ATD#8 Foster Hewitt Round 1: #2 Gwinnett vs. #7 St. Louis
- Thread starter VanIslander
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VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Gwinnett Gladiators
PP1: Kharlamov - Cowley - Verbeek - Leetch - Bondra
PP2: Shutt - Morenz - Hedberg - Sologubov - Tsygankov
PK1: Sanderson - Peplinski - S.Smith - Tsygankov
PK2: Carpenter - Young - Sologubov - Tregubov
vs.
St. Louis Eagles
PP1: Naslund - Yzerman - Nolan - Babych - Svedberg
PP2: Brian Sutter - Stastny - Gartner - Pospisil - Bubla
PK1: Yzerman - Lonsberry - Langway - Johansson
PK2: Brent Sutter - Koroll - Pospisil - Bubla
PP1: Kharlamov - Cowley - Verbeek - Leetch - Bondra
PP2: Shutt - Morenz - Hedberg - Sologubov - Tsygankov
PK1: Sanderson - Peplinski - S.Smith - Tsygankov
PK2: Carpenter - Young - Sologubov - Tregubov
vs.
St. Louis Eagles
PP1: Naslund - Yzerman - Nolan - Babych - Svedberg
PP2: Brian Sutter - Stastny - Gartner - Pospisil - Bubla
PK1: Yzerman - Lonsberry - Langway - Johansson
PK2: Brent Sutter - Koroll - Pospisil - Bubla
This will likely be the most offensive match-up in the first round. Both teams are loaded with high-quality offensive players.
How do you spell "speed" in eight letters? Gwinnett. This team can fly. The first line is one of the fastest in the draft, and they have likely found a match-up that won't expose their physical shortcomings. Second line is very fast, too, except for Shutt, but he gives Gwinnett a strong presence in front of the net. Guys like Carpenter and Young bring lots of speed to the bottom two lines. Lots of speed on the blue-line, too, with the Soviets, Pratt and especially Leetch.
You want goals? St. Louis can score. The top two lines are potent. The third line brings lots of grit, and Roenick and Nolan are very capable offensively.
Fraser-Brent Sutter-Koroll is a very good defensive line, but when you consider it's the best in this series, you get a better sense of the offence in this series.
Both teams have loaded up on European defencemen. Gwinnett has more offensive skill and speed; St. Louis has more grit and toughness. Calle Johansson is very underrated.
Give St. Louis the edge in goal. If St. Lou is to win, Glenn Hall will need a 1969-esque performance. Hall's playoff record would be best described as a roller coaster - several sensational performances mixed with several disappointing ones. But he should give St. Louis a decided edge in goal.
I don't know if I've ever seen a bigger edge behind the bench than Bowman vs. Starsi. It's not a typical Bowman-type team, but we saw Bowman succeed with different types of teams over the years. And one common denominator with his teams was speed.
How do you spell "speed" in eight letters? Gwinnett. This team can fly. The first line is one of the fastest in the draft, and they have likely found a match-up that won't expose their physical shortcomings. Second line is very fast, too, except for Shutt, but he gives Gwinnett a strong presence in front of the net. Guys like Carpenter and Young bring lots of speed to the bottom two lines. Lots of speed on the blue-line, too, with the Soviets, Pratt and especially Leetch.
You want goals? St. Louis can score. The top two lines are potent. The third line brings lots of grit, and Roenick and Nolan are very capable offensively.
Fraser-Brent Sutter-Koroll is a very good defensive line, but when you consider it's the best in this series, you get a better sense of the offence in this series.
Both teams have loaded up on European defencemen. Gwinnett has more offensive skill and speed; St. Louis has more grit and toughness. Calle Johansson is very underrated.
Give St. Louis the edge in goal. If St. Lou is to win, Glenn Hall will need a 1969-esque performance. Hall's playoff record would be best described as a roller coaster - several sensational performances mixed with several disappointing ones. But he should give St. Louis a decided edge in goal.
I don't know if I've ever seen a bigger edge behind the bench than Bowman vs. Starsi. It's not a typical Bowman-type team, but we saw Bowman succeed with different types of teams over the years. And one common denominator with his teams was speed.
Rick Middleton
Registered User
Hot damn! How did I finish 2nd? Not that I'm complaining but I expected to be middle of the pack. Sweet.
Back to the matter at hand, how do the playoffs work exactly? Do we vote on individual games or the entire series? If it's the latter I may want to juggle my lines somewhat.
Back to the matter at hand, how do the playoffs work exactly? Do we vote on individual games or the entire series? If it's the latter I may want to juggle my lines somewhat.
- Feb 24, 2003
- 29,961
- 3,052
Unless it's changed since i participated you vote on the entire series and give your three star selection for the series.
Rick Middleton
Registered User
Rick Middleton
Registered User
It's odd how much these two teams parallel each other in some respects. Take for example our 3rd lines.
Left Wing
Bobby Carpenter - Superb scorer in the minors (the Can't Miss Kid according to Sports Illustrated) who started his career with decent success as a sniper in the majors (avg. 34 goals/season in first 5 season) but turned into a great defensive player in the latter half of his career.
Ross Lonsberry - Superb scorer in the minors (144 points in only 60 games with the Estavan Bruins in 1966) who started his career with decent success as a sniper in the majors (20+ goals playing with MacLeish and Dornhoefer) but turned into a great defensive player in the latter half of his career.
Center
Vyacheslav Starshinov - An aggressive tenacious player with very good offensive skills (ranked first on the list of the top scoring Soviet leader for decades till Boris Mikhailov broke his scoring record), loves to hit and was a leader on his team. Not a big player but played with the big dogs.
Jeremy Roenick - An aggressive tenacious player with very good offensive skills (40+ goals 4 years in a row), loves to hit and was a leader on his team. Not a big player but played with the big dogs.
Right Wing
Pat Verbeek - A downright nasty player to go against (nicknamed "The Little Ball of Hate") with very good 2 way skills (40+ goals 4 times in his career) who loved to hit.
Owen Nolan - A downright nasty player to go against (preeminent power forward with 9 100+ pim seasons) with very good 2 way skills (40+ goals twice in his career and multiple 30+ seasons) who loved to hit.
The only significant differences between these two lines are Starshinov's better offensive skills and Nolan's greater size. Beyond that it's almost a wash.
Left Wing
Bobby Carpenter - Superb scorer in the minors (the Can't Miss Kid according to Sports Illustrated) who started his career with decent success as a sniper in the majors (avg. 34 goals/season in first 5 season) but turned into a great defensive player in the latter half of his career.
Ross Lonsberry - Superb scorer in the minors (144 points in only 60 games with the Estavan Bruins in 1966) who started his career with decent success as a sniper in the majors (20+ goals playing with MacLeish and Dornhoefer) but turned into a great defensive player in the latter half of his career.
Center
Vyacheslav Starshinov - An aggressive tenacious player with very good offensive skills (ranked first on the list of the top scoring Soviet leader for decades till Boris Mikhailov broke his scoring record), loves to hit and was a leader on his team. Not a big player but played with the big dogs.
