Flyers Blow Past Hurricanes in OT

Philadelphia's Mark Recchi scored his second goal of the game 27 seconds into overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. Recchi scored on a wrist shot from the crease after taking a pass from Kim Johnsson, who had stripped the puck from Carolina's Erik Cole.

Jeremy Roenick pulled the Flyers even at 12:04 of the third period, scoring off a centering pass from Recchi. Simon Gagne also scored for the Flyers, 10-0-1 against Southeast Division teams.

Sean Hill, Darren Langdon and Sami Kapanen scored for the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes.

Recchi pushed the puck past the glove side of diving goalie Arturs Irbe for his 13th goal at 1:47 of the first period. Donald Brashear, acquired from Vancouver in a trade for Jan Hlavac on Dec. 17, assisted on the play for his first point with the Flyers.

Hill pulled the Hurricanes even at 1 at 14:08, scoring on a power play after taking a centering pass from Ron Francis. Francis leads the NHL with 16 power-play assists.

Gagne made it 2-1 when he took the puck off the stick of Carolina's David Tanabe, skated in front of the crease and scored unassisted at 5:38 of the second period.

Langdon tied it again at 14:47 by deflecting Hill's slap shot from above the right circle into the net.

Kapanen took advantage of a Philadelphia turnover to score on a wrist shot from the slot at 3:27 of the third period to give the Hurricanes their first lead. The play started when Philadelphia's Eric Weinrich was knocked off the puck and Carolina's Jeff O'Neill shoveled it to Kapanen.

Notes:
Irbe had gone seven straight games without starting, his longest stretch of inactivity since joining the Hurricanes in 1998. ... It was Hill's first goal in 60 games dating to Nov. 18, 2000. ... Philadelphia will play its next six games on the road.

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

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Author: 6 - ABC, Action News