Lemieux Is Hurt, Rookie Stays Hot

Rookie Patrick Lalime stopped 49 shots to remain unbeaten in the NHL and help the Pittsburgh Penguins extend their unbeaten streak to 14 games by beating the Calgary Flames, 4-2, Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.

The Penguins won despite losing Mario Lemieux to back spasms in the first period. Lemieux was injured when he crashed into the net after he was tied up with Calgary defenseman Steve Chiasson.

Lemieux skated off with 5:41 left in the first period and did not return. He has sat out only one of Pittsburgh’s 46 games this season.

The Penguins are on a 12-0-2 roll and haven’t lost since Dec. 17.

Lalime improved to 14-0-2, extending his post-expansion NHL record for longest unbeaten streak at the start of a career.

Tampa Bay 3, Colorado 2--Bill Houlder scored with 2:58 left in overtime at Tampa, Fla., as the Lightning snapped the Avalanche’s 12-game unbeaten streak in a game featuring 16 penalties.

Colorado took a 2-0 lead into the third period, but Tampa Bay rallied to extend its home undefeated string to six games.

Philadelphia 3, Dallas 3--Benoit Hogue’s first goal in more than a month helped the Stars to a tie as the Flyers’ Paul Coffey moved into second place on the NHL’s career assists list at Philadelphia.

Hogue, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 18, also had an assist for Dallas.

Coffey assisted on Philadelphia’s first goal, moving him past Gordie Howe on the assist list with 1,050. Coffey, who trails only Wayne Gretzky, got another assist later.

Jere Lehtinen and Mike Modano had the other goals for the Stars. Dale Hawerchuk, Mikael Renberg and John LeClair scored for Philadelphia.

N.Y. Rangers 4, Edmonton 4--Mark Messier scored with 1:41 left in regulation, giving the Rangers a tie at New York.

Messier took a feed from rookie Andrei Verobiev and beat Curtis Joseph with a slap shot for his 26th goal.

Brian Leetch (two goals, two assists) and Verobiev (one goal, three assists) each had four points for the Rangers.

Andrei Kovalenko and Miroslav Satan scored power-play goals for Edmonton in the third period. Ryan Smyth scored the other two goals for the Oilers.