NHL Playoffs Roundup : Gretzky’s 3 Goals, 2 Assists Smother Flames

Wayne Gretzky, kept pretty well under control for three games by the Calgary Flames, gave a fabulous demonstration of his ability Thursday night at Calgary in leading the two-time Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers to a 7-4 victory and a 2-2 tie in their best-of-seven playoff series.

Gretzky scored three goals, including one when his team was short-handed, and set up two others before the game deteriorated into a brawl in the closing minutes.

The Flames, who seemed to be on a power play most of the night, were frustrated by the magnificence of Gretzky, the best player in the game. Each time after the Flames rallied to make it close, Gretzky was at his best.

It wasn’t just on offense that Gretzky excelled. He spent half his time on the ice helping to kill penalties, breaking up several two-on-one and three-on-two plays by the Flames simply by outskating them to get back into position.

The fifth game of this brutal series, which involves two teams with an extreme dislike for each other, will be held Saturday night at Edmonton. If the teams pick up where they left off in Game 4, the opening faceoff will be like the opening bell in a fight.

A few minutes after Gretzky’s short-handed goal gave the Oilers a 7-4 lead with fewer than eight minutes left, a series of fights developed.

With 3:35 remaining, a full-scale brawl between the teams erupted. Before play resumed, an inflamed Flame, Nick Fotiu, challenged the entire Edmonton bench. The Oilers, having won the game they had to win, ignored him.

Referee Bob Myers dealt out 131 minutes in penalties and still couldn’t control the game.

The Flames had 13 power-play opportunities but managed to convert only two of them. The Oilers scored twice on four power-play opportunities and also scored twice when the Flames were on a power play.

Gretzky has seven goals in the playoffs this year and 63 in his career to surpass two greats, Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito, and take sixth place on the all-time playoff scoring list.

St. Louis 7, Toronto 4--Every second-round playoff series is now tied at two apiece. In this game at Toronto, Doug Gilmour led the Blues to the victory that tied this one.

Gilmour scored two goals, and it was his short-handed goal five minutes into the second period that gave the Blues the lead for good.

Three minutes later, Mark Reeds gave the Blues a two-goal margin. Tom Fergus cut the lead to 4-3 late in the period, but Gilmour scored in the first minute of the final period and the Maple Leafs’ hopes of taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series were wiped out.

The Blues have regained the home-ice advantage. They play two of the last three at home, including Saturday’s.