NHL ROUNDUP : Balanced Attack Helps Canucks End Skid, 4-1

Trevor Linden scored twice, Pavel Bure had two assists and Kay Whitmore stopped 21 shots as the Vancouver Canucks ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Hartford Whalers on Wednesday night at Hartford, Conn.

Gino Odjick and Cliff Ronning also scored for the Canucks, who outshot the Whalers, 31-22.

Whitmore, who shares goaltending duties with Kirk McLean, got a choice of facing the Whalers or waiting until tonight to face the Bruins at Boston.

“I love to play in the Boston Garden, too,” said Whitmore, a former Whaler. “But the way things were going I decided to play here and that maybe it would turn things around . . . and I’m familiar with this old place.”

Zarley Zalapski scored in the third period for Hartford.

N.Y. Rangers 1, Edmonton 1--Ranger goaltender Mike Richter extended his unbeaten streak to 17 games, but Bob Beers scored with 2:14 to play in the third period to give the Oilers a tie at New York.

Former Oiler Esa Tikkanen scored midway through the second period for the Rangers, who are 8-0-3 in their last 11 home games and 16-1-3 in their last 20 overall.

Richter, 14-0-3 in his last 17 decisions, moved within two games of Davey Kerr’s club mark of 19 games without a defeat (14-0-5), established during the 1939-40 season, when the Rangers last won the Stanley Cup.

New Jersey 4, Montreal 2--John MacLean scored two goals at Montreal to help the Devils end a five-game winless streak.

John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne scored for Montreal.

Winnipeg 5, Toronto 4--Kris King and Tie Domi, acquired by the Jets last season to provide toughness, each scored a goal at Toronto.

“We always rely on our big guns,” said Domi, whose goal broke a 2-2 tie in the second period and gave Winnipeg a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. “But if Kris and I can chip in every once in a while, it’s a big help. Any goal we get is just a bonus.”

Dallas 3, Pittsburgh 2--Trent Klatt scored two goals, including the winner at 14:11 of the third period, at Dallas.

Klatt skated up the slot and fired Mike Modano’s pass from the right side past Pittsburgh goaltender Ken Wregget to break a 2-2 tie.

Pittsburgh nearly tied the score with 15 seconds left when Joe Mullen tipped a pass into the Dallas crease. Mullen raised his stick, but officials ruled after watching a videotape of the play that the puck didn’t cross the line.

Buffalo 3, Ottawa 1--Donald Audette scored with 2:07 left to hold off the Senators at Ottawa.

Yuri Khmylev and Alexander Mogilny scored second-period goals for the resurgent Sabres, who won for the fifth time in seven games to improve to 13-13-2--hitting .500 for the first time since their second game of the season.

Ottawa’s 11th consecutive home loss tied the NHL’s home futility mark set by Boston in the 1924-25 season and matched by Washington in 1974. Ottawa is 1-12-1 at the Civic Centre this season.