Ottawa Senators Benoit Brunet, left, congratulates goaltender Patrick Lalime on his shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        OTTAWA — The long wait is over for Radek Bonk. And with the way the Ottawa Senators are playing defense, his first career playoff goal was more than enough.

        It took Bonk 27 games, but he made sure his first postseason score was very significant.

        “It was worth waiting for,” Bonk said of his power-play goal 2:04 into the third period, helping the Ottawa Senators to a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Monday night.

        Patrick Lalime got his second straight shutout and Marian Hossa and Daniel Alfredsson scored empty-net goals as Ottawa took a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff.

        “They're playing as well as they have since they came into this league,” Flyers center Jeremy Roenick said. “It's a credit to their coaches. We have to try to take a page out of their book.”

        Bonk, who assisted on Ottawa's first goal Saturday for his second point in 26 playoff games, fired a shot from the slot past goalie Roman Cechmanek and just inside the right post.

        “I saw the puck go in and it was a big relief,” Bonk said. “It's always nice to score the goal that gives you the win.”

        Hossa scored into an empty net with 54.3 seconds remaining before a wild white towel-waving Corel Centre crowd of 18,239.

        The towels were on display again at 19:50 as Alfredsson scored Ottawa's second empty-netter.

        “I thought it was great to see the fans behind us,” Lalime said. “They were pretty loud, especially when we scored that first goal. They were right behind us throughout the whole game.”

        Lalime made 26 saves in his second career playoff win and shutout; he stopped 33 shots in a 3-0 win in Game 2 as the teams split the first two games in Philadelphia.

        He has allowed one goal on 83 shots in the series for a .988 save percentage.

        Ruslan Fedotenko's overtime winner in Game 1 is Philadelphia's only goal of the series as the Flyers have yet to beat Lalime in nine periods of regulation play.

        “That's the reason why we're up 2-1,” Bonk said. “If they don't score, they can't win. That's unbelievable.”

        Adam Oates assisted on Fedotenko's goal and the Flyers have yet to get a point from their other big guns: Roenick, John LeClair, Keith Primeau, Simon Gagne and Mark Recchi.

        Game 4 in the best-of-7 quarterfinal will be here Wednesday.

        “We've got to find a way to win,” LeClair said.

        Kings 3, Avalanche 1

        LOS ANGELES — This time, three goals were enough for the Los Angeles Kings.

        Ziggy Palffy scored twice, Jason Allison had a goal, and Adam Deadmarsh added an assist as the Kings defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 Monday night to trail 2-1 in their first-round playoff series.

        The Kings, who have three goals in each game against Colorado, were counting on some scoring from their other lines to get back in the series. But the No. 1 line of Palffy, Allison and Deadmarsh dominated again, and got a victory to show for it.

        The trio produced seven goals and nine assists in the first three games of the best-of-seven series.

        The Kings are 10-0-2 in their last 12 home games. Game 4 is Tuesday night at Staples Center.

        Los Angeles goaltender Felix Potvin was kept busy making 30 saves as the Kings were outshot 31-18, including 15-1 in the third period.

        Colorado stars Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg were held scoreless. Sakic's line had four points in the Avalanche's first two wins. Forsberg spent the game's final 15 seconds in the penalty box for roughing.

        Colorado's Patrick Roy made 15 saves, but gave up three goals for the third consecutive game. He was pulled for an extra attacker with 1 1/2 minutes left.

        Fighting marred the game's final 15 seconds and continued after the final horn, with players shoving each other against the boards.

        The Kings never had a power play, although they made a case for one with seven minutes remaining. Mikko Eloranta took the puck along the right boards and got ahead of Colorado's Adam Foote, who rammed Eloranta in front of the net. Kings coach Andy Murray yelled to no avail for a penalty.

        Los Angeles didn't waste any time scoring its first two goals less than a minute into the first and second periods.

