Oilers Get the Point--Thanks to a Little Luck

Ryan Smyth was lucky Sunday, and the Edmonton Oilers benefited with a point in the standings.

Smyth scored the tying goal without really trying midway through the third period in the Oilers’ 2-2 tie with the Buffalo Sabres at Buffalo.

“I just threw it toward the net,” Smyth said. “It was a lucky break. I was very fortunate.”

Smyth’s 20th goal came with 8:35 left in the third period when a backhander from along the goal line deflected off goalie Dominik Hasek’s skate.

“There’s no excuse for goals like that,” Hasek said. “He surprised me. He made a very fast move and there was exactly a tiny space.”

Edmonton, unbeaten in five games (3-0-2), is tied with San Jose for seventh in the Western Conference with 62 points, two more than the Kings and seven more than the Mighty Ducks. The Oilers are 5-2-2 during a stretch in which they have played eight of nine on the road.

The Sabres moved within two points of the Penguins for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Dallas 2, Washington 1 --Ed Belfour became the 16th goalie in NHL history to reach 300 victories, improving his career mark to 300-189-79 as he beat the Capitals at Dallas with the help of rookie Brenden Morrow’s first multiple-goal game.

Morrow’s second-period goal gave the Stars a 1-0 lead. But Richard Zednik tied it with his 14th goal at 1:40 of the third period. Morrow put the Stars in front for good with 9:55 left.

New Jersey 3, San Jose 1 --With the best record in the league, the Devils (33-10-6) might not appear to need additional help.

Rookie defenseman Brian Rafalski has been providing some anyway, playing solid defense and becoming an attacking force, as well.

Rafalski, who had the game-winning goal in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers, scored New Jersey’s first goal and added assists on the other two at East Rutherford, N.J.

Detroit 4, Colorado 3 --Brendan Shanahan scored his eighth game-winning goal of the season, capping a rally from a three-goal deficit at Denver.

Shanahan had the decisive goal, his 29th, at 16:07 of the final period. After Sergei Fedorov attempted to dump the puck into the Colorado zone, Shanahan chased after it and beat defenseman Martin Skoula and goalie Patrick Roy.

It marked the first time this season that Detroit had won after trailing after two periods; the Red Wings had been 0-12-1 in such situations.

N.Y. Islanders 4, N.Y. Rangers 2 --Linemates Jorgen Jonsson and Mariusz Czerkawski combined for five points at Madison Square Garden as the Islanders, with the third-lowest point total in the NHL with 39, matched a season high with their third consecutive victory.

Jonsson, who had three assists, has nine points in three games (one goal and eight assists). Czerkawski had two assists and extended his point-scoring streak to 10 games.

Around the League

Islander defenseman Eric Cairns and Pittsburgh forward Matthew Barnaby were suspended indefinitely, one day after they had an off-ice confrontation. Both players were given unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties Saturday night with 32.7 seconds left in the second period at Uniondale, N.Y., and sent to their dressing rooms. The hallway that runs between the rooms is separated by a curtain, and when Cairns saw Barnaby through a gap in the curtain, he started shouting. Both players advanced to the curtain, and Cairns threw a punch. They tangled until building security and Pittsburgh goalie Tom Barrasso pried them apart. . . . Defenseman Zarley Zalapski, a free agent, signed with Philadelphia for the remainder of the season.