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Thursday, December 9, 1999FLYERS 4, Maple Leafs 2Leaf rally too little, too latePHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Eric Lindros scored on a blistering slap shot with 66 seconds left in the third period to cap his 11th career hat trick as the surging Philadelphia Flyers hung on to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2. In the first game of a home-and-home series between 1999 first-round playoff opponents, the Flyers got off to a quick 3-0 lead before holding on as Toronto rallied in the third period. The Maple Leafs were within 3-2 and storming the net late in the third period when Lindros broke down the right side and rifled a slap shot over goaltender Glenn Healy's glove. "You get down to the last little bit of the game and you just wind up and rip it," said Lindros, who has 11 goals and three assists in his last nine games." "He's a big strong guy and he's got skill on top of it," Toronto coach Pat Quinn said. "I don't know about dominance, but he had a hell of a game tonight." John LeClair had a goal and assist and goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck recorded 27 saves, including 10 in the third period, as the Flyers improved to 6-0-1 in their last seven games and 8-0-1 in their last nine at home. "They are always on the scoresheets, there is no question about it," Toronto right wing Steve Thomas said of Lindros and LeClair. "They are one of the top lines in the league. When you are playing against them, you certainly have to know who is on the ice." "It was a good win for us," LeClair said. "We came out and played a real good first half. As a team we are a little disappointed in the way we played that third period, but we'll take the win." Lindros staked the Flyers to a 1-0 lead with 6:25 left in the opening period. Rookie Andy Delmore slid the puck toward the net and Healy overplayed it with his blocker. As the puck trickled across the crease, Lindros came around the back of the net and tapped it through Healy's pads for his 13th goal. Lindros, a Toronto-area native, made it 2-0 just over four minutes later, cashing in on the Flyers' first power-play opportunity. LeClair was in the right corner and tried to hit Mark Recchi with a pass in the slot. The puck was just out of Recchi's reach but Lindros, unchecked at the left post, batted it into a wide-open net. LeClair's 15th goal, 3:38 into the second period, extended Philadelphia's advantage to 3-0. He picked up a loose puck in his own zone and broke into the Maple Leafs' end. Just as Toronto's defense backed off, LeClair fired a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that hit Thomas and deflected past Healy. Vanbiesbrouck stopped all 17 shots he faced over the first two periods but Toronto rallied for two goals in the opening 6:13 of the third. Mats Sundin took the puck deep into the offensive zone along the right boards, waited for defenseman Luke Richardson to commit and ripped a wrist shot past Vanbiesbrouck for his 14th goal. Tie Domi's first tally since March 26 got the Maple Leafs within a goal with 13:47 left. Alone behind the net, Sundin slipped a pass in front to a cutting Domi, who banged the puck past Vanbiesbrouck's glove. "We worked hard for a big lead," Lindros added. "I thought the first 10 minutes of the third period we didn't take the play to them. We gave them life and they came back." Toronto applied constant pressure in the final period but was unable to knot the contest and had a five-game unbeaten streak stopped. "We just have to trust ourselves a little bit more," Sundin
said. "We have to play our game like we did in the playoffs."
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