Newark, NJ

Alexei Ponikarovsky scored the game-winner with 2:39 left in overtime as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Ponikarovsky took a pass from Ilya Kovalchuk at the blue line -- after the Flyers were caught in the neutral zone on a bad line change -- and headed directly toward the goal. His first shot from the right circle hit Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov point blank in the chest, but Bryzgalov was unable to control the rebound which bounced right back to Ponikarovsky. Ponikarovsky skated to his left and then put a backhand past Bryzgalov in the goal for the victory.

Kovalchuk, who missed Game 2 with a lower-body injury was the outstanding player of the gane as he scored a goal and assisted on two more goals.

The Flyers scored in the opening period, as Brayden Schenn scored on a power play, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead 6:08 into the game. Hwoever, the Devils' forechecking was relentless in the Flyers zone. The Flyers were forced to take a penalty and Patrik Elias shot snuck past Bryzgalov to tie the game 1-1. 20 seconds later (12:53), Kovalchuk beat Bryzgalov on a break away for a 2-1 Devils lead. The Flyers' Matt Carle 4:44 into the second period evened the score at 2-2.

The Flyers kept the Devils offense in check throughout the remainder of the second period and into the third period until 7:29 into the third period, when Zach Parise scored giving the Devils a 3-2 lead. Briere chipped in a rebound past Martin Brodeur at 11:04 to tie the game at 3-3.

The Devils were fortunate as they killed Flyer powerplays to end regulation. In overtime, the Devils killed off two more power plays in the overtime, allowing only a single shot. The Flyers finished the night going 1-for-5 on the power play and are now only 2-for-16 in the series against the Devils after going 12-for-23 in the opening round against the Penguins.

#5 Flyers vs. #6 Devils

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