NHL ROUNDUP : Blues Hit High Note, Take Lead

Brett Hull and Jeff Brown scored two goals each as the St. Louis Blues beat the New York Islanders, 5-4, Saturday night at St. Louis to take over first place in the Norris Division.

Hull, the NHL’s top goal-scorer with 64, also had two assists in becoming only the third player in Blues’ history to score more than 100 points. He has 102.

“Sure, 100 is great,” Hull said. “But first place is the best thing.

“I don’t consider myself a superstar. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemeiux are the superstars. I just look good because of the help I get.”

The victory moved the Blues (34-25-8) two points in front of the Chicago Blackhawks.

New York is winless in its last nine games (0-7-2).

The Blues built a 5-2 lead on Hull’s goals early in the final period, but the Islanders made it close on goals by David Volek and Paul Gagne but couldn’t get the tying goal in the last 2:47.

Calgary 5, Vancouver 1--Doug Gilmour had a goal and three assists as the Flames defeated the Canucks at Calgary and clinched a playoff berth.

The victory gave the defending Stanley Cup champions 77 points in the Smythe Division, 26 ahead of last-place Vancouver, which has 12 games left.

Calgary also maintained its one-point lead over second-place Edmonton.

Joe Mullen, Al MacInnis, Brian MacLellan and Jamie Macoun also scored for the Flames. Paul Reinhart, a former Flame, scored for Vancouver.

Edmonton 5, Philadelphia 3--Mark Messier scored four goals for the third time in his 11-year career as the Oilers beat the Flyers at Edmonton.

The Oilers also clinched a playoff berth.

Messier has 39 goals and 74 assists for 113 points, two better than his previous best in 1987-88.

The game also marked the triumphant return to the Oiler net of goaltender Grant Fuhr, who stopped 35 shots. It was his first appearance since Dec. 16, when he suffered a shoulder injury.

Boston 4, Chicago 3--Cam Neely’s second goal of the game and 47th of the season with 3:21 left gave the Bruins a come-from-behind victory over the Blackhawks at Boston.

Brian Propp and Dave Poulin, two recent acquisitions from the Philadelphia Flyers, had a goal and an assist apiece in the Bruins’ league-leading 40th victory of the season.

Neely tipped in Ray Bourque’s shot from the point on a power play only 2:35 after Poulin tied it, 3-3, with a 25-foot blast past goalie Alain Chevrier.

Hartford 6, N.Y. Rangers 4--Ron Francis scored his 26th and 27th goals and assisted on Pat Verbeek’s game-winner early in the third period as the Whalers ended the Rangers’ seven-game unbeaten streak at Hartford, Conn.

Verbeek added a pair of assists for the Whalers, who have won three consecutive games and are 5-2 since Feb. 18.

Kelly Kisio had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, and Darren Turcotte had his 28th goal, tops among NHL rookies.

Minnesota 3, Montreal 2--Brian Bellows equaled a career high with his 41st goal and Jon Casey made 33 saves at Bloomington, Minn., and the North Stars handed the Canadiens their third consecutive defeat.

Bellows, an eight-year veteran, tied the mark he set in the 1983-84 season, his second in the NHL.

The Canadiens, already short-handed due to injuries to Bobby Smith and Chris Chelios, played without defenseman Craig Ludwig and center Guy Carbonneau, who were scratched by Coach Pat Burns after they missed curfew Friday night.

Quebec 3, Buffalo 3--Peter Stastny scored on a power play at 10:32 of the third period to give the visiting Nordiques a tie with the Sabres.

Paul Gillis scored less than a minute earlier as the Nordiques came back from a two-goal deficit.

Pierre Turgeon, Dave Andreychuk and Dave Snuggerud scored to give Buffalo a 3-1 lead. Ken McRae scored 43 seconds into the game for the Nordiques.