NHL Roundup : Flyers Squander 3-Goal Lead, Tie Rangers, 3-3

The difficulties continue for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Tuesday night, they built a 3-goal lead against the New York Rangers but fell apart in the final 30 minutes against the Patrick Division’s first-place team.

James Patrick completed the Ranger rally with a wrist shot with 8:39 left in the third period, giving New York a 3-3 tie with the Flyers in a National Hockey League game at Philadelphia.

Patrick beat goalie Ron Hextall from the top of the right face-off circle, keeping New York unbeaten against Philadelphia this season at 3-0-1.

During the overtime period, Ranger goalie Bob Froese was helped from the ice after he was knocked into the net during a flurry. John Vanbiesbrouck played the remaining 26 seconds.

New York’s rally began in the second period with 2 goals 48 seconds apart. Brian Leetch scored on a shot past Hextall from the right face-off circle at 11:33 to make it 3-1. Then Brian Lawton took a pass from Tony Granato and scored in an open net at 12:21.

Derrick Smith gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead early in the game when he took a pass in the slot from Scott Mellanby and scored past Froese with 1:28 played.

Mark Howe made it 2-0 at 4:30 of the second period, taking a pass from Pelle Eklund on a 2-on-1 break to score a short-handed goal.

The Flyers scored their last goal at 10:41 of the second period when Tim Kerr took a cross-ice pass from Mellanby and scored.

Quebec 5, Boston 5--Walt Poddubny scored his second goal of the game and 13th of the season with 7:58 remaining in the third period as the Nordiques salvaged a tie against the Bruins at Quebec.

The goal, which was scored when Poddubny’s shot struck a Bruin defenseman and changed direction, wasn’t enough to end the Nordiques’ winless streak, which stands at 6. Quebec is 2-9-2 in its last 13 games.

Randy Burridge had scored on a rebound at 8:30 of the third period, after a shot by Michael Thelven, to give Boston a 5-4 edge.

David Latta almost provided a game-winning goal for the Nordiques, but he hit the goal post with a little less than 3 minutes left after pulling goaltender Andy Moog out of position.

New Jersey 4, St. Louis 2--Kirk Muller and Claude Loiselle each had a goal and an assist in a high-scoring first period that helped the Devils snap the Blues’ 4-game winning streak at St. Louis. All 6 of the game’s goals were scored in the first period.

Muller’s seventh goal of the season and his assist on Pat Conacher’s goal gave New Jersey a 3-1 lead in the first 12 1/2 minutes. Loiselle scored 87 seconds later as the Devils took control of the game.

Washington 4, Minnesota 2--Kevin Hatcher scored an unassisted goal early in the third period, the Capitals’ third power-play goal of the game, as the Capitals won at Landover, Md.

Hatcher skated past the North Stars’ Bob Rouse and scored on his own rebound at 5:44 of the third period, helping Washington to gain its third victory in 4 home games. Bob Gould scored the Capitals’ final goal into an empty net with 46 seconds remaining.

Washington built a 2-0 lead on power-play goals by Geoff Courtnall and Dale Hunter. Courtnall scored his ninth of the season, and Hunter beat goalie Kari Takko from deep in the slot 4 minutes into the second period.

Calgary 5, New York Islanders 1--Rick Wamsley recorded his first victory against the Islanders, making 21 saves in leading the Flames at Uniondale, N.Y.

The Flames, who outshot the Islanders, 43-22, have won 7 of their last 8 games and have the league’s best record at 12-4-3.

Wamsley, who was traded by St. Louis to Calgary last season and was making his first appearance against the Islanders as a Flame, had an 0-4-2 lifetime mark against New York. But he had a relatively easy time, particularly in the third period, when he didn’t face a shot until 12:23.