Flyers Outdo Penguins & Lemieux

Keith Primeau took advantage of a favorable pairing against Pittsburgh`s smaller defensemen to score two first-period goals in what easily was the Penguins` worst performance since Mario Lemieux`s return. Lemieux scored in the first period, but the Penguins, playing their second game in two nights, quickly wore down, taking some ill-timed penalties in losing their first in five games. They had been 7-1 at home and 10-4-0-1 overall since Lemieux came out of retirement.

The Flyers lost their two pre-Lemieux meetings against the Penguins, but took control of this one after Jody Hull`s shorthanded goal in the first period put them ahead to stay 2-1.

Just as Pittsburgh`s Kevin Stevens was leaving the penalty box after serving a double minor, Hull swung the momentum by backhanding a rebound of Peter White`s shot past Jean-Sebastien Aubin.

The Penguins seemed too eager to retaliate for any Flyers push or shove during a series of first-period fracases and thus drew unnecessary penalties. They killed off the first 3:22 of Stevens` four-minute penalty before Recchi was called for interference, only to give up the go-ahead goal while on a power play.

Primeau made it 3-1 at 17:43, again setting up in front of the net to put in a rebound of Simon Gagne`s shot from along the goal line for his 22nd goal. Primeau had scored earlier in similar fashion, powering his way to the front of the net to steer Gagne`s shot from the left circle past Aubin.

Both times, Primeau took advantage of Penguins coach Ivan Hlinka`s decision to match his smaller defensemen, Darius Kasparaitis and Ian Moran, against the much-bigger Primeau line.

Primeau also scored the decisive fifth-overtime goal in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Penguins last spring that the Flyers eventually won in six games.

Recchi, who played with Lemieux and Stevens on the Penguins` 1991 Stanley Cup-winning team, scored both his goals _ his 11th and 12th _ in the second period. His assists on Primeau`s goals gave him 600 for his career.

Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek stopped 30 of 31 shots and now has a 19-7-4 record.

Notes: Lemieux scored on a power play at 7:35 of the first. He has 16 goals and 16 assists in his 16 games. All 16 have been sellouts. ... The game was the Penguins` last until they play the Flyers again Wednesday, also at Mellon Arena. The Flyers have two games between now and then. ... The Flyers are 14-5-4-1 under coach Bill Barber. ... The Penguins missed a chance to tie the Flyers for second place in the Atlantic Division. ... Three of the Penguins` first four losses with Lemieux were by one goal.

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

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Author: AP