NHL ROUNDUP : Blues and Blackhawks, Best in NHL, Tie at 6-6

The St. Louis Blues looked to be cruising Wednesday night, when they built a three-goal lead after one period against the Chicago Blackhawks.

But it took a goal by Jeff Brown with 4 minutes 43 seconds left in regulation for the Blues to salvage a 6-6 tie at Chicago in a game between the NHL’s top two teams.

The Blackhawks, who trailed, 3-0, after one period and 5-3 after two, went ahead, 6-5, with 8:06 remaining, when Adam Creighton and Wayne Presley scored seven seconds apart. Steve Larmer had cut the deficit to, 5-4, by beating Vincent Riendeau with a short wrist shot at 6:08 for his 25th goal of the season.

Brown tied it when he picked up a loose puck and beat Ed Belfour with a slap shot from the top of the left circle.

The Blackhawks, who were shut out by the Blues last Saturday, 5-0, had a power play in the overtime, but Doug Wilson’s shot from point-blank range hit the post.

The Blues trail the Blackhawks, 53-48, in the Norris Division and the overall NHL standings, but St. Louis has four games in hand.

Brett Hull, the NHL’s top goal-scorer, got his 37th in 36 games and 12th power-play goal, when he beat Belfour with a 25-foot wrist shot for a 4-1 lead. Hull has goals in five of his last six games.

Pittsburgh 7, Washington 3--Paul Coffey scored twice in 39 seconds during a five-goal first period at Landover, Md., to help extend the Capitals’ winless streak to a season-high six games.

Coffey’s 15th and 16th goals began a spree in which the Penguins scored four times in a span of 2:16. Bryan Trottier got the third goal, the 1,369th of his 16-year career, to move into a sixth-place tie with John Bucyk on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.

The Penguins, who scored on four of their first five shots against Mike Liut, improved to 7-1 in their last eight games.

Hartford 4, Quebec 1--The line of Ron Francis, Rob Brown and Pat Verbeek combined for nine points--a goal and two assists each--to lead the Whalers at Quebec.

Hartford goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz stopped 32 shots and had a shutout until Tony McKegney scored at 6:12 of the third period.

Quebec failed to score in seven power-play chances, including three in the first period.

Boston 3, Buffalo 3--Benoit Hogue scored the tying goal late in the second period and the Sabres, though outshot, 35-16, by the Bruins, hung on for the tie at Buffalo, N.Y.

Sabre goalie Clint Malarchuk preserved the tie with 7:40 remaining in regulation, when he got a toe on Dave Poulin’s breakaway shot. The shot hit both posts before the net was dislodged.

Bruin goaltender Andy Moog extended his unbeaten streak to eight games.

Winnipeg 6, Minnesota 4--Ed Olczyk had two goals and an assist at Bloomington, Minn., as the Jets ended a four-game losing streak.

Olczyk left the the game early in the third period after sustaining a bruised left shoulder on a hard hit by Minnesota’s Brian Propp.