NHL ROUNDUP : No-Longer-Soft Nattress Scores Twice for Flyers

Ric Nattress is not exactly a goal-scoring threat.

In fact, if you had to pick a Philadelphia Flyer as least likely to score, except for goalies, it would probably be Nattress. The 11-year veteran has two seasons without any goals, and three more with only one.

However, Nattress scored twice as the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers, 4-3, Saturday at Philadelphia for the franchise’s 1,000th victory.

“I told him that goals come from the most surprising places,” Philadelphia Coach Bill Dineen said. “He had a great game.”

Nattress also had a goal in his last game, an 8-2 victory over Washington on Thursday.

“The opportunities were there,” said Nattress, who on Saturday matched his goal total for all of last season. “They weren’t the greatest shots in the world, but they went in.”

New Jersey 6, Boston 2--It took only two games for Bruin fans to change their chant from “Blue!” to “Boo!” as Bruin goaltender John Blue, starting his second NHL game, was knocked out in the second period of a loss to the Devils at Boston. Blue also lost his first start, a 3-2 overtime defeat by Quebec on Thursday.

Blue gave up goals to Bill Geurin, John MacLean, Bobby Holik and Bruce Driver before being relieved by Mike Bales, who was making his first NHL appearance, with 6:41 left in the second period.

Bales gave up one goal, MacLean’s second of the game with 3:38 left in the third period, and the Devils got an empty-net, short-handed goal.

Blue and Bales were called up from the Bruins’ minor league affiliate in Providence on Thursday.

Pittsburgh 3, Calgary 2--Kevin Stevens’ 33rd goal of the season at 15:27 of the third period handed the Flames their third consecutive loss in a game played at Pittsburgh.

Stevens, who extended his scoring streak to nine games, broke around Flame defenseman Michel Petit and beat goaltender Mike Vernon.

Minnesota 6, Tampa Bay 4--Russ Courtnall scored twice, giving him four goals in his last two games, as the North Stars defeated the Lightning at Bloomington, Minn.

Courtnall, acquired Aug. 31 for all-time Minnesota goal-scorer Brian Bellows, is the North Stars’ leader in goals (19) and assists (28). He scored Minnesota’s first two goals during Thursday’s 6-3 victory at Pittsburgh and has eight goals in the Stars’ last nine games.

Vancouver 5, NY Islanders 4--Trevor Linden scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:49 remaining in regulation to lift the Canucks at Uniondale, N.Y.

Linden picked up a bad pass by New York’s David Volek in the Islanders’ zone and sent a slap shot past Danny Lorenz for his 15th goal.

Washington 4, Edmonton 3--Michal Pivonka scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on two others as the Capitals extended their home unbeaten streak to 10 games (8-0-2) by beating the Oilers.

Dale Hunter and Kevin Hatcher scored goals on Washington’s first two shots of the game, off passes from Pivonka. After the Oilers rallied to tie, Pivonka gave Washington a 3-2 lead at 11:33 of the second period.

Hartford 4, Quebec 2--Goalie Frank Pietrangelo ended his seven-game winless streak as the Whalers ended a six-game winless streak by beating the Nordiques at Hartford, Conn.

The victory ended six weeks of frustration for Pietrangelo, who had gone 0-6-1 since a Nov. 28 victory against Boston. Toronto 5, Montreal 4--Doug Gilmour’s two power-play goals helped Coach Pat Burns make to a successful return to the Montreal Forum as the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens in overtime.

It was the first time Burns had returned to Montreal since leaving after four years behind the Montreal bench to take the coaching job in Toronto last summer.

St. Louis 4, Chicago 1--The Blues chased goaltender Ed Belfour, who came into the game at St. Louis with an NHL-leading 2.45 goals-against average but lasted only about 33 minutes after giving up four goals on 20 shots.