Devils Ride First-Period Burst

So much for the New Jersey Devils being simply a defensive team.

An unexpected burst of offense paved the way for a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 Sunday of the Eastern Conference finals.

Petr Sykora and Bobby Holik scored in a 26-second span late in a three-goal first period, and Martin Brodeur made 35 saves in the opener of the best-of-seven series.

“Everybody makes us out to be such a defensive team, that we trap all over the place,” Devil defenseman Ken Daneyko said. “But we’ve got a lot of offensive ability out there. Today was a good indication that we can play offensive if need be.”

Scott Niedermayer and Claude Lemieux also scored for the Devils, who won for the ninth time in 11 playoff games.

Mark Recchi scored for the Flyers, who will have to win Game 2 on Tuesday night to avoid falling behind, 2-0, at home for the second consecutive series.

“The way they scored goals is concerning,” Recchi said. “We gave the puck up and made mistakes.”

The Flyers weren’t alone in that in a game filled with great hitting and good goaltending by Brodeur and Flyer rookie Brian Boucher, who faced 24 shots.

The Flyers, who got some unexpected help with the return of Keith Primeau from a concussion, outshot New Jersey, 36-24. It was only the second time the Devils have been outshot in the playoffs, and it came one game after they set a modern-day NHL record limiting Toronto to six shots in their conference semifinal clincher Monday night.

“Marty made some big saves for us and they missed a couple of opportunities,” Devil Coach Larry Robinson said. “They used their speed well and got more shots than I would have liked. They got way too many chances so we’ll have to shore that up.”

Philadelphia had the better of the play until late in the first period with the score tied, 1-1.

Then Sykora gave New Jersey the lead for good with a backhander in front with 2:22 left in the period. Jason Arnott made the big play in the corner. He checked defenseman Eric Desjardins as he was going for the puck--the Flyers complained it was interference--and sent it to Sykora for a shot between Boucher’s legs.

Just as Sykora’s name was being announced as the goal scorer, Holik stretched the lead to 3-1 on a quick rush. Randy McKay got the puck over the Flyers’ blue line, pushed it ahead to Sergei Brylin, who found Holik for a cross-ice pass. Evading a check by Primeau, Holik finished into an open net.

Around the NHL

Dallas left wing Brenden Morrow will sit out the rest of the playoffs after breaking his right ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The rookie left the ice Saturday night in the final two minutes of the Colorado Avalanche’s 2-0 victory over the Stars. Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said he was unsure who would replace Morrow in the lineup for Game 2 today.