Rarity By Rookie Lifts Montreal -- Ronan's Ot Goal Sinks His Hometown Bruins

MONTREAL - Rookie Ed Ronan couldn't have been happier, and who could blame him?

Ronan scored 14 seconds into overtime, beating Boston goaltender John Blue to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Bruins last night.

"It feels good," said Ronan, a native of Quincy, Mass. "I'm sure they had it on the TV back home."

On the decisive play Ronan took a pass from Donald Dufresne, drove to the net and put the puck behind Blue, only his fourth goal in 37 games.

Adam Oates forced overtime with his 30th goal of the season. He beat Patrick Roy on a rebound with 42 seconds remaining in the third period after Blue had been pulled for an extra skater. Oates tapped a rebound into an open net.

Vincent Damphousse and Brian Bellows also scored for the Canadiens, who lead the Adams Division. Glen Featherstone had the other goal for third-place Boston.

Notes

-- Rangers Coach Ron Smith sent rookie goalie Corey Hirsch, 1-0-1 in his first two NHL games, back to Binghamton of the AHL. With Mike Richter back from a stellar five-game trip to Binghamton and John Vanbiesbrouck sitting while Hirsch played the past two games, Smith had little choice but to return Hirsch to the minors. It appears, however, that Hirsch made enough of an impression that the Rangers would feel comfortable dealing one of the veteran goalies before they lose one for nothing in the June expansion draft.

-- Mike Vernon became one of the NHL's highest-paid goaltenders yesterday when he signed a three-year contract with Calgary. The deal, worth $3.2 million over two years, plus an option, makes Vernon the highest-paid player on the team. "I told (GM) Doug Risebrough the bottom line wasn't money or the contract. It was, did he want Mike Vernon as goaltender?" said Vernon, who has a 3.09 goals-against average. "Now the Calgary Flames have shown they want me here as a goaltender and it's a relief. That's the plus in all of this."

-- Detroit Coach Bryan Murray has been suspended for 10 games for violating an NHL rule that may not be in effect next season. He was disciplined under the regulation that suspends coaches five games for players who leave a penalty box to join a fight. That's what Red Wings forward Jim Cummins did Saturday against St. Louis. Murray received a 10-game suspension, which will start today against Calgary, because he is considered a repeat offender. "I can run a practice but that's about it," Murray said.