NHL ROUNDUP : Waite Smothers Flames in Final Minute

For Jimmy Waite, the wait was worth it.

Starting for the first time since Jan. 27, the backup goaltender of the Chicago Blackhawks saved a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames Sunday at Chicago.

Waite, who earlier gave up a goal by Robert Reichel, stopped shots by Reichel and Joel Otto to preserve the victory.

“Yes, he let in a soft goal to pull them within one goal, but he showed what he can do during crunch time,” Chicago’s Christian Ruuttu said.

“Jimmy stopped Reichel when it counted, then got another big save with half a minute left. But this showed why Jimmy is a terrific goalie. He didn’t panic.”

Ruuttu’s goal, a deflection of Chris Chelios’ 45-foot shot at 1:50 of the final period, provided the Blackhawks with a 4-1 lead and gave Waite what proved to be the winning goal in his first victory since Dec. 6.

Waite lost three in a row before a 4-4 tie against Vancouver in his last start.

The Flames, who were 7-0-2 at Chicago Stadium since Feb. 23, 1986, lost three players--Greg Smyth, Ronnie Stern and Craig Berube, who were given game misconduct penalties by referee Terry Gregson as the result of a first-period brawl.

Stu Grimson was the lone Blackhawk ejected.

With the victory, the first-place Blackhawks remained two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings in the Norris Division race.

Detroit 4, Minnesota 1--Paul Coffey and Steve Yzerman each had two assists and Tim Cheveldae made 26 saves as the Red Wings defeated the North Stars at Bloomington, Minn.

Coffey set up power-play goals by Sergei Fedorov and Keith Primeau, giving the Red Wings a 2-0 lead after two periods. The North Stars ended Cheveldae’s bid for a shutout on Dave Gagner’s power-play goal at 13:50 of the third period.

Dino Ciccarelli and Yves Racine also scored for the Red Wings.

Washington 5, St. Louis 2--Mike Ridley scored two power-play goals and Don Beaupre set a franchise record for victories by a goaltender as the Capitals remained unbeaten (6-0) since the All-Star break by defeating the Blues at Landover, Md.

Beaupre won for the 95th time with Washington to surpass Al Jensen’s team record.

Brett Hull scored his 43rd goal for St. Louis.

Pittsburgh 4, Hartford 3--Rick Tocchet and Joe Mullen scored power-play goals within a 2:45 span late in the second period and the Penguins ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the Whalers at Hartford.

Geoff Sanderson scored all of the Whalers’ goals.

Montreal 4, Edmonton 3--John LeClair scored two goals and set up another to lead the Adams Division-leading Canadiens at Montreal.

Rookie defenseman Sean Hill had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Former Oiler Vincent Damphousse also scored.

Peter Klima, Craig MacTavish and Brian Glynn scored for the Oilers.

Quebec 6, New Jersey 3--Martin Rucinsky and Mats Sundin scored 25 seconds apart during the second as the Nordiques improved their NHL-best road record to 17-7-7.

Owen Nolan added two goals and two assists for the Nordiques, who extended their unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1).