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Leafs Outmuscle Flyers, Fans

Toronto's Tie Domi hadn't had a fight in the penalty box since he was a teen-ager. Back then he took on a mascot, this time it was a fan.

Domi wrestled with a spectator who jumped from the second row and landed on the glass separating the box from the crowd during the Maple Leafs' 2-1 victory Thursday night over the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Hey that's old time hockey, it was perfect," Domi said, laughing. "Hey, he comes into my territory, that's what happens."

Domi, who had just been penalized early in the third period, twice poured water over taunting fans in the front row before the attacking fan, Chris Falcone, jumped from the second row and landed on the glass.

Falcone leaned into it while throwing a punch at Domi that didn't connect. He then fell into the box as Domi grabbed him.

"They threw stuff at me. Once was enough. After the second one, I told the guy in the penalty box that after one more I was going to squirt water. So I squirted water," Domi said. "I mean, I didn't plan on fighting anybody."

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Game Summary

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  • The suburban Philadelphia fan, who said he may need several stitches in his forehead, was escorted from the arena and given a police citation. Domi was not penalized further and played later in the period.

    Jonas Hoglund scored the game-winning goal less than a minute later as the Maple Leafs defeated the Flyers for the second time in five days, after beating Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday.

    Earlier in the game, Domi was knocked to the ice by a high stick from Philadelphia goalie Roman Cechmanek - much to the delight of cheering Flyers fans who uttered derisive chants when he returned to the ice late in the third.

    "It's kind of comical, as long as it's a feak thing and nobody gets hurt," said Dan McGillis, who scored Philadelphia's only goal at 8:12 of the first. "He's the kind of guy who likes to get the crowd going and get the other team going."

    Hoglund's power-play goal came just 27 seconds after a trio of penalties, including two against the Flyers. Seven seconds after the second Philadelphia penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct on Kent Manderville, Hoglund knocked in a shot from Tomas Kaberle.

    Toronto also got an early power-play goal from Gary Roberts, who knocked the puck in during a scuffle in front of the net 57 seconds into the second period.

    Philadelphia outshot Toronto, 39-27, as the Flyers recorded their highest shot total this season.

    Toronto's Curtis Joseph, 4-12 against the Flyers, made a series of big saves, including catching a shot by Paul Ranheim at the end of the second period, and stopping Dean McAmmond on a breakaway early in the third.

    "We've had some disappointing outings in the last little while," said Toronto coach Pat Quinn. "So it was an important game for us both for our frame of mind as we approach playoffs and also we didn't have anything assured at this point."

    Philadelphia is winless in four games. Toronto has lost three of five winning only against Philadelphia.

    The Flyers dropped to 0-4-2 this season without leading goal-scorer Keith Primeau. The center is tops on the team with 34 goals 11 on the power play. He is tied for first with 73 points.

    The other Philadelphia centers have only 37 goals combined.

    Primeau is expected to be out at least three weeks - missing at least the first round of the playoffs - because of a knee sprain sustained Monday at Ottawa.

    Notes

  • Roberts and captain Mats Sundin are tied for first in scoring for the Maple Leafs with 28 goals apiece.
  • Sundin has at least two points in 146 games, moving him into fifth-place on the Maple Leafs' career list.
  • John LeClair and Simon Gagne are scoreless for Philadelphia in three games since returning from injuries.

    ©2001 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

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