        The standing-room only crowd of 18,519 hadn't yet stopped its pre-game chants of “Go, Kings, go” when Palffy skated out from behind the net, took a pass from Allison and beat Roy stickside 19 seconds in for a 1-0 lead.

        Allison notched the first of his two assists on Palffy's third goal of the playoffs and the Kings' first shot of the game.

        The Avalanche didn't get their first shot on goal until six minutes in, but they scored on their second shot at 6:01 of the first.

        After the puck bounced off a skate in front of a crowded net, Colorado's Brad Larsen picked up the rebound and scored his first NHL playoff goal for a 1-1 tie.

        Allison gave the Kings a 2-1 lead 43 seconds into the second period. Roy kicked away a shot by Palffy before Allison skated in from the left side and scored past Roy's stick.

        Allison returned the favor on Palffy's second goal of the game as the Kings led 3-1. He sent a pass to Palffy, who scored through Roy's legs at 8:29 of the second. Deadmarsh notched his third assist of the series.

        Roy got caught out of his net and nearly let in a second goal in the first period. He chased the puck to the end board, where it took an odd bounce and rolled across the crease. Kings left wing Cliff Ronning pounced, but had his stick lifted off the ice in time by former Kings player Rob Blake, which triggered massive booing.

        Sharks 4, Coyotes 1

        PHOENIX — A rough start turned into an easy finish for Evgeni Nabokov and the San Jose Sharks.

        Nabokov gave up a goal to Shane Doan on Phoenix's first shot, then made 35 saves as the Sharks beat the Coyotes 4-1 Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

        Mike Ricci had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Marleau, Adam Graves and Scott Thornton also scored for the Sharks, who had just three goals coming in after finishing fourth in the NHL in goals.

        Game 4 is Wednesday night in Phoenix.

        The Sharks knew what they had to do to regain the home-ice advantage — crash the net, create havoc to distract goalie Sean Burke and cash in — and they did.

        The Pacific Division champions turned it up early in the second period after allowing the Coyotes to enjoy a 1-0 lead most of the first.

        Marleau, the No. 2 pick in the 1997 draft who has become a playoff threat, scored his second goal by taking advantage of a screen by Marco Sturm, who tangled with Daymond Langkow in front of Burke. Graves squeezed a shot between Burke's arm and body from close in, and Thornton poked in a rebound to make it 3-1 at 7:20 of the third.

        Nabokov, who had seven shutouts during the season, was strong after allowing Doan's score 1:06 in.

        He had four saves during a Coyotes power play that began with 5:03 left in the second period, including a rejection of a shot by Langkow while falling and a kick save on Langkow's rebound attempt.

        Burke got an assist on Doan's goal, clearing the puck to Todd Simpson, who passed to Doan in the Phoenix end. The power forward stepped past a defender at the blue line, raced down the right wing and fired from the circle, beating Nabokov on the far side.

        But Marleau, who scored the winner in Game 1, tied it 3:40 into the second period. The Sharks got the lead at 5:38 when Graves whiffed on his first try at a shot, then got just enough on the puck to squirt it in off Burke's jersey.

        Ricci scored 23 seconds after Thornton, and the period degenerated into a series of penalties by the frustrated Coyotes. The Sharks had three of their eight power plays in the final 4:22.

        Burke made 16 of his 31 saves in the third period.
       Notes: Counting the playoffs, the Sharks are 34-2-4 when taking a lead into the third period. ... Phoenix D Teppo Numminen played with a broken left foot and a protective eye shield. Numminen missed Game 1 because of the foot, but played Saturday and took a teammate's stick in his right eye. ... Ricci, fourth on the Sharks in points (53) during the season, had none in the playoffs until this game. ... The Sharks used rookie Jeff Jillson, who was scratched in Game 2, as a seventh defenseman. ... The team that scored first won the first two games of the series. ... The Coyotes, who have failed get past the first round in nine attempts since 1987, are 30-60 in the postseason.

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