NHL Roundup : Yzerman Leads Red Wing Charge

Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Wayne Gretzky of the Kings are recognized as being in a class by themselves.

Detroit Red Wings Coach Jacques Demers, one of the top coaches in the National Hockey League, is one of the few coaches who isn’t complaining because he doesn’t have either player.

Demers figures he has the next best thing in center Steve Yzerman.

“Lemieux and Gretzky score more than Steve does,” Demers conceded, “but in a clutch situation, Yzerman is just as important to have on your side as the 2 superstars.”

After the Red Wings, the best team in the Norris Division last season, failed to win in their first 3 games (0-2-1) this season, it was the 23-year-old Yzerman who took charge.

He scored goals in 6 consecutive games, and the Red Wings have rebounded in a hurry.

Yzerman assisted on 2 goals Friday night at Detroit as the Red Wings defeated the Minnesota North Stars, 4-1. In their last 7 games, the Red Wings are 4-1-2 and have moved into second place in the division.

The North Stars, the worst team in the league last season, are picking up where they left off. They are 1-8-1 under new Coach Pierre Page.

Yzerman set up Steve Chiasson, playing only his second game since missing 8 games because of a groin injury, for a short-handed goal at 3:23 of the second period. Just 49 seconds later, Miraslov Frycer, who 3 minutes earlier missed on a penalty shot, put the Red Wings ahead to stay, 2-1.

From then on, goaltender Greg Stefan took over, making saves on the North Stars’ last 16 shots.

New Jersey 5, Hartford 3--Tom Kurvers and Doug Brown scored goals 52 seconds apart early in the game at East Rutherford, N.J., and the Devils held on to beat goaltender Mike Liut for the first time.

Liut went into the game with a 6-0-3 lifetime record against New Jersey. He gave up 4 goals on 21 shots in the first 2 periods. The final goal was into an empty net.

Washington 2, Calgary 2--Peter Sundstrom scored his first goal of the season at 7:29 of the third period at Calgary to give the Capitals a tie.

Although there were 74 shots on goal, including one by each team in overtime, goaltenders Clint Malarchuk of the Capitals and Rick Wamsley were outstanding.

Just 2 minutes before Sundstrom’s goal, Gary Suter had given Calgary the lead with a 40-foot shot.

Vancouver 5, Chicago 2--Rookie Trevor Linden scored twice in the third period to ice the victory for the Canucks at Vancouver.