Jeremy Roenick - An aggressive tenacious player with very good offensive skills (40+ goals 4 years in a row), loves to hit and was a leader on his team. Not a big player but played with the big dogs.
Right Wing
Pat Verbeek - A downright nasty player to go against (nicknamed "The Little Ball of Hate") with very good 2 way skills (40+ goals 4 times in his career) who loved to hit.
Owen Nolan - A downright nasty player to go against (preeminent power forward with 9 100+ pim seasons) with very good 2 way skills (40+ goals twice in his career and multiple 30+ seasons) who loved to hit.
The only significant differences between these two lines are Starshinov's better offensive skills and Nolan's greater size. Beyond that it's almost a wash.
A very interesting match up. Two well balanced offenses.
St Louis is a grittier, with better goaltending.
Gwinette is faster, with better coaching.
St Louis's forwards are going to be very physical with Gwinette's wings and defensemen along the boards.
St Louis is a grittier, with better goaltending.
Gwinette is faster, with better coaching.
St Louis's forwards are going to be very physical with Gwinette's wings and defensemen along the boards.
What I like about St. Louis is their forwards. They have a very potent offense, but their forwards also have frame of mind to go back and help the D when they're struggling. That should help against a team like the Gladiators who are balls out offense.
Rick Middleton
Registered User
I'm going to do a line by line match-up of our teams, trying to be as neutral as possible.
Forwards
Gwinnett holds a significant offensive advantage here. Kharlamov and Hedberg should light up the lamp significantly more than Naslund and McDonald. Offensively Morenz and Yzerman are a wash ... dependent of course on which Steve Yzerman we're talking about. If it's early career Stevie Y it's a wash. If it's latter career Stevie Y then Morenz has a significant advantage.
Defensively St. Louis has the slight advantage because of McDonald ... again dependent on which Stevie Y we're talking about. I'm not expecting much defensive play out of Kharlamov or Hedberg, so Morenz will have to ensure that he's playing both ways effectively ... which he can.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Morenz
Physically McDonald gives St. Louis the edge. Yzerman can hit but isn't out there to hit, ditto with Morenz. Kharlamov is a tough player, but I'm not expecting physicality out of him. Hedberg and Naslund are, well, to be blunt, soft.
Almost reads like the 1st entry. Offensively Gwinnett has a significant advantage (Shutt versus Sutter gives Gwinnett the advantage with the other 2 positions being a virtual wash). Defensively and physically St. Louis has the advantage because of Sutter. However, Sutter wasn't a big man, so Gwinnett should be able to fight through their checking.
See my previous post. These lines are virtually identical in all respects.
Oddly enough the 4th line may define who wins this series, and in all honesty I give Gwinnett the advantage here. Sanderson and Sutter are a virtual wash, Sutter had more offensive output in his career (not talent wise but output), but I'd give Sanderson the slight advantage defensively based on his work with Westfall and Marcotte (no slight to Sutter who was a great 2-way player). Peplinski is the better player all-around versus Koroll, I can't see this being much of an argument. Scott Young holds a significant advantage over Fraser offensively. Fraser would be the chippier of the two, but physically they're virtually identical.
Still to be analyzed
Brian Leetch - Steve Smith
Babe Pratt - Gennady Tsygankov
Nikolai Sologubov - Ivan Tregubov
Georges Vezina
John Vanbiesbrouck
versus
Rod Langway - Lennart Svedberg
Frantisek Pospisil - Jiri Bubla
Calle Johansson - Dave Babych
Glenn Hall
Mike Liut
Forwards
Valery Kharlamov - Howie Morenz - Anders Hedberg
versus
Markus Naslund - Steve Yzerman - Lanny McDonald
versus
Markus Naslund - Steve Yzerman - Lanny McDonald
Gwinnett holds a significant offensive advantage here. Kharlamov and Hedberg should light up the lamp significantly more than Naslund and McDonald. Offensively Morenz and Yzerman are a wash ... dependent of course on which Steve Yzerman we're talking about. If it's early career Stevie Y it's a wash. If it's latter career Stevie Y then Morenz has a significant advantage.
Defensively St. Louis has the slight advantage because of McDonald ... again dependent on which Stevie Y we're talking about. I'm not expecting much defensive play out of Kharlamov or Hedberg, so Morenz will have to ensure that he's playing both ways effectively ... which he can.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Morenz
Physically McDonald gives St. Louis the edge. Yzerman can hit but isn't out there to hit, ditto with Morenz. Kharlamov is a tough player, but I'm not expecting physicality out of him. Hedberg and Naslund are, well, to be blunt, soft.
Steve Shutt - Bill Cowley - Peter Bondra
versus
Brian Sutter - Peter Stastny - Mike Gartner
versus
Brian Sutter - Peter Stastny - Mike Gartner
Almost reads like the 1st entry. Offensively Gwinnett has a significant advantage (Shutt versus Sutter gives Gwinnett the advantage with the other 2 positions being a virtual wash). Defensively and physically St. Louis has the advantage because of Sutter. However, Sutter wasn't a big man, so Gwinnett should be able to fight through their checking.
Bobby Carpenter - Vyacheslav Starshinov - Pat Verbeek
versus
Ross Lonsberry - Jeremy Roenick - Owen Nolan
versus
Ross Lonsberry - Jeremy Roenick - Owen Nolan
See my previous post. These lines are virtually identical in all respects.
Scott Young - Derek Sanderson - Jim Peplinski
versus
Curt Fraser - Brent Sutter - Cliff Koroll
versus
Curt Fraser - Brent Sutter - Cliff Koroll
Oddly enough the 4th line may define who wins this series, and in all honesty I give Gwinnett the advantage here. Sanderson and Sutter are a virtual wash, Sutter had more offensive output in his career (not talent wise but output), but I'd give Sanderson the slight advantage defensively based on his work with Westfall and Marcotte (no slight to Sutter who was a great 2-way player). Peplinski is the better player all-around versus Koroll, I can't see this being much of an argument. Scott Young holds a significant advantage over Fraser offensively. Fraser would be the chippier of the two, but physically they're virtually identical.
Still to be analyzed
Brian Leetch - Steve Smith
Babe Pratt - Gennady Tsygankov
Nikolai Sologubov - Ivan Tregubov
Georges Vezina
John Vanbiesbrouck
versus
Rod Langway - Lennart Svedberg
Frantisek Pospisil - Jiri Bubla
Calle Johansson - Dave Babych
Glenn Hall
Mike Liut
When I break it down.
Forwards - Even.
He has more skill and speed then I do. However I think my grit and defensive awarness are superior. We can both score in bunches both.
Defense - Slight edge Gwinette.
Same as our fowards. He has more skill and speed. I have more grit.
Goaltending - Edge St. Louis.
I like Hall over Vezina. Hall won't be left out to dry quite as often as Vezina either.
Coaching - Edge Gwinette.
