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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Flyers, Canucks Swap Goaltenders

Associated Press

The Philadelphia Flyers hope they found the goalie who can take them to the Stanley Cup in Sean Burke.

The Flyers acquired Burke from the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday in exchange for backup goaltender Garth Snow. Philadelphia has been criticized in recent years for weak goaltending in the playoffs, particularly the last two seasons.

It was the second trade in two months for Burke, 31, who was acquired by Vancouver from Carolina on Jan. 2.

Burke is 7-11-5 with a 2.80 goals-against average and a saves percentage of .899 in 25 appearances this season with Carolina and Vancouver.

Snow, 29, is 14-9-4 with a 2.43 GAA and a .902 saves percentage in 29 appearances as a backup to Ron Hextall.

Hawks, Coyotes trade four players

The Chicago Blackhawks traded defenseman Keith Carney and right wing Jim Cummins to the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday for center Chad Kilger and defenseman Jay More.

Kilger, 22, was Anaheim’s first pick in the 1995 NHL draft, but was traded to Winnipeg and then moved to Phoenix when the Jets relocated. He has 11 goals and 14 assists in 108 games over three seasons.

More, 29, has played with the New York Rangers, Minnesota, San Jose and Phoenix in his nine seasons.

Carney, 28, who came to Chicago from the Buffalo Sabres, played in 60 games this season, scoring two goals and 13 assists.

Cummins, 27, has played for Detroit, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and the Blackhawks. In 55 games for Chicago this season, he had two assists.

Predators have extra problem

The Nashville Predators thought they had beaten the NFL’s Oilers to Music City’s pockets by a year. News that the Oilers will be in Nashville this fall couldn’t come at a worse time.

The expansion franchise has only four weeks left before a NHL-imposed deadline to sell 12,000 season tickets. As of Wednesday, the Predators still hadn’t reached 9,000 and were working feverishly.

The Tennessee Oilers announced Tuesday a tentative agreement to play at Vanderbilt University in September, a few miles from where the Predators are due to hit the ice in October.

Predators owner Craig Leipold, who lobbied the NHL hard to become the only expansion team for the 1998-99 season, said he had been expecting the Oilers to show up in Nashville early.

“We’re not surprised or blindsided,” Leipold said. “We welcome them to town. They’re going to be a great sports ally of ours. I think we’re going to work well together, and we don’t see it as a downer whatsoever.”

Gretzky sparks Rangers

Wayne Gretzky had two power-play goals and an assist to lift the New York Rangers to a 4-3 victory Wednesday over the Panthers in Miami, extending Florida’s winless streak to six games.

With the score 2-2, Niklas Sundstrom scored 28 seconds into the third period as he poked in a rebound of Bruce Driver’s slap shot from the point. Gretzky notched his 47th assist on the play.

Gretzky iced the final meeting of the regular season between the Atlantic Division rivals when he swatted in Brian Leetch’s rebound at 6:58.

Elsewhere

Andy Moog frustrated his former teammates with a 24-save performance as the Montreal Canadiens ended the Dallas Stars’ six-game unbeaten streak 3-1 in Dallas.

Moog registered his 370th career victory while Montreal was ending a four-game losing streak.

Keith Jones, back from a serious knee injury, scored a goal and added two assists as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 in Toronto.

Jones, playing in just his fourth game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last year’s playoffs, scored his first goal since April 13, 1997.