NHL ROUNDUP : Sabres Get Their First Home Win

While all the other teams in the National Hockey League were finding home ice a distinct advantage, the Buffalo Sabres were having their only good luck on the road.

In their fifth home game Sunday night, the Sabres, by beating Hartford, 5-0, became the last team in the league to win at home.

Pierre Turgeon had a hat trick and veteran Clint Malarchuk played a flawless game in goal to lead the Sabres to their second victory in a row. In their first four games at home, the Sabres, who had the third-best record in the NHL last season, were 0-2-2.

From the time Turgeon, who has eight goals, scored on a power play at 6:38 of the first period, the Sabres dominated play.

Malarchuk, in improving his record to 2-2, stopped 29 shots. It was his 11th career shutout.

“We are starting to live up to expectations,” Buffalo Coach Rick Dudley said, “but I can’t figure out why we had so much trouble winning here.”

Pittsburgh 8, New York Islanders 3--When the Islanders interrupted their worst start with a victory over Philadelphia Saturday, there was an optimistic feeling. It lasted less than 24 hours.

Although the Penguins are without injured Mario Lemieux, they scored six times in 10 minutes in the second period at Pittsburgh to turn the game into a rout.

It was the third one-sided loss in the last four games for the Islanders. They gave up eight goals in each of those games.

The Islanders did not have a shot on goal for the first 14 minutes.

Washington 1, Edmonton 0--One night after their worst defensive performance in five years, the Capitals turned in one of their finest defensive efforts.

The Capitals, who gave up eight goals in less than two periods Saturday night at Calgary, backed the goaltending of Don Beaupre with a close-checking game.

Center Michal Pivonka scored with the game barely two minutes old at Edmonton and the veteran Beaupre turned aside 31 shots, 14 of them in the first period.

The Stanley Cup champion Oilers fell to 2-6-2.

Chicago 2, Montreal 1--Former Blackhawk star Denis Savard was given a high-sticking penalty in overtime at Chicago and his former teammates converted it into a victory.

Veteran center Adam Creighton scored a minute after Savard went into the penalty box.

Stephane Lebeau scored at 7:11 of the third period to end the Canadiens’ scoreless string at 109 minutes.