NHL Roundup : Dionne Gets 700th, but Rangers Routed

Marcel Dionne became the third player in National Hockey League history to score 700 goals Saturday night at Uniondale, N.Y., but the New York Islanders spoiled the occasion.

The goal that enabled the former Kings’ star to join the illustrious company of Gordie Howe and Phil Esposito came with just 33 seconds left in the New York Rangers’ 8-2 loss to the Islanders.

Dionne, the No. 2 all-time point scorer, needs 17 more goals to catch Esposito. Howe scored 801 in 25 seasons.

This is the 17th season for Dionne. He spent 12 with the Kings, who at his own request, traded him to the Rangers late last season.

He scored 59 goals and had 130 points for the Kings in the 1978-79 season, and the next season he won the scoring title with 137 points. That was the last time any player other than Wayne Gretzky has been scoring champion.

Dionne, 36, entered this season with 693 goals and 1,683 points. His next plateau will be 1,000 assists. He needs three more to reach that level, attained so far only by Howe. But Gretzky is closing in. He has 996 and is only in his ninth season.

Dionne scored his 699th goal in a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Oct. 23. This was his fourth try for No. 700.

“I’m not really that thrilled about it because we didn’t play well,” Dionne said. “You hope it’s going to be a perfect goal that decides a game.”

New Jersey 6, Edmonton 5--Only once in their previous 13 seasons in the NHL have the Devils even made the playoffs. This is their sixth season in New Jersey, and they haven’t seen any post-season action.

The way they have started this season, it may be different. With Pat Verbeek scoring twice and Kirk Muller contributing a short-handed goal, the Devils won their club-record sixth home game in a row.

It was the third loss in a row for the Stanley Cup champion Oilers, who managed only one goal in defeats at Quebec and Montreal.

The Devils’ 7-3-0 mark is the best record in the league, and they lead the Patrick Division, the toughest in the league.

Hartford 7, Philadelphia 4--The Flyers bided their time while all-star goalie Ron Hextall sat out a season-opening suspension, and the Stanley Cup finalists were not too unhappy with a 3-4-1 record.

Hextall is back, but it’s not getting any better for the Flyers. Hextall has given up 13 goals in three games, during which time the Flyers went 0-2-1.

Moreover, after the Whalers scored seven goals at Hartford, Conn., including a penalty shot by Dave Tippett in a four-goal second period, the Flyers fell into last place in the Patrick Division.

Pittsburgh 5, Quebec 4--Craig Simpson scored his second goal of the game with less than a minute left in overtime at Quebec to give the Penguins their first road win. Mario Lemiuex also scored twice for the Penguins, who moved out of last place in the Patrick Division.

Toronto 6, Chicago 5--Greg Terrion’s tip-in 32 seconds into the final period at Toronto proved to be the decisive score.

Montreal 3, Boston 3--Defenseman Chris Chelios scored on a 50-foot slapshot with 2:13 left in regulation at Montreal to gain the tie. The Canadiens trailed, 3-1, five minutes into the last period.

Minnesota 3, Washington 3--North Star center Neal Broten scored on a power play with 4:12 left in regulation at Bloomington, Minn., to tie the score.

Detroit 3, St. Louis 3--In the third 3-3 game of the night, at St. Louis, Doug Gilmour gave the Blues the tie with his second goal of the game at 12:15 of the last period.