The Philadelphia Flyers advanced to the NHL's Eastern Conference final with a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, winning the series 4-1. Scott Upshall deflected a shot past Carey Price late in the third period to give Philadelphia its second and final lead of the game. The Flyers are the second team to reach the conference finals after the Detroit Red Wings got there in the West by sweeping the Colorado Avalanche. Philadelphia will face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Rangers series. The Penguins lead 3-1 and Game 5 is Sunday in Pittsburgh. R.J. Umberger had two goals and an assist and Martin Biron stopped 31 shots for the Flyers, whose last appearance in the East final was in 2004 when they lost to Tampa Bay. The Flyers' win also assured the first all-US Stanley Cup final since 2003 and extended Canada's title drought to 15 years. Montreal was the last Canadian team to win it in 1993. Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell scored as Philadelphia got three second-period goals to take a 4-3 lead. Andre Kositsyn drew Montreal level at 4-4 before Upshall's goal. Mike Knuble scored into an empty net with 50 seconds left. Sweden edges Belarus In Canada, Patric Hornqvist scored twice and Sweden fended off Belarus 6-5 in an opening preliminary round game of the Ice Hockey World Championships on Saturday. In the other Group A game Saturday, Switzerland beat France 4-1. In Group C, Finland and Slovakia had 5-1 wins, over Germany and Norway respectively. Sweden's win was completed when Rickard Wallin deflected Nils Ekman's shot at 10:32 of the third period. Defenseman Magnus Johansson and forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Robert Nilsson, all in the NHL this past season, also had a goal apiece. Backstrom and Nilsson, both NHL rookies last season, each added an assist. Viktor Kostyuchenok, Sergei Zadelenov, Alexei Ugarov and Aleksandr Zhurik and Dimtry Meleshko scored for Belarus. Many of Sweden's star players aren't at the world championships this year. The Swedes are without the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, Markus Naslund, Peter Forsberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin, and numerous Detroit Red Wings and others still in the NHL playoffs. What the Swedes lack in star power they make up for with international experience and seven NHL players. Belarus had no NHL players on its roster Saturday. Ruslan Salei of the Colorado Avalanche should help the Belarus defense starting Monday against Switzerland according to coach Curt Fraser. “Unfortunately for us, when you score five goals, you'd better win the game,” Fraser said. “I thought our team as a whole played a very good game.” Cristobal Huet made 40 saves for France, but his team could not conjur enough offense to threaten Switzerland. Mikko Koivu scored twice in leading Finland's win over Germany. Finland took the lead in the second period when Koivu scored off Tuomo Ruutu's backhand pass in front of Germany's net.
