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BOX SCORE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Just when the adversity seemed too big to
overcome, the Philadelphia Flyers found a way -- again.
After coming back from cancer, concussions, the Eric Lindros
mess and a two-game deficit to Pittsburgh, the Flyers pulled off
another great escape, overcoming a late two-goal deficit against
the New Jersey Devils with the help of one of Rick Tocchet's
biggest nights in hockey.
|  | | Rick Tocchet, center, created havoc against the Devils by crashing the net all night in Game 2. |
Tocchet scored two goals, set up another and made the big play
that set up Daymond Langkow's game-winner as the Flyers rallied to
beat the Devils 4-3 Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference
finals.
"Whether we win or not, this team is special, I don't care what
happens from here on out," Tocchet said. "Like I said, the stuff
that has gone on here, it's amazing what these guys have done. It
could be a nice story."
Just to recap. Flyers coach Roger Neilson was diagnosed with
cancer in February and replaced by Craig Ramsay. Lindros, the
superstar center, hasn't played since March because of a concussion
and later was stripped of his captaincy for criticizing team
doctors. Keith Primeau got a concussion. Philadelphia rallied from
an 0-2 deficit to beat the Penguins in the last round.
And now this remarkable rally against the Devils, a team that
was playing its best hockey since winning the Stanley Cup in 1995.
"Our whole team was determined tonight," Ramsay said. "We
played gritty, we played hard. We did a good job of winning the
battles late in the game."
The series shifts to the Continental Airlines Arena for Games 3
and 4 on Thursday and Saturday. New Jersey is 22-4-2 against
Philadelphia in the building over the last five years, and only the
Flyers latest gut check in the face of adversity prevented the
Devils from going home up 2-0.
Tocchet, acquired in a trade with Phoenix on March 8, prevented
that by orchestrating a three-goal outburst in a 2:37 span that
bridged the end of the second period and start of the third. Brian
Boucher made the lead stand, in what turned out to be a chippy
game, with saves on Bobby Holik and Patrik Elias in the final 35
seconds.
"For about a five-minute segment we lost or composure and
played Flyers hockey instead of Devils hockey, pushing and shoving,
gloves in the face," Devils coach Larry Robinson said. "You know
they feed off that stuff and that's not our style."
Scott Gomez, Jason Arnott and Elias scored for New Jersey, which
lost for only the third time in 12 playoff games.
With the Devils leading 3-1 late in the second period and ready
to sweep the opening two games in Philadelphia, Tocchet
single-handedly turned the series around. He set up Eric
Desjardins's goal with 38.8 seconds left in the period, scored 1:06
into the third and then went to the net and forced in Langkow's
game-winner off the back of defenseman Colin White at 1:58.
The big play was Desjardins' goal. The Devils were controlling
the play and Philadelphia wasn't getting any scoring chances.
That all changed shortly after New Jersey killed off a rare
penalty. Former Devils player Valeri Zelepukin won a battle along
the boards and Tocchet got the puck low in the left circle. He saw
Desjardins sneak in from the right point and sent a perfect
cross-ice pass that the defenseman redirected into an open net.
"We weathered the storm and then got the big goal by Desjardins
at the end of the period on a great play by Tocchet," said
Boucher, who had 30 saves.
Tocchet tied it 66 seconds into the third period, taking a
no-look pass from Primeau from behind the goal line and beating
Martin Brodeur from inside the right circle.
The game-winner came 52 seconds later and, at first, it appeared
Tocchet had his first career playoff hat trick. He crashed the net
on Langkow's slap shot against Brodeur and the puck caromed into
the net.
Tocchet was initially given credit for the goal and the game was
delayed five minutes as hundreds of hats were thrown on the ice.
"That five minutes was awesome," said Tocchet, who quipped
that Langkow told him not to change the goal so the crowd would
stay in the game. "It gets us back in the ballgame, the fans are
going crazy. Maybe it rattles them, I don't know?"
Replays showed the puck went in off the back of White, who was
desperately trying to hold back Tocchet -- going for the rebound on
the 2-on 1 break after a turnover by Scott Niedermayer.
Tocchet said being down 3-1 to New Jersey late in the second
does not bode well for anyone.
"You can look up the record, they are probably 60-1 in those
games," Tocchet guessed. "They never lose those types of games.
Getting that late goal in the second breathes life into us."
Philadelphia mistakes allowed the Devils to grab a two-goal lead
in the second.
Jason Arnott broke a 1-1 tie, taking a giveaway by Craig Berube
in center ice and beating Boucher with a 35-foot slap shot that
deflected off the stick of Flyers defenseman Chris Therien and went
into the net after hitting both goalposts at 2:51.
Elias stretched the lead to 3-1, scoring on a backhander on a
2-1 break that Boucher seemed to miss.
"We got away from our hockey for five minutes," Elias said.
"We weren't disciplined. It doesn't matter how much of a lead you
have, you have to play disciplined for 60 minutes."
"That's all it took, five minutes," Gomez added. "We let
Marty out to dry."
After being badly outplayed in a 4-1 loss in Game 1, Tocchet got
the Flyers going in Game 2 just 1:38 after the opening faceoff. He
won a battle in the corner and that led to a seeing-eye shot from
the left point by defenseman Adam Burt. A screened Brodeur made the
save, but Tocchet dragged the rebound across the crease with his
skate and put the puck into the open net despite being checked.
Gomez, who has scored three goals since Robinson told him to
pick up his play in the Toronto series, tied it at 13:23 by
deflecting a point shot by White past Boucher.
Tocchet felt the Devils might have been getting a little too
much respect after winning game 1.
"Everybody had us written off," Tocchet, who has 50 playoff
goals in 16 NHL seasons. "Maybe this game gets us back in. No one
has won the series but this get us back in the frame of mind that
we can beat them."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Daymond Langkow scores the game-winner.
avi: 802 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Rick Tocchet feeds Eric Desjardin, who scores.
avi: 882 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Scott Gomez redirects Colin White's shot into the net.
avi: 685 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tocchet gets the rebound and beats Martin Brodeur.
avi: 849 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jason Arnott fires a shot past Brian Boucher.
avi: 708 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Rick Tocchet says the Flyers can't give the Devils too much respect.
wav: 183 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Ken Daneyko believes the Devils need more intensity.
wav: 115 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Keith Primeau knows the series will be physical.
wav: 111 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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