41.   Earlier, Vanbiesbrouck had thwarted a Messier wrist shot from the left circle on a breakaway.

42.   Earlier, Vanbiesbrouck had thwarted a Mark Messier wrister from the left circle on a breakaway.

43.   Earlier, Mike Knuble dished a backhand pass in the left circle to Brian Rolston, who was turned back by goalie Martin Brodeur.

44.   Elik skated it through the left circle, cut into the slot and beat Giguere with a backhander.

45.   Falloon quickly coughed up the puck, and Axelsson was left at the top of the left circle to collect the holiday pres-ent.

46.   Fedorov dished a pass from the right point underneath the stick of Washington center Adam Oates to Brown in the left circle.

47.   Ferraro won a face-off in the left circle late in the period and the puck squirted back to Lachance at the left point near the blue line.

48.   First, Dafoe was badly out of position when he came out toward Jeff Norton, who was deep in the left circle.

49.   Fleury picked it up, skated into the left circle and beat Fiset high.

50.   Fiset kept coming further and further out until he was in the left circle.