NHL Roundup : Lemieux Gets 50th Goal in Loss

Rookie Pat Elynuik had 2 goals and 3 assists to upstage Mario Lemieux’s milestone 50th goal and lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday night at Winnipeg, Canada.

Lemieux became only the second player in National Hockey League history to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games with a goal in the first period. With his 50th goal in his 44th game, Lemieux is the only player other than Wayne Gretzky to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games.

It took Lemieux 78 seconds to get his goal, but he didn’t score again for the rest of the night. He also had 2 assists to give him 638 points, moving past Pittsburgh assistant coach Rick Kehoe as the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer.

Kehoe had 636 points in 11 seasons and 722 games. Lemieux, in his fifth NHL season, was playing in his 336th game.

The night, however, belonged to Elynuik, a blond rookie, as the Jets ended a 5-game home losing streak.

Linemate Thomas Steen had 2 goals and a pair of assists in the second period. Laurie Boschman and Dale Hawerchuk scored the other Jet goals, Hawerchuk on the power play.

Elynuik tied three Jet team records. His 5 points tied him with eight other Jets for most points in one game by a rookie. His 2 goals and 3 assists in the second period matched the 5 points Hawerchuk scored in one period on March 6, 1984, against the Kings. He joined three other Jets with 3 assists in a period.

New Jersey 6, Washington 5--Kirk Muller scored his second goal of the game with 35 seconds left in overtime to lift the Devils over the Capitals at Landover, Md.

Pat Verbeek fished a deflected slapshot by Joe Cirella from behind the Washington goal and centered to Muller, who shoved a shot just inside the left post for the game-winner.

Muller’s shot, New Jersey’s fifth of the overtime period, gave the Devils their first overtime win of the season. The Devils are 1-1-7 in overtime.

Washington, which did not get a shot in the extra period, lost its second consecutive home game and is 1-3-7 in overtime this season.

Washington, outshot, 47-24, forced the overtime period on Mike Gartner’s second goal of the game with 1:31 remaining in regulation.

Chicago 3, Detroit 2--Dirk Graham scored as time expired in regulation, and goaltender Alain Chevrier turned aside 24 shots in his Chicago debut as the Blackhawks earned a dramatic victory over the Red Wings at Detroit.

Graham launched a desperation shot toward the Detroit net, beating goaltender Greg Stefan about the same moment the blue light came on signifying the end of the period.

Referee Ron Hoggarth ruled the puck went into the net a split second before time ran out, giving Graham his 18th goal of the season.

Chevrier, acquired Thursday by the Blackhawks from Winnipeg, blanked the Red Wings from the 1:24 mark of the first period through the first 6 minutes of the final period and appeared headed for victory after Doug Wilson connected on a power play early in the final period to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

But Petr Klima answered less than 3 minutes later when he slipped behind Chicago defenseman Dave Manson, took a pass from Steve Yzerman and beat Chevrier from close range to tie the game at 2-2.

Philadelphia 1, Edmonton 1--Edmonton’s Charlie Huddy and Philadelphia’s Rick Tocchet traded early power-play goals as the Oilers and Flyers played to a tie at Edmonton.

A strong Philadelphia defense controlled a sluggish Oiler team through most of the game.