While Starsi is a great coach and legend. Bowman is Bowman.
Forwards - Even.
He has more skill and speed then I do. However I think my grit and defensive awarness are superior. We can both score in bunches both.
Defense - Slight edge Gwinette.
Same as our fowards. He has more skill and speed. I have more grit.
Goaltending - Edge St. Louis.
I like Hall over Vezina. Hall won't be left out to dry quite as often as Vezina either.
Coaching - Edge Gwinette.
While Starsi is a great coach and legend. Bowman is Bowman.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
Eagles lose Roenick and Gartner to injuries
GWINNETT (AP) -- The St. Louis Eagles couldn't afford to play overtime. They barely had enough players to finish regulation.
Brian Sutter scored a power-play goal with 5:39 left, leading St. Louis to a 5-3 victory over the Gwinnett Gladiators in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night.
Game 2 is Friday night at the Gwinnett Center.
The Eagles, lost center Jeremey Roenick to a foot injury, and right wing Mike Gartner to a leg injury.
"It's frustrating,'' Eagles captain Steve Yzerman said. "We've had our share of injuries the last few years."
St. Louis coach Jan Starsi said Roenick broke a bone in his foot, and should be out a while. Gartner is scheduled for an MRI on his knee on Thursday.
The Gladiators dominated the game, outshooting the Eagles 31-15. But St. Louis scored four goals on its first 13 attempts against Georges Vezina.
Markus Naslund had three goals, and Curt Fraser also scored for the Eagles, who have won four straight first-round series.
Brian Leetch, Jim Peplinski and Babe Pratt scored for Gwinnett, which has been eliminated in the opening round four of the last five years.
"Any time you give up 13, 14 shots, you're doing some things right," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "The difference was they scored on the few chances they had."
The series opener was filled with hard hits, near-misses and even featured goals from both teams' enforcers -- Fraser and Peplinski. But St. Louis took advantage of the wide-open style, scoring a short-handed goal on a two-on-one early in the first.
"We are lucky to get this one," Naslund said.
"It's good to go through a little adversity," Bill Cowley said. "We might as well go through it early."
With Peplinski in the penalty box for boarding, Sutter, took a pass from Lennart Svedberg to beat Vezina for the go-ahead goal.
Naslund scored into an empty net in the final minute to complete his first playoff hat trick.
Glenn Hall had 28 saves. Vezina stopped just 10 shots.
"I played a bad game," Vezina said. "I can play a lot better. I made a lot of mistakes. I have to help my team. It's only one game so we'll see the next game. I'm surprised we lost."
After falling behind 3-1 early in the second, the Gladiators tied it on goals by Leetch and Peplinski that were 62 seconds apart.
Leetch took a pass from Pat Verbeek, but his first shot hit Roenick before bouncing back out to him. Leetch then skated inside the right circle and lifted a shot over Hall's glove.
Peplinski's goal, a turnaround slap shot, was his first career playoff point in 18 games.
Naslund gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead with 8:50 left in the first when he slapped a shot from the slot inside the left post.
Fraser made it 3-1 early in the second on just his fifth career playoff goal in 79 games. Fraser took a shot as he fell to the ice, and the puck bounced off Gladiators defenseman Steve Smith and underneath Vezina's right skate.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead on Naslund's short-handed goal 8:10 into the first. Jiri Bubla set up a two-on-one by clearing the puck from behind St. Louis's net. The puck bounced over Verbeek's stick and went to Steve Yzerman, who broke in with Naslund on Babe Pratt. Yzerman carried it down the right side before passing to Naslund, who one-timed a shot past Vezina.
Pratt tied it at 1 just 63 seconds later. He lifted a shot through a screen just under the left crossbar as Gwinnett's power-play ended.
St. Louis, the most-penalized team in the NHL this season, had seven penalties. The Gladiators were 1-for-6 on the power-play and allowed a short-handed goal.
"We didn't get a lot of shots, but we did well with the percentage," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said.
GWINNETT (AP) -- The St. Louis Eagles couldn't afford to play overtime. They barely had enough players to finish regulation.
Brian Sutter scored a power-play goal with 5:39 left, leading St. Louis to a 5-3 victory over the Gwinnett Gladiators in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series Wednesday night.
Game 2 is Friday night at the Gwinnett Center.
The Eagles, lost center Jeremey Roenick to a foot injury, and right wing Mike Gartner to a leg injury.
"It's frustrating,'' Eagles captain Steve Yzerman said. "We've had our share of injuries the last few years."
St. Louis coach Jan Starsi said Roenick broke a bone in his foot, and should be out a while. Gartner is scheduled for an MRI on his knee on Thursday.
The Gladiators dominated the game, outshooting the Eagles 31-15. But St. Louis scored four goals on its first 13 attempts against Georges Vezina.
Markus Naslund had three goals, and Curt Fraser also scored for the Eagles, who have won four straight first-round series.
Brian Leetch, Jim Peplinski and Babe Pratt scored for Gwinnett, which has been eliminated in the opening round four of the last five years.
"Any time you give up 13, 14 shots, you're doing some things right," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "The difference was they scored on the few chances they had."
The series opener was filled with hard hits, near-misses and even featured goals from both teams' enforcers -- Fraser and Peplinski. But St. Louis took advantage of the wide-open style, scoring a short-handed goal on a two-on-one early in the first.
"We are lucky to get this one," Naslund said.
"It's good to go through a little adversity," Bill Cowley said. "We might as well go through it early."
With Peplinski in the penalty box for boarding, Sutter, took a pass from Lennart Svedberg to beat Vezina for the go-ahead goal.
Naslund scored into an empty net in the final minute to complete his first playoff hat trick.
Glenn Hall had 28 saves. Vezina stopped just 10 shots.
"I played a bad game," Vezina said. "I can play a lot better. I made a lot of mistakes. I have to help my team. It's only one game so we'll see the next game. I'm surprised we lost."
After falling behind 3-1 early in the second, the Gladiators tied it on goals by Leetch and Peplinski that were 62 seconds apart.
Leetch took a pass from Pat Verbeek, but his first shot hit Roenick before bouncing back out to him. Leetch then skated inside the right circle and lifted a shot over Hall's glove.
Peplinski's goal, a turnaround slap shot, was his first career playoff point in 18 games.
Naslund gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead with 8:50 left in the first when he slapped a shot from the slot inside the left post.
Fraser made it 3-1 early in the second on just his fifth career playoff goal in 79 games. Fraser took a shot as he fell to the ice, and the puck bounced off Gladiators defenseman Steve Smith and underneath Vezina's right skate.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead on Naslund's short-handed goal 8:10 into the first. Jiri Bubla set up a two-on-one by clearing the puck from behind St. Louis's net. The puck bounced over Verbeek's stick and went to Steve Yzerman, who broke in with Naslund on Babe Pratt. Yzerman carried it down the right side before passing to Naslund, who one-timed a shot past Vezina.
