Stanley Cup Roundup : Flyers Cash In When Ranger Goalie Froese Fans on Puck, 3-1

A little baseball crept into the NHL hockey playoffs Tuesday night at Philadelphia.

As goaltender Bob Froese attempted to clear the puck after making a save, he fanned on the puck, it scooted over to former teammate Tim Kerr and the Rangers were tough-luck losers.

Kerr pounced on the loose puck, knocked it into the open net to break a 1-1 tie late in the second period and the Flyers went on from there to a 3-1 victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven first round series.

It spoiled a brilliant performance by Froese, who was replaced this season as the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie by rookie Ron Hextall.

“I felt sharp,” Froese said after stopping 37 shots. “But there is no consolation if you lose.”

In each of the five games, the team scoring first has won it. In this one, Rick Tocchet, who also scored the last goal into an empty net, broke the scoreless tie early in the second period. He knocked in his own rebound.

Midway through the period, Hextall’s mistake allowed the Rangers to tie it. The young goalie tried, in vain, to beat Pierre Larouche to the puck deep in the Flyer zone. Larouche not only won the race, he tied the score.

Then came the infamous foul tip by Froese.

“I am disgusted with my team,” Coach Phil Esposito said. “I never had any trouble getting up for a playoff game or for the third period when were behind. This team did.”

Kerr’s cheap goal was the 11th time this season he has scored the game-winning goal.

Through most of the last period, the Flyers kept the pressure on, but Froese made one spectacular save after another. When his teammates managed only five weak shots on goal, though, it didn’t really matter what Froese did.

The sixth game of the series will be played Thursday night in New York.

Calgary 4, Winnipeg 3--Joe Mullen slipped the puck between goaltender Daniel Berthiame’s skates at 4:38 of the third period at Calgary to keep the Flames alive.

The Flames, who feel they can retain their jinx over the Edmonton Oilers if they can just make it to the second round, will try to even the series at three apiece Thursday night. However, they haven’t won a game all season at Winnipeg.

The Jets made a desperate effort to tie, but Doug Smail’s blast from point-blank was smothered by goalie Mike Vernon with just under a minute remaining.

Winnipeg center Dale Hawerchuk pulled the Jets even at 3-3 halfway through the second period when he scored his fourth goal of the series on a 40-foot blast.

Quebec 7, Hartford 5--During the regular season the Whalers were penalized just 18 minutes per game. Being the cleanest team in the NHL is one reason why they won the Adams Division.

All of a sudden, the Whalers, intimidated by the Nordiques in the opening game of the series, have turned into the most penalized team in the playoffs, averaging about 66 minutes per game in the penalty box.

In the fifth game at Hartford, silly penalties allowed the Nordiques to score five power-play goals and move within a victory of gaining the second round.

John Ogrodnick, who scored two of the power-play goals, completed his hat trick with just 1:07 remaining, converting a perfect pass from Paul Gillis.

The Whalers had 43 shots on goal, but managed to convert only one of nine power-play opportunities and that was the difference.

“Give the credit to Gillis on the winning goal,” Ogrodnick said. “It was a perfectly executed three-on-two break. All I had to do was put my stick on the puck.”

Former Whaler Riston Siltanen had five assists for the Nordiques.

New York Islanders 4, Washington 2--Goaltender Kelly Hrudey begged his teammates to just once give him the lead in the playoffs.

So, with the Islanders on the brink of elimination, Brad Lauer and Pat LaFontaine scored goals 20 seconds apart in the first period at Uniondale, N.Y., to give Hrudey his lead.

Guess what? The injury-riddled Islanders couldn’t hold it, but Greg Gilbert scored the game-winner at 14:13 of the last period and the Islanders cut the Capitals’ series lead to 3-2.

Although he didn’t hold the early lead, Hrudey stopped 40 shots in a brilliant game.

“He’s in a groove,” rookie Islander Coach Terry Simpson said. “We need big games from him and he’s giving them to us.”

Toronto 2, St. Louis 1--Goalie Ken Wregget turned in a fantastic performance at St. Louis and the Maple Leafs staved off elimination.

Wregget made 33 saves and Mike Allison broke a 1-1 tie when he picked up the puck in a scramble in front of the net and beat goalie Greg Millen with 8:36 to play.

Bernie Federko beat Wregget just 2:31 after the opening faceoff, but after that Wregget was the man in charge.