NHL ROUNDUP : How Sweet It Is for Islanders at Home

The Nassau Coliseum may have been a house of horrors for the New York Islanders earlier this season, but now it’s their opponents who are finding it a dreadful place to play.

On Saturday the Pittsburgh Penguins were routed for the second time on Long Island, 9-3. The Penguins lost, 8-6, in their previous visit to the Coliseum Dec. 22.

The victory was the Islanders’ ninth in a row at home. They are 10-2-0 in their last 12 games overall and have moved into a first-place Patrick Division tie with the New Jersey Devils.

Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux had two assists to extend his point-scoring streak to 38 games. He can tie the second-longest scoring streak in NHL history if he gets a point today against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Kings’ Wayne Gretzky has the two longest streaks in league history, 51 games in 1983-84 and 39 in 1985-86.

Edmonton 6, Vancouver 2--Mark Messier and Esa Tikkanen scored 20 seconds apart during a two-man advantage late in the first period and the Oilers proceeded to win easily at Edmonton.

With Edmonton leading, 1-0, Vancouver’s Rich Sutter received a major penalty plus a game misconduct for slashing Glenn Anderson, and Harold Snepsts was sent off for high-sticking shortly thereafter. The Oilers took advantage and boosted their lead to 3-0.

Jari Kurri had a goal and three assists for Edmonton. The Canucks got goals from Trevor Linden and Brian Bradley.

Calgary 3, Minnesota 1--Rick Wamsley, playing his first game in two weeks, stopped 31 shots as the Flames won at Calgary.

Wamsley stopped Dave Gagner twice and kept Calgary ahead in the second period, when the Flames were outshot, 15-4. Stewart Gavin was the only North Star able to beat Wamsley, although Minnesota outshot the Flames, 32-26.

Montreal 5, Toronto 3--Stephane Richer scored twice as the Canadiens overcame a three-goal deficit to win at Toronto and end the Maple Leafs’ five-game winning streak.

Guy Carbonneau, Mike McPhee and Mike Keane also scored for the Canadiens. Mark Osborne, with two goals, and Gary Leeman scored for the Leafs.

Toronto led, 3-0, but Montreal scored twice in the last minute of the opening period to gain the momentum.

Boston 2, Philadelphia 1--Bob Carpenter and Dave Christian scored third-period goals as the Bruins extended their unbeaten streak to six games by rallying at Boston.

Carpenter tied the game with his 21st goal of the season--he has six in three games--at 10:39 on a deflection and Christian got the winner, his ninth, at 15:44, beating Pete Peeters from the right circle.

Detroit 8, Quebec 6--Joe Kocur and Bernie Federko scored 18 seconds apart midway through the third period to help the Red Wings win at Quebec.

After Kocur tied the game, 5-5, with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle, Federko, who had two goals, scored to give the Red Wings the lead for good.

Kocur and Steve Yzerman--who along with Jimmy Carson also had two goals--made it 8-5 before Michel Petit scored Quebec’s final goal with less than two minutes left.

Hartford 6, Chicago 4--Ron Francis scored his 20th goal and had three assists and rookie Todd Krygier scored twice as the Whalers won at Hartford, Conn.

Francis, who reached the 20-goal plateau for ninth consecutive year, triggered a four-goal barrage during a 3:35 span in the second period as Hartford snapped a 2-2 tie.

Winnipeg 3, St. Louis 3--Greg Paslawski scored a power-play goal with nine seconds left in regulation to give the Jets a tie at St. Louis.

Sergio Momesso had given the Blues a 3-2 lead with 1:39 to play. But the Jets pulled goaltender Stefane Beauregard for an extra skater with 54 seconds left and got a two-man advantage when Mike Lalor was penalized for cross-checking with 25 seconds to play.

The Blues were unable to clear the puck, and Paslawski knocked a rebound past Vincent Riendeau.