NHL ROUNDUP : Islanders Close In on Panthers

Florida was riding high. High in eighth place, that is, having crashed its way into a playoff spot as an expansion team unless something strange happened.

It happened Friday night on Long Island. That’s where the Islanders got a goal and two assists each from Pierre Turgeon and Derek King in a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

That broke New York’s three-game winless streak and moved the Islanders past Philadelphia and to within three points of the Panthers for the final Eastern playoff spot. Both teams have seven games to play.

It was the Islanders’ fourth consecutive victory over Montreal, with a fifth possible tonight in Canada, and it did not sit well with the Canadiens.

After the game, they held a 25-minute, closed-door meeting. When Coach Jacques Demers emerged from the locker room, he was not happy.

“We’re making, right now, what I call mental mistakes,” Demers said. “These are mistakes you can’t make against anybody.”

Vancouver 5, Winnipeg 1--Jeff Brown scored once and set up two other goals for the Canucks at Vancouver.

New York Rangers 3, Dallas 0--Goaltender Mike Richter won his 38th game, breaking Ed Giacomin’s 25-year-old club record for victories in a season, as the Rangers won at home.

Buffalo 5, Boston 0--Grant Fuhr stopped 31 shots in his second shutout of the season, and the Sabre penalty-killers got a short-handed goal and shut out the Bruin power play in six chances.

Tampa Bay 4, St. Louis 3--Chris Joseph scored a goal and had two assists, and J.C. Bergeron had 26 saves for Tampa Bay in a victory at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Washington 2, New Jersey 1--Kelly Miller’s goal with 46 seconds to play lifted the Capitals at Landover, Md., and ended the Devils’ seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1).