NHL ROUNDUP : Nordiques Still Perfect, Beat Expansion Senators

Quebec’s Joe Sakic might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

“The last few years, we’ve been on the losing end--now it’s our turn to be on the other end,” Sakic said after the Nordiques defeated the expansion Ottawa Senators, 9-2, Saturday night at Quebec.

The Nordiques, who have missed the playoffs in the last five seasons, are undefeated in two games. Moreover, they have scored 14 goals.

Joe Sakic had two goals and added three assists Saturday. Owen Nolan, shut out in Nordiques’ first game Thursday at Buffalo, scored his first three goals in Quebec’s home opener.

“You always worry about getting your first goal,” Nolan said. “But once you get the first one, you tend to relax and the others fall into place.”

Things did not fall into place for the Senators, who upset the Montreal Canadiens, 5-2, in their NHL debut Thursday night.

“There are two things to retain tonight: The Nordiques have an offensive machine and I don’t think we gave a 100% effort like we did against Montreal,” Ottawa’s Marc Fortier said.

Chicago 3, St. Louis 0--Backup goalie Jimmy Waite recorded his first career shutout and the Blackhawks held Brett Hull without a shot in the victory at St. Louis.

Waite, playing in only his 34th NHL game, blocked 25 shots as the Blackhawks won their first game of the season.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 3--Benoit Brunet’s second goal of the game with 5:40 left in regulation gave the Canadiens a tie in their home opener.

Mario Lemieux had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, giving him nine points in his first three games of the season.

Detroit 6, San Jose 3--Jimmy Carson had two goals and the Red Wings scored three times in the third period to win at San Jose.

Detroit outshot the Sharks, 43-29.

Philadelphia 4, Washington 2--Greg Paslawski and Kevin Dineen scored 1:45 apart midway through the third period to rally the Flyers at Washington.

Rookie Eric Lindros failed to score a goal for the first time in three NHL games, but did have one assist.

Buffalo 5, Hartford 2--Bob Sweeney scored two goals, one shorthanded, in his first game with the Sabres, who won at Hartford.

Dave Andreychuk, Keith Carney and Richard Smehlik also scored as the Sabres ended a five-game winless streak (0-3-2) in Hartford dating to Feb. 23, 1991.

The 0-3 Whalers, who have yet to score in the first two periods, are off to their worst start in three seasons.

Boston 3, N.Y. Islanders 3--Dmitri Kvartalnov scored with 67 seconds left in regulation to end a late Islander rally and give the Bruins a tie at Boston.

Bill Berg and Pierre Turgeon had scored for New York within a span of less than two minutes late in the third period to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead, but Ted Donato passed to Kvartalnov, who sent the game into overtime.

New Jersey 4, N.Y. Rangers 2--Bobby Holik registered his first hat trick, leading the Devils at New Jersey.

Holik, 21, acquired in an off-season trade with Hartford, has scored four goals in his first three games with New Jersey.

Calgary 3, Toronto 2--Al MacInnis scored twice in 48 seconds and the Flames got all their goals in the first period and held on for the victory at Calgary.

Vancouver 5, Edmonton 2--Geoff Courtnall scored two goals and set up a third goal as the Canucks won at Vancouver.

Courtnall scored only 23 times in 1991-92, when a virus left him weak and ineffective for most of the season.

Petr Nedved, Greg Adams and Sergio Momesso also scored for the Canucks, who beat Edmonton for the second time in five days.

Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 1--Neal Broten and Russ Courtnall each had a goal and an assist at Minnesota.

Minnesota scored in the first half minute of both the first and second periods to win its second consecutive game despite 33 saves by Lightning goalie Wendell Young.

Tampa Bay, which upset Chicago in its first NHL game last Wednesday, got its lone goal from Doug Crossman at 10:06 of the second period.