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Around the NHL

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 9, 2001

[AP photo] Mario Lemieux

WASHINGTON -- Mario Lemieux had to settle for best supporting role in the road debut of his comeback show. The star was Martin Straka.

In his first road game since ending his 3 1/2-year retirement, Lemieux won a face-off to set up Ian Moran's winning goal with 12:39 to play as the Pittsburgh Penguins, who trailed 3-2 entering the third period, beat the Capitals 5-3 Monday night.

Straka's fourth career hat trick showed the Penguins' second line can be potent, too. Straka became the first Pittsburgh forward not on the Lemieux-Jaromir Jagr-Jan Hrdina line to score an even-strength goal since Lemieux's return five games ago.

"The last five games, they've been scoring every goal," said Straka, whose last three-goal game was Nov.28, 1998. "We couldn't put any pucks in the net from the second or third line. Hopefully we're going to take some pressure off."

Robert Lang and Moran scored 40 seconds apart as Pittsburgh became the first team to defeat Washington when trailing after two periods.

STARS 2, RANGERS 1: Not only is Marty Turco filling in for the suspended Ed Belfour, he's playing like him. Turco, in his 11th NHL game, made 37 saves and allowed only a third-period goal for visiting Dallas. Belfour stormed out of a pregame skate Saturday morning in Boston and returned to Dallas after a dispute with coach Ken Hitchcock.

FLYERS 2, BLUES 1 (OT): Keith Primeau tipped a loose puck past Roman Turek at 3:01 of overtime for visiting Philadelphia. Dallas Drake's third-period power-play goal tied it for St. Louis.

Around the league

NEILSON RETURNS: Roger Neilson was upbeat in returning to the Senators, three days after having cancer surgery for the second time in less than a year. The 66-year-old assistant coach will accompany Ottawa on a three-game trip to Western Canada that starts Wednesday in Vancouver. Senators doctors cleared him to travel.

LINDROS TALKS: Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said his team still is talking with the Maple Leafs about trading center Eric Lindros. Clarke responded to published reports saying that talks between the teams had broken down.

ALL-STAR GAME: Joel Quenneville of the Blues and Jacques Martin of the Senators will be the coaches in the 51st game Feb.4. Martin will coach the World team and Quenneville the North American team.

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