NHL Roundup : Penguins’ Meloche Stops 45 Shots

The dividends are pouring in for the Pittsburgh Penguins from their recent trade with the Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers.

The key figure in the seven-player deal was All-Star defenseman Paul Coffey. In his first game of the season Wednesday night, Coffey set up three goals and the Penguins beat Quebec, 6-4.

The Penguins also acquired veteran left wing Dave Hunter. It was Hunter’s turn to shine Friday night at Landover, Md.

Hunter scored a short-handed goal halfway through the final period to spark the Penguins to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. The victory vaulted the Penguins over the Capitals into third place in the Patrick Division.

Hunter’s goal, on a perfect pass from Mario Lemieux, gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead, but it was the superlative goaltending of Gilles Meloche that made it stand up.

Meloche stopped 45 shots, 19 of them in the second period. Almost the entire 20 minutes was played right in front of the veteran netminder as the Penguins had only two shots on goal in the period.

Coffey assisted on Doug Bodger’s first-period power-play goal that wiped out an early Washington lead.

“Give this victory to Meloche,” Penguin Coach Pierre Creamer said. “Any time a goalie stops 45 shots, he has to be the star.”

In the second period, when the Capitals fired 19 shots at Meloche, they had five power-play opportunities. For 93 seconds they had a two-man advantage and couldn’t score.

Meloche gave up four goals in 12 shots Wednesday night against Quebec and was removed. But Creamer showed his faith in him.

“I told him, ‘You go out there and make the effort. That’s all we expect.”’ Creamer said. “He made a tremendous effort.”

Detroit 6, St. Louis 0--The Red Wings’ new-found offense made it easy for Glen Hanlon to post his second shutout in three games in this game at Detroit.

Hanlon handled 29 shots and has given up only one goal in his last three games, but the goal was in a 1-0 loss.

In their first 19 games, the Red Wings scored only 56 goals. In the last two, they have scored 16.

Bob Probert and Gerard Gallant each scored twice. On his big night, Hanlon even had an assist on Gallant’s second goal.

Hanlon sat out a game in which the Red Wings scored 10 goals.

“He’s played as well as I’ve seen a goaltender play the last three games,” Coach Jacques Demers said. “You can’t play any better than that.”

Minnesota 4, Montreal 2--It was a big night for short-handed goals. Neal Broten and Bob Brooke each scored while the North Stars were a man short at Bloomington, Minn.

The goals enabled the North Stars to knock off the team with the best record in the league.

Hartford 4, Buffalo 2--Dave Babych scored twice at Buffalo and the Whalers converted three power-play opportunities. There were 107 minutes in penalties called.

The Sabres were hit with 60 minutes in penalties.

It was only the Whalers’ second victory in the last 10 games.

Edmonton 4, Chicago 3--Wayne Gretzky set up one goal in the second period at Edmonton, then scored the game-winner with just 83 seconds left.

The Oilers had a tough time mainly because the Blackhawks’ 5-foot 5-inch goalie Darren Pang stopped 50 shots.

After beating him four times on 37 shots in the first two periods, the Oilers fired 17 more in the third and the acrobatic Pang stopped them all.

With 18 goals and 40 assists in 23 games, Gretzky is piling up a lead in the scoring race once again.

Vancouver 4, New Jersey 2--Greg Adams, a former member of the Devils, scored two goals and added two assists to help the Canucks win at Vancouver.