Keith Primeau isn't thinking about missing the World Cup of Hockey. He's doing his best to get the Philadelphia Flyers into the Stanley Cup finals.
Primeau scored a short-handed goal and set up another score, leading the Flyers past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday to tie the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.
Left off Canada's roster announced on Saturday for the World Cup, Primeau has been perhaps the NHL's best player in the playoffs, scoring seven goals and adding four assists in 15 games.
"I didn't know until after the game," Primeau said of the omission. "I wasn't expecting to be nominated. I'm fine with it."
Mark Recchi and John LeClair also scored for the Flyers, who improved to 7-1 at home this postseason.
Fredrik Modin and Vincent Lecavalier had goals for the Lightning, who lost for the first time in six road playoff games. Game 5 is on Tuesday in Tampa.
"At the end of the day, it's a loss and that's that," Lightning defenseman Darryl Sydor said. "We have to regroup for Game 5 at home. The next game is just huge."
Calgary hosts the San Jose Sharks on Sunday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, with the Flames leading 2-1.
Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 19,872 that was decked in orange T-shirts reading, "Orange Crush," the Flyers scored two goals in a span of 1 1/2 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit. Robert Esche, coming off a poor outing in which he allowed two soft goals, stopped 28 shots, helping the Flyers overcome seven power plays for the Lightning.
Lecavalier scored a power-play goal with 32.9 seconds left, but Primeau blocked a pass and helped the Flyers control the puck the final 30 seconds.
"He's really taken charge of a lot of games," LeClair said of Primeau. "He was the difference out there every time he was on the ice."
Primeau, the Flyers' captain, scored three goals to lead Philadelphia to a 7-2 victory over Toronto in Game 5
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