NHL Roundup : Zezel Helps the Flyers Stop a Blues’ Streak

Most of this season, the Philadelphia Flyers have been pressed to score three goals in an entire game.

But Peter Zezel sparked the new-found Flyer offense to three goals in the first period Saturday night at St. Louis, and the Flyers went on to stop the Blues’ winning streak, 4-2.

The Blues, who had a club-record string of seven victories, jumped in front in their bid for an eighth with Todd Ewen’s score 2:17 after the opening faceoff.

Zezel pulled the Flyers even a couple of minutes later on a power play when he corraled Mark Howe’s rebound and knocked it into an open net.

Derrick Smith put the Flyers ahead a few minutes later, and late in the period, Dave Brown deflected Zezel’s shot into the net.

Going into last Thursday night’s game with the Toronto Maple Leafs, 21 National Hockey League teams had more goals this season than the Flyers. But the Flyers shook their scoring slump and scored six times.

The victory enabled the Flyers to stay four points ahead of the New York Islanders in the Patrick Division. The loss dropped the Blues seven points behind Detroit in the Norris Division.

Minnesota 8, Winnipeg 8--When they were playing good defense, the North Stars couldn’t put the puck into the net. Once they found the net, they forgot defense.

In this game at Bloomington, Minn., Denis Maruk scored eight minutes into the second period after the North Stars had failed to score for 262 consecutive minutes, which included three shutouts.

In the shutouts, the North Stars gave up eight goals, five of them to the Kings in the first loss.

Dino Ciccarelli, who had four assists, two of them after Winnipeg took an 8-5 lead, tied the score with 45 seconds left in regulation.

Detroit 5, Montreal 4--Steve Yzerman continues to play well and lead the Red Wings to victories.

In this battle between two division leaders at Montreal, Yzerman scored three times in a row, beginning late in the second period, to rally the Red Wings from a 4-2 deficit to the victory.

Yzerman, who had two goals Friday night, has a career-high 43 for the season.

The Canadiens lead the Adams Division by one point.

Pittsburgh 5, Hartford 4--Scoring leader Mario Lemieux scored the Penguins’ first two goals at Pittsburgh and assisted on another.

But, it was Charlie Simmer, the former King, who scored the decisive goal with 3:10 remaining in regulation.

Lemieux has 52 goals in the 53 games.

Boston 3, Quebec 2--The Bruins were in danger of losing momentum when they went most of a five-minute power-play without a score in the third period of a tie game at Quebec.

But, with 43 seconds left in the penalty, Cam Neely scored his 29th goal to break a 2-2 tie and give the Bruins the victory.

The Nordiques’ loss marred the return of Coach Ron Lapointe, who was suspended for five games.

New York Rangers 3, Washington 0--Marcel Dionne scored two goals and assisted on the other at Landover, Md., and goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season.

Dionne has 716 goals in his career. Ranger General Manager Phil Esposito has 717, second on the all-time list behind Gordie Howe with 801.

New York Islanders 6, Buffalo 4--The Islanders built a 4-0 lead in 19 minutes at Uniondale, N.Y., blew it, then came back to win on Mikko Makela’s power-play goal.

The Sabres pulled even, three minutes into the final period. Less than three minutes later, Makela knocked in the rebound of a shot by Pat LaFontaine. In the last minute, Alan Kerr scored into an empty net.