Defense Is Key to 4-1 Flyer Win

Difficult as it might be to believe, Wayne Gretzky was held without a goal Tuesday night.

Or an assist.

Or a shot.

The Philadelphia Flyers held the Edmonton Oiler center completely in check and, as a result, scored a 4-1 victory over the defending NHL champions before a sellout crowd of 17,191 fans at the Spectrum.

The win, the Flyers’ fourth of the season against the Oilers, gives them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final.

For one night, at least, The Great One became the Not-So-Great-One.

It was a defensive masterpiece by Philadelphia. Goalie Pelle Lindbergh and the Flyers held the highest-scoring team in the league without a goal for almost 57 minutes in extending their unbeaten streak against the Oilers to nine games (8-0-1).

Gretzky, the leading scorer in the NHL during the regular season and the playoffs, couldn’t get going against Philadelphia’s hard-checking defense.

“I don’t think the Flyers did anything special to stop Wayne,” Edmonton Coach Glen Sather said. “I think he stopped himself. He just wasn’t shooting. It’s not very often that you see him play like that.”

Gretzky has been bothered by a cold for the past few days, but he didn’t use it as an excuse for his poor showing Tuesday.

“They’re a good hockey team. They played well all year,” Gretzky said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of chances tonight.

“I’m not going to go out and play dead. I’ve been playing seven years and I’ve had some bad games.”

Gretzky had a shot an an empty net in the second period, but he hit the side of the left post. It didn’t count as a shot.

“This isn’t the first time I didn’t get a shot in a game,” Gretzky said, admitting, however, that he could not remember the last time it happened.

Flyer Coach Mike Keenan assigned center Ron Sutter to shadow Gretzky. It worked.

“Ron Sutter was outstanding, just outstanding,” Keenan said.

Defenseman Brad Marsh agreed but said Sutter had help.

“It just wasn’t Ron Sutter,” Marsh said. “If he didn’t pick him up, his wingers (Derrick Smith and Rick Tocchet) did. It was all five guys on the ice at the same time.”

Sutter also had a big game on offense, scoring an unassisted goal in the third period and assisting on an empty-net goal by center Dave Poulin with 21 seconds left after the Oilers had pulled goalie Grant Fuhr.

Asked whether it felt better to shut down Gretzky or score the goal, Sutter said: “Neither. Winning the game was more important. We realize now that we’re one step closer to winning the Stanley Cup. One win doesn’t make a series, but three more do.”

Lindbergh, who won more games than any goalie in the NHL this season, also was sharp, facing 26 shots. He got a standing ovation after he stopped Edmonton defenseman Paul Coffey on a breakaway in the third period.

“We played a great game,” Lindbergh said. “They had no real chances in the first two periods. But you always have to keep an eye on someone like Gretzky. He’s the best player in the league. You know if you give him too much room, he’s going to score.”

The Flyers dominated the game from the start, taking a 3-0 lead on a first-period power-play goal by right wing Ilkka Sinisalo and a pair of third-period goals by Sutter and Tim Kerr.

Sather said that the Oilers were hurt by a poor ice surface and bad pucks. The Spectrum ice appeared to be in bad shape because it had been covered by wooden boards for several days because of two rock concerts and a basketball game.

“I think they’re using those cheap pucks approved by the NHL,” Sather said. “You take a shot, and they wobble too much.”

Presumably, both teams were playing on the same ice and using the same pucks, though.

The Oilers spent the first two periods killing penalties, giving the Flyers six power plays in the first 40 minutes.

The Flyers had a five-on-three advantage with 5:47 left in the first period after penalties to Oiler right wing Willy Lindstrom (for crosschecking) and to defenseman Charlie Huddy (for hooking).

Sinisalo scored his sixth goal of the playoffs with 4:55 left in the first period. Fuhr blocked a shot by Kerr, but Sinisalo got the rebound and put it past Fuhr on the glove side and into the far corner of the net.

Sinisalo also had a goal disallowed on a controversial play 39 seconds into the second period. He got a pass from Mark Howe and beat Fuhr. But Edmonton defenseman Kevin Lowe crashed into the net as the puck was going in and knocked the net off the magnets that hold it in place. Referee Andy Van Hellemond refused to allow the goal.

“There’s not too much you can do about it,” Sinisalo said. “The official wasn’t going to change his mind, so it wasn’t going to help to complain. I didn’t see the replay, so I really can’t say anything. I probably waited too long to shoot.”

Fuhr, who faced 41 shots, kept the Oilers in the game with several outstanding saves.

The Flyers opened the third period with two goals.

Sutter cashed in on a giveaway by Coffey at 5:56 of the period when he beat Fuhr for an unassisted goal on a shot to his glove side.

Less than three minutes later, Fuhr mishandled a shot by Kerr, and the puck squirted free to Poulin. Poulin pushed the puck back over to Kerr, who scored on a backhander at 8:07.