NHL Roundup : This Time, Flyers Find They Can’t Push the New Jersey Devils Around

For years it has been the policy of the Philadelphia Flyers to start intimidating their weaker opponents shortly after the opening faceoff.

Many times it proved to be an important piece of strategy. The intimidation was especially effective in the mid-70s when the Flyers won Stanley Cups two years in succession. Of late, the tactic has not been quite as successful.

It backfired Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J., against the lowly New Jersey Devils.

The Devils had lost six in a row, so less than a minute after the first puck was dropped, tough Lindsay Carson went after the Devils’ Joe Cirella with a high stick. A fight quickly broke out between Rich Sutter of the Flyers and Paul Gagne of the Devils.

When the battle broke up, the two fighters and Carson were sent off the ice for five minutes.

Before Carson returned, Greg Adams scored two power-play goals and the Devils were on their way to a 5-2 victory. Although the Flyers got involved in two more fights, they could never overcome those early goals.

Tim Kerr, with his 48th goal of the season, cut the lead to 2-1 on the first shot of the second period, but before the middle of the period Tim Higgins restored the Devils’ two-goal lead and the Flyers lost all hope when Rick Meagher scored twice to make it 5-1.

It was the third-consecutive loss for the Flyers on this trip which began after they won eight in a row and threatened to overtake Washington in the Patrick Division.

Instead, the Flyers are four points behind the Capitals and still have games with the Islanders and Capitals before the trip ends.

The 19th victory gave the Devils two more than they won all last season and they have 46 points, five more than last season. They trail the New York Rangers, in the battle for the final-playoff spot in the Patrick Division, by five points.

New York Islanders 3, Buffalo 2--The Islanders, smarting from a tongue lashing by Coach Al Arbour after their loss to Toronto Saturday night, played one of their best games at Buffalo.

It was a big game for the Sutters. Brent scored twice to give him 40 for the season, while Duane scored the other, his 11th.

Billy Smith stopped 27 shots and was protecting a 3-1 lead until Lindy Ruff scored with less than four minutes remaining.

Vancouver 7, Hartford 6--It appeared the home-ice jinx was going to end for Hartford after 11 winless games in a row. With less than a minute remaining in regulation, the Whalers led, 6-4.

But, at 19:16, Patrik Sundstrom brought the Canucks close and with 22 seconds left, Stan Smyl tied the game. Halfway through the five-minute overtime, rookie Jean-Mark Lanthier scored his first NHL goal to end the Canucks’ three-game losing streak on the road.

Winnipeg 6, Edmonton 3--The Oilers, missing both All-Star goaltenders, Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog, are having their own home-ice slump. They lost their third in a row at Edmonton and are winless in four games.

Rookie Daryl Reaugh was treated roughly in his debut for the Oilers. He stopped 30 shots, but six got through the 6-4 youngster.

Brian Hayward had the Stanley Cup champions shut out until Wayne Gretzky scored his 63rd goal with a little more than five minutes remaining.

It was the first time since December, 1982 that the Oilers had gone winless in four consecutive games at home.

New York Rangers 7, Pittsburgh 3--Mike Rogers scored two goals and assisted on another at New York to lead the Rangers to a split of the two weekend games with the Rangers. The win increased the Rangers’ lead in the battle for a playoff spot to four points over the Penguins.

Rogers got the Rangers off to a lead before the game was two minutes old and scored his 24th of the season early in the final period.

Chicago 5, St. Louis 2--Steve Larmer broke a 2-2 tie late in the second period at Chicago with his 37th goal of the season and the Black Hawks went on to win handily. The win cut the Blues’ lead over the Black Hawks to four points in the Norris Division.

The Hawks are 9-2-2 since Bob Pulford took over as coach.