Leafs Outdo Flyers

Mats Sundin, Igor Korolev, Aki Berg and Darcy Tucker also scored for the Maple Leafs, who played the Flyers for the first time since a possible deal for Eric Lindros fell through.

Mark Recchi scored two third-period goals for the Flyers, who almost overcame a 4-1 deficit.

Tucker scored an empty-netter with one second left. Toronto`s Danny Markov had two assists after missing the previous 22 games with back problems.

John LeClair and Simon Gagne each had an assist in their returns to the Flyers` lineup. Gagne missed 12 games with a dislocated left shoulder, and LeClair missed 46 with back problems.

Toronto offered Markov, center Nik Antropov and a first-round pick for Lindros, but the Flyers rejected the offer after seeing Markov`s medical reports. Philadelphia captain Eric Desjardins even belittled Antropov by saying it would be "silly" to give up Lindros for him.

Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph made 27 saves, including a spectacular glove save on Ruslan Fedotenko late in the first period.

Philadelphia goalie Roman Chechmanek allowed four goals on 25 shots.

Korolev gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 3:36 of the first.

Philadelphia`s Justin Williams tied it with a slap shot that handcuffed Joseph at 10:42.

After Toronto`s Jonas Hoglund skated behind the net, his back-handed shot deflected off Chechmanek`s blocker to Sundin, who scored at 12:22 of the first.

Just over a minute later, Berg`s power-play slap shot beat Chechmanek.

Perreault made it 4-1 at 2:18 of the third with a shot that deflected off Philadelphia`s Keith Primeau.

Recchi scored at 11:05 of the third, and then again at 15:57, cutting Toronto`s lead to 4-3.

Notes: LeClair, who missed 46 games with back problems, was selected Saturday for the 2002 U.S. Olympic hockey team that will play in Salt Lake City. ... Toronto scored first for the first time in nine games. ... The Flyers have lost two straight after winning their previous four. ... Toronto lost its three previous games against the Flyers. ... The Flyers could have clinched a playoff berth with a win, tie or lose in overtime.

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

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)