Lindros Keys Quick Start to Lead Flyers Past Sabres in Five Games, 6-4

The Buffalo Sabres watched the storm swirl around them. It’s number was 88, and when it finished blowing, the Sabres had been scattered like dust.

Eric Lindros led an explosive first period that ended up being the difference in the Flyers’ 6-4 victory over Buffalo on Sunday at Philadelphia.

The win gave Philadelphia a four games to one victory in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference series and sent the Sabres to their seventh first-round playoff elimination in the last eight years.

“Eric was the dominating factor,” Sabres Coach John Muckler said. “He’s awesome. He’s the best player in the world. He took charge of the series.”

Lindros set up two goals, then scored a third as the Flyers jumped out to a 4-0 first-period lead that effectively ended whatever chance Buffalo had to climb back into the series.

The Flyers put 19 shots, a single-period high this season, on Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek in the first period as the Sabres had little success getting the puck out of their own zone.

Rod Brind’Amour made it 1-0, tucking in a Lindros slapshot that had caromed off the backboard at 4:30. Kevin Haller made it 2-0 at 14:19, Lindros made it 3-0 at 17:45, and Patrick Juhlin made it 4-0 with 1:56 left in the first period.

After LeClair scored 4:56 into the second period to give the Flyers a 5-0 lead, the Sabres came back to make it 5-3 with seven minutes to play, but Kevin Dineen’s goal at 15:30 ended the Buffalo challenge.

Pittsburgh 6, Washington 5--Luc Robitaille scored off Francois Leroux’s setup at 4:30 of overtime, giving the Penguins the victory at Pittsburgh.

Just as they did in Game 2, the Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit--this time with NHL scoring leader Jaromir Jagr finally breaking out with two goals--to cut Washington’s lead in the Eastern Conference series to 3-2. Game 6 will be Tuesday in Landover, Md.

The Penguins, finally playing with the desperation expected of a big favorite on the verge of elimination, trailed, 2-0, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4, but rallied each time, with Kevin Stevens’ second goal, at 11:42 of the third period, ultimately sending the game into overtime.

Quebec 4, New York Rangers 2--Mike Ricci, Wendel Clark and Chris Simon each scored their first playoff goals this season.

The Stanley Cup champion Rangers wasted a chance to finish off the Nordiques at Quebec, but will take a 3-2 lead back to New York on Tuesday.

Ricci, Clark and Simon, shut out thus far in the series, scored in the first period as the Nordiques came out strong and then held off the explosive Rangers.

Scott Young added an empty-net goal with 33 seconds left.

Mark Messier and Pat Verbeek had power-play goals in the first period for New York.

Dallas 4, Detroit 1--Andy Moog stopped 34 shots and the Stars’ penalty killers blanked one of the NHL’s best power-play teams at Dallas.

The Red Wings had defeated the Stars in all five regular-season meetings and the first three playoff games before Dallas came alive. The Red Wings can wrap up the Western Conference quarterfinal series tonight in Detroit.

The Stars got first-period goals from Greg Adams and Kevin Hatcher and their penalty killers shut out the Red Wings on five power-play opportunities.