NHL Roundup : Trottier Hits the 1,000 Mark in 4-4 Tie

Bryan Trottier scored two goals to reach the 1,000-point mark Tuesday night at Uniondale, N.Y., but the struggling New York Islanders had to battle from behind just to get a 4-4 tie with the Minnesota North Stars.

The Islanders, who were hoping to bounce back strongly after the Edmonton Oilers ruined their bid for a fifth consecutive Stanley Cup, are 14 points behind Washington in the Patrick Division. They are winless in their last three games and do not resemble the team that dominated for so many seasons.

The Islanders still have some outstanding players. The line of Mike Bossy, Brent Sutter and John Tonelli will start in the All-Star game. And Trottier, after overcoming injuries, has been playing well. But the Islanders have shown no consistency this season. Their confidence is at the lowest point in several seasons.

Admittedly, injuries have taken a toll. Coach Al Arbour is hoping that when defensemen Ken Morrow, Tomas Jonsson and Stefan Persson and forwards Bossy, Clark Gillies, Pat LaFontaine, Bob Nystrom and Bob Bourne return to complete fitness, the Islanders will make a move.

But it didn’t help when fiery goaltender Billy Smith was set down for six games for using his stick on Chicago’s Curt Fraser. In the past, Smith has often given the Islanders a lift when needed most.

In a start that is becoming almost typical, the Islanders, largely because the defensemen were being caught up ice, fell behind, 4-0, in 27 1/2 minutes. Rookie goalie Kelly Hrudey kept trying to stop two-on-one and three-on-one breaks.

It was Trottier, the 10-year veteran, who started the comeback. He scored his 21st goal and the first for the Islanders off former teammate Roland Melanson at 9:25 of the second period. A few minutes later he scored again.

Duane Sutter made it a one-goal deficit in the opening minutes of the final period, and Tonelli tied the game after getting the rebound of a miss by Bossy. In the final 8 1/2 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, nobody could break the deadlock.

The players are hoping a late-season spurt will wipe out the disappointing performances this season.

“Can we make the kind of effort necessary?” the veteran Gillies said. “I certainly hope so. I like to think so. If we can just get everyone going at the same time, maybe we can. I’m not convinced we’re finished.”

Edmonton 4, Calgary 2--Jari Kurri had a hat trick at Calgary and Grant Fuhr was superb in the net to enable the Oilers to build their lead in the Smythe Division to 21 points.

Kurri has 49 goals. Only linemate Wayne Gretzky, who assisted on two of Kurri’s goals, has more, with 52.

Fuhr faced 35 shots, holding the Flames scoreless for 47 minutes.

Detroit 4, Washington 3--Danny Gare scored his 14th goal of the season with 1:55 left at Detroit and the Red Wings halted the Capitals’ seven-game winning streak.

Bobby Carpenter scored his 39th goal to get the Capitals even at 3-3 with 6:13 left. With an overtime game looming, Gare beat rookie goalie Bob Mason with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle.

St. Louis 6, Winnipeg 6--Another Sutter, Brian, had a good night. In this game at St. Louis, the Blues’ captain scored two goals and assisted on two others.

Sutter led the Blues back from a 4-0 deficit. In the last 39 minutes the Blues outscored the Jets, 6-2.