Flyers Move to Head of Division

Recchi scored twice, including the go-ahead goal on a power play with 3:17 left in the third period, off a pair of brilliant plays by Desjardins to rally the Flyers to a 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday night.

"He made a terrific pass to me on the game-winner, and he made a huge play on the short-handed goal," Recchi said. "He stepped up at the right time. He`s always been our quarterback back on the blue line. He`s a great leader."

The win moved the Flyers into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils.

Desjardins, Dan McGillis, Ruslan Fedotenko and Keith Primeau also scored for the Flyers, who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 home games.

Recchi, who also had two assists, scored on a one-timer from the right circle after taking a pass from Desjardins. Primeau added an empty-netter with nine seconds left.

Desjardins scored a short-handed goal at 5:57 of the third period to tie it 4-4. He scored at the end of a 3-on-2 break with Keith Primeau and Recchi. Desjardins` initial shot sailed high over the net, but bounced hard off the boards right back to his stick and he backhanded it past goaltender John Grahame.

"I saw that I had a chance with a 3-on-2," Desjardins said. "Primeau made a great pass. I thought I as going to score on the first shot, but that`s why you don`t give up on the second attempt. It was a lucky goal."

Boston`s Joe Thornton scored two power-play goals within 56 seconds early in the second to put the Bruins ahead 4-3.

Brian Rolston and Jason Allison also scored for the Bruins, who missed a chance to move ahead of Carolina in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We would have liked to come away with at least a point but we didn`t," Rolston said. "And that hurts in the standings. Our desperation and killer instinct wasn`t there tonight."

Boston dropped its sixth straight road game.

Philadelphia took a 3-2 lead after a wild first period when five goals were scored in an 8:23 span and the Flyers outshot the Bruins 16-7.

McGillis started the scoring with his career-high 12th goal at 9:11 of the period, firing a slap shot through a screen from outside the right circle.

Rolston redirected a shot 1:20 later to tie it.

McGillis set up Recchi`s first goal to put Philadelphia ahead 2-1 at 13:31. He dumped the puck into the crease, and Recchi deflected past Grahame, who had won his previous three starts.

Allison pulled Boston even at 2-2 with his 300th NHL point at 17:08, scoring on a give-and-go with Sergei Samsonov. But Fedotenko scored 26 seconds later.

Thornton scored his power-play goals early in the second period. His first came on a back-hander from the slot at 1:29. He scored again at 2:25.

Flyers goalie Roman Cechmanek, who has started every home game since Bill Barber was appointed Flyers coach on Dec. 10, extended his home won-loss record to 13-2-2. It was his first career start against the Bruins.

"You`ve got to take advantage of a hurting team, but we didn`t tonight," Bruins coach Mike Keenan said, referring to injured Flyers as John LeClair, Simon Gagne, and Rick Tocchet.

Game notes
Thornton has points in 11 straight games, the longest streak for a Bruin since Adam Oates had a 20-game string in 1997. ... Despite the loss, the Bruins won the season series over the Flyers (2-1-1). ... Boston`s four goals came on the Bruins` first nine shots. ... The Flyers played the first of six straight home games, their longest homestand of the season. ... The Flyers, who had gone 1-for-25 on the power play over their past six games, were 1-of-3. ... Philadelphia had killed off 31 of its previous 33 penalties before Thornton scored twice in a row on power plays.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)