NHL Roundup : Bruins Win Game, 5-3, but Lose Simmer

After being beaten, 5-3, by the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, the Boston Bruins played what Coach Butch Goring called a “very solid hockey game” Sunday and upended the Minnesota North Stars, 2-1, at Boston.

The victory was a costly one, however, since the Bruins lost high-scoring Charlie Simmer to torn knee ligaments in the second period.

“It was a pretty good turnaround from the loss in Philadelphia,” Goring said. “Granted, the North Stars are not the Flyers, but our guys played with a great deal more intensity, took the body probably as well as they have all year and worked as hard as they have all year.”

Veteran Bill Derlago, acquired from Toronto in a trade last month, broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal of the season in the second period and the Bruins went on to extend the league’s only perfect home record to six games.

The victory improved Boston’s record to 10-4-1 and moved the Bruins into sole possession of the Adams Division lead.

Neal Broten put Minnesota in the front with a power-play goal, his seventh, at 4:58 of the first period.

Simmer tied the score at 18:12 with a power-play goal, cashing a rebound of a shot by Ray Bourque for his 14th goal in 15 games.

Derlago, replacing Simmer five minutes into the second period, broke the tie at 8:41 when he took a centering pass from Ken Linseman at the corner of the goal, held his shot and then lifted the puck over goalie Don Beaupre.

The assist gave Linseman at least one point in all 15 Boston games.

Buffalo 5, Calgary 1--Hannu Virta, Gilles Hamel and Steve Dykstra all scored power-play goals to lift the Sabres over the Flames at Buffalo, N.Y.

Mike Folingo scored his ninth goal of the season and Ric Seiling netted his third to round out Buffalo’s scoring.

Lanny McDonald scored for the Flames while they enjoyed a two-man advantage.

The Sabres have won five straight on home ice and improved their overall record to 9-5-1. The Flames drop to 5-4-0.