LeClair Stays Hot for Flyers

John LeClair scored a conventional goal Sunday night as the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 2-0, at Buffalo to take a commanding lead in their first-round playoff series.

After spending the weekend answering questions about Friday’s controversial goal that cut through the mesh of the net, LeClair--one of the NHL’s most imposing scorers--showed that he can dribble one over the goal line.

“I kind of had a good feeling about this one,” LeClair said.

Philadelphia has a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series. Game 4 will be played at Buffalo on Tuesday.

LeClair’s power-play goal with 4:30 left in first period stood up as the game-winner while Mark Recchi clinched the victory by scoring into an empty net with 37.9 seconds left. Rookie goalie Brian Boucher recorded his first playoff shutout by stopping 17 shots.

The Flyers effectively put Friday’s controversy to rest.

“That controversy had nothing to do with us,” LeClair said. “We know we got a break and let’s move on and we played hard tonight.”

Simon Gagne, from behind the net, fed a centering pass to LeClair, who fired a shot between Dominik Hasek’s legs. Boucher, who was hardly tested, and the stifling Flyer defense did the rest.

After blaming the NHL and its officials for Friday’s 2-1 loss, the Sabres are now in a hole, and have only themselves to blame.

“We’ve got some guys who haven’t played up to par,” Sabre Coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’re going to win as a team or lose as a team. Collectively, we haven’t gotten the job done.”

Edmonton 5, Dallas 2--Doug Weight scored his first playoff hat trick to lead the Oilers at Edmonton.

The Oilers trail the Stars, 2-1, in the Western Conference first-round series. Game 4 is Tuesday night at Edmonton.

The win ended a nine-game playoff losing streak to the Stars, who have dominated Edmonton since the Oilers upset Dallas in the first round of the 1997 playoffs.

Weight’s third goal, on a power play just over six minutes into second period, gave the Oilers a 5-1 lead.

Weight, allowed to skate uncontested through the faceoff circle to the left of Ed Belfour, snapped a wrist shot between Belfour’s legs.

New Jersey 2, Florida 1--Scott Niedermayer returned from a 10-game suspension and tied the score and Scott Stevens got the game winner to help the Devils take a two-game lead in their playoff series.

Rookie John Madden set up both odd-man rush goals and Martin Brodeur stopped 22 shots as the Devils took a 2-0 advantage in the first-round Eastern Conference series by winning the first two at home.

The game was the first for Niedermayer since an ugly incident March 19, when he hit Florida’s Peter Worrell over the head with his stick after being elbowed.