NHL ROUNDUP : Canucks Win Showdown, 3-1

If everything goes according to form, the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings could end up playing in the Campbell Conference finals in May.

Judging from their two meetings this season, it could be a great series.

The Canucks beat the Red Wings, 2-1, at Vancouver on Dec. 17, and Thursday night at Detroit, defenseman Jyrki Lumme’s spectacular tiebreaking goal with 53 seconds left powered Vancouver to a 3-1 victory.

“We knew our team could play well, but wins like these are building blocks,” Vancouver Coach Pat Quinn said after the Canucks set a team record with their fourth consecutive victory. “We showed a lot of grit and poise under pressure.”

Lumme’s goal took the Norris Division-leading Red Wings by surprise. He got the puck at the blue line, went around Gerard Gallant and Nicklas Lidstrom, then put a shot over goalie Tim Cheveldae for his 11th goal.

“When I got the puck, (Gallant) came right at me, which made it easy to go around him,” Lumme said. “Then I was looking to pass, but (Lidstrom) broke away from me, and (Cheveldae) came flying at me, and gave me a great opening.

“This was a huge win for us. It was like a playoff game out there.”

Pavel Bure added an empty-net goal with four seconds left and Kirk McLean made 35 saves for the Canucks, who have beaten Winnipeg, Edmonton and Quebec on this trip. They finish in St. Louis on Saturday night.

The Canucks seem certain to end their NHL-record streak of 15 non-winning seasons as they head toward the Smythe Division title.

Toronto 4, N.Y. Islanders 3--Glenn Anderson scored two goals, including the game-winner early in the third period, and the Maple Leafs defeated the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.

The Maple Leafs blew a three-goal lead before Anderson broke a 3-3 tie at 3:00 of the third period and goaltender Rick Wamsley won his first start with Toronto. Wamsley, acquired from Calgary on Jan. 2, made 17 saves in his first start since Dec. 21.

The Islanders appeared to tie the score with 16 seconds left on a shot by Steve Thomas from outside the blue line. But the goal was disallowed by referee Ron Hoggarth because the Islanders were offside.

Montreal 3, Boston 1--Denis Savard had a goal and an assist as the Canadiens ended a three-game winless streak by beating the Bruins at Boston.

Goalie Patrick Roy had 32 saves in recording his 25th victory of the season as the Canadiens ended Boston’s five-game winning streak and increased their Adams Division lead over the Bruins to 13 points over the Bruins.

The Canadiens have won five of their seven meetings with Boston this season.

The Canadiens spoiled the Boston debut of goalie Daniel Berthiaume, acquired from the Kings earlier in the week, with goals by Stephan Lebeau and Savard in the first period and one by Sylvain Turgeon in the second.

Brent Ashton scored for Boston.

Buffalo 5, Pittsburgh 4--Donald Audette scored 3:15 into overtime to complete the Sabres’ rally from four goals down to a victory over the Penguins at Pittsburgh.

The Penguins were playing for the first time since wasting a 3-0 lead and settling for a 3-3 tie in Detroit on Jan. 16.

Kevin Stevens scored twice and Larry Muprhy made it 4-1 with his ninth goal of the season at 4:54 of the third. But Pat LaFontaine and Dale Hawerchuk scored 1:37 apart during a power play and Dave Andreychuk tied it with his 23rd of the season at 13:19.

Audette also scored Buffalo’s first goal at 2:41 of the first period. He has 22 goals this season, tops among NHL rookies.

Chicago 4, Quebec 2--Jocelyn Lemieux and Frantisek Kucera scored 15 seconds apart midway through the third period and the Blackhawks extended the Nordiques’ road losing streak to 27 games at Chicago.

The Nordiques are 0-18-4 on the road this season and 0-21-6 since a 2-1 victory in Hartford last March.

Quebec has a six-game losing streak and Chicago, which got two goals from Brian Noonan, is 3-0-1 in its last four games.

N.Y. Rangers 3, Edmonton 1--Mark Messier’s 23rd goal early in the third period broke a 1-1 tie and powered the Rangers past his former Oiler teammates at Edmonton.

Adam Graves added an insurance goal for the Rangers with 5:45 left as New York stretched its Patrick Division lead to four points over the Washington Capitals.

Winnipeg 1, Philadelphia 0--Rookie Stephane Beauregard made 24 saves for his first NHL shutout and Phil Housley scored with 3:55 remaining and the Jets ended the Flyers’ nine-game home unbeaten streak at Philadelphia.

Housley has four goals and five assists in his last six games.