NHL ROUNDUP : Penguins’ Back-Up Power Enough to Tie Blackhawks

With Mario Lemieux sidelined, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ power play doesn’t figure to be as good.

But Tuesday night, it was good enough to gain a 4-4 tie against the Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh.

The Penguins’ power play succeeded even though they were without one of their main weapons. Lemieux missed his first game of the season with back spasms that forced him to leave last Saturday night’s game in the third period.

Lemieux, who leads the Penguins with 13 points, will try to return for Thursday night’s home game against New Jersey.

Mark Recchi and Bryan Trottier scored in the third period to bring the Penguins back from a 4-2 deficit.

Recchi took a shot on a power play at 1:33 that hit a Chicago stick and changed direction, fooling goalie Jimmy Waite. Trottier scored at 10:26, just after a Chicago penalty expired. Larry Murphy’s shot from the right wing boards hit two Blackhawks’ skates and Trottier’s stick on the way in.

Calgary 4, Minnesota 2--Joel Otto and Gary Roberts each scored two goals as the Flames built a 3-0 lead and held on to end the North Stars’ unbeaten string at home.

The victory was only the second in six road games for Calgary, which plays 13 of its first 17 games on the road. The North Stars were 23-3-2 in their previous 28 home games, including an 8-2 mark in last spring’s playoffs and a 3-0 start this season.

Otto scored second-period shorthanded and power-play goals and Roberts netted an empty-net goal with 1:21 left to secure the victory for the Flames, who won for the third time in four games. Roberts’ second goal was his league-leading ninth of the season.

The Flames killed off all eight of Minnesota’s power-play chances and dominated the first two periods despite being outshot 26-20.

N.Y. Islanders 1, Winnipeg 1--The Jets got a tie at New York after Darrin Shannon scored his first goal of the season with 2:55 remaining in regulation.

Shannon picked up a rebound of a Moe Mantha shot and fired the puck past Glenn Healy.

The tie extended the Islanders’ winless string to five (0-3-2), and the Jets remain unbeaten on the road (1-0-2).

Healy made 23 saves for New York; Jet goalie Stephane Beauregard stopped 22 shots.