Lalime joins elite group as Sens shut out Flyers again

OTTAWA -- Patrick Lalime grabbed a share of NHL history and was quick to share the credit.

Lalime posted his third consecutive 3-0 shutout to equal a league record as the Ottawa Senators beat the reeling Philadelphia Flyers before a jubilant, towel-waving sellout crowd of 18,500 at the Corel Centre.

"I'd like to thank my teammates," Lalime said. "You can't do it yourself, it's a team effort. The important thing is the win.

"It's fun out there. We've got three in the bank. Now we've just got to get the fourth."

The Senators took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven quarterfinal. Game 5 is Friday night in Philadelphia.

Lalime's 28-save performance gave him a share of the NHL playoff record for consecutive shutouts first set by Clint Benedict of the Montreal Maroons in 1926, and matched by John Ross Roach of the New York Rangers in 1929; Frank McCool of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1945; and Brent Johnson of the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

The only shot to beat Lalime came in Game 1 when the Flyers scored in overtime. The NHL record for the longest postseason shutout sequence is 248 minutes, 32 seconds set by Detroit's Normie Smith in 1936.

"I have confidence in everyone in front of me," Lalime said. "They're clearing rebounds and doing everything we need to win."

Wade Redden, Sami Salo and Marian Hossa scored for Ottawa and Shawn McEachern had two assists.

The Flyers are 0-for-11 in previous playoff series when they fall behind three games to one.

"I don't have any answers," Flyers center Keith Primeau said. "If I had answers, we wouldn't be in the predicament we're in. We better find answers pretty soon, though."

Although the strategy of the experienced, hard-hitting Flyers has been to wear down their speedy opponents, the teams entered the game with 95 hits each as the Senators have matched the Flyers' physical play.

Philadelphia outshot Ottawa 28-25.

"We skated better than we have all series," Philadelphia coach Bill Barber said. "We have to focus on winning one hockey game and making a series out of this."

The Senators opened the scoring with 20 seconds left in the first period when captain Daniel Alfredsson headed for the Flyers' net, then sent a pass back up the slot to Redden, who beat Cechmanek.

"You give up a goal in the last 20 seconds, that's hard to swallow," Flyers center Jeremy Roenick said. "You've got to keep fighting. I'm a fighter, I don't quit."

Salo made it 2-0 when he swept around an outstretched Cechmanek and scored on a backhander in the second period. Hossa one-timed McEachern's pass across the slot two minutes later.

Cechmanek gave way to Brian Boucher in net for the third period. The Flyers could not solve Lalime with a two-man advantage for 1:17 midway through the third.

"That was huge," Alfredsson said. "The penalty killing has done an unbelievable job for us through the whole series.

"They are running out of time and have to play desperate. We just have to play our game."

Notes: Flyers right winger Mark Recchi did not dress because of headaches resulting from a hit by Senators defenseman Zdeno Chara during Recchi's first shift on Monday. . . . Searching for goals, the Flyers called up former Calgary Hitmen junior star Pavel Brendl from the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. It was the rookie right winger's playoff debut. He was acquired from the New York Rangers last summer in the Eric Lindros trade and had one goal in eight NHL games this season. . . . Ottawa is the only Canadian team to reach the playoffs the last six seasons but has lost four straight series.