Rangers Beat Islanders; 6 Players Ejected

The New York Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 9-3, Sunday at Madison Square Garden in a game that was marred by a fight involving all 12 players on the ice. Six, including both goalies, were assessed game misconducts and could not play in the third period.

With 35 seconds remaining in the second period, the Islanders’ Bryan Trottier grabbed the Rangers’ Steve Patrick in a headlock as he checked Patrick into the end boards. Play was whistled dead and several fights broke out. The main event was between Clark Gillies of the Islanders and Steve Richmond of the Rangers.

As players crowded in front of the Rangers’ net, Gillies belted Thomas Sandstrom and Richmond came to Sandstrom’s rescue. While Gillies and Richmond were fighting, Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck hit Duane Sutter with a blindside punch.

At that point, Islander goalie Keely Hrudey, who had been standing alone at mid-ice, skated down and punched Vanbiesbrouck.

When order was restored, the teams were sent to their dressing room to cool off and the final 35 seconds of the period were carried over to the beginning of the third period.

Referee Andy Van Hellemond assessed 113 minutes in penalties for the brawl, including game misconducts to Hrudey, Vanbiesbrouck, Gillies, Sutter, Ranger defenseman James Patrick and Richmond.

That Hrudey was ejected was a blessing. The Rangers had scored seven goals against him to take a 7-2 lead.

The Rangers have scored 16 goals in their last two games. They beat Edmonton, 8-7, Friday night.

“This is our best positive note in a long time,” said Grant Ledyard, who combined with fellow rookie George McPhee for two goals within a 39-second span of the second period. “The last thing we want to do is let it go to our heads and start thinking we can score like this all the time, or have people start yelling about the Stanley Cup.”

The Rangers looked like anything but a Stanley Cup contender while going 0-6-1 on a recent road trip, scoring only 18 goals in that span. But now that they’ve returned home, their offense has awakened. Ron Greschner had two goals and an assist to lead the attack Sunday night.

Chicago 4, Detroit 4--Denis Savard’s second goal of the game early in the final period gave the Hawks a tie at Chicago.

The tie enabled the Hawks to move within eight points of idle St. Louis in the Norris Division.

Detroit’s Ron Duguay led the Red Wings with three goals for his seventh career hat trick.

Savard tied the game after taking a 60-foot pass from Steve Larmer and beating Detroit goalie Greg Stefan with a 15-foot wrist shot.

Just 1:22 into the final period, Duguay uncorked a 35-foot slapshot for his third goal of the game and 25th of the season to give Detroit a 4-3 lead.

Toronto 5, Hartford 4--Dan Daoust converted his own rebound at 1:30 of overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a victory at Hartford.

Daoust also had a goal in the second period, and Peter Ihnacak scored his 21st and 22nd goals and also had an assist in the comeback victory.

Miroslav Frycer scored at 4:18 of the third period with an assist from Ihnacak to give the Leafs a 4-3 lead. But Hartford center Greg Malone, who had two goals and an assist, poked in a lose puck at 5:33 to send the game into overtime.

The Whalers are 2-13-3 in their last 18 games.

Winnipeg 2, New Jersey 2--Brian Mullen’s 26th goal of the season 65 seconds into the third period Sunday gave the Jets the overtime tie at New Jersey.

Quebec 4, Minnesota 3--Alain Lemieux scored with 1:33 remaining in the third period to give the Nordiques a win at Bloomington, Minn. Lemieux’s goal, his sixth of the season, came just after Quebec goaltender Richard Sevigny had stopped the North Stars on a 2-on-1 breakaway.