1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Conference Finals - Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference

The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers met in the 1997 Eastern Conference Final. Philadelphia was coming off a relatively easy five-game series win over the Buffalo Sabres. New York, on the other hand, had just pulled off a big upset, defeating the top team in the East, the New Jersey Devils in five games. The Flyers were looking to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in ten years, while the Rangers were looking to advance to the Cup Finals with help from new additions like Wayne Gretzky, Esa Tikkanen, Russ Courtnall, David Oliver and Mike Eastwood.

New York out shot Philadelphia in game one at the CoreStates Center, 25–21, but the Flyers ended up winning, 3–1. Wayne Gretzky had his second hat trick of the playoffs in game two, as the Rangers edged the Flyers 5–4. With the series tied at 1–1, the two teams moved to Madison Square Garden in New York for games three and four. This time it was the Flyers' Eric Lindros who netted a hat trick, as Philadelphia won 6–3. In game four, Lindros broke a 2–2 tie with just seven seconds remaining in regulation. The Flyers won 3–2. They now took a commanding three-games-to-one series lead back home to the CoreStates Center for game five on Sunday, May 25. The Rangers scored twice in 26 seconds in the first period to take a 2–1 lead, but the Flyers scored three unanswered goals and won the game 4–2, and the series four games to one. This would be the last playoff game for both Gretzky and Mark Messier.

May 16 New York Rangers 1-3 Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center
May 18 New York Rangers 5-4 Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center
May 20 Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
May 23 Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
May 25 New York Rangers 2-4 Philadelphia Flyers CoreStates Center
Philadelphia won series 4-1


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