NHL ROUNDUP : Surging Bruins Defeat Capitals

Cam Neely’s two goals gave Boston a 5-3 victory over Washington Saturday night and put the Bruins in position to take over first place in the Adams Division when they play at Buffalo tonight.

Neely’s second goal broke a tie midway through the third period, dealing the Capitals their fourth consecutive defeat.

Neely tipped John Carter’s shot past Washington’s Don Beaupre for his 29th goal at 11:33, and the Bruins went on to their seventh victory in eight games.

Montreal 6, Buffalo 3--Petr Svoboda, returning from a 15-game absence due to a groin injury, scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period at the Forum in Montreal as the Canadiens extended the Sabres’ losing streak to four games.

Montreal’s four-game losing streak ended.

Hartford 4, Edmonton 4--Esa Tikkanen scored twice as the Oilers extended their home unbeaten streak to 14 games.

Edmonton’s unbeaten string, which includes 12 victories and two ties, is the longest in club history and dates to Nov. 15 and a 2-2 tie against the Kings. The Oilers have not lost at home since Nov. 4, when the Pittsburgh Penguins beat them, 3-1.

N.Y. Islanders 5, Quebec 2--David Volek and Randy Wood scored 60 seconds apart in the second period, and Pat LaFontaine extended his goal-scoring streak to nine games for the resurgent Islanders, who won for the eighth time in nine games in their drive to escape the Patrick Division cellar.

It also was the Islanders’ sixth consecutive victory in the Nassau Coliseum, where they had gone 2-10-2 the first two months of the season.

Pittsburgh 5, Winnipeg 3--Mario Lemieux scored in the first period to extend his point-scoring streak to 30 games, but the Penguins needed John Cullen’s second goal of the third period with 3:29 remaining to break a tie at home.

Lemieux’ streak ties Wayne Gretzky for third-longest in NHL history.

Chicago 8, Philadelphia 5--Adam Creighton scored twice as the Norris Division leaders went nine games over .500 for the first time since 1983.

Creighton, Denis Savard and Trent Yawney scored second period power-play goals to give the Blackhawks a 5-1 lead, and they withstood a four-goal third period by the visiting Flyers for their 24th victory, most in the NHL this season.

Minnesota 4, Detroit 3--Shawn Chambers’ goal with three seconds left completed a North Star comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

St. Louis 4, N.Y. Rangers 3--Gino Cavallini scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner with 3:43 remaining, as the Blues rallied against the slumping Rangers at home.