Lalime makes 33 saves as Senators shut out Flyers

PHILADELPHIA -- Patrick Lalime took a swipe at the puck, unsure where it was going. A few seconds later, it was in the other net.

Lalime made 33 saves, including an outstanding play that turned the game around, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Saturday to even their first-round playoff series at 1-1.

Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher and former Flyer Jody Hull scored for the Senators, who had lost 13 straight on the road in the postseason and seven in a row overall.

Game 3 is Monday night in Ottawa.

"He had an outstanding game," Senators coach Jacques Martin said of Lalime. "He played well Wednesday night, but we didn't score for him. Tonight was his turn. He made a couple big saves and we were able to turn it back and get an important goal."

Lalime, who lost his first five playoff starts, withstood a flurry of shots after the Senators' first goal, and later set up their second goal.

The Senators went up 1-0 on a 4-on-3 power-play, when Radek Bonk sent a pass to Alfredsson, who blasted a shot over Roman Cechmanek's right pad midway through the second period.

Even though the goal seemed to energize the Flyers, Lalime made several crucial saves. First, he stopped a redirected shot by Adam Oates. Then he stuffed Justin Williams on consecutive backhanders from in close, and stoned Chris Therien on a point-blank shot. Finally, Lalime gloved a stuffer by Ruslan Fedotenko.

"It's mind-boggling to me that we can't find the net right now," Flyers center Jeremy Roenick said. "We had chance after chance. It seems like every shot we take misses the net. We can't have that."

The Flyers had an opportunity to tie the game early in the third when Williams' pass hit Simon Gagne in stride, allowing him to break in on Lalime. But when Gagne went for a backhander, Lalime poke-checked the puck away. It bounced out to the point, got past Therien and went to Fisher, who skated in all alone and beat Cechmanek with a lifter for a 2-0 lead 3:53 into the third.

"I just slid across," Lalime said. "I didn't know if he was going to shoot. It was one of those plays where everything falls in place."

Hull's one-timer made it 3-0 with 4:03 left.

Cechmanek, who made 35 saves for his first playoff shutout in a 1-0 overtime victory Wednesday night, stopped 23 shots.

Philadelphia nearly scored the first goal early in the second, but Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden swept the puck away inches from the goal line after a shot by Mark Recchi got behind Lalime.

"We just have to find a way to score," Gagne said. "We need guys up front. We are not taking advantage of rebounds."

The Flyers were outshot 32-15 in regulation in the opener, before finishing with 24 shots.

"There was a lot of pressure on us," Alfredsson said. "It was a great effort by a lot of guys, especially Lalime. He helped us stay in the game, gave us a chance to win."

Notes:

Ottawa's last road playoff win was 2-1 over New Jersey on April 22, 1998. The Senators won that series as a No. 8 seed. They've won just one playoff series in their 10-year history. . . . Despite a lineup that includes several All-Stars, Philadelphia has scored just 17 goals in its last 12 games. . . . The Flyers, who have the worst power play of all the playoff teams, went 0-for-3 with the man advantage. . . . The Flyers have won just two of their last 12 against Ottawa at home. . . . Fisher's goal was his first in six playoff games. . . . Eleven of the Senators' first 19 shots came on the power play.