NHL Roundup : Hot Nordiques Hand Oilers Second Straight Loss, 5-3

Peter Stastny had a goal and an assist in a three-goal explosion late in the third period at Quebec Friday night that carried the Nordiques to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

It was the second loss in a row for the Oilers and the sixth win in a row for the Nordiques.

The Oilers led, 3-2, when Peter Stastny set up defenseman Robert Picard for the tying goal with 4:01 left in the game. Paul Gillis scored a disputed goal one minute later to break the tie, and at 17:34, Peter stole the puck and went in alone to score his second goal of the game and clinch the victory.

The Oilers, who gave up 11 goals in a loss at Toronto Wednesday night, scored all their goals in the second period. Not surprisingly, Wayne Gretzky assisted on all three.

The star center has 81 assists in 42 games.

Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr faced 43 shots. Clint Malarchuk, in the nets for the Nordiques, stopped 23 shots. He has been the goaltender for the six victories in a row, giving up 16 goals.

“We are encouraged as we start the second half of the season,” said Nordiques Coach Michel Bergeron after his team moved into a tie for first place in the Adams Division. “Almost every season, we have been better in the second half.”

The Oilers protested Gillis’ tie-breaking goal. Gillis took a whack at the puck, and it barely slid over the goal line. The Oilers argued that it didn’t cross the line. Referee Kerry Fraser ruled it did.

It was the 200th victory for Bergeron.

“It puts me only 518 behind Scotty (Scotty Bowman, general manager of Buffalo),” Bergeron said, “but I’ll take it.”

New York Rangers 6, Montreal 4--Ron Greschner and Bob Brooke each had a goal and two assists during a five-goal second period at New York.

Greschner and Brooke scored the first two goals of the period, but it was former King Brian MacLellan who broke a 3-3 tie with his fifth goal in the 13 games he has played with the Rangers.

The Rangers ended Mats Naslund’s 18-game scoring streak.

Buffalo 9, Toronto 7--Toronto Coach Dan Maloney was noted as a tough defensive forward. The Maple Leafs’ porous defense must be driving him crazy.

For the second game in a row, the Leafs gave up nine goals. In the previous game, though, they scored 11 and won.

John Tucker and Dave Andreychuk each scored twice at Buffalo as the Sabres fired 54 shots at Toronto goaltender Tim Behrhardt, 23 in the first period, when they scored only twice.

The Sabres built a 9-2 lead before the Leafs scored five times in the last five minutes.

Chicago 9, Detroit 4--Troy Murray and Ed Olczyk scored two goals apiece at Detroit to lead the Black Hawks to their 10th win in the last 12 games.

Murray’s second goal was his 26th, matching the career high he set last season.

In their previous game the Black Hawks had a six-game winning streak stopped by lowly New Jersey.

The win gave Chicago sole possession of first place in the Norris Division.

Hartford 4, Vancouver 3--The Whalers blew a 3-0 lead at Vancouver but came back to win on a goal by Sylvain Turgeon midway through the final period.

It was only the Whalers’ second victory in Vancouver in the six seasons they have been in the league. The first came two months ago.