Rangers Meet Messier Tonight
Around the NHL
The Vancouver Canucks will host the New York Rangers tonight, marking the first meeting between Mark Messier and his former team since he left New York in July.
Rangers center Wayne Gretzky, who last October said the chance to be reunited with his former Edmonton Oilers’ teammate was part of his reason for coming to New York as a free agent, now says his team has to forget about their former captain.
“Things change. Life goes forward and people move on,” Gretzky said.
“We have to play hard without Mark and that’s the bottom line.
Nobody’s going to have pity for this team if we don’t win.”
And they haven’t.
The Rangers’ 0-0-4 start marks the first time in NHL history a team has begun the season with four ties. However, New York has a long way to go before breaking their own record for the longest winless streak to start the season. The 1943-44 Rangers started 0-14-1.
Gretzky, who has managed only two assists in four games, has twice as many penalty minutes as points this season.
Wednesday marked the first time he has had two penalties in a single period since January 1985.
On the ice
Ed Belfour needed only 14 saves in his first game against his former team as the host Dallas Stars routed the pointless Chicago Blackhawks 7-0 Friday night.
Chicago (0-4-0) is off to its worst start since the 1969-70 season.
Mike Modano had his fourth career hat trick, and added an assist for his 600th NHL point.
Belfour, the Blackhawks’ goaltender from 1989 until last season, was seldom tested in his 32nd career shutout and first with the Stars.
Chris Osgood stopped 29 shots for his 15th career shutout and the Detroit Red Wings remained the NHL’s only perfect team with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Red Wings began 4-0 for the first time since the 1972-73 team won its first six. Osgood has allowed four goals in the Red Wings’ four wins.
Steve Leach scored on a rebound with 10:40 left, and Carolina defeated the visiting New Jersey Devils 2-1 in front of just 6,352 fans.
The Devils remained No. 1 in the NHL in penalty killing as teams have now gone 0 for 14 against them.
Hull of a start
Though Mike Keenan is long gone from the St.
Louis Blues, that silly grin still hasn’t left Brett Hull’s face.
Hull is off to his fastest start in several seasons with five goals in four games, including his 28th career hat trick Thursday.
“For 2-1/2 years it was so miserable to be around here you lose your confidence,” Hull said.
“It’s like I said before the season, it’s time to put it into shooting mode again.”