NHL Roundup : New Jersey Wins, 3-2; Off to Best Start Ever

Don’t look now, but here comes the New Jersey Devils. For years, one of the league’s also-rans, the Devils moved into third place in the Patrick Division, perhaps the league’s strongest, with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers Monday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

New Jersey, 3-0-1 in its last four games, has a 9-7-2 record, its best start ever. The Devils, with 20 points, trail second-place Pittsburgh by four points and are only five points behind Philadelphia.

Uli Heimer and John MacLean scored 15 seconds apart midway through the third period to give the Devils the victory, which also improved their record at home to 7-2.

Heimer was standing near the Ranger goal when he tipped Doug Sullivan’s shot past goalie John Vanbiesbrouck to tie the score at 2-2 at the 11:43 mark. MacLean got the game-winner with a 30-foot slapshot that handcuffed Vanbiesbrouck at 11:53.

The Rangers (5-9-4), last in the Patrick Division with 14 points, lost rookie right wing Mike Siltala, who suffered a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon in the first period.

Siltala, recalled earlier in the day from New Haven, was making his NHL debut. He was down on the ice, caught between New York’s Tony McKegney and New Jersey’s Bruce Driver during an altercation, when he was injured.

Montreal 3, Boston 2--Bobby Smith scored 24 seconds into overtime to give the Canadiens the victory at Montreal.

The Canadiens’ Kjell Dahlin tied the game at 2-2 with just 1:20 left in regulation. Smith took a pass from Larry Robinson and skated to the side of the Boston net. His shot from a sharp angle bounced off Bruin defenseman Paul Boutilier and got past goalie Pat Riggin.

Montreal improved its record to 10-5-3 and its lead in the Adams Division to three points over Quebec.