Red Wings Celebrate With a Win

First they raised the banner, then the Detroit Red Wings raised some more hopes in their home opener Wednesday night.

Mathieu Dandenault, Viacheslav Fetisov and Vyacheslav Kozlov scored for the Red Wings, who celebrated last spring’s Stanley Cup championship with a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars.

It was the third straight win for the Red Wings, who opened the season with two games on the road. They have outscored their opponents, 14-4.

“There’s a team that’s not cocky,” Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “After the Cup win, they’re a team that plays with confidence. That’s different.”

Chris Osgood, the Red Wings’ No. 1 goaltender since playoff star Mike Vernon was traded to San Jose, came up with several clutch saves. Osgood made an especially good stick save to deny Darryl Sydor from between the circles during a second-period power play.

Washington 6, New York Islanders 3--Adam Oates reached the 1,000-point mark with three goals, the seventh hat trick of his career, and two assists at Uniondale, N.Y., to help the Capitals equal the fastest start in franchise history, matching the club’s 4-0 beginning for the 1991-92 season.

The Capitals are coached by Ron Wilson, who was fired by the Mighty Ducks.

Oates became the 47th player in NHL history to record 1,000 points when he opened the scoring 5:23 into the game by putting a 40-foot slap shot from the left side cleanly between Islander goalie Tommy Salo’s pads.

That was the first time the Capitals had ever scored on Salo. The other three times he faced Washington, all last season, Salo recorded shutouts.

Boston 3, Phoenix 2--Ted Donato scored 2:09 into overtime to give the Bruins a victory at Phoenix.

Donato took a centering pass from Jason Allison and flipped a wrist shot to the top corner as Boston, bolstered by the return of rookie Joe Thornton, beat the transplanted Winnipeg Jets for the first time since Dec. 31, 1995.

Thornton, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer’s draft, had been sidelined since suffering a chipped bone in his left forearm when slashed by Pittsburgh’s Stu Barnes in a Sept. 23 preseason game.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 0--Andy Moog became the first opposing goalie to get a shutout at Pittsburgh in more than five years, stopping 26 shots to blank the Penguins.

Pittsburgh had not been shut out at home since Jan. 28, 1992, when Bob Essensa made 38 saves in a 4-0 win for the then-Winnipeg Jets.

New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 1--Randy McKay scored his third goal in as many games at East Rutherford, N.J., where the Flyers’ Eric Lindros made his second questionable hit this season.

Lindros, whose hit along the boards gave Florida’s Rob Niedermayer a serious concussion in the season opener, ran Martin Brodeur early in the third period, knocking the Devils’ goaltender off his feet and sending his helmet flying.

Brodeur was lucky only to be knocked a little woozy. Niedermayer is expected to miss a month of action.

Lindros got into another scrap later in the period, squaring off with Devil captain Scott Stevens. Both were given four-minute penalties.

Edmonton 3, New York Rangers 3--The Rangers had a chance to win at Edmonton with a two-man power play for a minute late in the third period, but the Oilers killed the penalties.

Edmonton’s Jason Arnott had the best chance in overtime, but he bounced a terrific feed from Todd Marchant off the goal post.