Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!looking!clarinews From: clarinews@clarinet.com (JOHN SWENSON, UPI Sports Writer) Newsgroups: clari.sports.hockey,clari.sports.top Subject: NHL Roundup Keywords: hockey, men's professional Message-ID: <2Rhkn-nhlrup_a8@clarinet.com> Date: 1 Feb 90 08:21:56 GMT Lines: 78 Approved: clarinews@clarinet.com ACategory: sports Slugword: hkn-nhlrup Priority: major Format: summary X-Supersedes: <1Rhkn-nhlrup_a8@clarinet.com> ANPA: Wc: 832; Id: s0463; Sel: ns--s; Adate: 2-1-320aes; Ver: sked Codes: yshpmxx. ``We needed our leader to take charge and Steve Yzerman took charge tonight,'' Detroit Red Wings Coach Jacques Demers said after Yzerman's four goals Wednesday led Detroit to a come-from-behind 7-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Yzerman admitted there isn't much time for the Red Wings, who are nine points behind fourth-place Minnesota in the Norris Division, to earn a playoff berth. ``We have to get going now,'' he said. ``There's only 60 days left and you're done. It's kind of a miserable position to be in.'' Yzerman said he was encouraged at the way the Red Wings overcame a 4-2 deficit with 5:13 remaining in the second period. ``I don't think one game can turn it around, but our whole team played with more excitement tonight,'' said Yzerman, who boosted his goal production to 39 with the first four-goal game of his career. ``I thought we played with a sense of urgency,'' Yzerman added. Craig Simpson scored twice for the Oilers, who entered the game with a 22-0-1 record when leading after two periods. The victory was the second straight for Detroit, while Edmonton lost for the first time in four games. ``Anytime you lead going into the third period you should protect it,'' said Edmonton's Adam Graves. ``We got caught in a lot of 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 situations and they took advantage,'' Simpson offered. Joe Kocur triggered Detroit's third period outburst when he deflected Lee Norwood's shot from the point during a power play at 6:05 to tie the score at 4-4. The Red Wings took the lead 45 seconds later on Bernie Federko's deflection of John Chabot's shot from the top of the faceoff circle. Yzerman gave the Red Wings a 6-4 lead at 10:29 when he beat goalie Bill Ranford on the short side with a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle while Detroit had a two-man advantage. Edmonton had a two-man advantage when Yzerman and Rick Zombo drew penalties with 6:30 left in the game, but the Red Wings killed off the penalties, allowing only two shots on goal. ``That was so important,'' Demers said. ``When you kill off a 5-on-3, you're going to win 75 percent of the time.'' Edmonton cut Detroit's lead back to one goal at 16:18 on defenseman Steve Smith's shot from just inside the blue line after a faceoff in the Detroit end, but Yzerman sealed the victory with his empty net goal with 50 seconds remaining. Yzerman's second goal of the game, a wrist shot from between the faceoff circles with 1:10 left in the second period, cut Edmonton's lead to 4-3. Simpson tied the score at 2-2 at 1:41 of the second period when he took a centering pass from Randy Gregg and beat goalie Glen Hanlon. Craig MacTavish scored on a rebound at 6:02 after linemates Adam Graves and Joe Murphy had applied pressure on the Detroit net. The Oilers took a 4-2 lead at 14:47 on Vladimir Ruzicka's fourth goal in six games. Ruzicka broke in alone on Hanlon, pulled the goalie and lifted a backhand shot into the far corner. Yzerman gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 2:31 of the first period when he knocked his own rebound out of the air and into the net. Simpson converted a pass from Petr Klima on a 3-on-2 break at 4:48 to tie the score at 1-1, but Gerard Gallant put the Red Wings back in front at 5:28. Yzerman maintained control of the puck in the slot area, then threaded a pass to Gallant at the edge of the crease. Elsewhere in the NHL, St. Louis and the NY Rangers skated to a 2-2, tie, Washington nipped Minnesota 4-3, Toronto knotted Winnipeg, 5-5, and Buffalo beat Quebec 6-3. _R_a_n_g_e_r_s_ _2_,_ _B_l_u_e_s_ _2_,_ _t_i_e At New York, Dave Lowry scored a short-handed goal to lift the St. Louis Blues into the tie, and Blues' rookie goalkeeper Curtis Joseph, subbing for injured Vincent Riendieu midway through the first period, combined with Riendieu to stop 31 shots. _W_a_s_h_i_n_g_t_o_n_ _4_,_ _M_i_n_n_e_s_o_t_a_ _3 At Bloomington, Minn., John Tucker's goal 35 seconds into overtime gave the Washington Capitals the victory. Tucker knocked in a rebound by Geoff Courtnall as the Capitals came from behind to win their 13th game on the road this season. The Capitals are 13-15-2 on the road but only 10-11-2 at home. _M_a_p_l_e_ _L_e_a_f_s_ _5_,_ _J_e_t_s_ _5 At Winnipeg, Manitoba , Daniel Marois assisted on three goals, including the final two of the game by Tom Kurvers and Vincent Damphouse, to pull Toronto into the tie. _S_a_b_r_e_s_ _6_,_ _N_o_r_d_i_q_u_e_s_ _3 At Buffalo, N.Y., Doug Bodger scored a goal and added two assists to lead the Sabres in a sweep of the teams' home-and-home series.