Wregget’s Stop Keys Penguin Tie

Pittsburgh goaltender Ken Wregget stopped New Jersey defenseman Scott Niedermayer on a penalty shot late in the third period of the Penguins’ 1-1 tie with the Devils on Wednesday night at East Rutherford, N. J.

Niedermayer was awarded the penalty shot when he broke in alone on Wregget, but was denied a clean shot when he was hooked from behind by Penguin defenseman Chris Tamer with 6:20 remaining.

On the penalty shot, Niedermayer went for a backhander but Wregget held his ground and made a glove save.

Buffalo 2, Boston 1--Derek Plante’s 40-foot wrist shot 24 seconds into overtime gave the Sabres the victory in a duel of goaltenders at Buffalo, N.Y.

Plante scored the game-winner after picking up a loose puck in his zone. He skated past the Boston blue line before lifting a hard shot past Bruin goaltender Craig Billington into the top corner.

Billington made 29 saves before giving up Plante’s 12th goal of the season. Dominik Hasek made 40 saves for the Sabres, who won for only the third time in 12 games.

Montreal 4, Dallas 2--Andrei Kovalenko scored off a rebound with 15:02 to play to snap a 2-2 tie and added an empty-netter with 31 seconds left to lead the Canadiens at Dallas.

Dallas goaltender Allan Bester stopped shots by Lyle Odelein and Saku Koivu before Kovalenko gave Montreal its first lead of the game with his 19th goal of the season. Kovalenko added his 20th into the empty net after the Stars had pulled Bester with just over a minute to play.

Colorado 4, Tampa Bay 4--Petr Klima scored his 19th goal at 9:49 of the third period as the Lightning rallied to tie the Avalanche in Denver.

Klima broke in alone and beat Avalanche goalie Stephane Fiset for his first goal since Jan. 13.

With the tie, the Avalanche remained unbeaten in its last seven games (3-0-4).

Washington 2, Edmonton 1--Peter Bondra scored early in the third period to give the Capitals a victory over the Oilers in Edmonton.

Oiler goaltender Curtis Joseph had foiled Bondra throughout the game, but with the game tied, 1-1, and Washington on the power play early in the third period, Bondra finally beat Joseph, who had been knocked out of position in a goalmouth scramble.

Hartford 5, Vancouver 3--Andrei Nikolishin scored two unassisted goals to cap the Whalers’ third-period rally from a 3-1 deficit at Vancouver.

Nikolishin’s first goal, after a turnover in the Vancouver zone, put the Whalers ahead, 4-3, at 3:08. The other goal came at 15:39 following a Canuck giveaway in neutral ice.

NHL Notes

Petr Nedved, a center with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been charged in Coquitlam, Canada with sexually assaulting a woman in late 1994. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he is expected to turn himself in.