This Time, Messier Finds Himself on the Other Side

Mark Messier is used to being booed at the Meadowlands against the New Jersey Devils. Being embarrassed is another story.

The Devils totally embarrassed Messier and his new Vancouver teammates as Patrik Elias, Denis Pederson and Petr Sykora each scored two goals to lead the suddenly potent Devils to an 8-1 victory over the slumping Canucks on Thursday night.

“We were certainly outclassed tonight,” Messier said in his first game back East after leaving the New York Rangers in the off-season to sign a three-year $20-million contract with the Canucks.

As a Ranger, Messier led his team to playoff victories three times over the Devils.

There was nothing Messier could have done this time as the Devils dominated from start to finish, outshooting the Canucks, 46-23.

Valeri Zelepukin and Bobby Holik also scored and Doug Gilmour had four assists as the Devils had their biggest goal-scoring game in five years in sending the Canucks to their fifth consecutive loss, surpassing their longest losing streak last season.

Vancouver has been outscored, 23-5, during the losing streak.

The last time New Jersey scored eight goals was Dec. 1, 1992 against Toronto.

Colorado 2, St. Louis 2--Grant Fuhr made 29 saves and also recorded an assist as the Blues extended their home unbeaten streak to eight games.

While the Blues had their seven-game winning streak stopped at home, they are 7-0-1 in the Kiel Center in their last eight. Overall, the Blues (10-2-2) have lost only once in their last 13 games and have a four-game unbeaten streak.

Jim Campbell and Geoff Courtnall scored for St. Louis. Steve Duchesne picked up his team-leading 17th point with an assist on Courtnall’s goal.

Patrick Roy made 33 saves in goal for the Avalanche.

Ottawa 5, Florida 2--Chris Phillips, the No. 1 draft choice in the 1996 entry draft, scored his first NHL goal and Daniel Alfredsson scored his seventh in seven games for the Senators at Miami.

The Eastern Conference-leading Senators improved to 8-3-3 with their second consecutive road victory.

Florida goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick’s 10-month winless streak reached 17 games as he gave up five goals on 26 shots. He is 0-2-1 this season and 0-9-8 during the streak.

New York Islanders 5, New York Rangers 3--Travis Green and Bryan Berard each scored during a five-minute power play to break a 2-2 tie and give the Islanders the victory at Uniondale. N.Y.

Sergei Nemchinov, Bryan Smolinski and Scott Lachance also scored for the Islanders, who won for the second time in two nights and ended a six-game winless streak at home against the Rangers.

The Islanders finished the month of October at .500 (5-5-2). They have never missed the playoffs when they’ve finished .500 or better in October.

Calgary 4, Phoenix 2--Rookie Tyler Moss turned in a standout performance in goal and Theo Fleury scored the tie-breaking goal at Calgary.

Moss, 22, a butterfly-style goalie similar to Colorado’s Patrick Roy, anchored the Flames with several dazzling glove saves throughout the game. In all, he stopped 28 shots.

NHL Notes

Edmonton Oiler owner Peter Pocklington has agreed to sell the team to Houston Rocket owner Leslie Alexander, the Edmonton Journal reported Thursday. Alexander has submitted an offer to purchase the Oilers and will attend a news conference Tuesday in Edmonton. The offer was also confirmed by Alberta Treasury Branches, the newspaper said.