Rookie Gets Shutout as Flyers Extend Streak

Brian Boucher’s first NHL shutout came as no surprise to high-scoring Philadelphia Flyer teammate John LeClair.

Boucher made 29 saves and LeClair scored two goals Saturday night as the Flyers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, at Philadelphia to extend the NHL’s longest current home unbeaten string to 11 games.

“Boucher had a strong game, but he’s been playing well for us all year,” said LeClair, who leads the Flyers with 18 goals. “We played the majority of the first period in our own end, and Brian played really great.”

Added Flyer Coach Roger Neilson: “Brian did a good job with the rebounds tonight. Every game, he looks a little more at home.”

Ulf Samuelsson and Mark Bureau also scored to help the Flyers improve to 10-0-1 in their last 11 home games. Philadelphia is 19-5-3 following a a franchise-worst 0-5-1 start.

Boucher, who had won five consecutive starts before suffering a 3-1 loss Tuesday night at Buffalo, stopped a flurry of shots late in the first period, and made a glove save on Robert Petrovicky’s close-range shot in the second.

“My confidence wasn’t shaken after that Buffalo game,” the rookie said. “I know I screwed up, but you shake it off and come back real strong. With every game, I’ve gotten real comfortable. I’ve gotten to know the guys a little more and have been able to be myself.”

Dallas 4, Vancouver 2--Kirk Muller, playing his first game of the season, scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period at Vancouver.

Mike Modano had two goals and two assists, including an empty-net goal with 40 seconds to play, to help the Stars improve to 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Darryl Sydor added a goal and assist, and Brett Hull had two assists.

Muller, who on Wednesday signed a $190,000 deal through the end of the season, began earning his keep for a Dallas team that was without three regulars, including captain Derian Hatcher (lacerated calf) and Joe Nieuwendyk (bruised ribs).

Playing on the top power-play unit, Muller scored when he backhanded a shot that bounced in off Vancouver defenseman Zenith Komarniski’s skate. Hull set up the goal when he dug the puck out from behind the net and fed Muller.

Muller, in his 16th NHL season, went unsigned after playing out his contract with the Florida Panthers last season.

The Stars went two for four with the man advantage and are 12-1-0 when they score a power-play goal this season.

St. Louis 4, Boston 0--Roman Turek stopped 25 shots and Scott Young scored two goals for the Blues at St. Louis.

The Bruins are 0-4-2 against the Blues since Nov. 18, 1995.

Turek earned his second shutout of the year and the fourth of his career. He is 11-2-2 in his last 15 starts.

Florida 5, Pittsburgh 2--Pavel Bure scored two goals at Pittsburgh, his fourth and fifth in two nights, and the Panthers ended the Penguins’ four-game winning streak under new Coach Herb Brooks.

Jaroslav Spacek had a goal and two assists for the Panthers, who opened a 4-0 lead in the second period.

Mikhail Shtalenkov stopped 25 shots to win his third in a row since Florida goaltending star Trevor Kidd suffered a separated shoulder in the team’s skills competition. The Panthers have won four in a row and six of seven.

New Jersey 5, Washington 4--John Madden and Patrick Elias each scored two goals as the Devils rallied to beat the road-weary Capitals at East Rutherford, N.J.

Claude Lemieux also scored to help the Devils extend their winning streak to a season-best three games. New Jersey had won consecutive games seven times, but had been unable to string together three victories.

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar scored two goals for Washington, and Chris Simon and Jeff Halpern also had goals.

The game was the third in four nights for the Capitals, all on the road. This was the middle stop in a five-game trip that produced victories in the first two stops at Atlanta and New York.

Carolina 4, Atlanta 2--Gary Roberts, Robert Kron and Ron Francis scored second-period goals as the Hurricanes rallied at Raleigh, N.C.

The struggling Thrashers, who held a 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the game, dropped their seventh in a row to match the longest losing streak in the NHL this season. Nashville lost seven in row from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2.

Carolina ended a season-worst three-game losing streak.

Toronto 2, Montreal 1--Sergei Berezin scored on a shot from the slot with 3:42 to play at Toronto.

Berezin, who has 12 goals this season, took a backhand pass from Mike Johnson and beat goaltender Jeff Hackett between the legs.

Curtis Joseph made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs, including two great stops with Montreal on a power play in the final 20 seconds.

Calgary 2, Ottawa 1--Fred Brathwaite made 35 saves and Hnat Domenichelli had a goal and an assist at Calgary as the Flames extended their home winning streak to five games.

Brathwaite, making his 14th start in the last 16 games, gave up only a power-play goal by Igor Kravchuk at 13:43 of the first period. Brathwaite has given up only one goal in each of his last three games.

N.Y. Islanders 2, Buffalo 2--Niklas Andersson, recalled from the minors Friday, had a goal and an assist for the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.

Andersson, promoted from Chicago of the IHL, tied the score at 1-1 with a power-play goal midway through the second period, and set up Tim Connolly’s tying goal at 6:53 of the third. Anderson’s power-play goal was the Islanders’ first in 19 manpower advantages.

The Islanders, who earned their first point in eight home games, are winless in nine games overall (0-7-2) and have not won at home since Nov. 4, when they beat the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1.

Nashville 2, Colorado 2--Sergei Krivokrasov scored with 37.8 seconds to play as the Predators rallied to tie at Nashville.

With goaltender Mike Dunham off for a sixth attacker, Krivokrasov scored from near the left post after Greg Johnson’s pass from the side went by goaltender Marc Denis.