NHL Roundup : Blackhawks Win, 5-1, as Pang Shines in Nets

Darren Pang, who made the National Hockey League’s all-rookie team last season, won his first game since Dec. 28 Wednesday, stopping 43 shots as the Blackhawks beat the Minnesota North Stars, 5-1, at Chicago.

The victory, Chicago’s first in five games (1-1-3), moved the Blackhawks into sole possession of second place in the Norris Division, two points ahead of Minnesota and idle St. Louis.

During a Minnesota power-play opportunity in the third period, Pang made saves on Basil McRae and Marc Habscheid during a scramble in front of the net. Pang continued to shine during the North Stars’ seventh power play later in the period, stopping Dave Gagner’s 25-foot slap shot and then a 40-foot blast by Frantisek Musil.

The North Stars didn’t sore until defenseman Bob Rouse knocked in a 15-footer with 7:08 remaining.

Chicago, which has allowed the most goals of any Norris team this season, staked Pang to a 3-0 lead in the second period.

Detroit 6, N.Y. Islanders 5--Steve Yzerman became the 11th player in league history to score 60 goals in a season, and the Red Wings ran their unbeaten streak to five games with the win at Detroit.

Yzerman, who has set team records for most goals and points and tied the club mark for assists, connected with 1:15 remaining in the second period, banging Steve Chiasson’s pass past Islander goalie Mark Fitzpatrick.

Yzerman also set up two goals to run his assist total to 74, matching the Detroit mark set by Marcel Dionne in 1974-75. The performance by the Red Wing captain came exactly one year after he suffered what doctors called a career-threatening knee injury.

Gerard Gallant and Petr Klima scored two goals each for Detroit.

The Red Wings 3-0-2 in their last five games, built a 6-2 lead with four goals in the second period.

Pittsburgh 4, New Jersey 1--Mario Lemieux had three assists at Pittsburgh to lead the Penguins, who snapped a six-game winless streak.

While stopping their own slump at 0-4-2, the Penguins extended the Devils’ winless run to 0-6-2.

Lemieux’s assist on Zarley Zalapski’s third-period power-play goal was his 169th point, one more than he had last season when he won his first scoring title.

Brendan Shanahan was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for high-sticking Zalapski at 8:16 of the second period. Four minutes into the power play, Kevin Stevens, just recalled from from Muskegon of the International League, came from behind the net and stuffed Lemieux’s pass behind New Jersey goalie Sean Burke for his second goal of the season.

It was Pittsburgh’s 100th power play goal, making the Penguins the first team in NHL history to have at least 100 man-advantage scores twice.

Philadelphia 4, Winnipeg 4--Rick Tocchet scored his second goal of the game with 1:58 remaining in regulation time to give the Philadelphia Flyers the tie at Winnipeg, Canada.

Thomas Steen appeared to have the winner for Winnipeg at 5:35 of the third period, when he went in alone from the Flyer blue line and beat Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall. Defenseman Frederick Olausson got the assist, his third of the game.

But the Flyers swarmed over rookie Jet goalie Bob Essensa--they outshoot the Jets, 18-7, in the third period--and Tocchet finally popped in a rebound for the tie.

N.Y. Rangers 7, Toronto 4--Darren Turcotte scored three goals to lead the Rangers at New York.

Two of Turcotte’s goals came in the second period and the other in a wide-open third period, when the Rangers (5-1-0 in their last six games) broke it open by scoring on their first four shots.

Edmonton 3, Montreal 0--Grant Fuhr made 23 saves en route to his first shutout of the season to lead the Oilers at Edmonton, Canada.

Fuhr had recorded six shutouts before this season, but had been a sub-par performer for the Oilers most of the year until his recent winning streak that reached four with the win.