NHL ROUNDUP : A Memorable Victory for Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning hasn’t had much success this season, but, on Wednesday night, the team achieved a milestone of sorts by winning its 20th game.

The Lightning did it before a sellout crowd of 10,425 at Tampa--against the team with the best record in the NHL.

With 32 saves from goaltender Wendell Young and two goals from rookie Rob Zamuner, the Lightning surprised the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1.

“If ever you are going to model yourself after a franchise, it’s Montreal,” Zamuner said. “That made (the victory) even more special.”

The Lightning surpassed the win total of five NHL expansion teams and tied the Winnipeg Jets, who won 20 games during their first season in 1979-80.

Shawn Chambers also scored for Tampa Bay, which got three assists from John Tucker and two from Brian Bradley.

Toronto 3, Minnesota 1--Doug Gilmour became the second Maple Leaf to score 100 or more points in a season and Toronto extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games with a victory at Toronto.

Gilmour set up Dave Andreychuk in the second period to reach the 100-point mark for the second time in his career. The only other Maple Leaf to get as many as points in a season was Darryl Sittler, in 1975-76 and 1977-78.

New Jersey 7, Hartford 4--Tom Chorske and Alexander Semak scored two goals each to key a five-goal second period for the Devils, who won easily at Hartford to move within two points of second-place Washington in the Patrick Division.

Buffalo 2, N.Y. Rangers 2--Adam Graves scored the tying goal at 8:35 of the third period as the host Rangers overcame two power-play goals by Bob Sweeney to get a tie with the Sabres.

Graves slapped the rebound of Ed Olczyk’s failed breakaway behind goaltender Dominik Hasek, who still was sprawled at the side of the net after colliding with Olczyk.

The Rangers held the NHL’s leading scorer, Pat LaFontaine, scoreless, and the NHL’s top goal-scorer, Alexander Mogilny, to one assist.