NHL ROUNDUP : Scoring Burst Gives Avalanche 7-3 Win

The best team in the West was certainly the better team at the Nassau Coliseum.

With Claude Lemieux scoring three goals--all in the first period--the Colorado Avalanche routed the New York Islanders, 7-3, Tuesday night at Uniondale, N.Y.

The Avalanche extended its unbeaten streak to six (4-0-2) and improved its Western Conference-best record to 15-4-4. Colorado has lost only once in the last 17 games (13-1-3).

Lemieux had an assist along with his fifth career hat trick.

Pittsburgh 7, Ottawa 2--Markus Naslund scored three times, his first multiple-goal game in the NHL, at Pittsburgh as the Penguins stretched the Senators’ winless streak to 11 games.

Ottawa is 0-10-1 since beating Hartford on Nov. 2. Jaromir Jagr had two goals and Mario Lemieux had three assists for the Penguins.

Winnipeg 4, Toronto 3--Alexei Zhamnov scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period, as the Jets defeated the Maple Leafs at Winnipeg.

Detroit 3, Montreal 2--Vyacheslav Kozlov had a goal and an assist, leading the Red Wings past the Canadiens at Detroit.

The victory was the ninth in 10 games for Detroit.

Chicago 5, Edmonton 3--Murray Craven’s second goal of the game powered the Blackhawks past the Oilers at Edmonton. Craven scored his sixth goal of the season at 15:32 of the second period.

NHL Notes

Jerry Colangelo, already running a major league baseball and NBA team in Phoenix, says he is “90 percent” certain the city will have an NHL team next season, and a decision could come next week. He refused to identify the NHL team although the Winnipeg Jets have been mentioned.