Pratt tied it at 1 just 63 seconds later. He lifted a shot through a screen just under the left crossbar as Gwinnett's power-play ended.
St. Louis, the most-penalized team in the NHL this season, had seven penalties. The Gladiators were 1-for-6 on the power-play and allowed a short-handed goal.
"We didn't get a lot of shots, but we did well with the percentage," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
Gwinnett controls the game from start
GWINNETT (AP) -- The Gwinnett Gladiators dominated the St. Louis Eagles for the second straight game. This time, they did it on the scoreboard, too.
Howie Morenz, Bill Cowley and Valery Kharlamov each had a goal and assist, leading the Gladiators to a 4-1 victory over St. louis in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series Friday night.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night in St. Louis.
Anders Hedberg also scored for the Gladiators. Peter Stastny had St. Louis's only goal.
"We played two strong games. Unfortunately, we made some mistakes in Game 1," Gwinnett coach Scotty Bowman said. "They did what they had to do. They got a win here. Now we need to go there and get a win."
The Eagles beat the Gladiators 5-3 in the series opener, despite being outplayed and outshot 31-15. Gwinnett outshot St. Louis 36-17 Friday, including 31-10 after two periods.
The undermanned Eagles were without forwards Jeremey Roenick (foot) and Mike Gartner (knee), both injured in Game 1.
"There was no doubt who deserved the game tonight," Leafs captain Steve Yzerman said. "If it wasn't for Glenn Hall, it would have been an even worse score. We have a lot of work to do as a group."
Gwinnett controlled the game from the start, playing most of the first period in St. Louis's end. After failing to convert on their first two power-play opportunities, the Gladiators took a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by Morenz with 7:51 left in the first.
Morenz stripped the puck from Lanny MacDonald just beyond the blue line, skated down the right wing, went through defensemen Calle Johansson and Lennart Svedberg and took a shot that was stopped by Hall. But the rebound bounced back to Morenz, and he poked it in.
Kharlamov made it 2-0 with 2:13 left in the first, converting a crisp pass from Morenz after a turnover by Rod Langway.
"We were hungry to the puck, we were workhorses," Kharlamov said.
Hall had 32 saves after stopping 28 of 31 in the opener. Georges Vezina, who allowed four goals on his first 13 shots in Game 1, made 16 saves.
Stastny cut it to 2-1 early in the second period. Stastny skated around Flyers defenseman Babe Pratt, went around the back of the net and backhanded a shot under Vezina's pad.
But the Gladiators regained their two-goal lead just 1:42 later on Hedberg's goal. Hedberg tried to center a pass to Kharlamov from the side of the net, but the puck bounced off Hall and Dave Babych and into the net.
Cowley made it 4-1 midway through the second on a power-play goal -- just his second goal in his last 13 playoff games. Nikolai Sologubov blasted a shot from the point that was stopped, but Cowley stuffed the rebound past Hall.
"We couldn't move the puck, we were a solo team," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said. "They beat us to all the pucks everywhere. We just got a good old-fashioned whipping."
"The other night wasn't the way we play. We gave up too much," Morenz said. "Tonight, we pressured people, we got back to playing our way."
GWINNETT (AP) -- The Gwinnett Gladiators dominated the St. Louis Eagles for the second straight game. This time, they did it on the scoreboard, too.
Howie Morenz, Bill Cowley and Valery Kharlamov each had a goal and assist, leading the Gladiators to a 4-1 victory over St. louis in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series Friday night.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night in St. Louis.
Anders Hedberg also scored for the Gladiators. Peter Stastny had St. Louis's only goal.
"We played two strong games. Unfortunately, we made some mistakes in Game 1," Gwinnett coach Scotty Bowman said. "They did what they had to do. They got a win here. Now we need to go there and get a win."
The Eagles beat the Gladiators 5-3 in the series opener, despite being outplayed and outshot 31-15. Gwinnett outshot St. Louis 36-17 Friday, including 31-10 after two periods.
The undermanned Eagles were without forwards Jeremey Roenick (foot) and Mike Gartner (knee), both injured in Game 1.
"There was no doubt who deserved the game tonight," Leafs captain Steve Yzerman said. "If it wasn't for Glenn Hall, it would have been an even worse score. We have a lot of work to do as a group."
Gwinnett controlled the game from the start, playing most of the first period in St. Louis's end. After failing to convert on their first two power-play opportunities, the Gladiators took a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by Morenz with 7:51 left in the first.
Morenz stripped the puck from Lanny MacDonald just beyond the blue line, skated down the right wing, went through defensemen Calle Johansson and Lennart Svedberg and took a shot that was stopped by Hall. But the rebound bounced back to Morenz, and he poked it in.
Kharlamov made it 2-0 with 2:13 left in the first, converting a crisp pass from Morenz after a turnover by Rod Langway.
"We were hungry to the puck, we were workhorses," Kharlamov said.
Hall had 32 saves after stopping 28 of 31 in the opener. Georges Vezina, who allowed four goals on his first 13 shots in Game 1, made 16 saves.
Stastny cut it to 2-1 early in the second period. Stastny skated around Flyers defenseman Babe Pratt, went around the back of the net and backhanded a shot under Vezina's pad.
But the Gladiators regained their two-goal lead just 1:42 later on Hedberg's goal. Hedberg tried to center a pass to Kharlamov from the side of the net, but the puck bounced off Hall and Dave Babych and into the net.
Cowley made it 4-1 midway through the second on a power-play goal -- just his second goal in his last 13 playoff games. Nikolai Sologubov blasted a shot from the point that was stopped, but Cowley stuffed the rebound past Hall.
"We couldn't move the puck, we were a solo team," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said. "They beat us to all the pucks everywhere. We just got a good old-fashioned whipping."
"The other night wasn't the way we play. We gave up too much," Morenz said. "Tonight, we pressured people, we got back to playing our way."
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
Pospisil's two-goal effort helps Eagles grab 2-1 lead
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Eagles took the lead in their playoffs series with their best game yet. Still, it took more than 27 extra minutes to get the victory Monday night.
Frantisek Pospisil scored his second goal of the game at 7:20 of double overtime as the Eagles beat the Gwinnett Gladiators 4-3 for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"Gwinnett dominated us in the first and second games both with shots and the physical game, but tonight we did a lot better job,'' said St. Louis's Steve Yzerman, whose team was outshot 67-32 in the first two games.
After Yzerman skated around the back of the net and put a shot on goalie Georges Vezina, Pospisil backhanded the rebound over Vezina.
Pospisil tied the game at 2 in the second period, and Yzerman gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead, but Valery Kharlamov tied it early in the third period.
Gwinnett's Brian Leetch almost won it for the Gladiators in the first overtime, but his shot deflected off goalie Glenn Hall's right shoulder and hit the post.
"We certainly had our chances to win the game, but they got it before us,'' Gwinnett's Gennady Tsygankov.
Owen Nolan didn't return after leaving the game in the second overtime when hit in the face by a stick. Nolan had to be helped to the ice after the stick of Gwinnett's Howie Morenz hit his chin at 4:33.
