NHL Roundup : Oilers Skid to Another Loss, 4-2

The Edmonton Oilers are slumping, and Wayne Gretzky knows why.

Gretzky was fuming after New Jersey’s Pat Verbeek tipped in Joe Cirella’s shot from the point with 3:41 left Wednesday night to give the Devils a 4-2 victory over the Oilers at East Rutherford, N.J.

“We’re being outworked,” Gretzky said after the Oilers lost their third straight game. “Nothing against our opponents, but we stunk in Winnipeg, we stunk against Pittsburgh and we stunk again tonight.

“We need guys to get going. You have to win with 20 people. Right now we are not. Only Jari (Kurri) is scoring.”

The victory was the Devils’ second in 13 games against Edmonton.

Aaron Broten added an insurance goal with 30 seconds left, firing a 30-foot shot between the legs of Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr.

Trailing, 2-1, entering the period, New Jersey tied the game at 8:08 on a power-play goal by John MacLean.

Cirella scored the Devils’ other goal, and Kurri had his 41st and 42nd goals for Edmonton.

Hartford 6, Boston 4--Ray Ferraro and Paul Lawless scored two goals each, and the Whalers tightened their grip on first place in the Adams Division by turning back the Bruins at Hartford, Conn.

Rick Middleton scored two third-period goals to twice bring the Bruins within a goal, but each time Lawless came back with a goal for the Whalers.

Sylvain Turgeon and Kevin Dineen also scored goals, and Ron Francis had three assists.

Montreal 3, Chicago 3--Craig Ludwig scored his second goal of the game, this one with fewer than six minutes left, to give Montreal a tie with the Blackhawks at Chicago.

The Canadiens entered the final period trailing, 3-1, but Petr Svoboda got them close with a goal in the opening minutes.

Doug Wilson became Chicago’s all-time assist leader among defensemen with his 401st assist, breaking the mark of 400 established by Pierre Pilote (1955-1972).

New York Rangers 4, Toronto 2--Ron Duguay scored two goals, and Tony McKegney got the game-winner as the Rangers beat the Maple Leafs at Toronto and moved into a tie for second place with the New York Islanders in the Patrick Division.

McKegney snapped a 2-2 tie at 1:17 of the third period when his shot from the side of the Toronto net deflected in off the leg of Maple Leaf goaltender Allan Bester.

Trailing, 3-2, the Maple Leafs went on a five-minute power play when Duguay was given a high-sticking major at 2:28. The Maple Leafs never threatened to score.