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BOX SCORE
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Dave Andreychuk felt sorry for Flyers
goalie Roman Cechmanek. There was nothing more to say.
|  | | Steve Heinz offers a big hug to Donald Audette, who just scored one of the Sabres' eight goals in a shutout of the Flyers. |
Andreychuk had a power-play goal and two assists as Buffalo
scored on five of its first nine shots and stunned Philadelphia 8-0
Saturday to win the first-round playoff series 4-2.
"It was one of those games, and I've been in a few of them where everything goes your way," said Andreychuk, whose power-play goal gave the Sabres a 4-0 lead with 1:14 left in the first period.
"We got the bounces, we got the breaks. I feel bad for the
goalie because he had a great year, a great series. It was just one
of those things."
It was Buffalo's largest margin of victory in a playoff game,
and Philadelphia's worst-ever defeat in the playoffs. The Flyers
have been beaten by six goals three times, the last coming in a 9-3
loss to the New York Rangers 18 years ago in the last playoff game
of Flyers coach Bill Barber's stellar playing career.
"It sure wasn't the way we wanted to continue on or finish the
series," a subdued Barber said. "We had a couple of wins, and
then it felt like the wheels fell off our wagon."
It certainly was unexpected.
Through the first five games of the series, two of which were
won by Buffalo in overtime, each team scored a total of 13 goals
and each held only one two-goal lead.
Buffalo, which turned in a lackluster performance in a 3-1 loss
in Philadelphia in Game 5 on Thursday night, vowed to get off to a
good start and that's exactly what the Sabres did as they dominated
play, scoring three power-play goals.
"They came out strong, but it was a little bit of us not ready
to play," said Philadelphia's John LeClair, who was on the ice for
three of the final four goals. "Everything snowballed from there.
We didn't help him (Cechmanek) too much."
Everybody figured the series would be a battle between two Czech
goalies -- Cechmanek and Dominik Hasek. Cechmanek had 35 wins during
the season and was 4-0 against Hasek and the Sabres.
But with the series on the line, the 30-year-old rookie, who backed up Hasek as the Czech Republic won the gold medal at the 1998 Olympics, flopped in the biggest game of his young NHL career.
After the game, the two goalies chatted briefly at center ice
after the traditional handshake and skated off to dressing rooms
with starkly different atmospheres.
"We were all over the ice. They had maybe one chance the whole
first period," said Hasek, who made 24 saves for his sixth career
playoff shutout.
"It seemed like almost every shot at the net went in."
Andreychuk set up goals by Chris Gratton at 2:23 and Doug
Gilmour at 13:20 -- on a power play -- and Donald Audette made it 3-0
at 17:49 as the Sabres rolled to a commanding lead. Buffalo
finished with three power-play goals on six chances.
"We went to the (Stanley Cup) finals two years ago and we saw
that special teams are going to win you games and essentially win
you series," said Gratton, a former Flyers player who scored five
goals in the series.
"Any time you get a few goals on a team and they're facing
elimination, it really takes the wind out of their sails. We got a
three-goal lead and really just kept rolling from there."
Jean-Pierre Dumont's breakaway goal just 3:25 into the second
period gave Buffalo a 5-0 lead. Cechmanek then was replaced by
Brian Boucher.
"We can't say anything bad about Roman," Philadelphia
defenseman Eric Desjardins said. "He was strong throughout the
series. It's a team sport -- you win as a team and lose as a team."
Philadelphia, hardly the Broad Street bullies of yesteryear who
fought their way to Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, entered the game
as the least-penalized team in the playoffs. But when Flyers
defenseman Chris Terrien was called for roughing, the Sabres
quickly took advantage, scoring their second goal of the game in
just 27 seconds.
"We played a very good game from start to finish," Hasek said.
"You don't expect after 14 shots to get up 7-0. It doesn't happen
every day. He (Cechmanek) had a great season. One bad game doesn't
change the whole season."
Game notes
The Flyers have won only one of 10 series they've trailed
3-2. ... The Sabres had taken a 3-2 lead into Game 6 twice before
and won both, beating Montreal in the Wales Conference finals in
1975 _ the year they lost to the Flyers in the finals _ and Boston
in the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Buffalo Clubhouse
Sabres-Flyers Series Page
RECAPS
Buffalo 8
Philadelphia 0
Los Angeles 3
Detroit 2
St. Louis 2
San Jose 1
Pittsburgh 2
Washington 1
Dallas 3
Edmonton 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Chris Gratton's tipin shot puts Buffalo on the board early in the first period.
avi: 1614 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Doug Gilmour scores off the assists from Dave Andreychuk and Alexi Zhitnik.
avi: 931 k
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'Cable Modem
Donald Audette rifles one into the back of the net against Philadelphia.
avi: 1152 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Dave Andreychuk scores the power-power goal.
avi: 1628 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Jean-Pierre Dumont scores a quick backhander against Philadelphia.
avi: 1186 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
 Dominik Hasek wasn't expecting the Sabres to win the way they did.
wav: 180 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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