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Stanley Cup Playoffs : Flyers Win at Montreal on Poulin’s Overtime Goal

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Associated Press

They’re hurt, they’re in a desperate situation and they’ve been written off.

That’s when the Philadelphia Flyers are at their best.

The Flyers stayed alive in the National Hockey League playoffs Tuesday night, beating the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, on Dave Poulin’s rebound goal at 5:02 of overtime. Poulin, playing with a broken bone in his foot that must be iced before and after every game, extended the Wales Conference final to Game 6, at Philadelphia Thursday night.

Montreal leads the series 3-2.

“As far as this team goes, that’s the biggest goal I ever scored,” Poulin said. “We’ve played well the last three games, they’ve been three of the strongest we have played, and we didn’t change anything.

“The next game also is a must. We certainly hope to be back here.”

Poulin sent the rebound of Derrick Smith’s shot past goalie Patrick Roy from 10 feet out for his sixth goal of the playoffs. Smith had scored the Flyers’ other goal, at 3:53 of the second period.

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Goaltender Ron Hextall, sidelined by a knee injury for the first three games of the series and a loser in the fourth game, stymied the Canadiens until 4:14 remained. His best save came on a breakaway by Mats Naslund in the second period, but Naslund came back to set up the tying goal.

Naslund’s long slap shot went wide of the net and caromed to Larry Robinson at the left of Hextall. Robinson, playing in his 196th playoff game, an NHL record, passed to Bobby Smith for a short backhander over the fallen Hextall. It was Smith’s seventh goal of the playoffs.

Montreal’s Mike Keane had a chance to win it with 17 seconds left in regulation. He stole the puck from Jeff Chychrun and took a snap shot from 40 feet that Hextall gloved.

Derrick Smith’s goal came when Ilkka Sinisalo stripped the puck from Chris Chelios behind the Montreal goal and flipped a pass into the slot. Smith’s 10-footer went past Roy’s glove.

The Canadiens kept pressing for the tying goal but couldn’t dent Hextall. The goalie made a stick save on Stephane Richer’s hard drive 50 seconds into the third period, and Naslund sent a loose puck directly across the crease later in the period.

Roy was beaten by Terry Carkner, but his shot hit the crossbar at three minutes. Then Mike Bullard got open, but hit Roy in the pads.

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With 5:41 to play in the third period, Hextall was under pressure and moved the net off its hinges. He was booed by the crowd and a fan threw a cup filled with liquid on him.

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