He received stitches in his mouth, but seemed to be OK. He wasn't made available to the media.
The series resumes Wednesday night in Toronto.
"They are going to come back hungry,'' St. Louis' Ross Lonsberry said. "We're going to have to come out even better than we played tonight to win.''
Gwinnett took an early lead. With St. Louis defenseman Rod Langway out of position, Bobby Carpenter made a centering pass to Babe Pratt, who was alone in front of the net. Pratt's shot easily beat Hall 4:02 into the game.
Leetch gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead four minutes later by redirecting Steve Shutt's pass from behind the net.
Just 37 seconds later, St. Louis' Ray Ferraro, standing alone in front of the net, collected teammate Rod Langway's shot from the point and put the puck under Vezina's pads.
Ferraro later faked a shot and passed to Pospisil, whose one-timer on the power-play beat Vezina at 2:18 of the second, tying it at 2.
St. Louis' Lanny MacDonald tied up two Flyers as Brian Sutter fired a wrist shot over Vezina's shoulder, giving St. Louis its 3-2 lead.
"We just know we had a bad lull in the second period and that really hurt us,'' said Hedberg, whose team was outshot 11-6 in the second. "You can't have that in playoff hockey.''
Hedberg tied it by putting a rebound past Hall at 2:59 of the third. After Pospisil turned over the puck, Hedberg collected teammate Nikolai Sologubov's shot from the point.
Notes: Mike Gartner returned for he first time since game one. Ray Ferraro played in place of the injured Jeremry Roenick
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Eagles took the lead in their playoffs series with their best game yet. Still, it took more than 27 extra minutes to get the victory Monday night.
Frantisek Pospisil scored his second goal of the game at 7:20 of double overtime as the Eagles beat the Gwinnett Gladiators 4-3 for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"Gwinnett dominated us in the first and second games both with shots and the physical game, but tonight we did a lot better job,'' said St. Louis's Steve Yzerman, whose team was outshot 67-32 in the first two games.
After Yzerman skated around the back of the net and put a shot on goalie Georges Vezina, Pospisil backhanded the rebound over Vezina.
Pospisil tied the game at 2 in the second period, and Yzerman gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead, but Valery Kharlamov tied it early in the third period.
Gwinnett's Brian Leetch almost won it for the Gladiators in the first overtime, but his shot deflected off goalie Glenn Hall's right shoulder and hit the post.
"We certainly had our chances to win the game, but they got it before us,'' Gwinnett's Gennady Tsygankov.
Owen Nolan didn't return after leaving the game in the second overtime when hit in the face by a stick. Nolan had to be helped to the ice after the stick of Gwinnett's Howie Morenz hit his chin at 4:33.
He received stitches in his mouth, but seemed to be OK. He wasn't made available to the media.
The series resumes Wednesday night in Toronto.
"They are going to come back hungry,'' St. Louis' Ross Lonsberry said. "We're going to have to come out even better than we played tonight to win.''
Gwinnett took an early lead. With St. Louis defenseman Rod Langway out of position, Bobby Carpenter made a centering pass to Babe Pratt, who was alone in front of the net. Pratt's shot easily beat Hall 4:02 into the game.
Leetch gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead four minutes later by redirecting Steve Shutt's pass from behind the net.
Just 37 seconds later, St. Louis' Ray Ferraro, standing alone in front of the net, collected teammate Rod Langway's shot from the point and put the puck under Vezina's pads.
Ferraro later faked a shot and passed to Pospisil, whose one-timer on the power-play beat Vezina at 2:18 of the second, tying it at 2.
St. Louis' Lanny MacDonald tied up two Flyers as Brian Sutter fired a wrist shot over Vezina's shoulder, giving St. Louis its 3-2 lead.
"We just know we had a bad lull in the second period and that really hurt us,'' said Hedberg, whose team was outshot 11-6 in the second. "You can't have that in playoff hockey.''
Hedberg tied it by putting a rebound past Hall at 2:59 of the third. After Pospisil turned over the puck, Hedberg collected teammate Nikolai Sologubov's shot from the point.
Notes: Mike Gartner returned for he first time since game one. Ray Ferraro played in place of the injured Jeremry Roenick
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Hall makes 72 saves in Toronto's triple OT loss
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Gwinnett Gladiators needed three overtimes to put a winner past Glenn Hall.
Howie Morenz scored his second goal of the game with 6:06 remaining in the third overtime period to give the Gladiators a series-evening 3-2 victory Wednesday night over the St. Louis Eagles.
Hall made 72 saves before Morenz's wrist shot from the faceoff circle hit the goalie's stick and barely trickled over the goal line as the Gladiators evened the best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series a 2-2. Game 5 is Saturday night in Gwinnett.
"Glenn Hall battled tremendously hard. He was great tonight," Morenz said. "I was just trying to get it on net."
Valery Kharlamov also scored for the Gladiators.
"That was two hockey games," Kharlamov said. "Glenn was awesome. Glenn gave that team a chance to win the hockey game. They almost did, but we were very fortunate."
Steve Yzerman and Peter Stastny scored for the Eagles, who were without Owen Nolan. Clipped under the jaw by a stick two nights earlier, Nolan was advised by team doctors to sit one out. He'll be re-examined Thursday.
The Gladiators outshot the Eagles 75-38, setting a Gwinnett playoff record for most shots on goal. Hall's total saves was one short of the playoff record New York's Kelly Hrudey set when the Islanders beat Washington in four overtimes in 1987.
"The shots seem to be an incredible number," St. Louis coach Jan Starsi said. "Glenn's a trooper. He put us in a position to win but we didn't do it."
St. Louis, which beat Gwinnett in double overtime on Monday night, played its third-longest game in franchise history and longest since 1943.
It was the second-longest game in Gladiators history.
"This was a must win for us,'' Gwinnett captain Brian Leetch said. "We're even instead of going home down 3-1."
Gwinnett won despite going 0-for-8 on the power play, falling to 2-for-21 in the series.
Derek Sanderson almost won it for the Gladiators in the first overtime, but his shot rolled over Hall's pads and through the goal crease.
Gwinnett goalie Georges Vazina made 36 saves. He robbed Mike Gartner in the second overtime with a kick save.
Hall stopped Peter Bondra from scoring late in the second overtime with a spectacular blocker save.
Morenz's bad-angle shot beat Hall, giving Gwinnett a 1-0 lead at 1:16 of the first.
Yzerman, tied it with a short-handed goal at 4:06 of the first. Lennart Svedberg skated up the ice on a three-on-two before making a centering pass to Yzerman, who streaked toward the all alone before putting the puck over Vezina's shoulder.
After Hall turned the puck over behind the net, Kharlamov shot the puck off Hall's skate and in just 54 seconds into the second.
Stastny gave the Eagles the momentum by tying it at 2 on the power play with a wrist shot over Vezina's shoulder at 1:51 of the third.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Gwinnett Gladiators needed three overtimes to put a winner past Glenn Hall.
