NHL Roundup : Kurri Has 2 Goals, 4 Assists for Oilers

It had been widely predicted that the departure of Wayne Gretzky would be felt by Jari Kurri more than by any other Edmonton Oiler player.

Most of his career, Kurri had played on the same line as Gretzky. There were doubts that Kurri, considered mainly a shooter, could remain a star without help from the team’s leading player.

Suddenly, left on his own, Kurri has become the Oilers’ best playmaker.

He scored 2 goals Wednesday night at Toronto and set up 4 others as the Oilers romped to an 8-2 victory. The Maple Leafs are winless in their last 8 games.

Kurri, who has 11 points, 7 of them assists in the last 2 games, has 34 assists in 32 games. Barring injury, he should easily exceed his previous high of 64 assists in a season.

With 57 points, he leads the Oilers in scoring and has answered the question he’s continually asked, “How do you think you’ll do without Gretzky?”

“Of course, I miss playing with Wayne,” Kurri said. “However, it’s always bothered me a little bit that they said I could only play with Wayne.

“It has given me and my teammates a little extra incentive.”

The Oilers improved their record to 18-11-3. A year ago, with Gretz- ky, the Oilers were 19-11-2 at this point in the season.

New York Rangers 2, New York Islanders 1--Except for a half minute of the second period at New York, Islander goalie Billy Smith was just about perfect.

But in that half-minute of the second period, John Ogrodnick and Brian Mullen scored goals and the Rangers handed their cross-town rivals their 11th consecutive defeat.

Even the return of Al Arbour hasn’t helped the Islanders. They are 0-3 since he replaced Terry Simpson as coach.

Smith made 38 saves, but Ogrodnick beat him from the top of the left faceoff circle at 14:15, and on the same shift he set up Mullen for the winner.

Winnipeg 4, Buffalo 3--Andrew McBain scored with one second remaining in regulation at Winnipeg to give the Jets a fluke goal and victory over the Sabres.

McBain’s shot banked off Buffalo wing Scott Arniel, standing at the side of the net, and the puck caromed past startled goaltender Jacques Cloutier.

Chicago 4, Hartford 3--Wayne Presley’s second goal of the game, a 25-foot wrist shot early in the third period at Chicago, gave the Blackhawks consecutive victories for the first time this season.

Presley, who had scored a spectacular short-handed goal in the second period, beat goaltender Mike Liut with a perfect shot into the right corner at 2:17.

Goalie Darren Pang saved the win when he stopped Kevin Dineen on a breakaway with 7 minutes left.