NHL ROUNDUP : Manson, Oilers Edge Canucks

Dave Manson has been anything but conservative since joining the Edmonton Oilers in the preseason.

Manson, a defenseman obtained from the Chicago Blackhawks for Steve Smith, said he has been “playing on the edge” since he arrived in Edmonton.

Manson gave the Oilers the edge they needed Saturday night when he beat goaltender Kirk McLean with 3:48 left to give the Oilers a 5-4 victory over the league-leading Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton.

Manson also had an assist to give him five points in the last two games as the Oilers extended a home winning streak against Vancouver to eight games, dating back to October, 1989.

“It’s emotional and it’s all-around,” Manson said of his style. “It’s just a matter of being ready when I need to be. I play better when I play on the edge, and that’s what I like to do.”

Jim Sandlak had tied the score, 4-4, with his second goal of the game on a wide rebound at 8:09, and the game was headed into overtime before Manson’s goal.

Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford made a brilliant glove save on a shot by defenseman Dave Babych with less than 90 seconds to play to preserve the victory, Edmonton’s fourth of the season.

Scott Mellanby, Craig Simpson, Martin Gelinas and Petr Klima scored the other goals for Edmonton.

N.Y. Rangers 5, Quebec 3--Rookie Tony Amonte scored two goals for the Rangers at Quebec to extend the Nordiques’ winless streak to nine games.

After winning their opener, the Nordiques are 0-8-1. The 1-8-1 start by Quebec is the worst in its 13-year history, eclipsing the 1-7-2 mark the Nordiques recorded in the first 10 games of the 1980-81 season.

Goals by Paul Broten, Mike Gartner and Amonte’s two early in the second period gave the Nordiques a 4-1 lead.

Minnesota 4, Boston 0--Jon Casey made 27 saves at Bloomington, Minn., as the North Stars recorded their first shutout against the Bruins since Oct. 26, 1978.

Ulf Dahlen scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season, defensemen Chris Dahlquist and Jim Johnson scored second-period goals and Brian Bellows added a power-play goal in the third period for the North Stars, who ended a three-game losing streak.

The Bruins fell to 2-5-2.

Chicago 4, Hartford 2--Dirk Graham scored two power-play goals at Hartford, Conn., as the Blackhawks ended a four-game winless streak and extended the Whalers’ five-game losing streak.

Despite the loss, the first for Hartford at home, the Whalers (5-2-1) are still off to their best start since joining the NHL in 1979.

Graham, Mike Hudson and Greg Gilbert scored in the first period for the Blackhawks.

New Jersey 9, San Jose 0--The Devils tied a club record for goals against the expansion Sharks in a victory at East Rutherford, N.J.

Claude Lemieux, Tom Chorske and Doug Brown each scored two goals and Chris Terreri made 26 saves for his first shutout of the NHL season and the second of his career.

The goal output tied that in the club-record 9-4 victory over Vancouver on Dec. 5, 1990.

The Sharks’ record dropped to an NHL-worst 1-11-0.

Toronto 6, Detroit 1--In Toronto, Mike Bullard scored his first three goals of the season, two in 42 seconds early in the third period, to help the Maple Leafs end a seven-game losing streak.

It was the second game in as many nights between the Norris Division rivals and was a turnaround from Detroit’s 4-0 victory at home on Friday. The Maple Leafs managed 13 shots in that game, but they had 15 in the first period Saturday and finished with 41.

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 1--Eric Desjardins and Kirk Muller scored unassisted power-play goals to help the Canadiens to victory at Montreal.

Matt Schneider and Denis Savard also scored for Montreal (8-3-1), which has allowed only three goals in winning its last four games.

Calgary 2, St. Louis 2--Ron Sutter scored with 33 seconds left in regulation to keep the Blues unbeaten at St. Louis.

The Blues are 4-0-2 at home and are 5-1-2 in their last eight games overall.

Brett Hull also scored for the Blues.

Robert Reichel and Neil Sheehy scored goals for Calgary and Marc Habscheid had two assists.