Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 23, 1994 TAG: 9401230146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Pierre Turgeon, booed by the avid pro-Rangers crowd at Madison Square Garden during pregame ceremonies, turned the jeers to cheers with four assists, including one on the game-winner with 3 minutes, 52 seconds left as the Eastern Conference rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Western Conference.
It was the first time the East led in the game, which produced a record 102 shots. The East trailed by one goal eight times and by two on three occasions.
"It was a good game, compared to last year," Turgeon said, remembering the 16-6 Wales Conference victory in 1993 that was seen as an embarrassment to both the Campbell Conference and the league. Most of the Wales teams became the East and most of the Campbell teams became the West under realignment this season.
Alexei Yashin scored the game-winner, his second goal of the game, as the East won the All-Star Game for the 13th time in the past 18 meetings.
The Rangers weren't completely overshadowed by Turgeon. Goalie Mike Richter won the Most Valuable Player award for making 19 saves during a second period in which the teams combined for a record 39 shots.
"Mike Richter played great in the second period," said Calgary's Al MacInnis, a West defenseman. "If not for him, it would have been a bigger score."
"It's overwhelming," said Richter, who was awarded a pickup truck. "You only play 20 minutes [as a goaltender]. There were a lot of great saves [by other goalies]."
Florida's Bob Kudelski also had two goals for the East. Sandis Ozolinsh of San Jose and Brendan Shanahan of St. Louis each scored twice for the West.
St. Louis goalie Curtis Joseph gave up the winning goal.
"It was pretty tough to see," he said of the shot by Toronto's Yashin. "He was wide-open. I didn't move fast enough."
The game was the third-highest scoring in NHL All-Star history, trailing only last year's game in Montreal (22 goals) and the 1990 game in Pittsburgh (19).
"There was some intensity today," MacInnis said. "Actually, a couple of body checks.
"People talk about the lack of defense [in the All-Star Game], but when guys come in on you for that long who are that fast, there's not much you can do."
Chicago's Jeremy Roenick, Detroit's Sergei Fedorov and Paul Coffey and Toronto's Dave Andreychuk had the other goals for the West.
Also scoring for the East were Eric Lindros of Philadelphia, Scott Stevens of New Jersey, Mark Messier of the Rangers, Joe Mullen of Pittsburgh and Joe Sakic of Quebec.
The 39 shots on goal in the second period and the 102 shots weren't the only records set. Los Angeles' Wayne Gretzky, with two assists for the West, tied Gordie Howe's all-time mark of 19 points in All-Star competition. Boston's Ray Bourque extended his All-Star assists record to 11 in 13 games.
Turgeon has been on a tear himself in All-Star games. His four points Saturday gave him 11 in three games.
Richter gave up two goals, but was otherwise brilliant in the second period. He made five stops on Vancouver's Pavel Bure, including two on breakaways.
The last goaltender to win the All-Star MVP award was Grant Fuhr for the Campbell Conference in 1986.
Roenick beat Montreal's Patrick Roy between the pads at 7:31 of the first period after taking a pass behind the goal line from Joe Nieuwendyk and skating in front. Kudelski scored from outside the crease at 9:46, before Fedorov connected from the left circle at 10:20. Lindros scored on a breakaway at 11:00 and Shanahan from the slot at 13:21. Yashin and Andreychuk scored on rebounds at 14:29 and 15:10, respectively.
In the second period, Stevens connected from the left circle at 10:57, Coffey from the slot at 12:36 and Ozolinsh on a rebound at 14:39. None of them got the cheers from the sellout crowd of 18,200 that Messier got, however, when he scored at 15:05 to cut the West lead to 6-5.
Ozolinsh gave the West a 7-5 lead when he scored from in front 55 seconds into the third period. Mullen cut the lead to one goal when he beat Joseph from outside the crease at 1:28. Shanahan made it 8-6 with a slap shot from the deep slot at 7:40, assisted by Gretzky.
Sakic scored from outside the crease at 10:41 to make it a one-goal game again. Kudelski tied it at 8 with a backhander at 13:59.
by CNB