NHL Roundup : Larouche, Back in the Groove, Leads Rangers

When he came back to the National Hockey League 10 games ago with the New York Rangers, Pierre Larouche complained that he had lost some edge after having spent most of the season riding around on buses in the minor leagues.

He obviously hasn’t lost his scoring touch, however.

Larouche scored two goals and assisted on another as the Rangers won their fifth straight game, beating the St. Louis Blues, 3-2, Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

“He’s been a real shot in the arm for us,” Ranger Coach Ted Sator said of Larouche.

Larouche has 9 goals and 3 assists since being recalled from from Hershey of the American Hockey League.

“Larouche knows where the net is,” the Blues’ Bernie Federko said. “He’s a natural goal-scorer. The puck seems to follow a natural goal-scorer around.”

The loss continued a string of futility at Madison Square Garden for the Blues, who are 0-7-1 in the last eight games and have won only 3 games out of 43 in the Rangers’ home rink (3-36-4) overall.

New Jersey 4, Quebec 3--Rich Preston scored on a 20-foot slapshot with four seconds left in overtime to cap a three-goal New Jersey comeback at East Rutherford, N.J.

Preston took a pass from Doug Sulliman in the slot and ripped his shot over the glove hand of Nordique goalie Mario Gosselin. It was the Devils’ only shot in the overtime period.

New Jersey goalie Glenn Resch made two big saves in the five-minute overtime period, stopping Peter Stastny on a breakaway in the first minute and making another good save against Brent Ashton.

With the Nordiques leading, 3-2, Mel Bridgman tied the game with 1:44 to play in regulation, scoring on a 10-foot backhander. He picked up a loose puck to the right of Gosselin, skated into the slot and slid the backhander between the legs of the netminder.

Toronto 7, Calgary 6--Tom Fergus scored on a breakaway at 1:41 of overtime to give the Maple Leafs the win at Calgary.

Fergus broke free when Greg Terrion poked the puck out of the Toronto zone, deked Calgary goaltender Rejean Lemelin and slid the puck into the net. It was his second goal of the game and 25th of the season.