NHL Playoffs : Oilers Defeat Jets in Overtime, 3-2

The Winnipeg Jets shut down the mighty Wayne Gretzky in the first game of the Smythe Division championship series Tuesday night at Edmonton.

But they couldn’t handle the other high scoring line and the Oilers on Glenn Anderson’s second goal of the game just 36 seconds into overtime, won the opener, 3-2.

When a team puts their best defensive players on the ice against Gretzky’s line, they give the green light to Glenn Anderson and his pal, fast-skating Mark Messier.

On the first rush in overtime, Anderson took a pass from Messier near center ice, sped across the blue line and fired a shot that slipped between the pads of rookie goalie Daniel Berthiaume. Berthiaume was partially screened on the shot.

In the first period, after the Jets scored first just 80 seconds into the game, Anderson tipped in a pass by Messier.

The Jets had only seven shots in the last two periods and none in the overtime. But, they took a 2-1 lead at 2:32 of the second when Brian Mullen’s shot caromed off Oiler defenseman Craig Muni.

With Gretzky and linemate Jari Kurri failing to score, it was the fourth line that tied it up for the Oilers at 11:27 of the second period. Kevin McClelland knocked the loose puck from a scramble in front of the net to Dave Hunter, who tied it up.

The Oilers appeared to be in complete command in the final period, but Berthiaume robbed Kent Nilsson and five minutes later, an apparent score by Marty McSorley was disallowed because the net came loose just before the puck went into the net.

Toronto 4, Detroit 2--It is not unusual for a hot goaltender to carry a team farther in the Stanley Cup playoffs than they figure to go.

That’s just what Ken Wregget is doing for the Maple Leafs, a team that earned only 70 points and didn’t qualify for the playoffs until the final game of the regular season.

Although he went to sleep and let the Red Wings score on a 95-foot shot late in the first period, the young netminder recovered to turn in a sterling performance at Detroit.

Wregget, a brilliant performer in the Maple Leafs’ opening round win over St. Louis, stopped 32 shots and the Leafs took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Norris Division final series.

The long shot by defenseman Mike O’Connell gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. But thereafter, Wregget was in charge, turning aside the last 24 shots.

A three-goal second period in which Rick Vaive got the tying goal at 1:25 and set up Wendel Clark’s tie-breaker less than four minutes later was all Wregget needed.