Flyers Continue Mastery of Sabres

PHILADELPHIA —  Veterans Paul Coffey and Dale Hawerchuk, slowed by injuries the past few months, are speeding it up at just the right time for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Coffey, 35, had three assists and Hawerchuk, 34, a goal and two assists--all in the first period--as the Flyers moved to the brink of reaching the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

“Don’t let them hear you call them old,” said Eric Lindros, who joined Hawerchuk, Eric Desjardins and Rod Brind’Amour as goal-scorers for Philadelphia, which can clinch the best-of-seven playoff series with a victory in Game 4 Friday night.

“There’s no need for this team to be overconfident,” said Coffey, who knows that only two teams have come back to win a Stanley Cup series after losing the first three games. “We’re not that good.”

Maybe, but they were good enough to beat a Sabre team without its leading goal-scorer, Donald Audette (bad shoulder), and top defensive forward, Michael Peca (back spasms).

Darryl Shannon scored for the Sabres, who got 35 saves from Steve Shields.

Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek, a leading candidate for NHL MVP honors this season, is eligible to return for Game 4 from a three-game suspension for an altercation with a Buffalo News reporter. But Hasek is nursing a sore knee and his status for Friday is uncertain.

“If Dominik Hasek is ready to play, he will play,” Sabre Coach Ted Nolan said. “That’s the only shakeup we have.”

While the Flyers scored two power-play goals, the Sabres went one for seven on the power play, making them two for 15 for the series.

“We’ve got to direct a puck to the net,” Matthew Barnaby said. “That’s been our problem all year, passing up shots.”

Coffey, the career playoff scoring leader among defenseman, played his best game since joining Philadelphia in a Dec. 15 trade in Game 2, and he continued to shine in Game 3, helping the Flyers take the two-goal lead they held onto until Desjardins’ empty-net goal with 12 seconds to play.

Note

The Boston Bruins have offered their coaching job to Jack Parker, who led Boston University to two NCAA championships in his 24 seasons at the school. Parker said he will have a decision by Monday. The Bruins fired Steve Kasper on April 18, five days after they ended their first non-playoff season in 30 years. Their 26-47-9 record was the worst in the NHL.