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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- With 26 goals flying into the nets, the only
surprise surrounding the highest-scoring NHL All-Star Game ever was
that Mario Lemieux only had one.
Lemieux also had an assist and the U.S. trio of Bill Guerin,
Tony Amonte and Doug Weight combined for six goals and seven
assists in North America's 14-12 victory Sunday over the World
team.
|  | | Sergei Fedorov's shot gets past North America goalie Martin Brodeur, who earned the win despite allowing five goals on 23 shots. |
Guerin had three goals and two assists to win the MVP award, and
the car that comes with it, playing on the line that could be
reunited next year in the Salt Lake City Olympics.
"Being American, we're very proud about it," Weight said. "We
had some pride issues coming into today and we talked about one of
us winning the car kind of joking last night, but it happened."
Five sets of goals came less than a minute apart. Amonte and
Guerin had two goals each in the spurts and Weight had three
assists.
"We wanted to play well and show some people we can play and
have some talent," Weight said.
Alexei Kovalev's goal got the World to 12-11 with 5:32 left and
snapped the combined record of 22 goals in 1993. The game was the
third penalty-free All-Star Game. Last year's 9-4 contest won by
the World team had one.
Lemieux returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team he owns,
in late December after a 3½-year retirement. The 35-year-old
center, a three-time All-Star MVP, gave North America a 5-4 lead in
the second period with his 12th career All-Star goal and earned an
assist in the third period on a goal by Simon Gagne.
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Tracking with Trakus
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Skater
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Speed
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Distance
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Ray Bourque
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22.9 mph
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2.5 miles
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Theo Fleury
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21.1
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2.8
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Pavel Bure
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19.6
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2.6
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Nicklas Lidstrom
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19.1
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2.7
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Source: Trakus, Inc.
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Trakus, Inc., in conjunction with the NHL, has developed technology which measures a player's speed, distance skated, impact of checks and other similar statistics.
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Lemieux, who had a game-high nine shots, has played in only 16
games this season, tallying 16 goals and 16 assists. His goal came
on a classic breakaway against Roman Cechmanek.
"It was great to have the opportunity to have a breakaway in
the All-Star Game," said Lemieux, one of 18 goal scorers. "To get
that feeling again is probably the reason why I came back and
wanted to be a part of it again."
He trails Wayne Gretzky by one goal and three points for first
in All-Star history.
Guerin -- a first-time All-Star at age 30 -- had the 12th All-Star
hat trick and the fifth in five years. Guerin also had two assists
-- leaving him one point shy of Lemieux's record-setting effort in
1988.
"It was awesome to have him around, his presence was definitely
felt," Guerin said of Lemieux. "Just to be involved in something
with him like this was a thrill for everybody."
Theo Fleury had two goals to give him six in seven career games.
Luc Robitaille had two goals for North America and Sergei Fedorov
had two for the World.
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No hits in an All-Star Game? World goalie Roman Cechmanek delivers one to Paul Kariya in the second period on Sunday. |
"It was nice to score those goals," said Detroit's Fedorov,
who was booed by the Avalanche crowd. "Overall, if we had played a
little bit stronger defensively, we could have won the game."
North America leads the All-Star series against the World 3-1 in
the format adopted in 1998 before the Nagano Olympics -- the first
featuring NHL players.
Dominik Hasek, the World's starting goalie, has been on the
losing side each time he's played. He missed last year's game
because of injury and was a bit of a surprise to be an All-Star
this year as he planned to retire after last season.
Amonte had two goals and two assists, and Weight, Guerin's
linemate with the Edmonton Oilers until a November trade sent
Guerin to Boston, chipped in a goal and three assists.
"It was great," Guerin said of being with Weight. "Dougie and
I are best of friends and I really enjoyed playing together."
Each country taking part in next year's Salt Lake City Olympics
must name at least eight players to the team by next month.
"If they want me, I want to be picked," Weight said. "Until
then, I'm just working hard to try to impress those coaches and try
to contribute first and foremost to the Oilers.
"I think we made a good case tonight, but this is definitely
not a hockey game that's going to appear in the Olympics."
The action got so fast-paced without stoppages that when Gagne
scored his second goal to make it 13-11, ABC-TV was in a
commercial.
"When I scored, I was trying to enjoy the moment but it was
tough because there was so much going on," Gagne said.
