Canadiens Shoot Out of Gate With 7-1 Rout

At least one team benefited from the rules changes designed to increase offense. The Montreal Canadiens set a franchise record for goals in a season opener, scoring five times in the third period to break open a tight game and cruise to a 7-1 victory over the New York Rangers at Montreal.

Mark Recchi had four assists and seven players scored for the Canadiens, whose previous record for an opener was set in a 5-1 victory over the Hartford Whalers on Oct. 6, 1992.

“We played like a cannon, we had energy,” Montreal Coach Alain Vigneault said. “It’s just like opening a box of Cracker Jacks--we put our hands in and got a great prize.”

Said Ranger goaltender Mike Richter: “Maybe I should’ve stopped some of those shots in the third period, but give the Canadiens credit. When we’re only down 3-1 or 4-1, I felt we could come back. But then Montreal really pressed on the gas pedal. The last 15 minutes of the game were terrible for us.”

The Rangers are 0-2 after losing Friday night at home to the Philadelphia Flyers, 1-0.

“The worst thing we can do now is go into a panic mode, where we think it’s a catastrophe,” the Rangers’ Wayne Gretzky said. “I don’t think it’s pandemonium, but obviously, we’re disappointed and we’re concerned that we’re 0-2.”

Dallas 4, Buffalo 1--Brett Hull set up a goal in his first regular-season game for the Stars and teammate Mike Modano had a goal and two assists at Dallas.

“We sure had lots of chances,” said Hull, who signed a three-year, $17-million contract with the Stars in July after 11 seasons with the St. Louis Blues. “It felt great out there. We’ve got a solid team and I think it’s going to be a fun season.”

Hull, a three-time 70-plus goal scorer, came into the season with 554 goals, including parts of three seasons with the Calgary Flames. He took six shots, but couldn’t beat Sabre goalie Dominik Hasek.

“We worked well together,” Modano said. “It was nice to see the scoring spread around. We were trying to get Brett the puck in the slot. When we do that, it opens things up for everybody else.”

Darryl Sydor, Pat Verbeek and Jere Lehtinen scored power-play goals, and Ed Belfour stopped 27 shots. Geoff Sanderson scored for the Sabres.

Chicago 2, New Jersey 1--Tony Amonte scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to lift the Blackhawks at Chicago.

Doug Gilmour, who signed with the Blackhawks as a free agent after two seasons with the Devils, assisted on the winning goal.

New Jersey’s Patrick Elias opened the scoring in the first period, and Chicago’s Eric Daze tied the score late in the second.

New Jersey outshot Chicago, 18-0, in the first period, the first time the Blackhawks have ever been blanked in a period. The Devils outshot the Blackhawks, 36-15.

Toronto 2, Detroit 1--Alyn McCauley scored late in the second period and the Maple Leafs withstood three Red Wing power plays in the third period at Toronto.

“He had a fine game,” Maple Leaf Coach Pat Quinn, who won his Toronto debut, said of McCauley, a 21-year-old center. “We rated him as one of the best, if not our top forward tonight. He scored a highlight-reel goal.”

A rare offensive display from enforcer Tie Domi helped set up McCauley’s winning goal. Domi threaded a pass behind the Detroit defense to McCauley in the right slot. McCauley, known for his offensive touch in his junior days in Ottawa, lifted a perfect wrist shot past Chris Osgood’s glove.

“I got off to the kind of start that I wanted,” said McCauley, who had six goals and 10 assists as a rookie last season. “It’s only one goal, but I’m headed in the right direction.”

Maple Leaf goalie Curtis Joseph, signed in the off-season to a four-year, $24-million deal, stopped 38 shots, 15 in the third period.

“I was nervous and excited before the game,” Joseph said. “It was like a playoff game for me. I know it’s early on, but Detroit is a great team so this is a great start.”

Sergei Berezin also scored for Toronto in its 68th and final home opener at Maple Leaf Gardens. Larry Murphy scored for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings.

Pittsburgh 4, N.Y. Islanders 3--Brad Werenka, Robert Lang and Jaromir Jagr each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins at Uniondale, N.Y.

Alexsey Morozov also scored for the Penguins, and Tom Barrasso made 22 saves.

Trevor Linden scored two goals for the Islanders.

Boston 3, St. Louis 3--Ken Baumgartner, who played all 82 regular-season games and six playoff games last season without scoring a goal, scored at 3:17 of the third period to pull the Bruins even at Boston.

With the Blues holding a 3-2 lead, goaltender Grant Fuhr came out and mishandled a loose puck that Baumgartner tipped away before sliding it into the net. It was only his 13th goal in 710 regular-season games, and his first with the Bruins.

“I was trying to press the defense to make a pass before they wanted to,” Baumgartner said. “I was able to put a backhander on net. I really didn’t see it go into the net until my teammates came over to me. I hope it’s not quite so long before I get another one.”

His last goal came on Jan. 17, 1996, when he was with Toronto.

Steve Heinze and Sergei Samsonov added power-play goals for the Bruins, who extended the NHL’s current longest opening-game unbeaten streak to 10-0-2. Pavol Demitra had two goals and Tony Twist also scored for the Blues.

Carolina 4, Tampa Bay 4--Craig Janney scored midway through the third period to cap the Lightning’s comeback from a 4-1 deficit at Greensboro, N.C.

Tampa Bay newcomer Wendel Clark had two goals and Jassen Cullimore also scored for the Lightning, who were playing for the second night in a row after losing to the Florida Panthers, 4-1, on Friday. Steve Chiasson, Ron Francis, Nelson Emerson and Robert Kron scored for the Hurricanes.

Ottawa 4, Colorado 3--Wade Redden’s ricochet goal with 1:22 to play gave the Senators the victory at Denver and spoiled the debut of Avalanche Coach Bob Hartley.

Chris Phillips scored twice and Andreas Dackell added a goal as the Senators beat the Avalanche on the road for the first time in 12 games.

Calgary 5, San Jose 3--Theoren Fleury scored three goals to lead the Flames at Tokyo.