From: seth@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (peter.r.clark..jr)
Subject: FLYERS notes 1/8
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 20:34:43 GMT



The FLYERS returned home to hammer the Capitols 8-2 last night, thanks in
part to Kevin Dineen's first hat trick as a FLYER. The FLYERS had lost 4
of the last 5 at home to drop the home record from 8-2-2 to 9-6-2, but
were 2-1-2 on the road trip and were turning things around.

Injuries:

Claude Boivin's knee will be operated on 1/18 to repair the ligament damage
suffered 1/2.

Tommy Soderstrom will not have his heart re-examined until March.

Lines:

Fedyk-Lindros-Recchi
Lomakin-Brind'Amour-Paslawski
Evans-Acton-Dineen
Eklund-Snuggerud-Brown (not a line)

Galley-Yushkevich
Carkner-Nattress
Benning-McGill

Soderstrom got his 10th straight start. Coach Dineen talked to the three
goalies and told them that he's going with the hot goalie.

Kevin Dineen opened the scoring in the first. Keith Acton with the puck and
his back to the play about 1/2 way up right offensive boards. He made the
safe play shooting the puck around behind the net. Dineen goes behind the
net from the left to pick it up and skated out with it to the right. A Caps
defenseman poked it off his stick a little, but Dineen recovers and circles
out with his back to play. About 2/3 of the way back up the boards, he sends
prayer at net.  Evans cames out from the right corner to pick up the puck as
he's moving across the goal mouth. As he's sliding past the goal, he got off
a semi-weak backhander from left of the slot that Hrivnak made a kick save on.
Hrivnak recovers, and then I think he decided to try to reach out with his
stick to hook it towards him, but he may have been trying to poke away, which
is what happened, right onto the stick of Dineen who shot it past the prone
Hrivnak.

The Caps, second on the power play in the league, get a full two minute 5
on 3 PP when Evans took a slashing penalty while Nattress was already in
the box for a high sticking double minor. The FLYERS had excellent penalty
killing on the road trip after the Caps game, and moved from being worst in
the league to #22. The FLYERS killed off a minute and a half, but Bondra passed
to Ridley at the outside of the right circle to Cote near the arc of the left
circle, and he slaps it past Soderstrom to tie at 1 at 9:05. The FLYERS
killed off the rest of the Nattress penalty.

Later in the first, Dineen picks up a loose puck in the neutral zone, crosses
the blue line, and tried to pass or shoot as he crossed. The puck went off
the Capitol defender (maybe the stick) and squibbed in through him and another
Cap defenseman. Dineen skated around both of them, caught up with puck just
a few feet from the left of the net, puck still bouncing, and he chipped it
past Hrivnak just inside the far post. 2-1 FLYERS at 15:12.

Less than a minute later, Brind'Amour standing at the left of the net about
2 feet from it gets a rebound off a fellow FLYERS shot (missed who, and they
didn't go back that far in the replay). He lifted to try to get over the
stick of Hrivnak diving to cover, but he missed net (probably deflected). The
puck winds up in the slot, and Caps #8 battles with Lomakin for the loose puck.
#8 Tries to clear but sends it right onto the stick of Nattress at the middle
of the blue line, and he sends through a screen created by a Caps defenseman 
going after Paslawski who was battling with another cap defenseman to right
of net for his first goal as FLYER at 16:03. I don't understand how Brind'Amour
gets an assist, but the FLYER who took the original shot didn't.

Then a minute or so later, Brown and May get it on. May gets behind Brown
and gets the first couple shots in from behind, but Brown finally gets loose,
throws a couple as May goes down. 3-1 FLYERS after 1 period

In the second the FLYERS had a carryover power play. The Caps are the 3rd best
penalty killing unit in the league, didn't catch where the FLYERS power play
is ranked. They were 24th, but should have improved on the road trip there
as well. Eric Lindros chases down the puck after it had been cleared by the
Caps. He's playing the point on power plays these days. He misplayed behind
his own net, had to stop and go back to the puck, then quickly pass to Benning
to avoid a forechecker. Benning gives it right back to Lindros, and he goes
coast to coast. He makes a little move at the blue line, carries to top left
arc of right circle and rockets a wrister waist high to the left of Hrivnak.
4-1 FLYERS at :50 of the second.

1/4 of the way into the period, the Caps on a power play thanks to a Benning
slash. With time on the advantage almost gone, Recchi rapes Iafrate in the
neutral zone right in front of the Caps blue line. He goes in all alone from
the left, skates across Hrivnak, looked like he held too long but slipped it
past the sliding Hrivnak between his skate and the right post. There couldn't
have been more than millimeters to spare to get that puck through. 5-1 FLYERS
cruising at 5:24.

But the Caps strike back with a gift. On another power play, brought on when
Brown dropped the gloves to go with May and May wouldn't oblige, Kristich
passed to Pivonka just to the right of the net. He shoots past Soderstrom,
but Brind'Amour had skated into the goal mouth when Soderstrom went out to
make the play on Pivonka, and the puck went of Brind'Amour's body. Rod tried
to clear, but the puck went off Nattress who was defending a crashing Dale
Hunter and into the net at 8:01. So the mighty Caps power play would end
up 2 for 7 on the night, but needed a gift and 1:30 of a 5 on 3 to get them,
and gave up a shorthanded goal to boot. Things are looking up for FLYERS
special teams, my friends!

With time running out in the second, #3 of the Caps was carrying just in
front of his own blue line. He tries to make a pass as Acton forechecks,
but the puck goes off the stick of Acton and into the zone. Acton fights
for the puck and wins, gains control in the middle left of the left circle,
skates across Hrivnak left to right and sends a perfect backhander back to
the left at 19:05. Very pretty goal. 6-2 FLYERS after 2 periods.

Hrivnak gets replaced to start the third by Kolzig.

In the third period, the FLYERS just played defense, and did it effectively.
Lots of dumping and chasing, not taking any chances but trying to take
advantage of what was given to them. At 9:29 they got a power play. Lindros
got the puck at the point, and took a wrister from just left of center.
#6 of the Caps intercepts it in the slot, but can't control. Recchi picks
up the loose puck and backhands a pass to Dineen waiting at left of net,
and he lifts it past Kolzig for the hat trick. His first as FLYER, 5th of
year for FLYERS and the teams 2nd vs Caps this year. 7-2 FLYERS at 11:09,
FLYERS 2-4 on the power play on the night.

About 3 minutes later, Ryan McGill capped the scoring. A Cap defenseman
passes to #23 on way out of the Caps zone, but it goes into his skates
and McGill keeps the puck in the zone. He blasts a slap shot from dead
center at top of the zone past Kolzig and it's 8-2 at 12:54.

A great start for FLYERS, who needed the win to keep pace with the Devils,
and improve the division record. They are now 7 point out of that 4th and
final playoff spot, but only one more home divisional game is coming up in
this 9 of 11 at home stretch. The division record improves to 6-10-2.

I am going to be away this weekend, but hopefully I'll be posting summaries
for this weekends Rangers and Oilers games Tuesday and Wednesday. Then after
not seeing a game in almost a month (and I'm a season ticket holder) I'll
be seeing the Flames game when the FLYERS end the 4 game home stand and the
first 1/2 of the season.

Oh, before I forget, the win was number 999 all time for the FLYERS.

pete clark - rsh FLYERS contact and mailing list owner
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey