Naturally, Hats Off to Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky’s natural hat trick--his league-record ninth playoff hat trick--led the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night at New York.

The Rangers now have a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series. The series returns to Miami for Game 5 on Friday.

Gretzky scored three times in a span of 6:23 in the second period for his 58th hat trick but first with the Rangers.

The third goal came on a typical Gretzky move at 9:30 of the second period. As the Rangers rushed up ice, he took Niklas Sundstrom’s pass through the right faceoff circle, cut sharply back to shake Florida defender Ed Jovanovski, then slapped the puck past a screened John Vanbiesbrouck.

Before the game, the Rangers announced that left wing Bill Berg suffered a broken right leg the previous night and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Ottawa 1, Buffalo 0--A malfunctioning video-replay machine cost the Senators a third-period goal, but Daniel Alfredsson scored at 2:34 of the first overtime for the victory at Kanata, Canada.

Midway through the third period, the puck bounced under the pads of Sabre goalie Steve Shields during a scramble near the goal. Referee Mick McGeough immediately waved off the play and ordered a faceoff.

Overhead replays clearly showed the puck had slipped over the goal line before Shields kicked it back out with his right pad, but because of the malfunction, officials had no replay available until 10 seconds after play had resumed.

Shields was playing in place of Dominik Hasek, who has a sprained knee.

The Eastern Conference series, which will resume Friday in Buffalo, is tied, 2-2.

NHL Note

Winger Bill Guerin of the New Jersey Devils will be out about five days because of a hairline toe fracture he suffered Tuesday night in the Devils’ 6-4 victory at Montreal.