NHL Roundup : Flames, Real Road Warriors, Beat Buffalo for Second Win

The Calgary Flames, ready to take charge of the Smythe Division if the Edmonton Oilers falter, completed a season-opening trip by whipping the Sabres, 4-2, Sunday night at Buffalo.

A disputed goal by Carey Wilson early in the second period proved decisive as the Flames improved their record in three road games to 2-1.

Seventeen seconds into the middle period, Wilson blasted a shot that went just under the crossbar. Referee Dave Newell consulted the goal judge before ruling Wilson had scored his second goal of the season. It gave the Flames a 3-1 lead and the Sabres never caught up.

The Flames opened with a win at Boston Thursday night, then blew a three-goal lead Saturday night and lost at Hartford.

It was the first time in nine games that the Flames won at Buffalo.

Winnipeg 5, Edmonton 3--The Oilers also opened the season with three on the road, but they didn’t fare as well as the Flames.

In this game at Winnipeg, Jim Nill knocked in a rebound on a power play midway through the final period to break a 3-3 tie and hand the Oilers their second loss of the season.

Dale Hawerchuk’s second goal of the game got the Jets (2-0) even early in the third period.

Boston 7, Hartford 2--Cam Neely and Tom McCarthy, off-season acquisitions, sparked the Bruins, losers of their first two games, to an easy victory at Boston.

Neely scored two goals and assisted on another and McCarthy assisted on three scores.

“We needed a victory because we are setting off on a six-game swing of the West,” Coach Butch Goring said. “We would have been an unhappy group with three defeats in a row.”

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago 1--Maybe it won’t last, but for the moment at least, the amazing Penguins lead the tough Patrick Division.

Defenseman Doug Bodger, who won Saturday night’s game with a goal in overtime, scored twice to lead the Penguins to their third consecutive win.

Bodger, a defenseman, has three goals. In two previous seasons and 144 games, he scored only nine.

It was a tight game for more than 50 minutes with Pittsburgh leading only 2-1, but Warren Young scored with 6:10 left in the game and four minutes later Bodger scored again.