NHL Roundup : Rangers Victors Again for Coach Esposito, 3-2

General Manager Phil Esposito of the New York Rangers is a reluctant coach, even on an interim basis.

Forced into the job because of an inner ear problem that has grounded Coach Tom Webster, Esposito is becoming so successful that he may have to learn to enjoy his new assignment.

Although it took a fluke goal with fewer than two minutes remaining to do it, the Rangers beat the Washington Capitals, 3-2, Wednesday night at New York to give Esposito a 13-4 record as coach.

The close-checking, hard-hitting battle between teams struggling for playoff spots in the Patrick Division seemed headed for overtime as the clock ran down.

The Rangers’ Walt Poddubny tried to fire a centering pass to a winger coming in on the right. The pass hit goalie Bob Mason in the skate, and Mason, not knowing where the puck was, kicked it into the net to break the tie with just 97 seconds remaining.

Poddubny received credit for his 29th goal, and the Rangers won to pull into a tie with the Capitals for third place.

“I was trying to get the puck to Tomas (Sandstrom),” Poddubny said. “He was alone in the slot. The puck went off the end of my stick.”

Edmonton 6, Minnesota 5--Wayne Gretzky decided it was time to go to work when the North Stars scored in the first minute of the third period at Bloomington, Minn.

Gretzky scored his 50th goal and assisted on two others as the Oilers rallied, then won on Randy Gregg’s goal at 2:12 of overtime.

It is the seventh consecutive season Gretzky has scored 50 goals.

Gretzky set up the tying goal, which Esa Tikkanen scored on a power play by knocking in Jari Kurri’s rebound at 14:11 of the third period.

Gretzky’s four points give him 135 points in 55 games.

Buffalo 3, Hartford 1--Maybe it isn’t too late for the Sabres to make the playoffs. With goaltender Tom Barrasso returning to his best form, the Sabres have become tough to beat.

Barrasso turned aside 23 shots, and Clark Gillies scored the decisive goal with 7:39 remaining at Hartford, Conn.

The Sabres, with Barrasso giving up only four goals, have won three games in a row.

Montreal 4, Quebec 3--In the Battle of Quebec, the home team always wins. Chris Nilan, returning after missing nearly three months with a knee injury, scored the winning goal early in the third period at Montreal.

The Canadiens, with their fourth win in a row at home, took a 4-3 lead in the series with the Nordiques.

Quebec won Tuesday night at Quebec, 4-1.

Winnipeg 5, Philadelphia 3--Dale Hawerchuk stole an errant pass from goalie Ron Hextall and converted it into the winning goal in the third period at Winnipeg. It was the clever center’s second goal of the game, his 34th of the season and the 600th point of his career.

The Flyers, playing without eight injured players, had cut the lead to 3-2 just 22 seconds before Hawerchuk’s decisive goal.

It was the third loss in a row for the struggling Flyers.

Chicago 5, Detroit 4--Ed Olczyk scored halfway through the third period at Chicago to break a 4-4 tie and give the Blackhawks their second win in a row.

David Barr had given the Red Wings a tie at 4:17 of the third period on his seventh goal of the season.