Three Is Crowd at Top of the East

It’s easy to get caught up in the race for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference because there’s a large chance of an oddity--New Jersey failing to make the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup last season--and an ebb and flow of emotions in Washington, Boston and Tampa Bay with almost every game.

But the race for the top spot, with its home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, is about as tight and got even tighter Friday night in New York when the Rangers’ Brian Leetch tied the score with 20 seconds to play in the second period and Pat Verbeek broke that tie early in the third period of a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Leetch’s goal was a key.

“We weren’t real sharp,” Flyer goaltender Ron Hextall said. “We were up by a goal with [20] seconds left in the second period. It was a big-time missed opportunity.”

New York won with its captain and leading scorer, Mark Messier, in the stands, nursing a rib injury.

“I think we showed a little character,” Ranger Coach Colin Campbell said.

The Rangers moved within two points of Pittsburgh and one of the second-place Flyers in the Atlantic Division.

OTHER GAMES

Buffalo goaltender Andrei Trefilov held Tampa Bay scoreless for nearly two periods and the Sabres hung on for a 4-3 victory at St. Petersburg, Fla. The loss kept the Lightning only two points ahead of New Jersey for the final playoff spot in the East. . . . Randy Cunneyworth had two goals and an assist for the Senators, who handed the New York Islanders their 11th consecutive defeat, 4-2, at Ottawa. . . . Gary Suter and Bernie Nicholls scored on power plays 44 seconds apart late in the third period for Chicago, which earned a 3-3 tie at Dallas.