February 21, 1994: Flyers outlast Canadiens in wild, high-scoring affair
Fifteen goals scored. Patrick Roy pulled from the game. Five power play goals by the Flyers. Lindros pummels Desjardins.
Wait. Eric Lindros fought who?
It was another epic matchup in the long history between the Canadiens and the Flyers in this afternoon tilt down at the Spectrum in which the Flyers outlasted the Canadiens, 8-7.
In the first period, the Flyers would jump out to a quick two goal lead within the first seven minutes. Mark Recchi and Rod Brind’Amour both scored goals on the power play and jump started the Flyers to a 2-0 lead.
Just 30 seconds later, Vincent Damphousse would get one past Flyer netminder Dominic Roussel and cut the lead in half to 2-1. With Montreal defenseman Kevin Haller off for holding, the Flyers would go 3-for-3 on the power play as Brent Fedyk would notch his 18th of the year at 11:37 and the lead was back to two. Paul Dipietro for the Canadiens would cut the lead to one, with a goal at 14:16. The period would end with the Flyers up 3-2, but the game far from over.
In the second, Damphousse would score again to tie the game, just 1:04 into the period. The tie lasted just under 2 minutes when Al Conroy got one past Roy and the Flyers lead 4-3. The seesaw continued as Montreal’s Kirk Muller tied it at four just under a minute later.
Later in the second is when things really got interesting. At 8:07, Brind’Amour scored his second of the game and the Flyers took a 5-4 lead. A minute later, former Flyer J.J Daignealt was whistled for interference and the Flyers went back on the power play.
From a Brind’Amour rebound, Lindros was alone on the right side of the net and slammed home the fourth power play goal of the day and put the lead up to two again at 6-4. As Brind’Amour skated in front of Roy to congratulate Lindros, No. 33 decided to whack him with the stick in the back of the legs.
Lindros, who would never shy away from any shenanigans, went after Roy and Roy responded trying to shove his catching glove in Lindros' face, while (of course) backing away.
Then it was on.
Everyone piled in, and poor Eric Desjardins. He decided that he was going to stick up for Roy and take on Lindros. Although Desjardins was eventually traded to the Flyers, he probably wished it was the day before this game. He got pummeled and felt the full fury of the E-Train, getting hit with three or four right hands while heading to the ice. Once on the ice, a brutal right hand caught Desjardins square on the jaw. It took two linesmen to get Lindros off of him.
I was lucky enough to be about 10 rows back and directly behind the net that afternoon to witness the fight – and loved every minute of it!
After six goals and three minor penalties, Patrick Roy’s day was done and the crowd let him have it as he was replaced by Ron Tugnutt. From the fracas, the Flyers were on another power play and they made it count. Fedyk would score his second of the game at 11:14 and the lead was 7-4. However, at 12:37 Gilbert Dionne would cut the lead to two and make it 7-5 as the teams headed for the third period. This one was not over yet.
In the third, the Canadiens got exactly what they needed, a quick goal to get the deficit cut in half. Patrice Brisebois scored at 6:01 and the score was now 7-6. Less than two minutes later, Lindros pushed the lead back to two, as he scored his second of the game, 34th of the year to make it 8-6.
Although the Canadiens scored a late goal by John LeClair at 17:14 to make the game 8-7, they were able to hold off Montreal for the last 2:46. Roussel would stop 35 of the 42 shots fired at him and pick up the win.
You can see the Flyers sixth goal by Lindros and the fight with Desjardins that ensued below.
Mike Watson is a contributing writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on twitter @Mwats_99.
