NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Whalers Turn Tables on Bruins

The Hartford Whalers turned on their tormentors Wednesday night at Boston and opened the Stanley Cup playoffs with a stunning 5-2 victory.

The Bruins, champions of the Adams Division, manhandled the fourth-place Whalers most of the season, with five victories and a tie in the last six meetings.

The trend continued when Jeff Lazaro scored 23 seconds into the game, but thereafter the Whalers dominated.

First, the Whalers killed off a major penalty to Mark Hunter, permitting only one shot on goal.

Then John Cullen, obtained from Pittsburgh March 4, set up two goals and scored another to give the Whalers a lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

The Bruins, losers in the final round twice in the last three years, also lost the first game last spring to the Whalers, then won in seven games.

“We’re just making it tough on ourselves,” Boston Coach Mike Milbury said. “Maybe that first goal was just too easy.”

There is no love lost between the clubs. General Manager Harry Sinden of the Bruins and Ed Johnston of the Whalers engaged in name-calling after a December game.

New Jersey 3, Pittsburgh 1--The other Wales Conference division winner also lost in the opener.

Peter Stastny scored twice and the superb goaltending of Chris Terreri enabled the Devils to end a five-game losing streak at Pittsburgh.

The only Pittsburgh goal was a 15-foot shot by Mario Lemieux on a power play halfway through the game. Terreri got a piece of the puck, but it trickled through his pads.

It was a 1-1 game until early in the final period when Stastny scored his second goal, and 50 seconds later Laurie Boschman put the game out of reach.

With only 18 goals this season and one point in his previous 12 games, it had been the worst season for Stastny, a 34-year-old Czechoslovakian center.

The Devils finished the season by going 0-10-2 in their last 12 road games. When Stastny broke his slump, so did the Devils.

“They played a smart game,” Lemieux said. “They played well defensively and pretty much forced us in every zone.”

Montreal 7, Buffalo 5--In the days when the Canadiens dominated the NHL, they usually did it with the best defense.

No longer a powerhouse, they have relied more on offense this season.

Russ Courtnall scored twice as the Canadiens stormed back from a two-goal deficit at Montreal to win the opener of this series.

Stephane Richer, Brent Gilchrist and Denis Savard scored for the Canadiens, who beat Buffalo in the first round last year.

Montreal lost the high-scoring Richer in the second period when he suffered a charley horse. He is expected to play Friday night in the second game.

New York Rangers 2, Washington 1--The Rangers finished the regular season in a terrible slump. But they emerged just in time to start the playoffs.

Jan Erixon and Bernie Nicholls scored second-period goals, and rookie goalie Mike Richter played brilliantly at New York.

The Capitals knocked the Rangers out of the playoffs in five games in the first round last spring.