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Flyers, Blackhawks each go up 2-0 in conference finals Print
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Written by Mike Cook   
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 00:25
Tuesday’s Stanley Cup Playoff scores  

| Philadelphia 3, Montreal 0 (Flyers lead series 2-0)
| Chicago 4, San Jose 2 (Blackhawks lead series 2-0)

Philadelphia 3, Montreal 0

The last time Philadelphia had back-to-back playoff shutouts was 1975. That was also the last time the Flyers won the Stanley Cup.

Michael Leighton stopped 30 shots and Philadelphia is two wins away from playing for the title, beating Montreal 3-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Danny Briere and Simon Gagne scored power-play goals, and a Ville Leino scored a soft goal in the third for the seventh-seeded Flyers, who have scored a franchise-record 13 straight playoff goals, including a 6-0 win in game one.

Obviously happy to get the first two games at home, Philadelphia is taking nothing for granted.

“You look at the two teams here, and you know that (a 2-0 lead) can go away quick,” Briere said. “The worst thing we can do is sit back. We haven’t played our best game yet.”

“We’ve got to find a way to score some ugly goals,” said Montreal captain Brian Gionta, who had eight shots. “We need to be better at getting to the net.”

It may not matter if Leighton continues his stellar play.

Since replacing the injured Brian Boucher in Game 5 of the semifinal series against Boston, he’s stopped 124 of 128 shots. His shutout streak is 165:50.

“The shutout to me means a little, but the win means more.” Leighton said. “If we won 3-1, I’d be just as happy.”

He was at his best in the opening two periods, making a number of big saves – including two prime chances by Mike Cammalleri – and controlling rebounds. Montreal held a 26-13 shot advantage through two periods, including three power play opportunities in the first period.

“We didn’t play our best game and sometimes you need your goalie to steal one,” Briere said. “I thought that was the case in the first 40 minutes.”

Philadelphia had one first-period power play, but it was a successful one because Briere beat Jarolsav Halak with a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle at 4:16.

Gagne scored on the power-play late in the second for a 2-0 lead, as he crashed the net and poked a rebound past Halak.

“We’re just getting pucks to the net and guys in front,” said defenseman Chris Pronger. “The simpler the better.”

After carrying the Canadiens for much of the postseason Halak, who finished with 20 saves, looked tired in the final period, especially on Leino’s goal.

Halak had time, but failed to get into the proper position as Leino shot from near the left boards. The wrist shot went over Halak’s glove and into the far corner.

“We competed and made some progress, but the difference was the special teams. They got two power-play goals and we didn’t score,” said Montreal coach Jacques Martin. “We’ve just got to get ready for Game 3.”

Game 3: at Montreal, 7 p.m. EST Thursday (Versus, CBC, RDS)

 

Chicago 4, San Jose 2

Dustin Byfuglien continues to be problematic for the San Jose Sharks.

Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews scored 90 seconds apart in the second period, Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots and the Chicago Blackhawks beat San Jose 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer also scored for Chicago, which tied an NHL record with its seventh straight road win in a postseason. Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane each had two assists.

"The way we've been playing on the road, everything's gone right for us," Kane said. "It's probably the way we need to play at home, to be honest with you."

Patrick Marleau scored twice for the Sharks, who may not play another home game this season.

The 6-foot-4, 257-pound Byfuglien has scored nine career playoff goals – all on the road, including the game-winner in Sunday’s 2-1 win. He has six goals in the last six games, including a hat trick in Game 3 of the semifinal series with Vancouver.

But he’s also been a nearly immovable object in front of San Jose goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

Ladd scored the lone goal of the first period, and Byfuglien redirected a shot from Patrick Kane 6:59 into the second. With Douglas Murray off for roughing, Toews, at the right edge of the crease, tipped a slapshot from Keith behind Nabokov. Byfuglien was tying up a pair of San Jose defenders in front.

"Buff's a big body and it's nice to go to the net, have that success when he's creating a lot of traffic and good screens in front of the goaltender," said Toews, who tied Stan Mikita's team record with a point in his 11th straight playoff game. "Kaner's in the open ice dangling around and we're in front picking up the garbage."

Marleau, who has six points in his last six games, took a perfect pass from Joe Thornton and scored a power-play goal at 11:08 when his high wrist shot from the right circle eluded Niemi.

“We have to push the pace a little bit,” Dan Boyle said on the Versus broadcast after the second period.

Coach Todd McLellan split up his top trio of Thornton, Marleau and Dany Heatley to start the third period, but it didn’t produce the desired results.

Marleau and Heatley were even for the game, but Thornton was a minus-2. The trio is minus-18 in the playoffs.

After a San Jose giveaway in its own end, Brouwer made it 4-1 in the third by tipping a slapshot from Niklas Hjalmarsson into the San Jose net. Like Byfuglien has done, Brower was in front of the net and did not allow Nabokov to get set for the shot before getting a piece of the puck.

Marleau scored on a rebound in close with 4:28 to play, but with Rob Blake in the penalty box for holding, the Sharks could not cut any further into the deficit.

Chicago has won 30 straight playoff games when leading by at least two goals entering the third period.

Things got heated with 17.9 seconds remaining, with Thornton and Ryan Clowe for San Jose, and Chicago’s Ladd and Brent Seabrook all getting roughing minors.
 
Game 3: at Chicago, 7 p.m. CST Friday (Versus, TSN, RDS)

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Last Updated on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 01:20