BC-HKN–Devils-Flyers, Bjt,0655

Flyers 3, Devils 2

By ROB MAADDI

AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Forget a repeat. The New Jersey Devils might not get past the first round.

Alexei Zhamnov scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the defending Stanley Cup champions 3-2 Saturday night to take a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round matchup is Monday night in New Jersey.

Jan Hrdina and Brian Gionta scored for the Devils, who didn’t lead in either game. Mark Recchi and Mattias Timander had Philadelphia’s other goals.

The Devils haven’t come back from a 2-0 series deficit since winning four straight against Boston in the 1994 conference semifinals after losing the first two games at home. The Devils rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Flyers in the 2000 conference finals.

Robert Esche, making just his second playoff start, again outplayed Martin Brodeur, stopping 24 shots. He had 37 saves in Thursday night’s 3-2 victory.

Brodeur, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner who has led New Jersey to three championships in the past nine years, again was ordinary. He allowed three goals on 18 shots.

Less than three minutes after Hrdina scored the tying goal, Zhamnov stuffed a shot past Brodeur to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Tony Amonte set up the goal with a shot from outside the right circle that went around the net to Jeremy Roenick, who took a shot that was stopped by Brodeur. But Zhamnov took a whack at the puck, slipping it through before Brodeur could control it.

Timander made it 3-1 midway through the third period with a hard slap shot that sailed past Brodeur. Gionta cut it to 3-2 with 5:25 left, but the Flyers controlled the play in the final minutes.

Playing again without All-Star defenseman Scott Stevens, still battling post-concussion syndrome, New Jersey’s defense had trouble against Philadelphia’s big forwards. John LeClair hit the side of the net on a shot that beat Brodeur in the first, and Sami Kapanen later missed the net on a point-blank shot.

Hrdina tied it at 1 with his second goal in two games early in the second period. Hrdina took a crisp pass from Jamie Langenbrunner, skated in alone and flipped it past Esche.

Recchi gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal in the first period. Recchi completed a tic-tac-toe passing play with Joni Pitkanen and Kim Johnsson by one-timing a shot over Brodeur’s glove.

Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock preached discipline to his team after New Jersey had four power plays to Philadelphia’s one in the series opener. But the Flyers took two penalties in the first 10 minutes.

First, Keith Primeau was called for interference, even though it appeared Brodeur tripped him. Then Timander had a hooking penalty. The Flyers killed both penalties, and another one in the second period. During that power play, Roenick was pulled down by Scott Niedermayer when he came in on a breakaway.

The game ended with a scrum in front and behind the Flyers net, and Esche squared off with New Jersey forward Patrik Elias. The two exchanged shoves, but they were kept apart as Esche struggled to get his hands free of his glove and blocker.

Notes: The Devils were 0-for-3 on the power play and are 0-for-7 in the series. … Recchi got into a heated exchange with referee Mick McGeough in the first period after McGeough argued with Esche over a non-call. … Flyers D Eric Desjardins, out for the playoffs, will have surgery Monday on the right forearm he re-broke earlier in the week. … The teams have met twice in the playoffs, with New Jersey winning both times in the conference finals (1995, 2000) and going on to win the Cup. … After closing the season 1-for-37 on the power play, the Flyers scored on their first two opportunities with the man advantage.

AP-ES-04-10-04 2212EDT