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The next step For Sabres, one OT win does not a series make
Posted: Wednesday April 19, 2000 08:33 PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Only two teams have ever rallied to win an NHL playoff series after losing the first three games. The Philadelphia Flyers aim to keep it that way. Despite losing 3-2 in overtime to Buffalo in Game 4, the Flyers can eliminate the pesky Sabres when they return home for Game 5 on Thursday. "We know what we have to do. We feel pretty good about where we are, being up 3-1," said Eric Desjardins, the Flyers' captain. "It's very important in a situation like this after winning the first three games that when you play a good game and lose it, you got to make sure you don't feel bad. We put ourselves in a pretty good situation. We just have to finish it." The Flyers find themselves leading comfortably in the series because their power play has been superb, their defensive pressure has intensified and rookie goalie Brian Boucher has outplayed Dominik Hasek. Boucher, who played just 35 games during the regular season, had his best game of the series in Tuesday's loss. He made 31 saves, including a couple of sensational stops. The performance left the rookie brimming with confidence. Told that Buffalo's Alexei Zhitnik was suspended one game for hitting Daymond Langkow on the head with his stick Tuesday night, Boucher said, "That's all we need." Buffalo, however, needs much more than one game. But Hasek gives the Sabres reason to believe a 3-0 comeback isn't impossible. Only the 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs have overcome 3-0 deficits. The Dominator, though, has proved capable of singlehandedly taking over a series. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff recalled Game 5 of the 1998 Eastern Conference final series against Washington, when Hasek stoned the Capitals in a Sabres 2-1 victory. "In that game, we didn't even deserve to be in the building. And Dominik was unbelievable," Ruff said Wednesday. "I think that's the one thing that we've laid everything on. With this goaltender, we've made it happen before. "We've won eight games in a row in the playoffs. He can get on a role and breed confidence in a lot of our players. I think that's the X-factor in this series still." The Flyers have gotten Hasek off his game by harassing the goaltender and forcing Buffalo into ill-advised penalties. Philadelphia has capitalized on the power play, having scored six of its nine goals with a man-advantage and one goal short-handed. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 2-of-16 on the power play. "I think it's still going to boil down to special teams," Ruff said. "It's going to boil down to discipline. We have to be better." With Zhitnik out, the Sabres will insert Jason Holland into their lineup. Holland, who played in nine games with Buffalo this season, will be making his NHL career playoff debut. Zhitnik's suspension coupled with an injury to veteran Jay McKee forces Buffalo to play with two young defensemen. Holland joins Jean-Luc Grande-Pierre, who's filled in the last three games for McKee, and appeared in only 11 regular season games this year. "We think we can win against any team in any building the way we're playing," Flyers interim coach Craig Ramsay said. "Certainly we'd like to win as soon as we can. We understand this is a good team and we just have to go in and focus on what we have to do the next game."
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