NHL ROUNDUP : Canadiens Are First to Gain Playoffs

Brian Bellows scored four goals, helping the Montreal Canadiens become the first NHL team to clinch a berth in the playoffs with an 8-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Montreal on Saturday night.

Bellows, with the third four-goal game of his 11-year career, scored three times during the first period and added another during the second. Montreal, which has lost only once in its last 12 games, has won four games in a row.

Kirk Muller added two goals, and Gilbert Dionne and John LeClair also scored for the Canadiens.

Pat LaFontaine scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season for Buffalo.

Calgary 5, San Jose 4--The Flames blew a three-goal lead and needed a late goal from Theoren Fleury for a victory over the Sharks at Calgary.

Fleury’s goal came when he beat goaltender Wade Flaherty at 16:20 of the third period.

New York Rangers 1, Edmonton 0--Mike Richter, making his first start in two weeks, made 29 saves and Tony Amonte scored for the Rangers at Edmonton.

The victory moved the Rangers into third place in the Patrick Division with 66 points, one more than New Jersey. New York is 4-1-1 in its last six games.

Hartford 5, Quebec 3--Geoff Sanderson scored two goals and had an assist and Pat Verbeek scored a goal and added three assists as the Whalers overcame a three-goal deficit at Quebec.

Quebec, on goals by Martin Rucinsky, Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin, took a 3-0 lead during the first period. But the Whalers pulled to 3-2 on a first period goal by Verbeek and another by Nick Kypreos late in the second period.

Chicago 2, Detroit 1--Dirk Graham scored both goals at Detroit as the Blackhawks won their fourth consecutive game.

All of the scoring came during the first period as Graham scored twice and Mark Howe scored for Detroit. Chicago outshot Detroit, 35-28, in a game that had 102 penalty minutes.

Tampa Bay 3, Pittsburgh 3--Joey Mullen reached 900 points with two goals and an assist as the Penguins blew a two-goal lead at Pittsburgh.

Playing their 22nd consecutive game without scoring star Mario Lemieux, the Stanley Cup champion Penguins couldn’t beat an expansion team for the second time in three days.

New York Islanders 3, Philadelphia 2--Tom Fitzgerald’s goal 4:21 into the third period gave the Islanders a victory over the Flyers at Philadelphia.

Fitzgerald’s seventh goal came after he got the rebound of his shot against goalie Dominic Roussel.

St. Louis 3, Minnesota 2--Brendan Shanahan’s goal, with St. Louis holding a two-man advantage late in the final period, gave the Blues a victory at St. Louis.

Shanahan scored his 36th goal with 6:34 remaining. The North Stars had tied the score on a short-handed goal by Neal Broten with 10 seconds to play in the second period.

Boston 5, Washington 4--Vladimir Ruzicka scored with 2:57 to play in overtime to give the Bruins a victory over the Capitals at Boston. The Capitals had had a five-game winning streak.

New Jersey 5, Ottawa 2--The Senators lost their 31st consecutive road game, against the Devils at East Rutherford, N.J.

Alexander Semak scored two goals for New Jersey, which outshot Ottawa, 51-23.