Ducks Run Into First-Time Flyer

PHILADELPHIA --Adam Oates didn’t waste any time showing his new Philadelphia teammates why he is the leading playmaker in the NHL.

John LeClair scored on a rebound of a shot by the newly acquired Oates at 12:26 of the third period as the Flyers snapped a five-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks on Thursday night.

Oates, acquired from Washington for goaltender Maxime Ouellet and three draft picks on Tuesday, picked up his NHL-leading 58th assist on the play. After his shot from the circle was stopped by Duck goaltender Steve Shields, LeClair crashed in and hammered the rebound in the net.

“We were kind of all involved in the play, which is great,” Oates explained. “Rex [Mark Recchi] had it and was fighting off a guy. We gave him a little pick, a little bit of room. He went around the net and threw it across. It came to me, I shoveled it at the net and Johnny banged the rebound home.”

Oates, a 17-year NHL veteran, admitted he was nervous before the game.

For me, there should be a rule,” he said. “You know, your first game [after a trade] should be on the road. Getting rid of the butterflies on the road would make it a little bit easier.”

Philadelphia Coach Bill Barber was impressed with his new center.

“Adam came in and did an admirable job all the way around,” Barber said. “His game was a factor in our win tonight.”

The Ducks’ Jeff Friesen and Philadelphia’s Simon Gagne traded unassisted goals as the Flyers also snapped a five-game winless streak at home (0-4-1).

Shields had 21 saves for the Ducks, who had ended a nine-game winless string in Detroit on Tuesday by beating the Red Wings, 2-1.

Friesen scored unassisted on a breakaway at 11:33 of the first period. He picked off a cross-ice pass by Philadelphia’s Luke Richardson at the Duck blue line, skated in and went forehand, backhand, forehand to beat goaltender Brian Boucher, who stopped 15 shots.

Gagne tied it at 16:07 of the second period when his wrist shot from the right circle sailed under the crossbar for his 30th goal, the first time he has reached that milestone.

Both Shields and Duck Coach Bryan Murray said that officials missed an icing call before Gagne scored.

“Gagne’s goal was a tough angle goal and a scorer’s goal at that,” said Murray. “But it was an icing and it wasn’t called. The linesman said it was touched by someone but I didn’t think it was.”

“There was an icing, there was a missed call,” Shields said.

“I didn’t see the puck when he shot it. Somebody tried to step in front to block it and I didn’t even see where it went in. I just heard it clang off the post.”