NHL Roundup : Peeters and Capitals Surge On, 3-2

Mike Gartner scored a goal in his seventh consecutive game, and hot goaltender Pete Peeters stopped 32 shots at Landover, Md., to spark the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory Tuesday night over the New Jersey Devils.

It was the sixth win in a row for the Capitals, who surged into a tie for second place in the Patrick Division with the New York Islanders.

Peeters is the hottest goalie in the league. He has won eight in a row to lead the Capitals’ drive from last place in the division.

Gartner, who had trouble scoring in the first half of the season, has scored 25 goals in the last 20 games.

“I was disappointed in not getting a shutout,” said Peeters, who held a 3-0 lead going into the final period. “But the important thing at this time of the season is to win games.”

Montreal 4, Calgary 2--Bobby Smith scored the winning goal on a power play in the second minute of the third period at Calgary, and Claude Lemieux provided the clincher late in the game, also on a power play.

The Canadiens’ comeback victory ended goalie Reggie Lemelin’s unbeaten streak at 10 games.

Goals by Colin Patterson and Gary Suter had given the Flames a 2-0 lead in the battle between the finalists in the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring.

A victory would have put the Flames just three points behind the Edmonton Oilers in what has suddenly become a race in the Smythe Division, which the Oilers have dominated for seven seasons.

Hartford 5, Detroit 3--Ron Francis scored two goals and assisted on two others at Hartford, Conn., and for the first time in eight National Hockey League seasons, the Whalers moved 10 games above .500.

In the battle between two division leaders, the Red Wings fell behind, 2-0, in the first period and never did catch up.

Pittsburgh 8, Quebec 1--Randy Cunneyworth scored four goals and Mario Lemieux had two at Quebec as the Penguins, fighting to stay in the battle for a playoff spot, scored a surprisingly easy victory.

Basil McRae scored for the Nordiques before the game was two minutes old, but after that, it was all Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are three points behind the fourth-place New York Rangers in the Patrick Division.

St. Louis 4, Toronto 3--Rob Ramage had a hand in every goal as the Blues gained a big victory at Toronto.

Ramage, who had only two goals all season going into the game, scored twice and assisted on the other two. The victory put the Blues six points ahead of the Maple Leafs in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Norris Division.

Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 2--Tim Kerr and Mark Howe scored the decisive goals at Philadelphia, and the Flyers ended a string of five consecutive losses at home to the Sabres.

Kerr took a pass from Howe to score his 46th goal, breaking a 2-2 tie in the second period, and Howe scored his 10th to clinch it in the third period.

New York Islanders 4, Boston 4--Mikko Makela’s second goal of the game, with 45 seconds left in regulation at Uniondale, N.Y., enabled the Islanders to get a tie. The goal came after the Islanders removed goalie Kelly Hrudey for an extra attacker.

Ken Linseman’s second goal, at 7:46 of the third period, gave the Bruins a 4-2 lead. Rich Kromm’s ninth goal of the season cut the lead to a goal and set the stage for Makela.