NHL Roundup : Capitals Beat Rangers on Sixth Try

To win the Patrick Division, the Washington Capitals know they have to beat the New York Rangers. On their sixth try this season, they finally did it.

“It was important psychologically to beat the Rangers,” said Washington Coach Bryan Murray after a 4-3 overtime victory at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.

“It was a little hill that we had to climb before we start the playoffs.”

“We’ve played well against them this year, but beating them is something else,” Murray said.

“They always seem to have that something extra when they play us.”

The Capitals, who blew a 3-1 lead in the third period, earned the victory when Mike Ridley, a former Ranger who made the National Hockey League All-Star team this year for the first time, scored on a slap shot from the top of the right circle at 1:51 of overtime.

The second-place Capitals, only 2 points behind the first-place Rangers, had lost 3 games and tied 2 in 5 encounters with New York this season.

Edmonton 4, Vancouver 3--Mark Messier’s goal with 3:23 remaining lifted the Oilers past the Canucks at Edmonton.

Messier converted a feed from Jari Kurri for his 20th goal of the season as the Oilers avenged Tuesday night’s 6-2 loss at Vancouver.

Vancouver took a 2-0 lead on goals by Trevor Linden and Brian Bradley. Linden tapped a rebound past goaltender Bill Ranford at 6:08 and Bradley tipped in Paul Reinhart’s shot on a power play at 8:37.

The attendance was announced as 15,302, but more than a third of the ticket-holders stayed home rather than brave blizzard-ravaged streets on a night when the temperature plummeted to 40 degrees below zero.

Minnesota 4, Boston 4--Cam Neely’s second goal of the game with 6:05 remaining in the third period gave the Bruins a tie with the North Stars at Minnesota.

Neely rammed in a shot from the bottom of the right circle to give the Bruins their first point in 3 games with the North Stars this season.

The North Stars are 2-0-3 in their last five games, including 3 consecutive 4-4 ties.

Chicago 7, Winnipeg 4--Adam Creighton capped a 4-goal assault in the first 7:57 of the final period as the Blackhawks turned back the Jets at Chicago after trailing 4-0.

During the comeback, Chicago scored 3 times in 1:54 as Steve Konroyd got 2 goals. His second tied the game, 4-4.

Goalie Daniel Berthiaume fell to 0-7 this season.