Knockout punch

Resilient Devils stun Lindros' Flyers in Game 7

By Tom Canavan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHILADELPHIA

The New Jersey Devils finished the greatest comeback in a conference final, and they may have finished off Eric Lindros as well.

Patrik Elias scored his second goal of the game with 2:32 to play as the Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 Friday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.

The Devils won the final three games of the series, but the clincher will forever be remembered for Scott Stevens' first-period hit on Lindros that knocked out the Flyers' former captain for the fourth time this season.

Lindros, who just returned from a concussion after missing 10 weeks, had to be helped off the ice at 7:50 of the first period. The team said he was taken to a hospital, but there was no official word on the extent of the injury.

Unsuspecting Lindros

“I know it was a clean hit,” said Stevens, who caught an unsuspecting Lindros looking down at the ice. “I don't like to see anyone get hurt. That's the bottom line. It felt a little tough playing after that.”

After the game, the NHL levied a $10,000 fine against the Flyers, apparently for not releasing information on Lindros' injury

Stevens, who was booed after he hit Lindros and again after the game when he accepted the Prince of Wales Trophy, said he wouldn't be doing much celebrating.

A team known more for its playoffs failures the past three years, the Devils advanced to their first Stanley Cup final since winning the title in 1995. They will play the winner of tonight's Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche in a final that will open in New Jersey Tuesday.

“It's tough to believe, down 3-1,” Devils veteran Ken Daneyko of Windsor said. “I know after Game 41 was pretty demoralized. But you seem to rally yourself and get your spirits up. ”

Devils coach Larry Robinson, who replaced Robbie Ftorek with eight games left in the regular season, helped in that regard. The Hall of Famer's garbage-can kicking tirade after a 3-1 loss in Game 4 seemed to get the Devils refocused on their defensive game.

Over the final three games, the Flyers scored just three goals against Martin Brodeur, losing the final two games by 2-1 margin.

Rick Tocchet had the Flyers' only goal in Game 7, tying the game 1-1 in the second period.

However, Elias came through for the Devils, who are trying to win a second Stanley Cup for outgoing owner John McMullen. He has agreed to sell the team to YankeeNets in a deal that will be completed in July.

Before Friday's game, 15 teams had rallied from 3-1 deficits to win a playoff series. But the Devils are the first to do it in a conference final.

Historic comeback

The greatest comeback in NHL history came in 1942 when the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings.

The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs was St. Louis, which defeated Phoenix in the 1999 Western Conference quarter-finals.

“This is not what we expected after having a 3-1 lead,” said Eric Desjardins, who replaced Lindros as captain late in the season. “It was pretty tight the whole way tonight and one goal made the difference. It was a tough one for sure.”

The injury to Lindros, coupled with the Elias' goal at 6:44 of the first period, seemed to take the air out of the Flyers and their sellout crowd early in the first period.

“He was reaching for the puck and was down really low when I hit him,” Stevens said. “I feel just really bad about that.”