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Flyers 4,Coyotes 2

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Phoenix 1 0 1 2

Philadelphia 1 1 2 4

First Period

Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Jones 12 (Lindros, Leclair), 10:14. 2, Phoenix, Ylonen 5 (Briere, Cummins), 13:15. Penalties: Lindros, Phi (holding), 1:28; Numminen, Pho (interference), 5:07; Tkachuk, Pho (roughing), 14:29.

Second Period

Scoring: 3, Philadelphia, Zelepukin 8 (unassisted), 15:19. Penalties: Zelepukin, Phi (slashing), 2:21; Renberg, Phi (interference), 4:29; Drake, Pho (holding), 5:20; Dykhuis, Phi (holding), 7:19; Briere, Pho (high sticking), 10:17.

Third Period

Scoring: 4, Philadelphia, Leclair 28 (Jones, Lindros), 0:31. 5, Phoenix, Tocchet 15 (Doan, Numminen), 4:09. 6, Philadelphia, Leclair 29 (Desjardins, Bureau), 5:44. Penalties: Cummins, Pho (roughing, game misconduct), 7:54; Vopat, Phi served by Zelepukin ( double roughing minor), 7:54.

SHOTS ON GOAL

Phoenix 8 8 9--25

Philadelphia 9 8 8--25

Power-play Conversions: Pho - 0 of 5, Phi - 0 of 4. Goalies: Phoenix, Khabibulin (25 shots, 21 saves; record: 18-9-5). Philadelphia, Vanbiesbrouck (25, 23; record: 17-7-0). A:19,690. Referee: P Devorski. Linesmen: M Pare, Schachte.

TRADE UPDATE… Before the game between the Flyers and the Panthers, Flyers GM/President Bob Clarke announced that there is still no success in trading winger Alexander Daigle to the Edmonton Oilers for winger Andrei Kovalenko, as Edmonton wants Daigle to re-sign for 1 more year as he is in the final year of his contract. So with Daigles refusal to go to Edmonton under those conditions, Clarke had Daigles locker cleaned out and stated he can still practice but not with the team as he could be a distraction, he can practice with the trainers once the team is off the ice. Will keep you posted on any new developments…

EDITORIAL… Hey Bob… if Daigle doesn't want to go to Edmonton than trade him to whoever wants him, maybe L.A./Anaheim/San Jose (one of the California teams) will take him as he wants to be an actor. HELL HES BEEN ACTING LIKE A HOCKEY PLAYER HIS WHOLE CAREER, so he should fit in fine. And believe it or not this is the same player who last year could not wait to come to a team so close to the Cup. DAMN Alex, if you would apply yourself to hockey as you applied yourself to Pam Anderson over the summer, you be kicking some major ASS. Instead your sucking ass (and more), as you probably did with Pam. (but who am I to say).

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FLYERS HANDLE COYOTES 4-2 AND SHOW WHY THEY ARE A TOP CONTENDER FOR THE CUP.

TOCCHET REACHES 400 GOALS; JONES HITS THE CENTURY MARK

Philadelphia 4, Phoenix 2

PHILADELPHIA --- Seems Flyers Fever is starting to catch, I have to admit I am starting to feel the symptoms of it. Didn't want to at first because as us Flyer fans know whenever they played a top contender they always seem to falter or if they play a lesser team they play to that teams level, NOT THIS YEAR FANS!!! Everyone says, "you haven't beaten any of the elite (Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Colorado) well, step 1 complete as tonight the Flyers showed their dominance as they handled the Coyotes in what can possibly be a preview of the teams that can meet for the Cup. The first 2 periods were very well evenly matched, but in the third the Flyers came on strong and took control of the game. Both teams played a great game, the Coyotes are a team you have to be careful with, they can explode at any time, but the Flyers seemed to keep them in check. Phoenix goalie Nikolai Khabibulin put on a superb show, as did the BEEZER, he showed no ill effect of his Buttocks Injury. (Despite the ribbing he got from his team, way to handle it BEEZER). Non-stop action through out the game kept the fans on the edge of their seats the entire game. For those of you who read this, If you have the opportunity to watch or see the Coyotes in action "DO IT!" They are a terrific team to watch, (as told to me by my good friend ERICA, Hiya Hon!! :o) )and they are not your old Winnipeg Jets. Next time these two teams meet is Feb. 16 1999 in Phoenix, look for this game to be just as exiting if not more. Well Erica (lodilover) seems this game gives be bragging rights for now. :o) I do have to agree with you Phoenix is a very good team. And I would make them 1 of 5 teams that could win the Cup (others Flyers, Devils, Maple Leafs, Dallas). Yes I left out those Wings, Why.. They haven't shown much this year. Seems they are struggling this year as their players get older and other teams are younger.

