NHL Roundup : Rangers Rally to 6-4 Win

When the season began, the New York Rangers had three young players from the 1988 U.S. Olympic hockey team, which did not distinguish itself at Calgary last winter.

Of the trio, only 20-year-old defenseman Brian Leetch, from Corpus Christi, Tex., had National Hockey League experience. He played 17 games late last season.

But with half a season of experience, the youngsters--Leetch, Kevin Miller, 23, and Tony Granato, 24--are leading the Rangers drive in the tough Patrick Division race.

The Rangers spotted Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins a quick 3-0 lead Sunday at New York, then stormed back to beat the Penguins, 6-4, and move to within 2 points of first place.

Leetch had 2 goals and an assist and Granato had 1 goal and an assist, but it was Miller, recently called up from the minors, who scored the winning goal with 7:13 left.

The Patrick is generally considered the toughest of the NHL’s four divisions.

The Rangers moved into contention with sharp performances back-to-back against the Penguins, division leaders most of the season. Saturday night at Pittsburgh, Granato had three goals to get the Rangers a 4-4 tie.

Granato has 8 goals in 4 games against the Penguins. It was Leetch who started the comeback in the first period when he scored while the Penguins were on a power play trying to make it 4-0.

Although he scored twice and has 49 goals in 43 games, Lemieux was not happy.

“For 1 1/2 periods we had intensity,” Lemieux said. “You should not lose a 4-1 lead when there are only 6 minutes left in the second period.”

The victory did wonders for the Rangers’ confidence.

“I know my short-handed goal was important but it really helped Kevin to get the game-winner,” Leetch said. “I think he’s proving he belongs up here. That had to give his morale a boost.”

There are four teams in the Patrick with 50 or more points, only four others, three in the Smythe, have that many points. Washington leads with 55 points, Pittsburgh has 54, New York 53 and Philadelphia 50.

New Jersey 1, Edmonton 0--It figured to happen. The Oilers, who were not shut out in the last 5 years of the Wayne Gretzky era, drew a blank at East Rutherford, N.J. for their third straight loss.

Sean Burke stopped 26 shots to make Patrik Sundstrom’s first-period power-play goal stand up. It was Jan. 4, 1983 when the Oilers last failed to score.

Detroit 8, Philadelphia 4--The Flyers had won 8 in a row at home, but they were never in contention this time as the Red Wings ended the streak.

Paul MacLean scored twice by the middle of the first period and the Red Wings, emerging from a long slump, built an 8-1 lead before the second period ended.

Steve Yzerman scored his 42nd goal for the Wings and had 3 assists.

Buffalo 3, Calgary 2--The Flames kept the pressure on throughout at Buffalo, but Jacques Cloutier wouldn’t budge.

The veteran goalie stopped 36 shots to beat the Smythe Division leaders. He also had an assist on Pierre Turgeon’s 20th goal late in the second period that proved to be decisive.

The Sabres needed a big game from the goaltender because 10 of their regulars were injured.

Minnesota 4, Winnipeg 1--Brian Bellows scored the first 2 goals at Winnipeg to lead the North Stars to their fifth road win of the season.

Goaltender Jon Casey, appearing in his 32nd game, stopped 23 shots. He improved his record to 9-11-7.

Boston 4, Washington 3--The Capitals missed a chance to increase their lead in the Patrick Division when Glen Wesley scored his second goal of the game for the Bruins with 55 seconds left in regulation. It ended the Capitals’ 11-game home unbeaten streak.

Vancouver 2, St. Louis 1--Defensemen Paul Reinhart and Robert Nordmark each scored a goal as the Canucks defeated the Blues in Vancouver.

The loss was the second in a row for the Blues and sixth straight on the road.