NHL ROUNDUP : North Stars Take Five, Beat Jets, 8-3

Enough was enough for the Minnesota North Stars.

The North Stars took out a season’s worth of frustration in one period, scoring five goals in the third period, and trounced the Winnipeg Jets, 8-3, Tuesday night at Minneapolis.

“They found some enthusiasm somewhere,” Minnesota Coach Pierre Page said after his team ended a three-game losing streak.

“I think we reached our frustration peak after the Boston game (a 3-2 loss last Saturday),” said Page, whose team was in a 2-9 tailspin after the loss and dropped to within one point of last-place Detroit in the Norris Division.

“I know I did as a coach. The players took a tough situation and made it into a positive one.”

Brian Bellows scored twice to reach the 40-goal plateau for the third time in eight NHL seasons and Dave Gagner’s two goals put him over 30 for the second time in as many seasons.

Neal Broten broke a 3-3 tie 4:17 into the third period, and his brother, Aaron Broten, followed with a goal 55 seconds later.

The North Stars came out firing, outshooting the Jets, 16-2, in the first period, but goalie Bob Essensa kept the Jets in the game with 15 saves. He was beaten only on Gagner’s backhander at 7:59.

The Jets outshot Minnesota, 18-6, in the second period and twice tied the score. David McLlwain beat North Star goalie Jon Casey 4:11 into the period before Bellows scored to make it 2-1. Winnipeg’s Danton Cole tied the score again with his first NHL goal 13 seconds later.

Gagner’s power-play goal with 3:23 left put the North Stars back on top. McLlwain tied the score with a backhander through a screen at 1:43 of the third period.

St. Louis 4, Buffalo 1--Adam Oates had two goals and Brett Hull scored his 62nd as the Blues downed the Sabres at St. Louis.

Rookie goaltender Curtis Joseph, who was shelled for 15 goals in his last two games, was working on his first shutout until Dave Andreychuk scored an unassisted goal at 8:51 of the third period. Joseph made 28 saves to raise his career record to 7-3-1.

Michel Mongeau scored his first NHL goal for the Blues, who had lost three of their previous four games. Mongeau, leading the International Hockey League in scoring with 27 goals and 80 points, was called up by the Blues on Friday.

St. Louis moved to within two points of Norris Division-leading Chicago.

Washington 4, Chicago 0--Don Beaupre got his second shutout of the season and the Capitals moved out of the Patrick Division cellar and into a tie for fourth place by beating the Blackhawks at Landover, Md.

Beaupre, making his second start after missing almost a month with a sprained right thumb, stopped 24 shots for his sixth career shutout. He preserved the shutout with 13 saves in the final period.

Bob Rouse, Mike Ridley, Kevin Hatcher and Michal Pivonka scored for Washington.