NHL Roundup : Detroit Beats Minnesota, Extends Win Streak to Five

Gerard Gallant says the Detroit Red Wings aren’t playing their best hockey. That could be bad news for the other teams in the National Hockey League’s Norris Division.

Gallant scored his 19th goal of the season on a power play with 7:54 remaining Friday night at Detroit to snap a 1-1 tie and help the Red Wings extend their winning streak to five games with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.

“We played a good, tight-checking game, but I think we were playing our best hockey a couple of weeks ago,” said Gallant, who batted his own rebound off Minnesota goalie Don Beaupre for the game-winning goal in the first of a home-and-home series with the division rival North Stars.

The victory pushed Detroit’s unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1) and increased its division lead to 10 points over idle St. Louis and Chicago. Meanwhile, the North Stars haven’t won in eight games and are 0-5-3 during that stretch.

Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 4--Derrick Smith and Mark Howe scored third-period goals, and the Flyers held on to win at Pittsburgh and extend the Penguins’ winless streak to 10 games.

Smith, alone on the left side, converted Howe’s pass at 7:41 for his eighth goal of the season. Howe fired in a shot from the left point during a power play at 11:00 for his ninth, giving the Flyers a 5-3 lead.

Winnipeg 4, Edmonton 4--Andrew McBain scored with 43 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Jets a tie against the Oilers at Edmonton.

McBain scored during a goalmouth scramble for his 23rd goal of the season, tying the score in the penalty-filled game. The teams were assessed 162 minutes in penalties. Four players were ejected after a fight in the second period.

Calgary 4, Vancouver 4--Petri Skriko scored with five minutes remaining in the third period, and the Canucks survived a Calgary power play to gain a tie with the Flames at Vancouver.

The Flames outshot the Canucks 5-0 in overtime, with Hakan Loob getting the best chance. But Loob’s shot from 15 feet went directly into goalie Richard Brodeur’s pads.

New Jersey 7, Toronto 3--At East Rutherford, N.J., Kirk Muller had his second three-goal game in eight days, and the Devils extended the Maple Leafs’ winless streak to 10 games.