NHL ROUNDUP : Sharks Keep Door Open for Kings

It’s almost as if the Detroit Red Wings are playing out the rest of the regular season as a courtesy.

With the NHL’s best record and only eight losses this season, Sunday’s 5-1 victory over San Jose was merely practice.

The Sharks, who defeated Detroit in the first round of the playoffs last season, failed to gain ground in their battle with Winnipeg, Edmonton, the Kings and the Mighty Ducks for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Detroit opened the scoring at 12:35 of the first period, when Viacheslav Fetisov scored on a power play. Later in the period, Dino Ciccarelli scored the first of his two goals.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Vyacheslav Kozlov also scored for the Red Wings.

Boston 5, New York Rangers 4--Cam Neely scored three goals as the Bruins rallied from a two-goal deficit at Boston.

Neely scored twice on the power play late in the second period to lift the Bruins into a 2-2 tie. Late in the third period he scored his third goal unassisted.

St. Louis 2, Chicago 2--The team that started the Blackhawks’ 13-game winless slide kept it going at St. Louis.

Esa Tikkanen scored both goals for the Blues. The Blackhawks are 0-10-3 during their slump.

Buffalo 4, Philadelphia 2--Donald Audette scored two goals, including the game-winner at Buffalo, as the Sabres ended the Flyers’ winning streak at nine games.

Pittsburgh 4, Hartford 2--Luc Robitaille, Chris Tamer and Jim McKenzie scored three goals within 109 seconds in the second period and Ken Wregget made the lead stand up at Hartford, Conn.

Dallas 5, Winnipeg 2--Rookie Mike Torchia turned aside 40 shots at Dallas to remain unbeaten.

Torchia, called up from Kalamazoo to cover for injuries to Andy Moog and Darcy Wakaluk, is 3-0-1 and has allowed only six goals.