Flyers Settle for Tie with Devils

Bobby Holik saw the puck bouncing, spun around, and took a shot that sailed through traffic into the back of the net.

Holik's second goal of the game with 3:22 left in regulation lifted New Jersey to a 3-3 tie against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. It was only one goal, but it was an important one for the struggling New Jersey Devils.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Devils snapped a four-game losing streak, but are winless in their last six and are in last place in the Atlantic Division.

"I wouldn't call it frustrating, but things haven't been going well," Holik said. "We have to take small steps and that's what we did. We're not going to go from not playing well to great, but this was a good start to the road trip."

New Jersey plays its next four games away from Continental Airlines Arena.

"It's much better to start the trip this way," Devils coach Larry Robinson said. "We start with a little bit of optimism. A nice road trip is what this team needs."

John LeClair had two goals, and Justin Williams added a goal and two assists for Philadelphia, which beat the Devils 3-1 in New Jersey on Saturday.

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Patrik Elias also scored for the Devils, who outshot Philadelphia 45-17.

The Flyers' line of LeClair, Williams and Jeremy Roenick combined for eight points. Roman Cechmanek made 42 saves.

"We realized what was going on," LeClair said. "We were getting outplayed. We were just hanging on. We were lucky we hung in for a point."

New Jersey tied it at 3 when Scott Niedermayer took a shot from the point that was knocked down in the slot, and bounced to Holik, who turned around and slid it past Cechmanek.

Devils defenseman Brian Rafalski made a nice play to prevent Simon Gagne from scoring the game-winner late in overtime when he poked the puck away from his stick in front of the net.

Cechmanek then made a couple of nice saves at the other end to keep it tied.

"We can't play much better," Robinson said. "It was our best game of the season. With any luck and without the great play of Cechmanek, it would've been much different."

LeClair gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead with 1:16 left in the first on his 10th goal. Williams skated in against two defensemen and dropped a pass to LeClair, who blasted a shot from just inside the blue line past goalie Martin Brodeur.

LeClair's 11th goal off a centering pass from Williams made it 3-1 at 7:12 of the second.

"We stole a point," Flyers coach Bill Barber said. "We didn't get enough good things done. The difference was one guy: Cechmanek. He was outstanding."

Elias cut it to 3-2 on a fluke goal with 4:09 left in the second. Elias tried to pass the puck to Jason Arnott from the side of the net, but it bounced off Cechmanek's right skate and went between his legs.

Cechmanek made a nice save on Arnott and then stoned Andreas Salomonsson to preserve a one-goal lead during a power-play midway through the third.

Holik gave the Devils a 1-0 lead midway through the first, scoring on a pass from Randy McKay seconds after he knocked down Flyers defenseman Kim Johnsson behind the net.

Holik crashed into Johnsson, forcing the puck loose, headed toward the net, took a pass from McKay and beat Cechmanek.

Williams tied it 35 seconds later on his fifth goal off a pass from LeClair that was supposed to be a shot. LeClair wound up and one-timed a pass from Roenick, but the puck skipped off his stick to Williams, who beat Brodeur with a backhander for his first goal in 14 games.

"We played smart, we played hard," Elias said. "It was a great point."

Notes:
The first penalty of the game -- a hooking call on Flyers defenseman Eric Desjardins -- came with 9:34 left. ... The Devils went through a six-game losing streak at this point last season before winning six in a row. ... Flyers defenseman Dan McGillis played in his 400th NHL game. ... Flyers D Chris Therien missed his second straight game because of a concussion and sprained shoulder.

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

Author: 6 - ABC, Action News