NHL Roundup : Gartner and Capitals Remain Hot

For more than half the season, Mike Gartner was in such a shooting slump that he had trouble hitting the side of the net.

The veteran right wing of the Washington Capitals, who has scored at least 35 goals in each of his seven NHL seasons, with a high of 50 in 1984-85, had only 10 goals in 45 games.

His slump was a major factor in the poor start of the highly regarded Capitals. But Gartner’s shot is back and the Capitals are rolling.

Gartner stretched his goal-scoring streak to nine games with two goals Sunday at Landover, Md., to lead the Capitals to a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

In the nine games, Gartner has more goals (12) than he scored in the first 45. The Capitals have jumped from last in the tough Patrick Division to third by going 6-2-1 in the nine games.

Despite his flurry, Gartner isn’t exactly closing in on the record. It was 65 years ago, in the early years of the NHL, that Harry Broadbent of the Ottawa Senators scored goals in 16 consecutive games. In more modern times, Charlie Simmer, when he was with the Kings in the 1979-80 season, scored in 13 consecutive games.

“The streak doesn’t mean a lot,” Gartner said after tying the club record set last season by Alan Haworth. “What really makes me happy is the goals seem to be coming at the right time. We’re winning and that’s what is really important.”

The Capitals came from behind three times to beat the Jets, who have the third best record in the league. Gartner’s first goal 33 seconds into the second period, gave the Capitals their first lead, 3-2. His second, midway through the third period, was the game-winner, breaking a 4-4 tie.

“Gartner has worked hard all season,” Coach Bryan Murray said. “His luck is better and the puck is going in for him. I’ve said all along that we would start winning when he started putting the puck in the net.”

Hartford 8, Pittsburgh 6--It was strange, the way the Whalers regained first place in the hot Adams Division race in this game at Pittsburgh.

The Whalers scored four times in the first 8 1/2 minutes to take a 4-1 lead, fell behind late in the game, then scored three times in the last 2:41 to win.

Mario Lemieux’s second goal of the game and 35th of the season gave the Penguins their only lead, 6-5, with 3:18 remaining. John Anderson tied the game just 37 seconds later.

With less than a minute remaining, Doug Jarvis made a brilliant pass to Dave Tippett on a 2 on 1 break and Tippett scored his sixth goal to win it.

New York Rangers 5, Boston 4--After spotting the Bruins a goal in the first minute at New York, the Rangers stormed back to score the next five, three of them in a row by Pierre Larouche, who assisted on one of the other goals.

The Bruins battled back, putting heavy pressure on goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, but they didn’t cut the lead to a goal until there were just 97 seconds remaining.

Larouche’s 20th goal was the only Ranger score off Doug Keans, who replaced Bill Ranford after the first period.

Buffalo 6, Detroit 1--Mike Foligno scored two of the Sabres’ five power-play goals and assisted on another at Buffalo.

Tom Barrasso, showing signs of shaking a two-year slump, turned in his second brilliant goaltending performance for the surging Sabres.

Barrasso stopped 25 shots. He lost a shutout when rookie center Mark Lamb scored his first NHL goal in his eighth game with less than seven minutes remaining.

Chicago 6, Edmonton 4--The Oilers were coasting along protecting a 4-1 lead halfway through the third period at Chicago when the Blackhawks suddenly came to life.

Actually, it was the line of Troy Murray, Curt Fraser and Wayne Presley that led the Blackhawk rally, scoring four goals, two by Presley, in four shifts and 7 1/2 minutes. Fraser had a hand in all four.

Murray’s 19th goal came with 72 seconds left to make it 5-4.

An empty net goal by Al Secord with 11 seconds remaining concluded the remarkable uprising.

Minnesota 4, Vancouver 3--Brian Lawton and Brian MacLellan scored third-period goals 87 seconds apart to lift the North Stars over the Canucks, completing an unbeaten four-game road swing through the Smythe Division.

The North Stars, one of the league’s hottest clubs with a 7-1-3 mark in their last 11 games, jumped all over the Canucks in the final period after playing a listless first 40 minutes.

It was the first victory in Vancouver in five seasons for the North Stars, who beat the Kings and tied Calgary and Edmonton on the road trip.