NHL Roundup : Sator a Winner in Garden Return

Buffalo Sabres Coach Ted Sator, returning to Madison Square Garden Friday night for the first time since being fired by the New York Rangers in November, shrugged off any notion of revenge and simply gave credit for the Sabres’ 6-3 victory to goaltender Tom Barrasso, who stopped 35 shots.

Blame for the Rangers’ loss was going not to any one player, but to the league’s matchmaker.

“The guys were tired,” New York forward Tony McKegney said. “I think it’s ridiculous to get home at 4 a.m. and have to play another game. It shouldn’t happen.”

The Rangers got home at that hour after losing in Chicago Thursday night. The two straight defeats dropped them under .500, with a record of 25-26-8.

Meanwhile, the Sabres are hot, having won seven of their last eight. Since Sator took over, the Sabres have a record of 14-9-2 and are just six points out of the final playoff spot in the Adams Division.

Phil Housley and Doug Smith contributed to Buffalo’s latest victory with two goals each. The Sabres were trailing, 2-1, after the first period before scoring four straight goals to take a lead they never lost.

Ranger goalie John Vanbiesbrouck gave up five of Buffalo’s goals, including four in a game-breaking second period.

Detroit 6, Quebec 3--Steve Yzerman scored a pair of goals and added three assists to lead the Red Wings to victory over the Nordiques at Detroit. It was the Red Wings’ fifth victory in their last six games.

Yzerman either scored or assisted on each of Detroit’s first five goals. His goals broke a four-game scoring drought. “I’ve been a little bit mad lately,” Yzerman said. “I haven’t been bearing down around the net. I’ve had good chances. In New York I hit a couple of posts and I had a couple of good chances against Winnipeg.”

Yzerman scored both of his goals during a four-goal first period, the most productive opening period of the season for Detroit.

The Red Wings, 26-25-8, increased their Norris Division lead to three points over idle Minnesota. Quebec, winless in its last three, fell to 23-29-8 in the Adams Division, where they are trying to stave off the late-season challenge by Buffalo for the final playoff berth.

Winnipeg 6, Boston 2--Doug Smail scored his first hat trick, and linemate Paul MacLean added a goal and four assists to break the Jets’ three-game winless streak with an easy victory over the Bruins at Winnipeg. The Bruins have lost five straight.

The hat trick was the first in Smail’s seven-year NHL career.

Washington 6, Vancouver 3--Mike Gartner got four goals, two of them shorthanded, to set a Washington team record by scoring in 10 consecutive games as he led the Capitals to victory at Vancouver.

The right wing scored his first short-handed goal on a breakaway at 10:12 of the second period to break the consecutive-game mark set by center Alan Haworth last season. He added three goals in the third period to give him 29 for the season. Gartner also assisted on the other two goals to finish with a six-point game.

The victory gave the Capitals a three-game sweep of the Canucks this season.

Calgary 7, Toronto 2--The Flames, playing on home ice, got a goal and two assists from Gary Suter and three assists from Hakan Loob to beat the Maple Leafs and run their winning streak to six straight.