Flyers Flounder, End Streak

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 16, 1999 / 10:11 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

After John Vanbiesbrouck held opponents scoreless in hislast four-plus games, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally figured out how to beat the goalie -- beat the Flyers' defensemen down the ice and shoot high.

Toronto's Derek King scored the game winning-goal that way, firing a shot from the left circle that whizzed past Vanbiesbrouck with 5:19 left in the third period to give the Maple Leafs a 4-3 win and halting Philadelphia's unbeaten streak at 15 games.

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"The thing couldn't have come off the boards any better to me. I think I caught Vanbiesbrouck off guard," said King, who scored his 16th after corraling a puck that had taken a long carom off the boards.

"It's like somebody passed me the puck from behind the net for a one-timer."

Scott Sullivan added two goals for Toronto.

Eric Lindros and John LeClair each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who lost for the first time since a 5-4 defeat to New Jersey on Dec. 10.

"The puck went off the boards and made a direct line to King," Vanbiesbrouck said of the game-winner. "I was surprised someone was there to receive the puck. It was somewhat surprising he was able to tee it up."

Also surprising was Vanbiesbrouck's subpar performance. He lost for the first time after being unbeaten in his last 12 games (8-0-4), and ended his franchise-record shutout streak at 218:42 over parts of four-plus games.

Northeast-leading Toronto survived a shaky start by its own goalie, Curtis Joseph, to extend its unbeaten streak to four (3-0-1). Joseph allowed all three goals in the first period before settling down and stopping a furious Flyer rally in the game's final seconds.

"We probably didn't think about their streak. We were probably just thinking about stopping certain players on their team," said Joseph, who entered the game 1-8-0 with a 4.59 goals-against-average in his career against the Flyers.

"But (the Flyers') streak doesn't enter your mind. You're not thinking streak, streak, streak."

Sullvan's second goal o fhte night, his fifth, tied the score 3-3 at 12:57 of the second period. After stealing the puck from Flyers defenseman Dan McGillis in the Philadelphia zone, Sullivan wheeled around and fired a slap shot over Vanbiesbrouck's left shoulder.

"We knew what their team was like," LeClair said of Toronto's speedy forwards. "We knew that they have quick forwards and that they can skate."

After the Flyers took an early 1-0 lead on Rod Brind'Amour's goal, Vanbiesbrouck's shutout streak ended when Sullivan fired a shot from the right circle over the goalie's right shoulder and into the net.

The goal ended the Flyers' team shutout streak at 256:18 over four-plus of three games against the Flyers this season.

Still, appreciative fans at the First Union Center lavished Vanbiesbrouck with a 10-second standing ovation for his efforts.

"It was great, that ovation. It was for all of us," Vanbiesbrouck said. "By the same token, the puck went in. I wasn't too happy about that."

A power-play goal from the Maple Leafs' Sergei Berezin more than four minutes later silenced the crowd. Berezin fired a shot from the left circle past a frozen Vanbiesbrouck for his 14th.

It was the first power-play goal allowed by the Flyers after killing off 17 penalties.

Toronto's shot selection surprised Flyers defenseman Eric Desjardins.

"Sometimes, you don't expect them to shoot the puck like that and take chances," Desjardins said.

The Flyers regained momentum thanks to LeClair and Lindros.

Lindros' goal, his 24th, came after faking as if he was going to wrap around the Maple Leafs' net, then reversing direction and swatting the puck past Joseph.

LeClair, who entered the game as the NHL's top goal scorer, tallied his 27th on the power play when he put a rebound past Joseph to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead 15:13 into the first period.