Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Extra Work Pays Off As Sharp Devils Turn Back Flyers, 4-1

Associated Press

Fear of being flat kept the New Jersey Devils working hard from the start.

And it resulted in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the first game of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night.

Coach Jacques Lemaire gave his team two days off after their openinground series against the Boston Bruins, and Lemaire believed that was why the Devils lost the first game of their next series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I had no contact with them (during the time off) and they came back and it seemed like they were on a holiday, more than going back to work,” Lemaire said. “This time, we did different things and we had control over them.”

The Devils spotted the Flyers the game’s first four shots, then outshot Philadelphia 13-0 through the rest of the first period.

Goals by Bill Guerin, who would score again in the third period, and Scott Niedermayer came toward the end of the period as the Devils kept the pressure on Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall.

“We took a lot of hits to make the good play,” Guerin said, adding that the Devils got consistently solid play from everybody. “That’s what this team is all about. You never know where it’s going to come from.”

Once ahead, New Jersey smothered the Flyers’ big line centered by Eric Lindros, who managed only two shots on goal.

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, whose bid for a record-tying fourth shutout of the playoffs was lost when Craig MacTavish scored with 1:54 left, had to make only a few highquality saves.

“We’re really happy about this game, but we have to do it all over again Monday,” said Brodeur, speaking of Game 2 in the best-of-seven series Monday night at the Spectrum.

Flyers coach Terry Murray acknowledged his team “didn’t come to play.”

“We were trying to be too much of a finesse team and to make the perfect play,” he said. “We didn’t execute and that was obvious.”

The Devils’ neutral zone trap frustrated the Flyers and didn’t allow them to establish any offensive flow.

Randy McKay also scored for the Devils, who outshot the Flyers 28-21.

For the third time in their last five games, the Flyers spotted the opposition a 2-0 lead. Unlike the previous two times, in their four-game sweep of the New York Rangers, Philadelphia was unable to rally.

New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 1

New Jersey 2 1 1 - 4 Philadelphia 0 0 1 - 1

First period-1, New Jersey, Guerin 2 (Brylin), 15:06. 2, New Jersey, Niedermayer 3 (MacLean, Chorske), 18:34.

Second period-3, New Jersey, McKay 4 (Driver), 15:02.

Third period-4, New Jersey, Guerin 3, 2:04. 5, Philadelphia, MacTavish 1 (Podein), 18:06.

Shots on goal-New Jersey 13-5-10-28. Philadelphia 4-11-6-21.Power-play opp.-New Jersey 0 of 4; Philadelphia 0 of 4.Goalies-New Jersey, Brodeur 9-2 (21 shots-20 saves). Philadelphia, Hextall 8-2 (28-24).A-17,380 (17,380).