Mario Lemieux Hits 600th Goal; Mullen E 500

Around the NHL

Mario Lemieux waited until the final minute to become the seventh member of the NHL’s 600-goal club, scoring an empty-net goal with 56 seconds left as the Pittsburgh Penguins held off visiting Vancouver 6-4 Tuesday night.

The fans chanted, “Mar-i-o, Mar-i-o, Mar-i-o” and threw hundreds of hats into the rink - normally a display reserved for a hat trick.

Lemieux accomplished the feat in his 719th game, only one fewer game than it took Wayne Gretzky to do it.

Joe Mullen also moved closer to a historic goal, scoring his 498th career goal as Pittsburgh improved to 17-5-3 at home. Mullen needs two more to become the first U.S.-born player to score 500 goals.

The team that gave Scotty Bowman his first NHL victory almost 30 years ago denied him No. 1,000. Bowman remained at 999 wins as St. Louis rookie Jim Campbell scored in the third period to forge a 1-1 tie between the Blues and Bowman’s Detroit Red Wings.

Bondra fined

The NHL ruled that Washington Capitals right wing Peter Bondra will not face further suspension for kneeing Florida’s Ray Sheppard.

However, Bondra must pay a $1,000 fine and was given a one-game suspension, which he served Sunday.

Forward Todd Harvey of the Dallas Stars has been suspended for two games without pay and fined $1,000 for a flagrant elbow against Buffalo forward Matthew Barnaby Jan. 31. He has served one game.