Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup : Canadiens Battle Back With a Win at Quebec

In hockey, the home team has a decided edge. Familiarity with the ice and the way the puck comes off the boards appear to be the major reasons.

However, in the Battle of Quebec, there doesn’t seem to be a home-ice advantage.

After the Quebec Nordiques stunned the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens in the first two games of their best-of-seven series at Montreal, the Canadiens battled back into the series Friday night at Quebec.

With Sergio Momesso scoring just 14 seconds into the game and Mike Lalor getting two goals, the Canadiens trounced the Nordiques, 7-2.

Momesso, a second-year left wing, sat out the first two games, but Coach Jean Perron put him in for the opening faceoff. The fans had not even settled down when Momesso beat goalie Mario Gosselin with a 10-foot wrist shot for his first playoff goal. Six minutes later, Bob Gainey scored on a pass from Guy Carbonneau, and the Nordiques never caught up.

“We had to forget about making fancy plays,” Perron said, “and come out hitting and driving for the net. We worked for two hours yesterday and we were ready to go to work tonight.

“After going 14 games without a loss and winning the first round so easily, we relaxed and thought we were pretty good. Then, we went up against the Nordiques, and they were flying. Those losses were like a cold shower. We had to stop the machine.”

Perron also wanted the Canadiens to play a more physical game. That is the main reason he started Momesso, who is 6-3 and weighs 210.

Philadelphia 4, New York Islanders 1--The home club hasn’t fared well in this series either. When brilliant defenseman Mark Howe scored a goal and set up two others at Uniondale, N.Y., it was the second win in three games for the visiting team.

Because the Flyers won one of the first two at home, they hold a 2-1 lead in the series.

The Flyers, tough-luck losers in the second game Wednesday night, came out flying in this one.

From start to finish in the first period, they dominated completely, outshooting the Islanders, 15-8. But, once again, the Islanders’ goaltender, Kelly Hrudey, frustrated them most of the time.

The one goal the Flyers scored in the period was a fluke. Howe’s shot from the point hit defenseman Denis Potvin’s stick, bounced off teammate Al Hill and went into the net.

Potvin’s mistake made it 2-0 halfway through the second period. He overskated the rebound of a shot by Tim Tookey, leaving Brian Propp open for a scoop shot into the net.

Once again the Islanders were without their key offensive player, Mike Bossy. The high-scoring wing hasn’t played since the first game against Washington, when he reinjured his groin.

Bossy may return for the fourth game Sunday night.