NHL Roundup : McCarthy Returns, Leads North Stars to a 5-4 Win

Tom McCarthy, seriously injured in a fight last February, scored a goal and assisted on another Tuesday night at Bloomington, Minn., to lead the Minnesota North Stars to a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

It was the sixth game for the North Stars (2-3-1) but the first for the 25-year-old left wing. With the Stars trailing, 3-2, in the second period, McCarthy set up Craig Levie for a tying goal. On a power play some three minutes later, McCarthy knocked in the rebound of a shot by Brian Bellows to put the North Stars in front to stay.

Last Feb. 14, Dave Williams, the most penalized player in National Hockey League history, gave McCarthy a valentine--a punch in the head that caused a severe concussion. At the time Williams was with Detroit, but now he is with the Kings.

There was some doubt that McCarthy would ever play again. The concussion was so serious it prevented the native of Toronto from playing in the final 24 games last season.

McCarthy, who scored 39 goals in 66 games during the 1983-84 season, was brought along slowly during the training season. It was finally determined that he was ready. From the start, he showed he was not gun shy and he was in the thick of the action from the outset.

“I knew that physically, I was ready to play,” McCarthy said. “As soon as I went out onto the ice in the first period, I knew I was mentally ready, too. Then to contribute to the victory was icing on the cake.”

Kent Nilsson had three assists for the North Stars, who outshot the Blues (3-2), 44-32.

Vancouver 2, New York Islanders 2--The Canucks outplayed the Islanders almost all the way at Uniondale, N.Y., but Mike Bossy scored with 3:17 remaining in regulation to get the home club a tie.

The Canucks outshot the Islanders, 36-21. In the five-minute overtime, the Canucks had a 3-1 edge.

Bossy has four goals in five games this season and 478 in 614 in his career.