NHL ROUNDUP : Lemieux, Penguins Keep Streaks Intact, 4-3

When Mario Lemieux is healthy, it seems nobody can stop him and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lemieux scored a goal in his ninth consecutive game and added two assists as the unbeaten Penguins defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-3, Saturday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

The victory was the sixth in a row for Pittsburgh (7-0-2), which has struggled at the Meadowlands in recent years. The Devils, who were 5-2-0 against the Penguins last season, won eight of their previous nine home games against the Penguins.

“We feel we have the personnel to win a lot of hockey games,” said Lemieux, who has 12 goals and 18 assists and is on a pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s single-season record of 215 points. “It’s just a matter of us going out there and playing hard for 60 minutes. We’re doing that now.”

Only the back spasms that have flared on Lemieux several times in the past few seasons seem to slow him down.

“To me he is the best player in the world,” said Pittsburgh goalie Tom Barrasso, who made 28 saves. “(He’s) really in an elite field . . . in the history of the game. Very few players are capable with what he is capable of doing. When he is healthy, which he is now, you are seeing what he is capable of.”

Counting last spring’s playoffs, during which the Penguins won their last 11 games, Pittsburgh has a 20-game unbeaten streak.

The Penguins moved to within six games of the NHL record for most games without a loss at the start of the season. Edmonton started 12-0-3 in 1984-85.

New Jersey tied the game, 3-3, on Janne Ojanen’s second goal of the game 13 seconds into the third period, but Jaromir Jagr knocked in his rebound for the winning goal 2:08 into the period.

Tampa Bay 3, Quebec 2--Stan Drulia’s first NHL goal at 7:53 of the third period gave the surprising Lightning a comeback victory over the Nordiques at Tampa.

The expansion Lightning (4-4-1) has won three of four games at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Tampa Bay trailed, 2-1, entering the third period but tied the game at 6:09 on Chris Kontos’ slapshot past Ron Hextall. Kontos, who formerly played for the Kings, leads Tampa Bay with eight goals.

The Nordiques took a 2-0 lead on goals by Andrei Kovalenko and Alexei Gusarov, but the John Tucker scored for the Lightning to make it 2-1 at 12:40 of the second period.

N.Y. York Islanders 4, Hartford 2--Benoit Hogue scored twice in an 80-second span of the third period to complete the first hat trick of his career and give the Islanders a victory over the Whalers at Uniondale, N.Y.

The Islanders, 3-0 at home, are on a 5-1-1 streak.

Geoff Sanderson scored twice for Hartford in the second period, giving the Whalers a 2-1 lead.

Pierre Turgeon gave New York a 2-2 tie at 17:47 of the second period.

The Islanders, who have scored first in all nine games they has played this season, continued the streak when Hogue scored a shorthanded goal with 25 seconds remaining in the first period.

Montreal 7, Philadelphia 6--Mike Keane had a goal and three assists as the Canadiens defeated the Flyers at Philadelphia.

The Flyers, who got a hat trick from Greg Paslawski, have won only one game in their last seven (1-5-1).

The Canadiens, who extended their unbeaten streak to 4-0-1, took a 7-4 lead on goals 45 seconds apart by Patrice Brisebois and Stephan Lebeau in the third period.

Toronto 5, San Jose 1--Peter Zezel and Doug Gilmour each had a goal and an assist in the first period as the Maple Leafs coasted past the Sharks at Toronto.

After goals by Zezel and Dave Ellett, the Sharks got to within 2-1 on a goal by Perry Berezan at 11:13 of the first period, but Rob Pearson retaliated for the Maple Leafs 15 seconds later.

N.Y. Rangers 3, Ottawa 2--Mark Messier scored twice in the opening period, then set up Phil Bourque’s winner with 11.6 seconds left in overtime as the Rangers escaped with a victory over the first-year Senators at Ottawa.

Messier leads the Rangers (6-2-1) with five goals and 11 assists.

Chris Luongo and Brad Shaw scored for the Senators, who outshot New York, 35-23.

Detroit 6, St. Louis 1--Steve Yzerman scored three goals and set up another, and Steve Chiasson scored twice as the Red Wings trounced the Blues at St. Louis.

Yzerman completed his 16th hat trick by scoring a shorthanded goal on a breakaway at 7:06 of the third period.

Craig Janney scored for the Blues, who lost for the fourth time in six games (1-4-1).