Howie Morenz scored his second goal of the game with 6:06 remaining in the third overtime period to give the Gladiators a series-evening 3-2 victory Wednesday night over the St. Louis Eagles.
Hall made 72 saves before Morenz's wrist shot from the faceoff circle hit the goalie's stick and barely trickled over the goal line as the Gladiators evened the best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series a 2-2. Game 5 is Saturday night in Gwinnett.
"Glenn Hall battled tremendously hard. He was great tonight," Morenz said. "I was just trying to get it on net."
Valery Kharlamov also scored for the Gladiators.
"That was two hockey games," Kharlamov said. "Glenn was awesome. Glenn gave that team a chance to win the hockey game. They almost did, but we were very fortunate."
Steve Yzerman and Peter Stastny scored for the Eagles, who were without Owen Nolan. Clipped under the jaw by a stick two nights earlier, Nolan was advised by team doctors to sit one out. He'll be re-examined Thursday.
The Gladiators outshot the Eagles 75-38, setting a Gwinnett playoff record for most shots on goal. Hall's total saves was one short of the playoff record New York's Kelly Hrudey set when the Islanders beat Washington in four overtimes in 1987.
"The shots seem to be an incredible number," St. Louis coach Jan Starsi said. "Glenn's a trooper. He put us in a position to win but we didn't do it."
St. Louis, which beat Gwinnett in double overtime on Monday night, played its third-longest game in franchise history and longest since 1943.
It was the second-longest game in Gladiators history.
"This was a must win for us,'' Gwinnett captain Brian Leetch said. "We're even instead of going home down 3-1."
Gwinnett won despite going 0-for-8 on the power play, falling to 2-for-21 in the series.
Derek Sanderson almost won it for the Gladiators in the first overtime, but his shot rolled over Hall's pads and through the goal crease.
Gwinnett goalie Georges Vazina made 36 saves. He robbed Mike Gartner in the second overtime with a kick save.
Hall stopped Peter Bondra from scoring late in the second overtime with a spectacular blocker save.
Morenz's bad-angle shot beat Hall, giving Gwinnett a 1-0 lead at 1:16 of the first.
Yzerman, tied it with a short-handed goal at 4:06 of the first. Lennart Svedberg skated up the ice on a three-on-two before making a centering pass to Yzerman, who streaked toward the all alone before putting the puck over Vezina's shoulder.
After Hall turned the puck over behind the net, Kharlamov shot the puck off Hall's skate and in just 54 seconds into the second.
Stastny gave the Eagles the momentum by tying it at 2 on the power play with a wrist shot over Vezina's shoulder at 1:51 of the third.
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Verbeek's two goals give Gwinnett 3-2 series lead
GWINNETT (AP) -- Pat Verbeek picked an opportune time to break out of his yearlong scoring slump.
Verbeek scored two power-play goals, and Brian Leetch had two assists, leading the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Eagles Saturday. Gwinnett leads 3-2 in the first-round, best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Monday night in St. Louis.
Anders Hedberg and Howie Morenz also scored for Philadelphia, which took its first series lead.
Rod Langway scored for the Eagles.
Verbeek had just 11 goals in his last 98 games, including playoffs. He had one goal in 23 playoff games last season when Philadelphia reached the Stanley Cup semi-finals.
"Being an offensive player and not putting up numbers, you can't help but get frustrated, and start thinking too much," said Verbeek, who came to the Gladiators in an off-season trade. "Hopefully, this will help my confidence. You get a couple breaks, a lucky bounce and you feel a whole lot better about yourself."
The Gladiators beat St. Louis 3-2 in triple overtime Wednesday night. The Eagles won 4-3 in double overtime Monday night.
Weary from playing the five overtimes, both teams allowed several odd-man rushes and played more wide open than usual.
"We got the start we wanted, but for some reason, we got away from it," Eagles forward Peter Stastny said.
St. Louis had Owen Nolan back after the star right wing sat out Game 4 because of concussion symptoms. Nolan was injured after being hit in the face with a high stick in Game 3.
Nolan hit the post on a short-handed, two-on-one breakaway in the second period, and was given a double minor for high-sticking in the third that led to Verbeek's second goal.
"There's no doubt in our minds that we can play against this team and beat them," Nolan said.
After falling behind 1-0, the Gladators scored twice in a span of 1:55 later in the first. Gennady Tsygankov's goal with 3:35 left in the period gave the Gladiators a 2-1 lead.
Tsygankov took a pass from Bill Cowley and slapped it underneath Hedberg's raised leg and past goaltender Glenn Hall for his first goal of the series.
Verbeek's first goal, a deflection off a shot by Babe Pratt, tied it at 1. Pratt blasted a shot from the point that hit off Verbeek's stick, went between Morenz's legs and past Hall.
Langway gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead just 2:34 in on his first goal in 42 playoff games. Langway took a pass from Brent Sutter and slapped a shot from just outside the left circle past Georges Vezina.
Hall, who had a franchise-record 72 saves in Game 4, stopped 25 shots. Vezina made 22 saves.
Seconds after the Gladiators killed their third penalty, Morenz made it 3-1 with 5:25 left in the second. Anders Hedberg intercepted a pass to start a breakaway, and passed to Morenz, whose first shot was blocked by Eagles defenseman Dave Babych. But Hall couldn't control the puck, and Morenz poked it between his legs.
"The turning point was Morenz's goal," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "It gave us the checking cushion that helped us a lot."
Verbeek made it 4-1 with his second goal midway through the third.
"He's a competitive, gritty little guy that has been a pretty good player in this league," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said. "It looks now like it was a good acquisition."
Players didn't wait until the game started to resume the physical side of the series. Nolan and Derek Sanderson, who have exchanged several hard checks throughout, had words during warmups. Enforcers Curt Fraser of St. Louis and Gwinnett's Jim Peplinski went at it a few times during the game, but didn't fight.
GWINNETT (AP) -- Pat Verbeek picked an opportune time to break out of his yearlong scoring slump.
Verbeek scored two power-play goals, and Brian Leetch had two assists, leading the Gwinnett Gladiators to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Eagles Saturday. Gwinnett leads 3-2 in the first-round, best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Monday night in St. Louis.
Anders Hedberg and Howie Morenz also scored for Philadelphia, which took its first series lead.
Rod Langway scored for the Eagles.
Verbeek had just 11 goals in his last 98 games, including playoffs. He had one goal in 23 playoff games last season when Philadelphia reached the Stanley Cup semi-finals.
"Being an offensive player and not putting up numbers, you can't help but get frustrated, and start thinking too much," said Verbeek, who came to the Gladiators in an off-season trade. "Hopefully, this will help my confidence. You get a couple breaks, a lucky bounce and you feel a whole lot better about yourself."
The Gladiators beat St. Louis 3-2 in triple overtime Wednesday night. The Eagles won 4-3 in double overtime Monday night.
Weary from playing the five overtimes, both teams allowed several odd-man rushes and played more wide open than usual.
