Rakin' It In: CuJo Halts Flyers

Steve Thomas gave Philadelphia another reason to dislike him.

Thomas, maligned for a hard check in the second game of the series, scored the go-ahead goal Monday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Flyers 2-1 to take control of their first-round series.

The Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead in the series despite getting outshot 41-21 in a game marred by another racial accusation.

"He dropped an N-bomb on me," said McCarthy, who is part black and part native American.

Domi, who said McCarthy spat in his face, flatly denied the accusation. NHL supervisor John D'Amico said he would immediately notify commissioner Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell, the league disciplinarian.

"He spit in my face, so maybe he was looking for some excuse," Domi said. "I would never use those kind of words, and he knows that. He can say what he wants."

Curtis Joseph made 40 saves and outplayed Flyers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, who had held the Leafs scoreless in the first 118 minutes of the series. But Toronto might have turned the momentum of the series with two goals in the final two minutes of Game 2. It carried over to the pivotal third game.

The Flyers, playing without injured superstar Eric Lindros, are 5-11 in seven-game series in which they trail 2-1. Philadelphia has lost five of its last six home playoff games.

"It's not the end of the world," said Flyers forward John LeClair. "I mean, it's still a long series and we're still very much in it."

Thomas was targeted early for a hard check on Eric Desjardins in the second game. But he shook off some of the hard runs the Flyers made at him, didn't retaliate and scored the game-winner on a power play 40 seconds into the second period.

"his is the playoffs, and you can't sit in the penalty box," said Thomas, whose goal ended an 0-for-15 power-play drought in the series 0-for-33 including the end of the regular season.

Philadelphia was 0-for-5 on power plays, including a 6-on-4 advantage in the final 65 seconds when it pulled Vanbiesbrouck.

"I thought I had them there, and it squeezed through somehow, someway," said Vanbiesbrouck, who looked shaky at times and faced only 21 shots.

Mike Johnson also scored for the Leafs, and Karl Dykhuis scored the Flyers' only goal on a shot Joseph didn't see because he was screened.

"What's my take on goaltending?" said Joseph, asked about his electrifying style. "I don't know. You play the percentages, maybe. Sometimes, the puck hits you."

Joseph, nicknamed "Cujo," was magnificent. He made 11 saves in the third, stopping LeClair from the side of the net for save No. 33.

His 35th save was spectacular, too. Joseph tipped Keith Jones' close-in backhander with his skate, then stopped a shot from the point and a rebound for saves No. 38 and 39. He finished the job with 4 1/2 minutes left, absorbing a shot by Rod Brind'Amour with his chest and pouncing on the rebound.

"That's Cujjo's game, the playoffs," Thomas said. "He proved it again tonight. He's an unbelievable competitor."

The Flyers had been miffed by hard checks by Kris King and Thomas in Game 2, but the chippy play that some expected didn't really develop except between McCarthy and Domi.

The Flyers were stunned by Johnson's goal 10 seconds after Dykhuis gave them a 1-0 lead in the first period. Chris McAllister bounced the puck off the boards after the faceoff at center ice, and Steve Sullivan pushed it ahead to Johnson. His weak backhander surprised Vanbiesbrouck, who had his stick in the air and his feet nearly crossed as the puck deflected in off his skate.

"I didn't see him really cock on the shot," said Vanbiesbrouck, whom the Flyers signed instead of Joseph when both were free agents. "There was probably a little more room there than there should have been."

Craig Berube, the Flyers' resident goon, committed a senseless penalty with 13 seconds left in the first, skating into Thomas and knocking him down during a stoppage in play. It came back to haunt the Flyers when Thomas scored his second playoff goal. Vanbiesbrouck barely moved Thomas' shot sailed past him on the stick side.

Flyers coach Roger Neilson disagreed with the call and thought Thomas took a dive to draw it.

"No, it certainly wasn't (a penalty)," Neilson said. "But the refs warned us they were going to try to send a player off for each scrum. It was such a harmless little push, but Thomas played it pretty well. Nowadays it helps to have some actors on your team."

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