European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Brett Hull of St. Louis slaps the puck past diving North stars goalie Jon Cosey for his 70th goal of the season on  s 70th goal lifts blues As season ends by the associated press St. Louis a Brett Hull racked up his third straight 70-goal season As the St. Louis blues closed the regular season with a 5-3 Victory Over the Minnesota North stars on thursday night. Hull is the second player in nil history to score 70 or More goals in three consecutive seasons joining Wayne Gretzky who did it from 1981-82 through 1984-85. Hulls total is the lowest of the three seasons following 86 goals last season and 72 in 198990, but he missed seven games in March with Back spasms. He a Ted the league All three seasons. Mario Lemieux with two is the Only other player with More than one 70-plus season. Hull got his Milestone goal at 11 37 of the first period knocking a rebound of a miss by Brendan Shanahan past goalie Jon Casey from close Range. Ron Wilson also assisted on the play kicking the puck free near the net. Blue goaltender Curtis Joseph also had a big night making 31 saves and stopping a penalty shot by Todd Erik at 14 14 of the first period. Referee Dan Marouelli awarded Elik the shot because Joseph threw his stick but Joseph who a stopped both penalty shots he a faced this season made a pad save on Elik s Low wrist shot. Minnesota has made Only three of 21inside sports rangers favored in playoffs a Page 22 penalty shots in franchise history and was 0 for 3 this season. The last North Star to connect was to Berglund on oct. 10, 1985, against Detroit. Ron Sutter added two third period goals for the blues who geared up for the playoffs by going 2-0-1 after the players strike ended including a 1-1 tie at Minnesota on sunday. They swept their four Home games against Minnesota. The North stars who made the Stanley cup finals last season after a Strong finish ended the regular season 1-7-1. Hulls goal was the Only scoring in the first period but the blues quickly made it 2-0 in the second on French olympian Philippe Bozonas first career goal at 3 16. Seconds after Joseph stopped Mike Craig on a break in Bozon scored from a Sharp Angle Over a sprawled Casey who came far out of the net. Dave Christian put St. Louis ahead 3-0 with his 20th goal at 11 21, scoring from the right Circle. In other games thursday rangers 7, penguins 1 new York the new York rangers finished off their Best season in 20 years by reaching the 50-win Mark for the first time in the franchises 65-year history with a demolition of Pittsburgh. John Van Biesbrouck the no la a hottest goaltender ran his personal unbeaten Streak to 8-0-1 Ana several of his teammates also reached individual milestones As new York finished 50-25-5 for 105 Points its third highest total  4, canucks 4 Vancouver British Columbia Pavel Bure put on another spectacular display for Vancouver in the regular sea son finale but Unsung defens Eman Adrien Plavsic provided the goal that gave the Vancouver a tie with Calgary jets 5, Sharks 3 Daly City Calif. A san Jose s first nil season ended with a seventh straight loss As Winnipeg got the Victory with two goals from Troy Murray. The stars and stripes Orts april 18,1992 Page 28 Duke in a ear it says Raleigh . A Duke officials seem confident the school will emerge unscathed from allegations about Christian laettner a agreement to write an article for go Magazine. A i done to know what else could have been done. In a convinced there was not a violation a Chris Kennedy in charge of Duke s Mcaa compliance told the Charlotte observer. Kennedy was referring to acknowledgement by Mcaa officials that they Virginia loan scandal hits Schultz see Page 27 were contacted about the agreement before the season began. Kennedy said the Mcaa has asked him to file a report. Rick Evrard the no aah a director of legislative services said David Thompson the Atlantic coast conferences assistant commissioner contacted the Mcaa s legislative services department. A one of our legislative assistants talked with David Thompson. I done to know what information was discussed Between the two parties other than that the subject was discussed a Evrard told the news amp observer of Raleigh. The Winston Salem journal reported thursday that go managing editor David Granger and former manager editor Eliot Kaplan said laettner signed a contract with the Magazine before his senior season agreeing to payment if the Story were published. Laettner Dukes leading scorer denied signing a contract. Granger checked go a a files thursday and agreed there was no written contract. But he said go had a a firm verbal agreement with laettner and had settled on a fee to be paid when the Story was published. Kennedy contacted Thompson and the Mcaa for a ruling the University a statement said. Thompson confirmed that the acc was aware of laettner a agreement. Clippers win gain playoffs a Page 25 jays rally to beat Yankees a Page 26 braves Bielecki top dodgers a Page 26 Agassi impressive on Clay a Page 27 love scrambles into Lead with 67 Hilton head Island . Apr Davis love i was up Down and All around the Harbour town Golf links on thursday but when the first round of the heritage classic was done love was up front with a 4-under-Par 67 that included two eagles three birdies and three bogeys. A a it a hard to describe my round without using four letter words Quot said love trying to become Only the second player to win the heritage two straight years. A it was up and Down. 1 guess that would be Asee Page 27 for More Golf Nice Way to put it. A i hit some of the worst shots in be hit All year and i still shot 4-under," love said. A when i Start hitting Good maybe ill shoot a real Low  still it was Good enough to give love a 1-shot Lead Over four golfers. Tied at 68 Are Lanny Wadkins Brad Faxon de Humenik and 43-year-old Bruce Fleisher whose 31 on the front nine was one stroke off the course record. All four a like love a teed off Early when the wind was weaker and the greens softer. The sea Breeze kicked up in the afternoon drying out the greens and making them harder. Twenty seven of the 120 players bettered Par with 21 playing in the morning. Thirteen players Are at 69, with another nine at 70, including a pair of two time champions a Hubert Green and Payne Stewart