Primeau scores both goals for Philly
Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD OTT PHI
0:23 Keith Primeau
Assists: Simon Gagne, Justin Williams 0
1
2ND PERIOD OTT PHI
4:00 Jason Spezza (Power Play)
Assists: Daniel Alfredsson, Wade Redden 1
1
17:01 Keith Primeau
Assists: Kim Johnsson 1 2
3RD PERIOD OTT PHI
No scoring this period 1 2
Game Information
Arena: Wachovia Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Referees: Blaine Angus, Kerry Fraser
Linesmen: Andy McElman, Brian Murphy
Attendance: 19,077 (97.8% full)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers are finding a way to put
the heartbreaking past behind them.
Primeau
Primeau
"It doesn't avenge anything, but I guess it allows us to move on with
our season,'' Keith Primeau said after the Flyers defeated the Ottawa
Senators 2-1 Tuesday night.
Primeau scored both goals -- equaling Philadelphia's entire scoring
output in a shocking, five-game, loss to the Senators in the opening
round of last year's playoffs.
"We needed to have a win here tonight,'' Primeau said after the first
meeting with the Senators, the fourth team to eliminate Philadelphia in
the first round in the last five years.
Roman Cechmanek stopped 29 shots, including several key saves in the
final minutes, as the Flyers remained unbeaten at home (3-0-1).
Jason Spezza scored his first NHL goal for the Senators, who are
winless in their last three games (0-2-1).
Primeau scored 23 seconds in, tipping in a pass from Simon Gagne.
Primeau added the game-winner with 1:43 left in the second period after
taking a pass at center ice from Kim Johnsson and outskating a
defenseman to put the puck under the crossbar.
Primeau said it's important for the Flyers to get off to quick starts,
especially at home.
"We let that slide for a couple of games,'' the Flyers' center
explained. "We are back to it now and we are a better hockey club when
we come hard at the start and follow through.''
Primeau missed the first two games of the season with a bruised ankle
and appears determined to make up for lost time.
"Keith's on a mission,'' said teammate Jeremy Roenick. "You can tell by
his attitude. He has put a lot of things out of his life and is
focusing on hockey.''
Spezza, the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, tied it with a
power-play goal at 4:00 of the second period. Playing in only his third
NHL game, Spezza took a pass high in the slot from Daniel Alfredsson
and flipped the puck high over Cechmanek.
"I was happy with my goal but obviously it would be nice to get it in a
win,'' Spezza said. "But I think the team is doing well. We're getting
better every game. We just need to figure out a way to get the puck in
the net.''
Alfredsson, who leads the Senators in scoring with nine points,has
scored in all seven Ottawa games.
"We are still playing pretty well but we just can't get that goal when
we need it,'' he said.
Patrick Lalime made 26 saves for the Senators, including a spectacular
stop on a breakaway by Mark Recchi late in the second period.
Game notes
RW Jody Hull played in his 100th game for Ottawa. ... The Flyers failed
to score a power-play goal for the first time this season. ...
Philadelphia is unbeaten (5-0-2) when it scores first. ... It was the
second multigoal game of the season for Primeau, who has five goals
this season. ... Ottawa's Marian Hossa and Martin Havlat had scoring
streaks snapped at five and four games, respectively. ... It was
Philadelphia's second win at home over the Senators in its last nine
tries (2-5-2).