NHL ROUNDUP : Tocchet’s 3 Goals Lead Flyers, 6-1

Rick Tocchet scored three goals, getting Philadelphia’s first hat trick of the season, and the Flyers trounced the Washington Capitals, 6-1, Thursday night at Philadelphia.

The victory was the Flyers’ fourth in a row and ended an eight-game winless streak (0-6-2) against the Capitals. It was Philadelphia’s first victory against Washington Coach Terry Murray, a former Flyer, in seven games (1-4-2).

Tocchet’s eighth hat trick of his career increased his season total to 34 goals, second only to Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues, who has 48. In his last 13 games, Tocchet has 12 goals and six assists.

The Flyers moved to within two points of the Patrick Division-leading New York Rangers.

Norm Lacombe and Tocchet scored for Philadelphia in the first period, and Washington closed to 2-1 on Nick Kypreos’ goal in the second period, when the Capitals outshot the Flyers, 17-5. It was the only one of 39 shots that got past Ron Hextall.

Goals by Ron Sutter and Keith Acton made it 4-1 after two periods, and Tocchet scored twice in the third period. Pelle Eklund had four assists for the Flyers.

Buffalo 5, Chicago 4--Mike Ramsey scored with 7:39 left to lift the Sabres over the Blackhawks at Chicago for their fifth consecutive victory.

Minutes earlier, Buffalo rookie goaltender Darcy Wakeluk stopped Dave Manson on a penalty shot. Manson was awarded the shot after he was hauled down by Rick Vaive on a breakaway with 10:30 left.

Wakeluk, who joined the Sabres from Rochester earlier in the day, got the start because regular goaltender Daren Puppa, unbeaten in his last nine starts, came down with flu.

The Sabres are 5-0-1 in their last six games and 10-1-3 in their last 14. The loss was Chicago’s first in six games.

The Sabres trailed, 4-2, late in the second period, but tied the game on goals by Dale Hawerchuk and Pierre Turgeon.

Boston 3, Hartford 0--Andy Moog stopped 23 shots for the 11th shutout of his career and Ray Bourque became the highest scoring defenseman in Bruin history in a victory over the Whalers at Boston.

Bourque, in his 11th NHL season, passed Hall of Famer Bobby Orr with assists on goals by Randy Burridge and Cam Neely. Petri Skirko also scored for the Bruins.

Bourque has 240 goals and 650 assists for 890 points. Orr had 264 goals and 624 goals for 888 points in 10 seasons with Boston.

New Jersey 6, Quebec 1--Claude Lemieux had his second hat trick of the season and the Devils trounced the Nordiques at East Rutherford, N.J.

The victory ended the Devils’ winless streak (0-7-4) and was their fifth consecutive victory over the Nordiques, who are tied with Toronto for last in the overall NHL standings. Quebec is winless in its last six games (0-4-2).