NHL Roundup : Penguins Score TKO in Ranger Rematch

After their first meeting of the season degenerated into a street fight on ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers got back to hockey for the encore.

It was rough but mostly clean as the Penguins beat the Rangers, 8-2, Wednesday night at Pittsburgh. “We had to get some respect back,” Penguin star Mario Lemieux said. “It was important to come out and play a physical game and play aggressive.”

Lemieux, who led the Penguins with his 22nd goal of the season and 4 assists, raised his National Hockey League-leading point total to 57, 3 more than Bernie Nicholls of the Kings.

Pittsburgh goalie Tom Barrasso won for the first time in 3 starts since joining the Penguins in a Nov. 11 trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

The game was the first meeting between the Patrick Division rivals since the fight-filled Oct. 30 game at Madison Square Garden. In that 9-2 Rangers victory, New York defenseman David Shaw was suspended for 12 games by the league for injuring Lemieux with his stick.

Edmonton 3, Minnesota 3-- Craig MacTavish scored with 8:32 remaining in the third period as the Oilers came back to tie the North Stars at Bloomington, Minn.

It was the ninth straight time the Oilers have either beaten or tied the North Stars. The last North Stars’ victory over Edmonton came March 11, 1986, at Bloomington.

The North Stars went ahead, 3-2, at 7:28 of the third period on a goal by Craig Hartsburg.

Calgary 3, New Jersey 2-- Lanny McDonald scored his 498th career goal at 11:37 of the third period as the Flames downed the Devils at Calgary.

The goal tied the 35-year-old winger for 15th place on the all-time scoring list with former Toronto teammate Norm Ullman.

The Flames are 9-0-2 at home.

Montreal 2, Boston 0--Bobby Smith and Bob Gainey scored first-period goals and goaltender Patrick Roy earned his first shutout of the season as the Canadiens beat the Bruins at Montreal for their fifth straight victory.

The Canadiens, who have lost only once in their last 12 games, increased their Adams Division lead to 6 points over the slumping Bruins, 0-5-2 in their last 7 games.

Roy, 6-0-1 in his last 7 starts, made 21 saves.

Toronto 4, Chicago 3-- Gary Leeman scored 2 goals and goaltender Allan Bester made 36 saves as the Maple Leafs beat the Blackhawks at Toronto.

Al Iafrate and Vincent Damphousse also scored for the Leafs. Ed Olczyk assisted on 3 goals.

Doug Wilson, Steve Thomas and Dirk Graham scored for Chicago.

Hartford 4, Quebec 3--Dave Tippett scored with 1:35 left in the second period to cap to a 3-goal surge as the Whalers edged the Nordiques at Hartford, Conn.

Tippett’s goal snapped a 2-2 tie and helped Hartford end a 4-game home losing streak. The victory moved the Whalers into fourth place, 1 point ahead of the Nordiques in the Adams Division.

Washington 7, N.Y. Islanders 6--The Capitals scored 3 goals in a 43-second span in the second period and Bengt Gustafsson had 4 assists as Washington won its fifth straight at Landover, Md.

Geoff Courtnall, who had 2 goals and an assist, touched off the Capitals’ outburst with a goal at 2:42 of the second period.