Lemieux Fighting Mad in Penguins’ 6-0 Loss

The Florida Panthers got under Mario Lemieux’s skin, and the Pittsburgh Penguin player and owner was ejected from a game for the first time in more than six years.

The Penguins were on their way to a 6-0 loss Thursday night at Pittsburgh when Lemieux, who had eight penalty minutes heading into the game, picked up 29 with 5:12 to play. The league’s leading scorer slashed Florida’s Brad Ference and then dropped his gloves against the fourth-year defenseman.

Lemieux, upset with Ference for a second-period cross-check to his back, was assessed minor penalties for slashing and instigating, a major penalty for fighting, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct.

“The way he plays, he’s got to expect that,” Lemieux said of Ference. “He takes a lot of cheap shots out there, and when the game is out of hand like that, he’s going to pay for it.”

Lemieux hadn’t been ejected from a game for fighting since April 24, 1996, when he mixed it up with Washington’s Todd Krygier in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Thursday’s fighting major was his first in a regular-season game since March 20, 1987, at Washington, when he tangled with Bobby Gould.

Colorado 1, Detroit 0 -- Patrick Roy recorded his 64th career shutout and Alex Tanguay scored the only goal as the Avalanche won at Detroit.

Roy made 28 saves and tied Toronto goalie Ed Belfour for the most shutouts among active goaltenders. Belfour blanked Florida on Wednesday night for his 64th.

Roy’s three shutouts this season have come in the past six games. He held the Red Wings scoreless for the first time in his career during the regular season. Roy has four shutouts against Detroit in the playoffs.

“He’s been great,” Colorado Coach Tony Granato said. “He’s a man on a mission to prove he’s the best -- still the best.”

St. Louis 4, New York Rangers 4 -- Keith Tkachuk and Mikael Samuelsson scored two goals apiece, and each got one late in the third period at St. Louis.

Boston 6, Montreal 3 -- Martin Lapointe scored his first goal since the second game of the season and Jeff Hackett stopped 28 shots against his former team as the Bruins won at Boston.

Philadelphia 2, Ottawa 2 -- Eric Chouinard scored in the first period and assisted on Jeremy Roenick’s goal in the second for the Flyers at Ottawa.

Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 2 -- Nik Antropov scored a rebound goal with 1:11 left in overtime at Tampa, Fla. Antropov scored from in close after Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin stopped a shot by Bryan McCabe.

Calgary 2, Chicago 2 -- Chris Drury scored the tying goal for Calgary and Flame goaltender Jamie McLennan made 30 saves, including 10 in overtime, at Calgary, Canada.

*

Coach Jacques Lemaire and two of his assistants were given contract extensions, rewards for the Minnesota Wild’s unexpectedly fast rise to contention. Terms of the deals were not disclosed..... Along with asking for an additional $15 million line of credit to cover operating expenses, the bankrupt Buffalo Sabres are seeking court approval to pay four players their differed signing bonuses. Sabre attorney William Thomas is scheduled to make both requests in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Buffalo, N.Y., today.... New Jersey Devil Sergei Brylin had surgery on his broken right wrist and is expected to miss two to three months.