NHL ROUNDUP : Three Goals in 49 Seconds Help Blues Top Maple Leafs

Ian Laperriere, Esa Tikkanen and Adam Creighton set a team record by scoring 49 seconds apart in the second period Monday night as the Blues came from behind to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2, in St. Louis.

Greg Gilbert also scored and Laperriere added an empty-net goal for the Blues, who won their sixth in a row at home and their ninth of 10 overall at home.

Mats Sundin and Doug Gilmour scored for Toronto, which had been unbeaten in its last four games.

The three consecutive St. Louis goals broke the record for the quickest three goals in franchise history. The previous record came Dec. 19, 1978, when Brian Sutter, Bob Hess and Jack Brownschidle scored 56 seconds apart against the Atlanta Flames.

Montreal 5, Ottawa 4--Vincent Damphousse’s goal with 14 seconds remaining lifted the Canadiens past the Senators at Ottawa, breaking Montreal’s nine-game road losing streak.

Goals by Damphousse, Kirk Muller, Yves Racine and Jean-Jacques Daignault gave Montreal a 4-0 first-period lead, but Ottawa fought back to tie behind three goals from Steve Larouche, just called up from the AHL.

Hockey Notes

Viacheslav Fetisov, the talented defenseman who started the influx of players from the former Soviet Union to the NHL, was traded by the New Jersey Devils to the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round draft choice.

Fetisov, who will be 37 later this month, played in only four games this lockout-shortened season after being signed as a free agent Feb. 23.

New Jersey did not offer him a contract after the 1993-94, although Fetisov played well in the playoffs.

“I’m so happy,” Fetisov said by telephone. “I’m going to get a chance to play for a good team, and get a good chance at the Cup.”

Fetisov had 19 goals and 111 assists in 341 games with Devils, who signed him in the summer of 1989.

Regarded as one of the best Soviet players ever, Fetisov played 14 seasons with the Central Red Army team before joining the NHL.

Fetisov said he had spoken with Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman and he would join the team in San Jose for Wednesday’s game against the Sharks.