NHL Roundup : Flyers’ Resch Relieves Hextall and Saves Day in a 5-4 Win at Boston

A big reason why the Philadelphia Flyers have the best record in the National Hockey League is rookie goaltender Ron Hextall.

The 22-year-old Hextall was the No. 3 goalie on the Flyers last September, but he’s No.1 in the league now. He leads the NHL with 23 victories and has a better goals-against average than any rival who has played at least 10 games.

But Hextall is not perfect. As backup, the Flyers have Glenn Resch, at 38 the oldest player in the league. When he has been needed, Resch has performed well.

The Flyers needed Resch Saturday afternoon at Boston, where Hextall gave up two goals in the first six minutes and was removed from a game for the second time this season. Resch was equal to the job. He stopped 28 shots, and after Murray Craven scored the decisive goal with 6:55 left, the Flyers went on to a 5-4 victory that raised their record to 29-11-2.

Hextall went into the game with a 2.69 goals-against average, but Geoff Courtnall and Cam Neely beat him early and Resch was summoned.

In a 12-year career that included two Stanley Cup victories with the New York Islanders, Resch has been accustomed to playing at least 45 games and as many as 3,865 minutes in a season. Until he came to Hextall’s rescue, Resch had played in only five games for a total of 218 minutes.

“I’m just having a great time,” he told the Associated Press. “Life was tough playing for the Devils. I came back with the Flyers for a chance at another ring. With the Devils, it was working just to survive. “Here, with this defense in front of me, it is for a real immediate goal.”

Tim Kerr led the Flyers’ rally after they fell behind, 2-0. Kerr scored his 34th and 35th goals and passed to Cravens for the game-winner.

Kerr’s first goal, late in the first period, put the Flyers ahead, 3-2. But Charlie Simmer tied the score in the second period. On a power play early in the final period, Kerr again put Philadelphia ahead, only to have Niven Markwart tie it again at 4:12.

Resch has a 3-2 record this season. His last previous appearance was Dec. 30, when he was beaten by the Kings, 4-1.

The only other time Hextall failed to finish what he started was Dec. 6, also against the Bruins. In that one, Bill Ranford, the loser Saturday, shut out the Flyers, 5-0. Hextall lasted until he gave up a fourth goal early in the final period.

New York Islanders 3, Toronto 2--Billy Smith is 36 years old and, like Glenn Resch, is enjoying life. For the first time in a long time, the Islanders played the veteran goalie in back-to-back games, and Smith he responded with two fine games.

Friday night, the goalie who has won the most Stanley Cup games stopped 25 shots in a 2-1 win over the Rangers. In this one at Uniondale, N.Y., he stopped 19.

Ari Haanpaa, the second-year wing from Finland, scored his first NHL goal at 4:02 of the first period. It was his 23rd game.

Winnipeg 5, Detroit 2--The hot-and-cold Jets are hot again. With Paul MacLean scoring two goals and assisting on two others, the Jets opened a four-game trip with a victory at Detroit.

Winnipeg is 5-1 in its last six games, whereas the Red Wings again missed a chance to pad their lead in the tight Norris Division race. They are winless in the last three.

New Jersey 2, Vancouver 2--For the second game in a row at East Rutherford, N.J., right wing Jan Ludvig scored the game-tying goal for the Devils but the team extended its winless streak, this time to 10 (0-7-3).

Thursday night, there was only 3:29 left in regulation when Ludvig, who had gone a month without a goal, scored to tie Quebec, 4-4.

In this game, Ludvig scored early in the third period. The Devils kept the pressure on and outshot the Canucks, 3-1, in overtime but could not break the deadlock.

Richard Brodeur had 35 saves for the Canucks.

Montreal 5, Quebec 2--Ryan Walter scored two goals and set up two others at Montreal, and the Canadiens took over sole possession of first place in the Adams Division.

Walter’s second goal of the game came just past the middle of the second period and gave the Canadiens a 4-0 lead in one of the easiest wins in the fierce Quebec Province rivalry.

Calgary 5, St. Louis 2--Mike Bullard turned in another sparkling performance at Calgary, scoring two goals and assisting on another.

Since the Flames obtained him from Pittsburgh, Bullard has scored 10 goals in 24 games. With the Penguins he had just two in 14 games.

Just before game time, the Blues learned they would be without their captain, Bernie Federko, for four weeks because of a broken jaw.

Minnesota 4, Hartford 3--Kent Nilsson scored twice on power plays to help the North Stars jump to a 4-0 lead at Bloomington, Minn., but the team barely held off the Whalers’ desperate rally.

The victory put the North Stars into a tie for first place with Detroit, both with 40 points, in the Norris Division.