NHL ROUNDUP : Flames Take 4-0 Lead but End Up With a Tie

The Calgary Flames squandered a four-goal lead as the Edmonton Oilers came back for a 4-4 tie Thursday night at Calgary.

With the Kings beating Minnesota, the Flames trail by four points in the Smythe Division.

The Kings and Calgary end the regular season Sunday at the Olympic Saddledome.

Joe Murphy scored twice, including the game-tying goal, as the Oilers rallied to tie.

Al MacInnis had a four-point night with three assists and a goal as the Flames grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first period.

Edmonton, 35-37-6 and in third place in the Smythe Division, could finish below the .500 mark for the first time since 1980-81--their second season in the NHL.

Chicago 5, Toronto 3--Adam Creighton’s tap-in broke a third-period tie at Chicago and the Blackhawks extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games.

Chicago goalie Ed Belfour was pulled after giving up two quick goals in the final period. He was replaced by another rookie, Dominik Hasek, who has three victories and a tie in four games.

Hasek preserved the victory, stopping Wendel Clark’s 15-foot shot with 10:31 left. Clark’s close shot with 2:43 remaining was seen by Hasek at the last second.

Coach Mike Keenan didn’t hesitate to yank Belfour. “We were playing awful and I wanted to wake them up,” Keenan said.

Belfour threw his stick after coming to the bench. “Eddie’s a tough competitor. The only thing I was worried, was that the stick might hit a kid in the stands,” Keenan said.

St. Louis 3, N.Y. Islanders 0--Brett Hull finally scored on his 11th shot of the game and Vincent Riendeau stopped 27 shots at St. Louis as the Blues topped the 100-point mark for the second time in franchise history.

The franchise record is 107 points, set in 1980-81.

Buffalo 4, Quebec 4--Rick Vaive scored a power-play goal midway through the third period at Buffalo to give the Sabres a tie.

Washington 3, Philadelphia 0--John Druce had a goal and an assist at Philadelphia as the Capitals wrapped up their ninth consecutive playoff berth and eliminated the Flyers for the second year in a row.

Vancouver 3, Winnipeg 2--Geoff Courtnall tipped in a blast by Trevor Linden at 1:40 of overtime at Vancouver to send the Canucks into the playoffs.