Gilmour Gets Credit

New Jersey won a Stanley Cup a couple of years ago with defense, and the Devils can play it well enough to shut out Hartford, 6-0, on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.

But notice that “6.”

Since acquiring Doug Gilmour from Toronto, New Jersey is averaging more than four goals, and the scoring is occasionally coming from unexpected sources.

Randy McKay had his first hat trick in eight seasons in a 6-0 win over Hartford on Thursday night.

“It can’t be anything else but having Gilmour,” Devil Coach Jacques Lemaire said. “Listen, it’s been four years that we hadn’t gotten a lot of goals. This guy comes in and everybody scores.”

The Devils have 38 goals in the nine games with Gilmour, who assisted on the first goal Thursday.

They have won eight. They had been averaging 2.64 goals before the deal.

“It took me 60 games to get six goals, and then I get three in one game,” McKay said.

John MacLean, Steve Thomas and Bobby Holik also scored as the Devils stretched their record to 14-2-7 in their last 23 games.

Martin Brodeur had 35 saves in his 18th shutout, which ended the Whalers’ four-game (3-0-1) unbeaten streak.

Canadiens 3, Bruins 0--Jocelyn Thibault 35 Bruin shots in Boston, recording his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career.

The loss guaranteed the Bruins their first losing season in 30 years.

Philadelphia 5, Edmonton 4--Eric Lindros scored with 43.4 seconds to play in overtime to give the Flyers a comeback victory at home.

Florida 5, Vancouver 4--Ray Sheppard’s third hat trick this season, including the 300th goal of his career, propelled the Panthers to a win in Miami.

The Canucks have yet to win in March, stretching their winless streak to 0-5-2.

N.Y. Islanders 3, Tampa Bay 0--Travis Green had two goals and Tommy Salo recorded his fifth shutout of the season for the Islanders at Tampa, Fla.