NHL ROUNDUP : Flyer Opportunity Is Lost in Slow Motion

The shot was long, tantalizingly slow and agonizingly effective. Philadelphia goalie Tommy Soderstrom saw it, then didn’t see it again until he was fishing it out of the net behind him.

The Flyers might have lost a playoff spot because of it.

Gord Murphy’s lazy back-hander from just inside the blue line at 6:11 of the third period gave the Florida Panthers a 3-3 tie at Philadelphia.

It left the Flyers three points behind Florida in the race for the eighth and final Eastern playoff spot with three games to play.

“We needed two points. We got one,” Flyer Coach Terry Simpson said. “It puts us in a bit of a deeper hole. We have to win our games, but they can put us away by winning. We needed help before. We need some more now.”

Boston 5, Ottawa 4--The Bruins rallied with goals by Daniel Morois and Bryan Smolinski in the third period at Boston.

Quebec 5, Hartford 2--Second-period power-play goals by Joe Sakic and Scott Young gave the Nordiques a victory at Quebec.

Vancouver 3, San Jose 2--Pavel Bure scored his league-leading 57th and 58th goals for the Canucks at home.