NHL PLAYOFFS : Flyers Complete Sweep to End Rangers’ Season

The Philadelphia Flyers put the New York Rangers in an early hole and buried their chances for a repeat Stanley Cup.

“We weren’t able to compete physically. They were bigger, faster, and they overmatched us,” Ranger captain Mark Messier said after Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Flyers that eliminated New York from the Stanley Cup playoffs in a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“You don’t need a lot of experience when they beat us as handily as they did.”

The Flyers, in the playoffs for the first time in six years, played like postseason veterans, dominating the Rangers from start to finish for the second game in a row in New York.

“We lacked execution,” said Ranger goaltender Glenn Healy. “We always seemed to be just a step behind.”

Actually, they were four goals behind before the second period was complete, and they weren’t going to make that up against Flyer goalie Ron Hextall, who made 31 saves.

The Flyers got two goals from defenseman Karl Dykhuis and one each from Mikael Renberg and Anatoli Semenov. Mark Osborne scored for the Rangers.

The last Stanley Cup champion to be swept in a playoff round the following year was the Flyers, who lost to Montreal in 1976.

Healy said the Flyers seemed to gain confidence following two overtime victories in Philadelphia when they came back from early deficits. They came into New York and simply overpowered the Rangers in Games 3 and 4.

“The first two games shouldn’t have effected the last two,” Healy said. “But I think when they overcame those deficits, the mystique of playing the Stanley Cup champions was off.”

New Jersey 2, Pittsburgh 1--Alone at the side of the net, Neal Broten took a pass from John MacLean and scored his second goal of the game with 1:24 left in overtime in East Rutherford, N.J., to give the Devils a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

MacLean set up the game-winner by skating down the right side, swinging around the net and then finding Broten alone at the right corner against a defenseless Ken Wregget, who was spectacular while making 49 saves.

“Actually I thought he was going to shoot it when he was coming wide,” said Broten, who came to the Devils earlier this year in a trade with Dallas. “I thought there might be a rebound like I got on the first goal. But he went around and I stopped at the side and waited there.”

Ron Francis had the Penguins’ goal, but he missed a rebound attempt with 11 minutes left in the overtime that could have evened the best-of-seven series.