NHL ROUNDUP : Edmonton Gets Well With Messier’s Return

Mark Messier returned from a knee injury a month sooner than expected and wasted no time getting the Edmonton Oilers straightened out.

The Oilers had lost nine in a row and had the worst record in the National Hockey League (2-11-2).

But Messier provided a spark Wednesday night at Edmonton. He assisted on two goals, then scored into an empty net with 32 seconds left, and the Oilers ended their longest losing streak with a 5-3 victory over Vancouver.

The Oilers, who lost another star, Jari Kurri, when he elected to play in Italy, were 1-11 while Messier was out.

Messier failed to score in the four games he played before being injured.

Martin Gelinas scored the winning goal with nine minutes remaining.

Toronto 5, Washington 3--The Maple Leafs, who won only two of their first 19 games, handed the Capitals their third loss in a row.

Dave Reid scored a short-handed goal in the first period at Toronto to help the Maple Leafs take a 4-1 lead. When the Capitals closed the gap in the third period, Reid scored again to clinch it.

It was Toronto’s second victory in a row.

The Maple Leafs are 4-16-1, the Capitals 10-10-0.

Chicago 3, Detroit 2--Power-play goals by Michel Goulet and Frantisek Kucera led the Blackhawks at Detroit.

The victory enabled Chicago to regain first place in the Norris Division, one point ahead of St. Louis.

Hartford 3, Boston 1--One brief flurry in the third period at Hartford, Conn., was all the Whalers needed to win.

For most of the 60 minutes, the Bruins outplayed the Whalers. But in 108 seconds beginning early in the last period, Yvon Corriveau, Ron Francis and Dean Evason scored for Hartford.

Defenseman Ray Bourque scored for the Bruins in the first period.

Pittsburgh 6, Winnipeg 4--It is not surprising that the Penguins have the leading scorer in the league. It is surprising that in the absence of injured Mario Lemieux, the top scorer is John Cullen.

Cullen, in his third NHL season, assisted on two goals at Winnipeg and has 39 points in 19 games.

Lemieux hasn’t played, but the Penguins are 10-7-2.