Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup : Canadiens Win Again at Quebec to Tie Series

Mats Naslund blasted a 50-foot shot into the net at 5:30 of overtime Sunday night at Quebec to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory and continue the trend in the Battle of Quebec.

It was the fourth consecutive game in which the home team lost and it tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2 with Game 5 Tuesday night at Montreal.

After the Canadiens, defending Stanley Cup champions, lost the first two games at home in the second-round series, it appeared they had blown any chance of repeating.

But, in each of the games at Quebec, the Canadiens jumped off in front early and never fell behind.

Friday night, Sergio Momesso scored 14 seconds after the opening faceoff. In this one, Naslund needed only four more seconds to get the Canadiens on the board.

Before the puck was dropped for the opening faceoff, Quebec’s Basil McRae started a fight with Momesso. As the instigator, McRae was given an additional two minutes.

On the ensuing power play, Naslund beat Quebec defenseman Robert Picard to a loose puck and scored before goaltender Mario Gosselin knew he had the puck.

The rout appeared to be on when Mike McPhee made it 2-0 on a 40-footer before the game was three minutes old.

But, the Nordiques battled back. With the first period almost over, Paul Gillis dug the puck out from the boards, passed it to John Ogrodnick who put the Nordiques on the board.

The Stastny brothers worked a picture play for the tying goal early in the second period. Peter had the puck behind the Montreal net, drew defenseman Larry Robinson to him, then quickly fired the puck out front where Anton knocked it into the net.

Goaltenders Gosselin and Brian Hayward were in command for the next 40 minutes. But Naslund ended the game abruptly. He had just crossed the blue line when he whistled a low shot that slipped through Gosselin’s pads.

Philadelphia 6, New York Islanders 4--The Flyers also are making themselves at home on the road.

With Tim Kerr scoring twice on power plays and assisting on the go-ahead goal by rookie Tim Tookey, the Flyers won their second in a row at Uniondale, N.Y., to take a 3-1 lead in the series. They can wrap it up Tuesday night with a victory at home.

It was the seventh loss in the last nine home games for the Islanders, who also trailed Washington in the first round, 3-1, before sweeping the last three to advance to the second round.

Mike Bossy rejoined the Islanders, playing for the first time since he injured his knee in Game 2 of the Washington series. Although unable to go at full speed, the high-scoring wing assisted on Bryan Trottier’s goal in the second period that put New York ahead, 3-2.

Tookey’s go-ahead goal was his first ever in a playoff game. It came at 7:14 of the second period.