Ron Hextall

If the Flyers are going to challenge for the Stanley Cup, their goaltending has to be every-night consistent. And for them, that consistency starts with having the same guy in net game in and game out. There will be no rotating of goalies, which proved disastrous in last year's playoffs. "We don't want to alternate," coach Roger Neilson said. "I hope one plays so well that it becomes obvious" who's No. 1. Right now, given Ron Hextall's inflamed left hip, which has caused him to miss the last three games, and Sean Burke's strong play, there seems to be little doubt that Burke has the edge.

Ron Hextall, wearing a black jersey, stood at one end of the Flyers' practice rink in Voorhees yesterday afternoon. Dominic Roussel, wearing an orange jersey, stood at the other. Separated by 178 feet of ice, the two goaltenders were intertwined in the Flyers' first controversy of the NHL playoffs: Which one will start in tonight's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils at the Meadowlands? Coach Terry Murray yanked Hextall late in the second period of Monday's 5-2 loss in Game 2 and inserted Roussel.

Eric Lindros and a couple of teammates drifted out of their changing room early, several minutes before the start of the third period. Christine Todd Whitman cruised by, in her black loafers and black polo shirt, embroidered with the logo of the state hockey club. The Devils. The governor of New Jersey passed through the stench of sweaty men who paid her no attention. They had other things on their mind. The Flyers were trailing the New Jersey Devils, 2-1, and they had just 20 minutes left in their attempt to secure another home game.

Dominic Roussel didn't really expect to start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils last night at the Meadowlands. But when Flyers coach Terry Murray refused to name either Roussel or Ron Hextall as the starting goaltender until after yesterday's morning skate, Roussel held out a glimmer of hope. So the fourth-year goalie was disappointed but not surprised when Murray chose Hextall, who has started all 12 playoff games. "Sure it's disappointing," said Roussel, who shut out the Devils on eight shots in 22 minutes, 58 seconds of playing time after Murray yanked Hextall in Monday's Game 2 at the Spectrum.

Dominic Roussel says he is willing to accept his role as a backup with the Flyers this season, but it may be too late for the ambitious goaltender. General manager Bob Clarke traded for goalie Garth Snow in July, and Clarke said yesterday that he had "no intention" of sending Snow to the minor leagues. Since coach Terry Murray prefers to have just two goaltenders on his roster - Roussel, Snow and Ron Hextall make three - it seems that Roussel's time with the Flyers could be winding down.

They flattened their opponents with vicious open-ice checks. They scored four unanswered goals in the first 25 minutes and forced the opposing goaltender to an uncomfortable seat on the bench. Most impressive, they caused Eric Lindros, the Flyers' superstar center, to drop his gloves and fight twice. Are you sitting down? It was the New York Islanders. The worst team in the NHL's Eastern Conference skulked into town last night and ended its three-game losing streak by knocking the Flyers into the upper deck of the Spectrum.

It was just 32 seconds into overtime last night at the Spectrum when Chris Therien noticed something odd. He was all alone at the left point. So he signaled for Anatoli Semenov to pass him the puck. Semenov obliged. And Therien's shot over goaltender Kirk McLean's right shoulder gave the Flyers a thrilling, 3-2 overtime victory over the desperate Vancouver Canucks. "I saw Anatoli coming out of the corner from behind the net with the puck, and I was open," said Therien, who notched his first goal of the season.

It's four and counting. The Flyers began their final pre-Olympic road trip last night at Reunion Arena with a season-high fourth consecutive loss, this one by 1-0 to the Stars, the best club in the Central Division. Dallas got an unlikely second-period goal from struggling Pat Verbeek, then hung on. It was the fourth time the Flyers have been shut out this season. That hadn't happened since they were blanked five times in 1993-94. "We're pressing a little bit to win," said coach Wayne Cashman.

Forget the Stanley Cup finals. The best matchup of the playoffs could be in this round, when the young and impassioned Flyers play the older but resilient New York Rangers, the defending Stanley Cup champions, in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Eric Lindros, Mark Messier, Ron Hextall and Brian Leetch - all playoff standouts - will be there today when the war begins at the Spectrum. "It's going to be the biggest challenge our team has faced so far this year," said Flyers center Craig MacTavish, who hoisted the Cup as a Ranger last season.

It took them 50 minutes to find it, but the Tampa Bay Lightning finally discovered a way to keep John LeClair from scoring. They got him kicked out of the game. By the time that happened, however, it was too late. Before LeClair was ejected from last night's game halfway through the third period, the left winger had scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Flyers to a hard- checking, brawl-filled 4-0 victory at the Spectrum. The shutout, goalie Ron Hextall's first of the season and 11th of his career, evened the Flyers' record at 2-2 in their last four games, made it 19-8-4 overall, and sent them into the weekend's games against Montreal tomorrow and Pittsburgh on Sunday with a big win in their back pockets.