two losses at home, missed a chance to tie Colorado for first place overall in the NHL.

"You`re playing against one of the elite teams," Primeau said. "It`s a benchmark game. We want to get to the point where teams prepare to play us the same way we prepared to play St. Louis."

Philadelphia has a modest 1-0-2 unbeaten streak in its last four games, and is 4-0-9 in overtime.

The Blues had a good chance early in overtime with Roman Cechmanek making a glove save on Pierre Turgeon`s one-timer from the right circle at the 30-second mark.

Drake tied it at 1:40 of the third period, tapping in the rebound of a slap shot by Chris Pronger. Drake`s ninth goal came with eight seconds to go in a hooking penalty on Kent Manderville.

Drake, who has scored in the last two games, missed time in the second period with a bloody nose after being struck by the puck.

Primeau won a faceoff and then deflected a slap shot from Eric Desjardins past Turek at 17:06 of the second period to give the Flyers the lead.

The power-play goal came four seconds after Turgeon was whistled for hooking.

Notes:
Flyers defenseman Chris McAllister missed his fifth straight game with a sprained right wrist. ... Pronger has a goal and eight assists during a six-game scoring streak, and MacInnis has 13 assists in his last 10 games. ... The Blues have 18 power-play goals in the last 15 games. ... Recchi has six assists the last three games. ... This was the finale of a three-game homestand for the Blues, who have allowed two or fewer goals in 24 of their first 39 games. ... Desjardins is playing with a pulled left hamstring. ... The Blues are 17-3-2-1 at home.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: AP