NHL Roundup : Bruins Beat Canucks at Home, 4-2

Boston continued its home dominance over Vancouver, with Andy Brickley scoring 2 third period goals, as the Bruins defeated the Canucks, 4-2, Sunday night. The Bruins are 12-0-1 against the Canucks at home since December 13, 1980.

The Bruins had to rally from a 2-2 tie, with Brickley, set up by Bob Sweeney, scoring the tie-breaking goal on a breakaway and then adding an empty-net goal.

Brickley’s first goal came less than 3 minutes after the Canucks scored on a goal by Jim Sandlak 11 seconds into the final period.

Boston defenseman Ray Bourque and goalie Andy Moog went behind the goal for a loose puck and accidentally pushed it to Sandlak, who swung around and put the puck into the unguarded net for his fifth goal of the season.

But just over 3 minutes into the period, Sweeney skated down the right lane and passed to Brickley at the blue line. Brickley went in alone and pushed the puck as he was tripped past goalie Kirk McLean for his fifth goal of the season.

Sweeney, who sat out the last two games in the first benching of his 2-year career, returned with a goal and two assists.

Said Boston Coach Terry O’Reilly: “Sweeney got back in the flow of things and was a real force out there. That’s the way he can be. He’s got the skills to be that kind of a player. He was on (the ice) for all four of our goals.”

The Canucks outshot Boston 25-23, but were frustrated by Moog, who preserved the victory midway through the final period by robbing Brian Bradley on a breakaway, taking his close-in shot in his pads.

Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 4--Tim Kerr scored two power-play goals as the Flyers continued their uncanny home-ice domination over the Penguins.

The Flyers, who haven’t lost to the Penguins at the Spectrum since Jan. 20, 1974, extended their home-ice unbeaten streak over Pittsburgh to 41 games--38 victories and 3 ties.

Kerr’s second goal came as the Flyers scored three times in a little more than 5 minutes in the second period.

The Penguins played their second straight game without Mario Lemieux, the NHL’s leading scorer, who is suffering from a strained right forearm sustained in a Nov. 3 game against Quebec.

Detroit 5, Edmonton 2--Gerard Gallant scored 2 goals late in the third period to lift the Red Wings over the Oilers at Detroit.

The Red Wings scored three goals in 3:47 to break open a tight-checking 2-2 tie.

Gallant’s fourth goal of the season came with 7:02 left to give Detroit a 3-2 lead. After Tim Higgins scored about 3 minutes later, Gallant added another goal with 2:14 left.

The Oilers had tied the game at 2-2 at 5:29 of the third on defenseman Kevin Lowe’s second goal of the season.

Shawn Burr’s short-handed goal gave Detroit a 2-1 lead at the end of the second period. Burr stole the puck from Edmonton’s Jari Kurri at center ice and fired a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle that beat Grant Fuhr on the glove side.

Fuhr accepted responsibility for the loss.

“Tonight we played not bad and we should have got at least a tie out of it,” Fuhr said. “I made a couple miscues and they got two points for it.”

Gallant’s first goal beat Fuhr between the legs from about 25 feet out. His second came on a shot from the point that went in off an Edmonton player.

Detroit goaltender Greg Stefan turned aside 20 shots, while Fuhr stopped 25 shots.

New Jersey 6, New York Rangers 5--Mark Johnson scored the final 2 goals to lead the Devils to a 6-5 victory the Rangers at East Rutherford, N.J.

The win extended New Jersey’s unbeaten streak to 2-0-1 and improved their overall season recorded to 6-6-2.

The Rangers, who were already playing without defenseman David Shaw because of suspension and Ron Greschner and Normand Rochefort because of injuries, lost defenseman Norman Maciver with a hip-pointer in the second period.