Fan Involvement Taken to Extreme in Flyers’ Loss

Toronto’s Tie Domi hadn’t had a fight in the penalty box since he was a teenager. Back then, he took on a mascot. This time it was a fan.

Domi wrestled with a spectator who jumped from the second row and landed on the glass separating the box from the crowd during the Maple Leafs’ 2-1 victory Thursday night over the Flyers at Philadelphia.

“Hey that’s old-time hockey, it was perfect,” Domi said, laughing. “Hey, he comes into my territory, that’s what happens.”

Domi, who had just been penalized early in the third period, twice poured water over taunting fans in the front row before the attacking fan, Chris Falcone, jumped from the second row and landed on the glass.

Falcone leaned into it while throwing a punch at Domi that didn’t connect. He then fell into the box as Domi grabbed him.

“They threw stuff at me. Once was enough. After the second one, I told the guy in the penalty box that after one more I was going to squirt water. So I squirted water,” Domi said. “I mean, I didn’t plan on fighting anybody.”

Falcone, who was treated by medical personnel at the arena and did not go to a hospital, was given a police citation that requires a court appearance.

Jonas Hoglund scored the game-winning goal less than a minute later as the Maple Leafs defeated the Flyers for the second time in five days.

Nashville 4, Phoenix 3--David Legwand scored his second goal of the game 36 seconds into overtime as the Predators handed the Coyotes a critical loss at Nashville.

The Predators were eliminated from playoff contention and the road got a little tougher for the Coyotes, who currently own the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.

Phoenix, in eighth place, is one point ahead of the Kings.

New York Rangers 6, New York Islanders 4--Radek Dvorak scored a career-high four goals as the Rangers completed a home-and-home sweep of the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.

Petr Nedved and Jan Hlavac each had a goal and assist, and Mark Messier and Manny Malhotra each had a pair of assists as the Rangers won consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 17-19. The Rangers won, 4-2, Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Pittsburgh 5, Chicago 2--Jaromir Jagr, trying for a fourth consecutive scoring title, had his fourth multiple-goal game in March and Mario Lemieux also had two goals as the Penguins defeated the Blackhawks at Pittsburgh.

Jagr, who began the night a point behind Colorado’s Joe Sakic in the scoring race, got four points on two goals and two assists. He put the Penguins ahead, 2-1, in the first period with his 45th goal and scored his 46th in the second.

Montreal 6, Tampa Bay 2--Martin Rucinsky scored on a penalty shot and Patrice Brisbois had his second consecutive game-winning goal to spark the Canadiens at Tampa, Fla.

Brisbois gave Montreal a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal with 1:59 left in the second period. Oleg Petrov added two goals in the third period and Chad Kilger also scored.

Earlier in the day, the Canadiens signed defenseman Ron Hainsey, their top pick in last year’s draft, to a three-year contract.

Colorado 1, Calgary 0--Rookie David Aebischer made 29 saves for his third shutout and Chris Drury scored with 4:39 remaining as the Avalanche won at Calgary, Canada.

The Avalanche won its 50th game of the season to break the franchise record of 49 set in 1996-97.

Around the League

Former Philadelphia Flyer captain Eric Lindros, who hopes to play for Canada in the Olympics, rejected a request from Team Canada to play in next month’s World Championship because there’s not enough training time before the tournament begins, said Bob Nicholson, the president of the Canadian Hockey Assn.