Senators End Skid, Sink Flyers

Eric Lindros was simply trying to check Andreas Dackell. It ended up much worse than he thought possible.

The Philadelphia Flyers captain crushed Dackell into the corner boards in the first period of Thursday night's 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, giving Dackell a concussion, two cuts to his face and 30 stitches.

"I feel horrible about it," said Lindros, who was not penalized. "He twisted and dropped his head. Nobody wants to see anybody lying on the ice."

Dackell, whose visor was forced into his face by the boards, crumpled to the ice. He received medical attention on the ice before finally being taken -- with blood smeared down his face -- to the dressing room on a stretcher.

Team officials said he sustained a concussion and cuts over his right eye and down his right cheek. Each cut required 15 stitches to close.

Referee Richard Trottier said it was a legal hit.

"Those things happen," Trottier said. "It was not from behind. For me, it was a legal check. He used his body."

Ottawa coach Jacques Martin disagreed.

"It should have been a penalty," Martin said.

The extensive delay prompted Trottier to stop the first period early and tag the remaining 4:47 onto the start of the second period following the first intermission.

The Senators scored all three goals in that final four minutes.

Radek Bonk opened the scoring with 3:52 remaining in the first. Andreas Johansson made it 2-0 with 1:27 left and then scored his second of the game, and fourth of the season, wit 12 seconds left.

"The hit motivated us more but we had a pretty good period going," Ottawa defenseman Lance Pitlick said.

The victory ended the Senators' string of 12 consecutive losses to Philadelphia, dating to April 26, 1995.

Damian Rhodes stopped 28 shots for Ottawa, allowing only Lindros's shorthanded goal with 9:21 remaining in the third period. Lindros has seven goals this season.

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