"We got the start we wanted, but for some reason, we got away from it," Eagles forward Peter Stastny said.
St. Louis had Owen Nolan back after the star right wing sat out Game 4 because of concussion symptoms. Nolan was injured after being hit in the face with a high stick in Game 3.
Nolan hit the post on a short-handed, two-on-one breakaway in the second period, and was given a double minor for high-sticking in the third that led to Verbeek's second goal.
"There's no doubt in our minds that we can play against this team and beat them," Nolan said.
After falling behind 1-0, the Gladators scored twice in a span of 1:55 later in the first. Gennady Tsygankov's goal with 3:35 left in the period gave the Gladiators a 2-1 lead.
Tsygankov took a pass from Bill Cowley and slapped it underneath Hedberg's raised leg and past goaltender Glenn Hall for his first goal of the series.
Verbeek's first goal, a deflection off a shot by Babe Pratt, tied it at 1. Pratt blasted a shot from the point that hit off Verbeek's stick, went between Morenz's legs and past Hall.
Langway gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead just 2:34 in on his first goal in 42 playoff games. Langway took a pass from Brent Sutter and slapped a shot from just outside the left circle past Georges Vezina.
Hall, who had a franchise-record 72 saves in Game 4, stopped 25 shots. Vezina made 22 saves.
Seconds after the Gladiators killed their third penalty, Morenz made it 3-1 with 5:25 left in the second. Anders Hedberg intercepted a pass to start a breakaway, and passed to Morenz, whose first shot was blocked by Eagles defenseman Dave Babych. But Hall couldn't control the puck, and Morenz poked it between his legs.
"The turning point was Morenz's goal," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "It gave us the checking cushion that helped us a lot."
Verbeek made it 4-1 with his second goal midway through the third.
"He's a competitive, gritty little guy that has been a pretty good player in this league," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said. "It looks now like it was a good acquisition."
Players didn't wait until the game started to resume the physical side of the series. Nolan and Derek Sanderson, who have exchanged several hard checks throughout, had words during warmups. Enforcers Curt Fraser of St. Louis and Gwinnett's Jim Peplinski went at it a few times during the game, but didn't fight.
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Sutter puts in rebound of Lonsberry's shot to force Game 7
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. louis Eagles won't be celebrating their Game 6 survival for long.
Brent Sutter scored 10:51 into the second overtime as the Eagles beat the Gwinnett Gladiators 2-1 Monday night to force a decisive Game 7 in the first-round series.
The teams have played seven overtime periods during the first six games of the series but will have to recover in a hurry because Game 7 is Tuesday night in Gwinnett (VS, TSN, 7 p.m. ET). Not since the 1950 Stanley Cup finals have Games 6 and 7 of a series been played on consecutive nights.
"We live to play another game,'' Sutter said. "It was quite a relief when the puck went in.''
Sutter backhanded a shot over goalie Georges Vezina after Ross Lonsberry's rebound landed in front of the net.
All three games played in St. Louis in this series were decided in overtime.
"We had an opportunity. We didn't capitalize and it's disappointing, but we have to quickly regroup,'' Gwinnett captain Brian Leetch said. "It's going to be a huge challenge for both teams to quickly replenish and get recharged, but because of what's at stake, I don't think it will be hard for the guys to get motivated.''
St. Louis won 4-3 in double overtime to take a 2-1 series lead last Monday night, but the Gladiators won 3-2 in triple overtime last Wednesday and 4-1 on Saturday.
Bill Cowley scored for the Gladiators, who have lost in the first round four of the past five years.
Cowley said the Gladiators will have the edge Tuesday.
"It's a big bonus for us to be playing in our building with our fans,'' Cowley said. "It's a one-game series now. There's no time to rest.''
St. Louis' Steve Yzerman almost won it in the first overtime with a backhanded shot, but Vezina made a sprawling pad save. Yzerman later hit the post. Markus Naslund missed a few good chances in both overtimes.
Vezina, who made 34 saves, later robbed Lonsberry with a kick save.
Glenn Hall stopped 35 shots.
"We showed a lot of character,'' Hall said. "We have a never-say-die attitude.''
The Gladiators didn't have top defenseman Steve Smith, who is out two-to-four weeks with a broken bone in his right foot. Smith was injured while blocking a shot in Game 5.
St. Louis outshot Gwinnett 9-1 in the first 12 minutes of the game and took a 1-0 lead.
Vezina tried to pick up his glove as Lanny MacDonald's bad-angle shot went over his shoulder to give St. Louis a 1-0 advantage at 10:35 of the first.
Cowley, who missed some shifts early in the second after being checked into the boards, tied it at 1 at 15:23. Pat Verbeek made a drop pass to Cowley, whose slap shot from the circle beat Hall.
Cowley said he was hurt "real bad'' on the check.
"St. Louis fans like to see people get hurt,'' Cowley said. "I had trouble skating in the third. I caught my leg real bad in the corner.''
The Eagles received a penalty shot late in the second after Vezina threw his stick at the puck, but Vezina made an easy save on Peter Bondra's slap shot.
Moments earlier MacDonald hit the post after Naslund made a pass from behind the net.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. louis Eagles won't be celebrating their Game 6 survival for long.
Brent Sutter scored 10:51 into the second overtime as the Eagles beat the Gwinnett Gladiators 2-1 Monday night to force a decisive Game 7 in the first-round series.
The teams have played seven overtime periods during the first six games of the series but will have to recover in a hurry because Game 7 is Tuesday night in Gwinnett (VS, TSN, 7 p.m. ET). Not since the 1950 Stanley Cup finals have Games 6 and 7 of a series been played on consecutive nights.
"We live to play another game,'' Sutter said. "It was quite a relief when the puck went in.''
Sutter backhanded a shot over goalie Georges Vezina after Ross Lonsberry's rebound landed in front of the net.
All three games played in St. Louis in this series were decided in overtime.
"We had an opportunity. We didn't capitalize and it's disappointing, but we have to quickly regroup,'' Gwinnett captain Brian Leetch said. "It's going to be a huge challenge for both teams to quickly replenish and get recharged, but because of what's at stake, I don't think it will be hard for the guys to get motivated.''
St. Louis won 4-3 in double overtime to take a 2-1 series lead last Monday night, but the Gladiators won 3-2 in triple overtime last Wednesday and 4-1 on Saturday.
Bill Cowley scored for the Gladiators, who have lost in the first round four of the past five years.
Cowley said the Gladiators will have the edge Tuesday.
"It's a big bonus for us to be playing in our building with our fans,'' Cowley said. "It's a one-game series now. There's no time to rest.''
St. Louis' Steve Yzerman almost won it in the first overtime with a backhanded shot, but Vezina made a sprawling pad save. Yzerman later hit the post. Markus Naslund missed a few good chances in both overtimes.
Vezina, who made 34 saves, later robbed Lonsberry with a kick save.
Glenn Hall stopped 35 shots.
