Flyers Fight for Home Ice

John LeClair broke out of his scoring slump at just the right time. LeClair`s power-play goal with 20.4 seconds left in overtime lifted Philadelphia to a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Pittsburgh Penguins, keeping alive the Flyers` hopes for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"It felt good. You have to start somewhere," said LeClair, who hadn`t scored in six games since returning from a back injury. "When you finally get one, you don`t grip a stick quite as tight."

Philadelphia is tied with the Buffalo Sabres for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference entering the last day of the regular season. The Flyers play at Buffalo on Sunday and need a victory to get home-ice advantage when the NHL playoffs start Wednesday because the Sabres hold the tie-breaker edge.

"Every team is battling and preparing themselves for the next step and that`s playoff hockey," Flyers coach Bill Barber said. "I believe our team made a step today on what needs to get done for us to be effective in the playoffs."

With the loss, Pittsburgh has clinched the No. 6 spot in the East and will open the playoffs on the road against the Washington Capitals.

"We`re just trying to finish the year and start the playoffs," said owner/player Mario Lemieux. "We can`t wait to get started. We`re trying to keep everyone healthy so we can start the big dance."

Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two assists apiece as the Penguins took a 3-0 lead in the first period.

But the Flyers, helped by seven straight power plays, scored the last four goals, including three with the man advantage.

LeClair tied it at 3 by poking a rebound off a blast from Eric Desjardins past Penguins goaltender Garth Snow with 8:59 left. The goal came just four seconds into Philadelphia`s eighth power play.

Seconds after hitting the post in overtime, LeClair backhanded a pass from Mark Recchi past Snow for the game-winner after Bob Boughner was called for high-sticking.

"It`s a big lift off his shoulders," Recchi said about LeClair. "He was around that puck all night, winning battles down low. You can tell he`s really getting stronger. The John that we know is going to be hard to contain."

Lemieux gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead when he one-timed a pass from Robert Lang for his 35th goal with 6:45 left in the first.

Philadelphia didn`t take its first shot until 9:12 remained in the first period, but the Flyers bombarded Snow in the second. Paul Ranheim poked a rebound past Snow to cut it to 3-1 just 17 seconds into the period.

The Flyers took seven shots in the first 90 seconds of the second, outshot the Penguins 21-3 in the period and had six power plays.

Ruslan Fedotenko cut it to 3-2 on a power play with 4:21 left in the second. The puck appeared to bounce off Fedotenko`s skate, but the goal stood after being reviewed.

Philadelphia outshot the Penguins 39-14.

"We had to kill a lot of penalties," Lemieux said. "Every time you have to do that you can`t get a good flow in the game, especially your lines."

Marc Bergevin gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead on his first goal since Dec. 23, 1999, with 2:10 left in the first. Less than two minutes later, Jagr one-timed a pass from Lemieux for his 52nd goal.

Jagr all but clinched his fifth NHL scoring title and fourth straight. He leads Colorado`s Joe Sakic in points 121-115 entering Sunday`s games.

Notes:
Lemieux said he will sit out Sunday`s game against Carolina. Jagr left the game with a bruised finger in the third period but was expected to play Sunday. ... The Flyers have won just two of their last eight games. Pittsburgh had won five of six. ... Jagr has 16 goals and 14 assists in his last 15 games. He has scored goals in six straight. ... Pittsburgh`s Wayne Primeau got a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct following a hit on P.J. Stock late in the second. Stock sustained a neck stringer on the hit and did not return.

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

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)