NHL Roundup : Islanders’ Bossy Gets 500th Goal

Mike Bossy scored twice in the last 2 1/2 minutes Thursday night at Uniondale, N.Y., to lead the New York Islanders to a 7-5 victory over the Boston Bruins and become the 11th National Hockey League player to score 500 or more goals in a career.

Bossy scored his 499th on a 15-footer with 2:22 left to break a 5-5 tie, then, with just 17 seconds left, scored into an empty net on a breakaway.

Although 10 other players have reached 500 goals, Bossy did it in just 647 games to set a record for doing it in the fewest games. This record will probably stand only until Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky reaches 500.

This is Bossy’s ninth season, and he has scored at least 51 goals in each of the previous seasons. He has 26 this season with 42 games left.

“I knew that barring injury I would reach 500 goals sometime this season,” Bossy said, “but to get it in a game in which we rallied to win makes it that much sweeter.

“I have been blessed, playing alongside Brian (Trottier) all these years. Nobody could have a better center to play with. Everyone on this team has contributed.”

Trottier also had two goals in the third period as the Islanders scored six times to erase a 3-1 deficit.

Until Gretzky came along, Bossy was considered the best scorer in history.

Edmonton 4, Calgary 3--While Grant Fuhr was stopping 48 shots at Calgary to save the Oilers, Gretzky scored a short-handed goal, his 27th goal of the season.

Gretzky now has 456 goals in 511 games in the NHL. He has 135 games in which to get 44 goals and break Bossy’s new record.

The Flames, trailing, 4-1, rallied for two goals in the third period, but Fuhr was tough in the clutch.

Quebec 3, Hartford 2-- Since beating the best team in hockey Dec. 29, the Nordiques have found that NHL teams are easy.

The Nordiques had lost three in a row and were on the verge of falling into the cellar in the highly competitive Adams Division when they defeated the Soviet Union’s Red Army team, 5-1. Before and after playing the Nordiques, the Soviets have easily handled other NHL teams.

Anton Stastny scored on a pass from his brother, Peter, with just 2:46 remaining at Hartford to gain the Nordiques their victory over the Whalers.

It gave the Nordiques back-to-back wins over the Whalers and dropped Hartford back into the cellar. Until losing to the Nordiques, 5-1, on New Year’s Eve, the Whalers had been hot. They had won three in a row and were only three points out of first place in the Adams Division.

Detroit 2, Buffalo 2--Defenseman Reed Larson scored five minutes into the third period at Detroit to give Coach Brad Park a tie in his second game as coach of the Red Wings.

In his debut, the Red Wings, who have won only once in the last 13 games, lost to the New York Islanders in overtime.

Minnesota 3, Vancouver 2--Steve Payne fired a 50-foot shot past goaltender Richard Brodeur halfway through the last period at Bloomington, Minn., to give the North Stars their fifth straight win.

The North Stars, who trailed, 2-1, after two periods, won for the first time this season after trailing at the end of two periods.