NHL ROUNDUP : Red Wings Keep Gaining Momentum for Playoffs

The Detroit Red Wings keep winning and impressing.

Dino Ciccarelli’s power-play goal triggered a four-goal second period and Detroit extended its unbeaten streak to nine games with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night in Dallas.

The Red Wings, 8-0-1 in their last nine starts while tying a club record with six consecutive victories and getting off to the best start (27-7-3) in club history, took advantage of goalie Darcy Wakaluk, filling in for the injured Andy Moog.

“We had some breaks and took advantage of them,” said Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman.

Paul Coffey, Shawn Burr and Ray Sheppard also had goals in the second period as Detroit scored four times on only nine shots.

The Stars, whose most potent goal-scoring threat, center Mike Modano, is out for the season because of an ankle injury, have managed as many as three goals only once in the last 10 games.

Pittsburgh 3, Washington 1--Jim Carey had a good night, but Jaromir Jagr had a better one, earning a goal and two assists in the Penguins’ victory over the Capitals and their star rookie goalie at Pittsburgh.

Jagr and Luc Robitaille scored in the second period as the Penguins won for the second consecutive night to get within two points of first-place Quebec in the Northeast Division.

Kevin Stevens also scored for Pittsburgh.

Tampa Bay 5, N.Y. Islanders 2--Rob Zamuner scored twice, including a shorthanded goal, and J.C. Bergeron stopped 29 shots as the Lightning defeated the Islanders at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The victory moved Tampa Bay within two points of the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. New York, which trailed Tampa Bay by four points entering the game, was pushed further out of the playoff picture.

St. Louis 7, Winnipeg 5--Brendan Shanahan, Greg Gilbert and Glenn Anderson all scored in the final 2:12 of the game to give the Blues the victory at St. Louis.

“Sometimes, you play well and lose. Tonight, we played badly and won,” Shanahan said. “It would be bad, going into the playoffs, if we couldn’t come back in games like this. It was disturbing that we almost blew the game.”