(from SportsWrap)
 
SNOW TO START FOR FLYERS IN GAME TWO OF CUP FINALS
 
Terry Murray decided that he wants Snow in Philadelphia on the
first Tuesday in June. The head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers
announced Monday that Garth Snow will replace Ron Hextall as the
starting goaltender for Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals
against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. The Red Wings
drew first blood and erased the Flyers' home-ice advantage with a
4-2 victory on Saturday at the CoreStates Center. Hextall was in
goal for the Flyers and allowed all four goals, including a long
slapshot by Steve Yzerman that gave Detroit a two-goal lead early
in the third period. "I thought that the opportunity for us to
get ourselves back into the game was taken away," Murray said
after practice Monday. "I feel very comfortable going with Garth
Snow. He's played very well for us in the playoffs. He's ready
physically. He's ready mentally. He'll give us a big
performance." Hextall was relegated to backup status early in the
playoffs before replacing Snow for good in Game Two of the
Eastern Conference finals with the New York Rangers. Hextall, who
won the Conn Smythe Trophy as a rookie the last time the Flyers
made the Finals in 1987, lost Saturday for the first time in five
games this playoff spring. Murray said he informed the
goaltenders of his decision Monday morning and that Hextall
handled the change in a professional manner.
 
The Flyers also announced that defenseman Petr Svoboda and left
wing Dan Kordic are both questionable for the remainder of the
series due to injuries. Svoboda sustained a fractured first
metatarsal bone in his right foot in the second period of
Saturday's game while Kordic suffered a fractured left thumb in
his first shift of the game.