Flyers Can’t Snow Wings Detroit Rips Another Philly Goaltender

Ron Hextall couldn’t stop a long shot for the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals and Garth Snow couldn’t do it in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

The chances the Flyers can prevent the Detroit Red Wings from winning their first Stanley Cup in 42 years are now just that, a longshot.

The Red Wings moved within two games of their first Stanley Cup since 1955 by beating the Flyers 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 finals.

“This was a big game for us,” said Detroit’s Brendan Shanahan, who scored twice. “We had a couple days off after the first game and we didn’t want to play like we were satisfied. You’ve got to expect to win or you won’t win. But, I think if you asked the guys in that room if they expected to be up 2-0, not many people would have said yes.”

But no one expected the Flyers’ goaltenders to struggle as much as they have in the opening two games.

Hextall killed the team by letting in a soft goal in the third period of Game 1 and Snow, who got the start because of that goal, did the same in surrendering the game-winner to Kirk Maltby early in the second period.

The performances left Flyers coach Terry Murray not knowing what to do with his goaltenders when the series switches to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday.

“I’m not going to give that answer right now because I honestly don’t know,” said Murray, who also shuffled his lines and put in a few new faces for Game 2. “Again we do need to be better in that position.”

Maltby beat Snow with a 45-foot shot to snap a 2-2 tie and Mike Vernon made the lead stand up by making 29 saves as the Red Wings won on the road again and go home with a great chance to sip from the Cup.

Since the best-of-7 format was started in 1939 only three teams have rebounded from an 0-2 deficit, but two of those were against Detroit.

“We’re not going to drop our heads,” Flyers captain Eric Lindros said. “The word quit hasn’t entered this room.”

Rod Brind’Amour scored twice for Philadelphia, tying Claude Lemieux of Colorado for the playoff lead with 13 goals.

For the second consecutive game, the Flyers gave the Red Wings the lead, fought back and then were betrayed by their goaltending.

After Brind’Amour scored twice in a 69-second span on deflections of shots by rookie defenseman Janne Niinimaa to tie the game late in the first period, Snow made the big mistake, just as Hextall did in Saturday night’s 4-2 loss.

With Philadelphia trailing 3-2, Hextall allowed Steve Yzerman’s shot from a few feet inside the blue line to beat him for a two-goal lead. It took the air out of the Flyers and cost Hextall the starting job.

Snow, who made 24 saves, made a similar mistake on Maltby’s second goal of this series and fifth of the postseason. Joe Kocur gave him a cross-ice pass and Maltby skated to the top of the right circle and blistered a shot past Snow.

It went in and out of the net so fast that the players appeared confused for a second, but the goal judge and referee Terry Gregson both saw it go in and didn’t call for a review.

“It was an odd-man rush,” Maltby said. “I just wanted to get a shot on net. I was starting to backpedal when I saw Kris (Draper) and Joey (Kocur) coming toward them. I knew it went in.”

Murray also knew, but his feeling was a little more sickening.

“There’s no question that the goal that Yzerman scored in Game 1 and the one tonight by Maltby have to be stopped,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. That is very difficult emotionally on your bench and it gives the opposition an opportunity to execute their game plan in a more relaxed manner. Everything seems to fall into place for them when goals like that are given up.”

Snow took the blame.

“I saw part of the puck,” he said. “Yeah, it’s one I’d like to have back, but I’d like to have all of them back.”

Shanahan iced the game by converting a 2-on-1 with Martin Lapointe at 9:56 of the third period.

Any edge the Flyers might have gotten starting Snow disappeared when Shanahan scored on a slap shot just 1:37 into the game.

Red Wings 4, Flyers 2

Detroit 2 1 1 - 4

Philadelphia 2 0 0 - 2

First period-1, Detroit, Shanahan 7, 1:37. 2, Detroit, Yzerman 6 (Murphy, Fetisov), 9:22 (pp). 3, Philadelphia, Brind’Amour 12 (Niinimaa), 17:42 (pp). 4, Philadelphia, Brind’Amour 13 (Niinimaa, LeClair), 18:51 (pp). Penalties-Coffey, Phi (holding), 4:29; Coffey, Phi (holding), 7:24; Lapointe, Det (charging), 10:21; Fetisov, Det (high-sticking), 17:09; Larionov, Det (holding), 18:37.

Second period-5, Detroit, Maltby 5 (Kocur), 2:39. Pens -Maltby, Det (rough), 6:54; Coffey, Phi (rough), 6:54; Detroit bench, served by Brown (too many men), 9:03; LeClair, Phi (elbow), 12:13.

Third period-6, Detroit, Shanahan 8 (Lapointe, Fedorov), 9:56. Penalties-Lapointe, Det (rough), 10:27; Dykhuis, Phi (rough), 10:27.

Shots on goal-Detroit 14-9-5-28. Philadelphia 14-9-8-31.Power-play opp.-Detroit 1 of 3; Philadelphia 2 of 4.Goalies-Detroit, Vernon 14-4 (31 shots-29 saves). Philadelphia, Snow 8-4 (28-24).A-20,159 (19,511).