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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers have rallied from a two-goal deficit against one of the league's best defensive teams. They've had a rookie goaltender play like a 10-year veteran. And now they have a rare game-winning playoff goal
from Craig Berube.
|  | | Devils goalie Martin Brodeur looks back in horror while Mark Recchi celebrates after scoring the game's first goal. |
And that's just in this series with the New Jersey Devils.
Then add in the Flyers' two overtime wins during the previous
series, including one in five overtimes. And having no problem with Dominik Hasek in the opening round. And the way they've overcome adversity this season.
Well, let's just say it: The Flyers might be the team of destiny
in this year's Stanley Cup.
"I guess you could call us opportunistic," Flyers defenseman Chris Therien said after everything fell in place again Saturday night in a 3-1 victory. Brian Boucher stopped 24 shots and Berube
scored with 7:02 left in the third period to give Philadelphia a
commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Flyers can wrap up their second trip to the Stanley Cup
finals in four years by beating New Jersey in Philadelphia on
Monday night.
Simon Gagne added an insurance goal for the Flyers, who have
taken control of the series by winning three straight. Mark Recchi
also scored for Philadelphia, which has been finding ways to win
close games in this physical series between two evenly matched
teams.
Bobby Holik scored for New Jersey, now facing another frustrating end to a playoff season after raising hopes it might
have a shot at another Stanley Cup.
"I know this club is good enough to go to Philly and win a game
and then go on from there," Holik said. "We don't concern
ourselves with winning three straight to win the series right now.
We have to put together three good periods of hockey, and believe
that if we do, we'll win in Philly."
Berube crushed the Devils' hopes in Game 4 with only his third
playoff goal in 86 games. Kent Manderville shot the puck around the
boards to the right point. Defenseman Dan McGillis sent a
fluttering shot toward Martin Brodeur that Berube chopped down with
his stick past the goaltender.
"I saw Dan take the shot and got to the front of the net and
got a tip on it," said Berube, who also had a game-winning goal in
1998 against Buffalo's Hasek while playing for Washington.
"We said Chief was due," Flyers coach Craig Ramsay quipped.
"It was really a great play by McGillis. He backed up and smacked
it so fast."
Gagne iced the game with 3:20 to go, redirecting a great pass by
defenseman Eric Desjardins past Brodeur, who had 18 saves.
"They were really coming in the second and 'Bouche' kept us
in the game," Therien said. "He did the job and we were able to
get a few fortunate ones in the third. Maybe it was a little bit of
luck, but we found a way.
"There's still one more to go."
Devils coach Larry Robinson was angry with his team's play in
the third period, when the Flyers held a 9-4 advantage in shots.
"Until our guys get it through their thick skulls that our way
is the right way, we're not going to have success," Robinson said.
"If the game was that easy you wouldn't need coaches."
Added captain Scott Stevens, "We've put our backs up against
the wall and now we've got to climb out of the hole we've dug for
ourselves."
Mistakes led to the first two goals.
Brodeur, who played poorly in the 4-2 loss in Game 3, set up
Recchi's sixth goal of the playoffs with a horrible clearing pass
from behind the net. He put the puck right on Gagne's stick along
the left boards. Gagne immediately shot and Recchi, standing along
the goal line, somehow tipped the puck over Brodeur's hip as he was
trying to get his body flush against the goalpost.
The goal gave Recchi 16 points, tying him with Jaromir Jagr for
most in the playoffs.
Boucher, outstanding in the last two games, made it appear that
one goal was going to be enough for more than half the game. He
kept the Devils off the scoreboard with nice stops on Brian
Rafalski, Sergei Brylin and Jay Pandolfo in the first period. He
also had good stops on Jason Arnott, Scott Gomez and Claude Lemieux
in the first 11 minutes of the second period before Keith Primeau
betrayed him with a horrible cross-ice pass in his own zone.
Brylin got the puck, exchanged passes with Randy McKay and then
found Holik for a shot he powered through Boucher's legs.
"We've gotten some fortunate breaks in this series and we feel
lucky to get up 3-1," said Boucher, who had given up three goals
in giving the Flyers two rare wins at the Continental Airlines
Arena, where they were 4-22-2 over the last five years. "It was a
big task coming in here and winning and we're pretty pleased."
Some of that luck was evident late in the second period with the
score tied 1-1.
Alexander Mogilny cut across the middle of the Flyers' zone with 4:19 left in the period, but his shot banged off the crossbar.
The Flyers were in the 1997 Stanley Cup finals, losing in four
straight to Detroit. The Devils last made the finals in 1995, when
they swept the Red Wings to win the Cup.
"There's a big difference between 2-2 and 3-1 and going home,"
said John LeClair, who was outstanding despite playing with 39
stitches in his face from a stick in Game 3. "Now we're 60 minutes
from going to the Cup. We'll be ready to play on Monday."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
Stunned Devils find selves on brink of elimination
RECAPS
Philadelphia 3
New Jersey 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mark Recchi uses lighting speed get the puck into the net.
avi: 671 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Craig Berube deflects the puck into the net against the Devils.
avi: 676 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Simon Gagne slips the puck past Martin Brodeur.
avi: 689 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Larry Robinson says that the Devils didn't follow the gameplan.
wav: 193 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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