Coffey Leads Red Wings to Record 61st

The Detroit Red Wings became the first team in NHL history to win 61 games in a season with a 5-3 home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Paul Coffey scored two goals as the Red Wings rallied from a 3-1 second-period deficit to surpass the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for most victories. Igor Larionov and Keith Primeau also scored for Detroit. Steve Dubinsky, Tony Amonte and Joe Murphy scored for Chicago.

“It was a very emotional night, with the reaction of the crowd,” said Detroit captain Steve Yzerman, who assisted on three goals. “It was a special night. Still, we can’t sit back and enjoy it, though. Next week, we all start over at zero again.”

The Red Wings also matched the NHL record of 36 home wins in a season, set by the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers.

The dominant Montreal teams of the 1970s won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships. The Red Wings haven’t won the Cup in 41 years, the longest drought in the NHL.

OTHER GAMES

Michael Nylander scored two goals and Rick Tabaracci had 25 saves to lead Calgary to a playoff-clinching 6-0 victory over San Jose. . . . Alexander Selivanov’s second goal of the game with 4:38 left lifted Tampa Bay to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers at New York and moved the Lightning closer to its first playoff berth. Tampa Bay needs a tie in its last game or a tie or loss by New Jersey in its finale to clinch its first playoff berth in the franchise’s fourth year . . . Stu Barnes’ 19th goal of the season came with 4:54 left in regulation as the Florida Panthers took sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 1-1 tie against the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.

NHL Notes

Yanick Dupre, a forward in the Philadelphia Flyer organization, has been diagnosed with leukemia and will return to his home in Montreal for treatment.