NHL Roundup : Devils Need One More Win to Gain Playoffs

For the first time in their history, the New Jersey Devils are in position to avoid their usual early spring vacation.

Kirk Muller scored a goal and assisted on two others Saturday at East Rutherford, N.J., to lead the Devils to a 5-2 victory over the sizzling New York Islanders.

If the Devils can beat the Blackhawks tonight at Chicago, no matter what the New York Rangers or Pittsburgh Penguins do, they will be the fourth playoff team in the Patrick Division.

Since the franchise moved from Colorado in 1982, the Devils have always been one of only five teams eliminated each year from Stanley Cup competition during the regular season.

The Devils not only put themselves into a position to make the playoffs, they prevented the Islanders, who had won six in a row, from clinching the Patrick Division title. But when Pittsburgh beat Washington, the Islanders clinched.

The late-season surge by the Devils is in sharp contrast to recent years when they would get off to a fast start and fade out of the playoff picture in the second half of the season.

The Devils, with a franchise-record 80 points, are tied with the Rangers for fourth place. The Rangers are at home tonight against Quebec. If the teams finish with the same number of points, New Jersey qualifies for postseason play because it has more victories.

“This is the first time we’ve had our destiny in our hands,” Coach Jim Schoenfeld said. “We have to win in Chicago. That’s all there is to it.”

The Devils are hot, the Blackhawks are not. The Devils are unbeaten in their last seven (6-0-1) games and are 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. The Blackhawks are winless in their last seven (0-6-1). The tie was with hapless Minnesota.

The Devils broke it open after Alan Kerr’s goal at 6:24 of the second period cut their lead to 2-1. Shortly thereafter, Muller set up goals by Aaron Broten and Pat Verbeek just 33 seconds apart to make it 4-1. He wrapped it up with his 37th goal halfway through the last period.

“We’re hungry,” Verbeek said. “There’s no way we’ll come out flat in Chicago.”

Pittsburgh 7, Washington 6--The Penguins were less than a minute away from playoff elimination when Mario Lemieux revived their hopes at Landover, Md.

Lemieux, who already had three goals, scored the winning goal with just 58 seconds remaining in overtime to keep the Penguins’ slim hopes of qualifying for postseason play alive.

If the Penguins beat Hartford today and both New Jersey and the New York Rangers lose, the Penguins would make it.

Lemieux has 69 goals. If he gets one today, he will be only the third NHL player ever to score 70 in a season. Wayne Gretzky and Phil Esposito have done it.

Toronto 5, Detroit 3--Although they have the second worst record in the league, the Maple Leafs may qualify for the playoffs.

After spotting the Red Wings a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, the Leafs stormed back to end a nine-game losing streak. With 52 points and, despite a dismal 21-49-10 record, the Leafs can earn a playoff berth if Minnesota loses or ties at Calgary.

Montreal 9, Buffalo 4--The Canadiens scored a club-record three goals in 37 seconds in the second period to romp at Montreal.

Philadelphia 7, Quebec 4--Murray Craven scored twice within 19 seconds at Quebec to lead the Flyers to victory.

Hartford 4, Boston 2--Sylvain Cote set up second period goals by Ray Ferraro and Carey Wilson at Hartford to spark the Whalers.