NHL Roundup : Canucks Keep Playoff Hopes Alive, 3-2

Brian Bradley and Jim Benning scored unassisted goals in the second period for Vancouver to keep the Canucks’ slim playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night at Vancouver, Canada.

Vancouver trails the fourth-place Kings by four points in the Smythe Division. The Canucks, who have won three straight, have three games remaining, while the Kings have four, including a game against the Blackhawks tonight at the Forum.

Bradley, a recent arrival from the Canadian Olympic team via the Calgary Flames, tied the score at 11:50 of the second period on a turnover, and defenseman Benning added the winner less than two minutes later with a soft shot from the blue line.

Steve Larmer scored both goals for the Hawks--one short-handed and the other on a power play--as Chicago lost its fourth straight game.

Washington 5, Philadelphia 3--Grant Ledyard’s unassisted goal with 10:50 to play snapped a 3-3 tie and helped the Capitals beat the Flyers at Landover, Md.

Ledyard intercepted a weak clearing pass by Philadelphia defenseman Doug Crossman and fired a slapshot through the legs of goalie Mark Laforest for his fifth goal of the season.

Mike Ridley added an empty-net goal with 41 seconds left.

With the victory, the Capitals moved past the New York Islanders and into first place by one point in the Patrick Division. The Islanders were idle Friday night.

The loss was the 10th in 12 games for the Flyers.

Flyer center Peter Zezel was carried from the ice on a stretcher after injuring his left hand on a check by Rod Langway with less than five minutes left in the first period.

After the first period, Nancy Reagan spoke briefly in a ceremony for her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign.

New Jersey 2, Buffalo 2--Rookie Ray Sheppard’s second-period goal, his 16th goal in the last 15 games, gave the Sabres a tie with the Devils at Buffalo.

Sheppard’s 38th goal of the season capped Buffalo’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit. Dave Andreychuk, who assisted on Sheppard’s goal, got the other Sabre goal.

With the tie, the Sabres need only one point in their remaining four games to clinch their first playoff berth in two seasons.

It was the Devils’ first game in Buffalo since former Sabre player and coach Jim Schoenfeld was named New Jersey coach on Jan. 26. Schoenfeld played 10 seasons for the Sabres and was briefly their coach last season before being fired.

Pittsburgh 5, Montreal 2--Mario Lemieux scored twice to raise his NHL-leading goal total to 63 and he also had three assists as the Penguins won at Pittsburgh to snap the Canadiens’ 15-game unbeaten streak.

Pittsburgh’s Randy Cunneyworth also scored twice as the Canadiens lost for the first time since Feb. 15, ending a 13-0-2 streak.