Sun, Apr 27, 2003 page24

• Hossa stars for Senators in playoff win over Flyers

  ON TARGET Marian Hossa made two goals and scored one himself to help the Ottawa Senators to a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia in the opening game of the best-of-seven playoff series

  • AP
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  Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists, and the Ottawa Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit by scoring three times in the second period of a 4-2 victory on Friday night over the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

  The Senators, playing for the first time in eight days, rallied on goals by Hossa, Martin Havlat and Daniel Alfredsson to win their fifth consecutive postseason game. Zdeno Chara also scored and added an assist for top-seeded Ottawa, which won its quarterfinal series against the New York Islanders in five games.

  

  Ottawa Senators' Marian Hossa celebrates his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period of the second round of the NHL hockey playoffs in Ottawa on Friday. The Senators won the game 4-2.

  PHOTO: AP

  After eliminating Toronto in a seventh game on Tuesday night, Philadelphia was looking to avenge its embarrassing loss to Ottawa in the first round a year ago. The Flyers were shut out three times by Patrick Lalime and scored just two goals in five games.

  They matched that in just 11 minutes on Friday night, getting goals from Tony Amonte and Sami Kapanen on their first two shots. But Lalime settled down and finished with 23 saves.

  Late in the third period, he came far out of the net to clear a loose puck and was knocked to the ice by Claude Lapointe. Lalime was down for about two minutes, but returned to the net and finished the game without a problem.

  Bryan Smolinski had a pair of assists for the Senators, who took the lead on Alfredsson's goal against Roman Cechmanek at 9:32 of the second period.

  Game 2 is tonight in Ottawa.

  Cechmanek was shaky, making just 13 saves as Ottawa rallied from a two-goal deficit for the first time in its playoff history.

  Canucks 4, Wild 3, OT

  In Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canucks' Matt Cooke tied the game with 1.2 seconds left in regulation, and Trent Klatt scored a power-play goal 3:42 into overtime as Vancouver beat Minnesota in opener of their second-round series.

  With Lubomir Sekeras off for high sticking Henrik Sedin, former University of Minnesota star Klatt planted himself in the crease and deflected Daniel Sedin's shot past Manny Fernandez.

  Wes Walz broke a 1-1 tie with two goals -- both on passes from Marian Gaborik -- in the first 8:11 of the third period. But Markus Naslund's fifth goal in as many games pulled the Canucks within one midway through the period.

  Cooke tied it after Todd Bertuzzi won a faceoff with 8.7 seconds left.

  Naslund threw a long backhander on the net, and Cooke banged his first goal of the payoffs past Fernandez in the enduing scramble.

  Game 2 is tonight in Vancouver.

  Ed Jovanovski also scored for the Canucks, who have won four straight after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to knock St. Louis out in the first round.

  Sergei Zholtok scored a power-play goal for the Wild, and from Fernandez made 34 saves.

  It was the third straight overtime game for the Wild, who won the last two to knock Colorado out of the first round.
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