Rats Away, Panthers Will Play in East Finals

Florida’s first win of the series was a fluke, which was demonstrated by the loss in Game 2.

A three-year-old franchise beating the team with the best record in the East in a playoff series?

The sign at the Miami Arena said it all: “Pinch Me, I’m Dreaming.”

Wake up, you dirty rat.

The Panthers, a team given little chance at the start of the season even to make the playoffs, got 34 saves from John Vanbiesbrouck in a series-clinching 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night and are headed to the Eastern Conference finals.

Bill Lindsay had a short-handed goal in the first period and assisted on another for Florida, which beat the Flyers, 4-2, in the best-of-seven series. He figures he is at an amusement park.

“The further you go on this ride, the more excited you get,” he said. “I want to just keep riding and riding.”

The Panthers, in their first playoff run, will take on Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals.

Vanbiesbrouck held the Flyers scoreless for 116 minutes 46 seconds, stretching back to Game 5 until John LeClair scored in the third period for the Flyers. By then, the Panthers had the game well in hand.

“There are no words that can describe the way John Vanbiesbrouck has played in these playoffs,” Lindsay said. “It’s probably the best anyone has played in a long, long time.”

Rob Niedermayer, Dave Lowry and Johan Garpenlov scored in the third period for Florida, whose fans rained down plastic rats--the team’s unofficial mascot--onto the ice after every goal.

It was the second consecutive season the Flyers were eliminated by a team they were supposed to beat. Last season, New Jersey beat Philadelphia in six games en route to the Stanley Cup.

“We were the favorite coming into the series, we had the opportunity and generated chances, but we didn’t play up to our abilities,” Flyer Coach Terry Murray said. “The flow, the tempo and style we played all year successfully was not there.”

Lindsay was there in the first period when Philadelphia defenseman Petr Svoboda flubbed a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Lindsay took the puck and raced down the right boards as defenseman Karl Dykhuis tried to cut him off at the net.

Lindsay’s shot found net at 14:54 of the first period.

“Hextall made the first move and I just shot,” Lindsay said. “I got a lucky break and it went through his legs.”

Niedermayer gave Florida a 2-0 lead 2:55 into the third period when he scored off a faceoff. Lowry then scored his seventh goal of the playoffs--and fourth against the Flyers--when he was fed the puck in front of the net by Stu Barnes at 11:12 of the third period.

Garpenlov scored an empty-net goal off Lindsay’s pass.

Philadelphia--with the third-best regular season record in the NHL--was tied up all night by the Panthers’ forechecking. There were few second chances because the Panthers grabbed any loose rebounds.

Philadelphia goaltender Ron Hextall made 26 saves, but let two Florida goals go between his legs.

Flyer captain Eric Lindros had predicted a Philadelphia victory, but he had few offensive chances Tuesday night.

“I’m not going to point fingers at anyone,” Lindros said. “If anyone, I’ll point a finger at myself.”

He scored three goals in the series, but got little help.