Clark Leads Wings Over Flyers

The Detroit Red Wings continue getting immediate returns from some major investments.

Recently acquired Wendel Clark scored his second goal for the Red Wings 2:26 into overtime, lifting Detroit to a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

The win was the Red Wings' third in as many games that Clark and defenseman Chris Chelios have played for Detroit since being acquired in trading deadline deals Tuesday.

"We had a good team before and we have to be a better team now," said Detroit forward Sergei Fedorov, who assisted on Clark's game-winner.

"It's been a good three games," Chelios said. "A solid three games."

First-place Detroit moved seven points ahead of St. Louis in the Central Division race after the Blues lost 3-1 at Chicago. Both teams have nine games remaining.

Clark, obtained from Tampa Bay, poked a loose puck in the crease past Flyers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck.

"The puck was laying there. It was not that hard to put in," Clark said. "It was something where the guys put the puck to the net and I was just able to be in the right spot at the right time."

There was a lengthy video review after the goal because Clark was close to the crease, but the puck was already in the crease when he got there and the goal counted. Earlier, the Flyers had a goal disallowed because a payer was in the crease.

"It's a touchy rule now. We're always very close," Clark said. "When something happens so quick, it's tough to say whether you're in or out. It's usually pretty close when the puck gets around the crease there."

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Flyers, who played without all-star center Eric Lindros. He was suspended for two games by the NHL for a high-sticking incident Saturday with Petr Nedved of the New York Rangers.

The Flyers were also without injured forwards Mark Recchi and Mikael Andersson and defenseman Eric Desjardins.

"We've got key players out," said forward Mikael Renberg, who scored one of the Flyers' goals. "That's not good, but even without them we played well and you have to take something out of it."

Vyacheslav Kozlov scored Detroit's other two goals. Renberg and Keith Jones scored for the Flyers, both in the third period.

Both goalies were superb as Detroit's Chris Osgood stopped 24 shots and Vanbiesbrouck 28.

Kozlov scored the only goal in the first period when he batted Larry Murphy's rebound past Vanbiesbrouck on a power play at 8:31.

Rod Brind'Amour put the puck in the net at the end of a goal-mouth scramble 4:20 into the second period, but the goal was disallowed on video review because John LeClair had a foot in the crease.

LeClair made up for it with an assist on Renberg's tying goal 9:52 into the third. Renberg poked the puck in off Osgood's right pad during another scramble in front of the net.

Kozlov scored his second goal by redirecting Aaron Ward's centering pass through Vanbiesbrouck's legs at 9:32. But the Flyers regained a tie on a power play at 11:44 when Jones took a centering pass from Steve Duchesne and beat Osgood on his stick side.

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