"We showed a lot of character,'' Hall said. "We have a never-say-die attitude.''
The Gladiators didn't have top defenseman Steve Smith, who is out two-to-four weeks with a broken bone in his right foot. Smith was injured while blocking a shot in Game 5.
St. Louis outshot Gwinnett 9-1 in the first 12 minutes of the game and took a 1-0 lead.
Vezina tried to pick up his glove as Lanny MacDonald's bad-angle shot went over his shoulder to give St. Louis a 1-0 advantage at 10:35 of the first.
Cowley, who missed some shifts early in the second after being checked into the boards, tied it at 1 at 15:23. Pat Verbeek made a drop pass to Cowley, whose slap shot from the circle beat Hall.
Cowley said he was hurt "real bad'' on the check.
"St. Louis fans like to see people get hurt,'' Cowley said. "I had trouble skating in the third. I caught my leg real bad in the corner.''
The Eagles received a penalty shot late in the second after Vezina threw his stick at the puck, but Vezina made an easy save on Peter Bondra's slap shot.
Moments earlier MacDonald hit the post after Naslund made a pass from behind the net.
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Gladiators clinch series in convincing fashion
GWINNETT (AP) -- With their season on the line and memories of recent playoff failures on their minds, the Gwinnett Gladiators came through with their most dominant performance.
Valery Kharlamov scored twice and Steve Shutt had a goal and two assists, leading the Gladiators to a series-clinching 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Eagles on Tuesday night.
"We needed our best game and we got it," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "I've never seen a team in such a stressful situation act so calm."
Anders Hedberg and Vyacheslav Starshinov also scored for Gwinnett, which lost in the opening round four of the last five years. It was the Gladiators' first victory in a Game 7 since they beat Pittsburgh in the second round in 1989.
"There was immense pressure on our club and certain individuals," Brian Leetch said. "I don't know if I was ever this nervous before a game."
Lanny McDonald scored Toronto's only goal.
"Maybe they finally made a step that they know how to play when the pressure is on," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said of Gwinnett.
For the first time since the 1950 Stanley Cup finals, Games 6 and 7 were played on consecutive nights. The Eagles beat the Gladiators 2-1 in double overtime Monday night.
Weary from the grueling loss just 24 hours earlier, the Gladiators got a boost from their two youngest players in uniform. Hedberg, 23, and Shutt, 21, scored 2:45 apart late in the first period for a 2-0 lead.
"We were tired when we got here, but when we got on the ice, we found the energy," Hedberg said.
Georges Vezina stopped 18 shots.
Hedberg gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead on his third goal of the series with 3:37 left in the first period. Starshinov set up the goal by keeping the puck in St. Louis's zone and passing to Shutt behind the net. Shutt centered in front to Hedberg, who wristed a shot past Glen Hall into the top left corner.
Hall, who had 72 saves in Philadelphia's 3-2 triple-overtime victory in Game 4, stopped just 30 of 36 shots.
Shutt made it 2-0 with 52 seconds left in the period, redirecting a pass from Derek Sanderson over Hall's glove for his first career playoff goal in 11 games.
Starshinov, criticized for his lack of offensive production in the playoffs, made it 3-0 midway through the second period. He scored just one second after St. Louis killed a power play that included a two-man advantage for 1:05.
The Eagles cut it to 3-1 on MacDonald's goal. But Kharlamov scored his fifth and sixth goals of the series 3:06 apart late in the middle period to give the Gladiators a four-goal lead.
Kharlamov's second goal came during a two-man advantage. Kharlamov's first shot from the side of the net was blocked, but the puck went right back to him and he lifted it over Hall.
A physical series since the start, both teams, probably tired from the back-to-back games, lacked the aggressiveness they displayed in other games. There were several mishandled pucks early, a couple players tripped over their own skates and few hard checks were thrown.
"There's no excuse," MacDonald said. "Both teams were playing under the same circumstances. We just didn't get geared up to play."
Sanderson capped the scoring midway through the third period with his first playoff goal of his career.
GWINNETT (AP) -- With their season on the line and memories of recent playoff failures on their minds, the Gwinnett Gladiators came through with their most dominant performance.
Valery Kharlamov scored twice and Steve Shutt had a goal and two assists, leading the Gladiators to a series-clinching 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Eagles on Tuesday night.
"We needed our best game and we got it," Gladiators coach Scotty Bowman said. "I've never seen a team in such a stressful situation act so calm."
Anders Hedberg and Vyacheslav Starshinov also scored for Gwinnett, which lost in the opening round four of the last five years. It was the Gladiators' first victory in a Game 7 since they beat Pittsburgh in the second round in 1989.
"There was immense pressure on our club and certain individuals," Brian Leetch said. "I don't know if I was ever this nervous before a game."
Lanny McDonald scored Toronto's only goal.
"Maybe they finally made a step that they know how to play when the pressure is on," Eagles coach Jan Starsi said of Gwinnett.
For the first time since the 1950 Stanley Cup finals, Games 6 and 7 were played on consecutive nights. The Eagles beat the Gladiators 2-1 in double overtime Monday night.
Weary from the grueling loss just 24 hours earlier, the Gladiators got a boost from their two youngest players in uniform. Hedberg, 23, and Shutt, 21, scored 2:45 apart late in the first period for a 2-0 lead.
"We were tired when we got here, but when we got on the ice, we found the energy," Hedberg said.
Georges Vezina stopped 18 shots.
Hedberg gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead on his third goal of the series with 3:37 left in the first period. Starshinov set up the goal by keeping the puck in St. Louis's zone and passing to Shutt behind the net. Shutt centered in front to Hedberg, who wristed a shot past Glen Hall into the top left corner.
Hall, who had 72 saves in Philadelphia's 3-2 triple-overtime victory in Game 4, stopped just 30 of 36 shots.
Shutt made it 2-0 with 52 seconds left in the period, redirecting a pass from Derek Sanderson over Hall's glove for his first career playoff goal in 11 games.
Starshinov, criticized for his lack of offensive production in the playoffs, made it 3-0 midway through the second period. He scored just one second after St. Louis killed a power play that included a two-man advantage for 1:05.
The Eagles cut it to 3-1 on MacDonald's goal. But Kharlamov scored his fifth and sixth goals of the series 3:06 apart late in the middle period to give the Gladiators a four-goal lead.
Kharlamov's second goal came during a two-man advantage. Kharlamov's first shot from the side of the net was blocked, but the puck went right back to him and he lifted it over Hall.
A physical series since the start, both teams, probably tired from the back-to-back games, lacked the aggressiveness they displayed in other games. There were several mishandled pucks early, a couple players tripped over their own skates and few hard checks were thrown.
"There's no excuse," MacDonald said. "Both teams were playing under the same circumstances. We just didn't get geared up to play."
Sanderson capped the scoring midway through the third period with his first playoff goal of his career.
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Game 2 Carolina Hurricanes @ NY Rangers - NYR leads 1-0Wagers: 10Staked: $20,975.00Event closes
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