Sweden also got a good look at who might represent it next year
as Colorado's Peter Forsberg had a goal and two assists; Mats
Sundin had two goals and two assists; Fredrik Modin, another
first-timer, had four assists; and Markus Naslund added a goal and
assist.
"I've seen it now for six years, it's the same thing every
time," Sundin said. "There's no defense, and guys are going all
offense. I feel sorry for the goalies and some of the defensemen."
Forsberg, who scored on Colorado teammate Patrick Roy, was one
of five players from the host Avalanche to start the game.
"I've never scored against him, so it felt pretty good to get a
goal," Forsberg said. "There was only five minutes left in the
period so I know it's my last shift, so it was about time. He was
shocked that I shot it."
Joe Sakic, the North American center, and Milan Hejduk, who
replaced injured forward Jaromir Jagr, each had a goal to please
the Avalanche fans. Hejduk brought the World within 9-8 just 1:05
into the third period.
Only 40-year-old Ray Bourque, making his 19th All-Star
appearance -- second only to Gordie Howe's 23 -- kept Colorado from
getting all of its offensive players on the scoreboard.
Bourque was almost outscored by Roy, North America's starting
goalie. Roy was originally credited with an assist on Fleury's goal
just 49 seconds after the opening faceoff. After further review,
the helper was given to New Jersey defenseman Scott Stevens.
"This is the All-Star game, people don't expect a 4-2 or 4-1
game," said Roy, who allowed three goals on 11 shots.
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Sergei Samsonov gets this shot past North American goalie Martin Brodeur. |
Martin Brodeur, North America's third-period goalie, earned the
victory despite allowing five goals on 23 shots -- the most goals
against for his team.
"I know it's hard to believe in a game like this, but I made
some great saves," Brodeur said. "It was exhausting out there for
a goalie. Once a year for this is enough."
Sean Burke, the winner of Saturday night's goalie skills
competition yielded four goals in 11 shots.
San Jose rookie Evgeni Nabokov was the losing goalie, allowing
five third-period goals in 16 shots.
Cechmanek came out of his net to record the only real hit in a
check-free style, upending Paul Kariya late in the second period.
The game was tied at 3 after one period, but North America led
the rest of the way after Lemieux put them ahead.
All-Star Game notes
The game averaged 14 goals in the three years of the North
America against the World format. ... Gagne, who scored his second
goal to make it 13-11, had not yet reached his first birthday when
Bourque made his first All-Star appearance in 1981. ... There were
no penalties called in the 1992 and 1994 games.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
North American All-Stars Clubhouse
World All-Stars Clubhouse
2001 NHL All-Star Game coverage
Lemieux lights lamp, continues comeback ride
Analysts: Youth serves up a great game
Jovanovski diary: Goals, goals and more goals
North All-Stars edge World in SuperSkills competition
RECAPS
AUDIO/VIDEO
 ESPN's Steve Levy talks with the Bruins' Bill Guerin after capturing the All-Star MVP award.
avi: 5010 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Bill Guerin sneaks in his third goal of the game, clinching the MVP award.
avi: 1097 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Bill Guerin rifles a shot in front of the net for a World All-Stars' goal.
avi: 1759 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mario Lemieux takes a pass from Scott Stevens and stuffs the puck into the back of the net.
avi: 1205 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mats Sundin redirects a pass from Fredrik Modin and scores on Patrick Roy.
avi: 1240 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mats Sundin puts in his second goal of the game.
avi: 1102 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Roman Cechmanek robs Joe Sakic of a goal with a spectacular glove save.
avi: 1591 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Theo Fleury starts the scoring for the North American All-Stars on a pass from Paul Kariya.
avi: 1056 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Paul Kariya sets up Joe Sakic and fires a shot over the shoulder of Roman Cechmanek.
avi: 1752 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Luc Robitaille fires a shot past the glove of Dominik Hasek.
avi: 1031 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Luc Robitaille beats a diving Roman Cechmanek for the goal.
avi: 2289 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Ray Bourque and Martin Brodeur stop the offensive pressure from the World All-Stars.
avi: 807 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Peter Forsberg scores off the sweet past from Sergei Samsonov.
avi: 899 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
NHL All-Star Game news conference
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 Playing in the All-Star game was one of the reasons Mario Lemieux returned to hockey.
wav: 110 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bill Guerin was happy to be playing, but winning the MVP was icing on the cake.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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