NHL Playoff Roundup : Islanders Sinking Out of Sight, 5-3

Brian Propp scored a short-handed goal during a major penalty Tuesday night at Uniondale, N.Y., and the Philadelphia Flyers moved to the verge of a sweep over the once-powerful New York Islanders with a 5-3 victory.

The Islanders, who have been finalists in the battle for the Stanley Cup for the last five seasons, are down, 3-0, and seem unable to solve the goaltending of Pelle Lindbergh.

Although the Islanders, in their first home game of the best-of-seven series, put tremendous pressure on the netminder from Sweden and scored first, they couldn’t beat him again until after Propp’s short-handed goal gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead in the second period.

The Flyers were holding a 3-1 lead when defenseman Brad McCrimmon was sent to the penalty box for five minutes for high-sticking Duane Sutter of the Islanders. Here was the chance for the Islanders to get two goals, or more, because on a major the man does not come back onto the ice when a goal is scored.

But Propp broke their hearts. He stole the puck at the Flyers’ blueline, went in alone to beat Billy Smith.

The Islanders never gave up. They continued to fire away at Lindbergh, getting 27 shots at the goalie in 20 minutes of a wild second period. Two of them managed to get through, but thereafter Lindbergh was too tough.

It was a typical bitterly fought game, especially in the second period when there were four fights and much roughness. After John Tonelli’s goal late in the second period cut the Flyers’ lead to 4-3, the Islanders didn’t have much charge left.

They had only four shots on goal in the final period and their cause was lost when Ilkka Sinisalo scored into an empty net with 37 seconds remaining.

Quebec 7, Montreal 6--There was the usual wild time in the Battle of Quebec when it moved from Montreal to Quebec City for Game 3 of this torrid playoff series.

Dale Hunter scored a goal at 18:36 of overtime and the Nordiques took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Hunter took a pass from Michel Goulet, who had earlier scored a hat trick and beat goaltender Steve Penney from the left side with a blistering shot.

There were five minutes left in regulation when Wilf Paiement of Quebec knocked in a rebound to tie the game at 6-all. For almost another full period the goaltenders were in command. But Hunter ended the long battle with only 84 seconds left before another rest period.

Edmonton 5, Winnipeg 4--Wayne Gretzky hasn’t been much of a goal-scorer for the defending champion Oilers in the playoffs, but his third postseason goal all but ended the Jets hopes of an upset.

Gretzky broke a 4-4 tie 6:13 into the final period at Winnipeg and the Oilers took a 3-0 lead in the series.

The Jets were once again playing without their captain and leading scorer, injured Dale Hawerchuk, but they again battled resolutely before losing.

Gretzky, who had only two previous goals in five games, slipped behind the Winnipeg defense, took a pass from Glenn Anderson, faked goaltender Brian Hayward out, and scored the crusher.

Chicago 5, Minnesota 3--Al Secord scored twice in a little more than two minutes in the second period at Bloomington, Minn., and the Black Hawks regained the upperhand in the best-of-seven series.

The Black Hawks, beaten in the opening game of the series on their home ice, now hold a 2-1 edge in the series which will resume at Bloomington Thursday night.

The North Stars outshot the Black Hawks, 31-14, in the last two periods, but the two goals by Secord took the steam out of their drive.

Murray Bannerman stopped all 17 Minnesota shots in the second period and Secord’s goals gave him a 4-2 lead to protect.