John LeClair had two goals and an assist and linemate Keith Jones added a goal and an assist as the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers cooled off the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-2.

Eric Lindros, who centers LeClair and Jones, added a pair of assists to extend his point streak to nine games. He has seven goals and 11 assists during the run and is tied with Anaheim's Paul Kariya for the league lead with 62 points.

Philadelphia extended its latest unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) and has lost just once in its last 20 contests (13-1-6). The Flyers remained two points ahead of second-place New Jersey in the Atlantic Division.

"This is a good win for us," said LeClair. "We talked about how we want to beat the elite teams in the league and Phoenix is definitely a top team. It's a good win. Anytime you beat one of the top teams, it is a great feeling."

Former Flyer Rick Tocchet scored his 400th career goal for Phoenix, which lost for the first time in five games. He became the 52nd player to reach the milestone.

"It was bittersweet," said Tocchet, who spent his first 7 1/2 seasons in Philadelphia. "You are happy you scored to make it 3-2, but they got that quick goal and took the sting out of it."

The Flyers got solid goaltending from John Vanbiesbrouck, who returned after suffering bruised buttocks in Tuesday's tie with Florida and stopped 23 shots.

"I was fine," Vanbiesbrouck said. "The good thing about my injury was that it was in a padded area." The win was the 402nd for Flyers coach Roger Nielson, tying him with Punch Imlach for 10th on the all-time list. The victory also kept Philadelphia unbeaten (11-0-4) against the Western Conference.

Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on Jones' 100th career goal. Lindros and Jones broke in 2-on-1 against Phoenix defenseman Keith Carney. Lindros slid a cross-ice pass to Jones, who fired a wrist shot into goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. The rebound came back to Jones, who stuffed it home for his 12th goal.

The Coyotes drew even with 6:45 left in the period when Juha Ylonen beat Vanbiesbrouck with a long slap shot from the left circle. The goal was Ylonen's fifth of the season and first since December 23.

Valeri Zelepukin put the Flyers ahead for good with 4:41 remaining in the second period. He gathered an errant pass by Coyotes center Jeremy Roenick and broke in alone on Khabibulin. After a fake to the backhand, Zelepukin lifted the puck just under the crossbar for his eighth goal.

LeClair made it 3-1 just 31 seconds into the third period. Jones fired a long slap shot that was stopped by Khabibulin. The rebound ended up behind the net for LeClair, who was able to wrap it around the right side for his league-leading 28th goal.

Tocchet got the Coyotes within a goal just over 3 1/2 minutes later with his 15th of the season. Stationed in front of Vanbiesbrouck, he redirected Shane Doan's slap shot as defenseman Daniel McGillis knocked him down from behind.

But LeClair re-established the two-goal advantage 5:44 into the third period. Defenseman Eric Desjardins found LeClair in the neutral zone and the All-Star winger broke in alone on Khabibulin, beating him with a wrist shot to the glove side.

Philadelphia is 2-0-1 on a seven-game homestand while Phoenix dropped to 0-1-1 on its four-game road trip.

Gratton/Svoboda and the Lightning return Saturday night at 7:35. Till then "Good Day, Good Hockey" (thanks to Gene Hart for the saying, the best Flyers announcer ever to call a game).

Comments by Rocco (aka flyersrule1998) Quotes given at post game news conference, and locker room interviews.

Comments by: Rocco a.k.a. Flyersrule1998