NHL Roundup : Capitals, Islanders Tie in Overtime

Hot-shooting Mike Gartner scored twice late in the third period Friday night at Landover, Md., to help give the Washington Capitals a 3-3 tie with New York Islanders and keep their amazing overtime streak alive.

The Capitals’ string of 35 consecutive overtime games without losing almost came to an end. On a power play halfway through the five-minute extra session, Islanders’ defenseman Ken Leiter lofted a soft lob that eluded goalie Bob Mason, but the puck deflected off the goalpost and the streak was intact.

Gartner, who had trouble scoring goals during the first half of the season, has scored 10 goals in the last eight games, at least one in each.

With just 5:35 remaining, Gartner cut a two-goal deficit in half with his 19th goal. Just 63 seconds later, he tied the game on a breakaway. His shot bounced off the stick and pads of goalie Billy Smith into the net.

The Capitals are two short of the NHL record for consecutive overtime games without a loss. The Boston Bruins, from December 1934 through November 1938, had a string of 37.

“I thought Leiter’s shot was in the net,” said Mason, who started off the ice in dejection only to see his teammates skating up ice with the puck. “I was surprised. I thought the puck had gone between my legs.”

For the sixth game in a row, the Islanders were without their leading scorer, Mike Bossy, who has a back injury.

Buffalo 3, Quebec 1--There are occasions when Tom Barrasso is as good a goaltender as there is. One such occasion was this game at Buffalo.

Barrasso, under severe pressure almost the entire game, stopped 35 shots, 24 of them in a spectacular second period. On a power play in the second period, Michel Goulet scored Quebec’s only goal.

Minnesota 2, Edmonton 2--Wayne Gretzky scored his 49th goal as the Oilers fought back from a 2-0 deficit at Edmonton. Esa Tikkanen tied the game for the Oilers with 2:36 left in regulation.

Dino Ciccarelli scored both North Star goals and has 39.

Mario Lemieux of Pittsburgh, voted ahead of the Gretzky in the fans’ All-Star poll, has asked the league to put Gretzky in the starting lineup because his (Lemieux’s) leg is still sore.

New Jersey 4, Vancouver 3--After building a three-goal lead on goals by Peter McNab, Doug Sulliman and John McLean, the Devils needed a goal by Claude Loiselle five minutes into the third period to hold off the Canucks at Vancouver.

The victory lifted the Devils into fourth place in the Patrick Division, one point ahead of the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, both of whom have played two fewer games than New Jersey. New Jersey trails third-place Washington by three points.