Stanley Cup Playoffs : Flyers Loosen Canadiens’ Grip on Cup

Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider, his team just one win away from the Stanley Cup finals, walked into the locker room and grabbed Pelle Eklund.

“How’s the leg?” he asked his new star. Eklund, looking puzzled, said with his heavy Swedish accent: “Oh, it’s fine. I feel OK.”

Actually, it was his back that Eklund landed on after his breakaway goal gave him a hat trick in the Flyers’ 6-3 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens Sunday night.

And it was his wrist that the trainers iced and bandaged heavily, the result of an injury in the game before, when Eklund scored two goals.

After Eklund’s five goals in two games have given the Flyers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Wales Conference finals, the fourth-line center felt no pain.

“I don’t know why this is happening,” he said. “Inside of me, I’m excited. I keep it all inside. You feel comfortable when you score, the puck goes your way maybe. Who knows? I don’t.

“I never could dream of this. But it’s a good time to get hot.”

A victory in Game 5 Tuesday night at the Spectrum will pit the Flyers against the winner of the Campbell final, the Edmonton Oilers or the Detroit Red Wings. The Oilers lead, 2-1, and play at Detroit tonight.

Eklund, who came into Game 3 with one playoff goal, scored the go-ahead goal in the second period--2:01 after Montreal had rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a tie--and added a pair of third-period goals.