Philadelphia
Daily News - June 4, 1997
Philadelphia
Daily News - June 4, 1997
od
Brind'Amour was skating hard to the net, keeping pace with Eric
Lindros and working a two-on-one on Detroit goalie Mike Vernon, when
Lindros feathered a pass behind his back and across the crease.
If anybody was going to put the Flyers ahead, Brind'Amour had the chance. And for a few frozen seconds late in the first period, it looked as if it would happen.
Brind'Amour got his stick on the puck and drove it on the startled Vernon, but it passed harmlessly though the crease and squirted into the corner.
If the puck had gone in the net, it would have been Brind'Amour's third goal of the period. After the 4-2 loss, Brind'Amour talked about missed opportunities.
``You've got to bury those,'' he said. ``I thought I did, but it went right though his legs and out the other side.''
Brind'Amour, in many instances, has been turning hard work into goals and giving the Flyers life at key points.
Brind'Amour's two shorthanded goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round were classic examples of how his efforts turned the game back in the Flyers' favor.
He almost did that again last night as he teamed up with rookie defenseman Janne Niinimaa to convert two Detroit penalties into a 2-2 tie and pull the Flyers back into a game in which they were in trouble of being locked out of in the first period.
Brind'Amour is now the Flyers' top playoff goal scorer with 13.
The 2-2 tie evaporated when another long shot eluded a Flyers goaltender, this time Kirk Maltby beating Garth Snow.
``We came back, but again we gave up a little bit of a soft goal, and I think we just didn't react in the way we should have,'' Brind'Amour said.
``Maybe the best thing we can do is just forget about what's happened here. I mean, we haven't had much success. Hopefully, we can pick it up a little and bring our `A' game to Detroit.''
Brind'Amour's first goal came at 17:42 of the first period while Viacheslav Fetisov was sitting out two minutes for high-sticking. Niinimaa got the puck at the blue line and fired a shot toward the Detroit net. Brind'Amour got his stick on the puck and tipped down and past Vernon.
Seconds later, with the teams back to full strength, Brind'Amour was hauled down by Igor Larionov and drew a hooking call that put the Flyers back on the power play.
Niinimaa again got the puck high near the blue line, but this time the puck wobbled and would not sit down. Niinimaa wound up, but stopped in midshot and just chipped the puck into the air and toward Brind'Amour.
Again, Brind'Amour tipped the puck home. ``I mean, I'm not doing anything special,'' Brind'Amour said. ``I was just standing there. Those are just garbage goals. They're easy.''