Flames clinch Pacific Division with win over Anaheim

CALGARY (Reuter): Zarley Zalapski's power-play goal early in the second period broke a 2-2 tie and the Calgary Flames clinched the Pacific Division title with a 4-2 triumph over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Wednesday.

The division championship assured the Flames of home-ice advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Guy Hebert kept the Ducks in the game with 41 saves as Anaheim was outshot 45-12.

Calgary improved to 7-2-2 since acquiring Zalapski, James Patrick and Michael Nylander from Hartford on March 10.

Zalapski took a pass from rookie Vesa Viitakoski and fired a one-timer past Hebert from the top of the right faceoff circle to give the Flames a 3-2 lead with 15:18 left in the second period.

Al MacInnis scored into an empty net with 18 seconds to go to seal the victory, Calgary's fourth straight at home.

Paul Kruse and German Titov also tallied for Calgary. Garry Valk scored twice for Anaheim.

In Pittsburgh, Mario Lemieux, who was fined $500 but not suspended for leaving the penalty box in Monday's victory over Tampa Bay, scored two goals and set up another and Tom Barrasso made 15 saves as the Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 for their fourth straight win.

Kevin Stevens added his 41st goal and two assists for the Penguins, who improved to 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and stretched their home unbeaten streak to six (5-0-1).

Claude Lemieux scored the only goal for the Devils, whose three-game losing streak is their longest of the season.

Barrasso improved to 7-1-1 in his last nine starts and is 10-2-2 in his last 14 starts at home.

The Penguins can clinch the Northeast Division title Friday with a victory at New Jersey.

In Hartford, Geoff Sanderson scored his second goal of the game with 9:44 left in the third period, lifting the Whalers into a 3-3 tie with the New York Islanders.

The deadlock moved New York within one point of idle Florida for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth with four games remaining.

Andrew Cassels, who scored on a penalty shot in the second period, stripped the puck from New York defenseman Tom Kurvers to set up Sanderson.

Marty McInnis had given New York a 3-2 lead at 4:33 of the third period. Pierre Turgeon and Benoit Hogue scored in the first period for the Isles.

The Whalers' Sean Burke turned aside 40 shots.

New York is unbeaten in its last four games (3-0-1), while Hartford is winless in 11 of its last 13 (2-9-2).

In Winnipeg, Scott Pearson's goal with 21 seconds left in the third period gave the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Jets.

With the score tied 3-3, Steven Rice won a faceoff deep in the Winnipeg zone and fed the puck back to Doug Weight at the left point.

Weight's slap shot was stopped by Mike O'Neill, but Pearson tucked the rebound inside the post for his team-leading seventh game-winner.

Results Hartford 3, NY Islanders 3 (OT) Tampa Bay 3, Montrela 1 Ottawa 6, Washington 5 Pittsburgh 3, New Jersey 1 Edmonton 4, Winnipeg 3 Calgary 4, Anaheim 2