Trottier, Bossy Save the Wales : Overtime Goal Tops Campbell Stars, 4-3

Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy combined to help the New York Islanders win four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-83.

The two Islanders teamed up again for the game-winning goal in the National Hockey League All-Star game Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 15,126 at the Hartford Civic Center.

Bossy set up Trottier with a pass through the legs of defenseman Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers, and Trottier kicked the puck into the net with 1:55 left in a five-minute overtime as the Wales Conference beat the Campbell Conference for the third straight year, this time 4-3.

“I missed the shot,” Trottier said. “The puck just popped over my stick and hit my skate, and it went into the net.”

Trottier, who at 29 was the oldest center on the ice, did a wild dance after he scored his first goal in seven All-Star game appearances.

“I think everyone reacts like a child when they score a goal like that,” he said.

But Trottier also may have been happy because he saved everyone from going through a 20-minute sudden-death period, which would have taken place had nobody scored in the first overtime.

“We heard that they were going to play another 20-minute period if we had still been tied after five minutes,” Trottier said. “I don’t think anyone was looking forward to that.”

Bossy, describing the game-winning goal, said: “I was coming down the left side with the puck and I was thinking pass all the time. I never thought of shooting. When the defenseman (Coffey) turned, I flipped the puck over to (Trottier).

“What’s important to me is that we won the game. Whenever some big goal is scored, I want to be a part of it and so does Brian. It’s nice to combine on a goal like that. When you have played long enough with players like Bryan, you want to be part of their goals.”

Said Coach Mike Keenan of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Wales coach: “I’ve seen Bossy and Trottier work that combination a few times. It makes it pretty electrifying when you see that combination.”

Although Trottier scored the game-winning goal, he didn’t win the MVP award.

Edmonton Goalie Grant Fuhr, who started for the Campbell Conference and made 15 saves in 31 minutes 3 seconds, became the second player from a losing team to win the MVP award in an All-Star game (Islander goalie Billy Smith was the first, in 1978). Fuhr was awarded a new sports car.

“I needed a new car anyway,” said Fuhr, who robbed Kirk Muller of the New Jersey Devils of a goal on a first-period breakaway. “I have a 1982 Camaro, and it was getting a little old. It’s nice to get a new car, but it would have been better to win.”

Said backup goalie Andy Moog, who gave up the four Wales goals after he replaced Edmonton teammate Fuhr in the second period: “It was justified. Grant should have won the MVP. He was the best player in the game. I let in four goals so he looked better.”

Center Dale Hawerchuk of the Winnipeg Jets scored the tying goal with 43 seconds left on a rebound of a shot by Coffey during a power play. The Campbell Conference had pulled goalie Moog for an extra skater--Dave Taylor of the Kings--and had six skaters on the power play.

“I slid to the front of the net after Denis (Savard, of Chicago Black Hawks) shot, and I just got lucky,” Hawerchuk said. “Denis and Paul Coffey made the play for me. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

The Wales Conference had taken a 3-2 lead when Brian Propp of the Flyers scored his second goal of the game, this one with 2:22 left in the third period on a power play.

Edmonton superstar Wayne Gretzky tied it at 2-2 with 2:51 left in the third period when he scored his eighth career goal in an All-Star game. Gretzky had just missed getting a goal four seconds earlier when he hit the post on a shot.

Gretzky was knocked to the ice with 13:55 left in the third period when he was checked by Buffalo defenseman Mike Ramsey. He limped off but returned a few minutes later.

“It was just a check,” Ramsey said. “I didn’t hit him hard. Nothing happened, it was just a normal play that you’ll see five to six times in any normal NHL game. It wasn’t that big of a hit.”

Edmonton defenseman Kevin Lowe hooked Ramsey a few seconds later, knocking him to the ice. Lowe said something to Ramsey as he was skating to the penalty box.

“After Wayne was hit, he was more effective,” said Edmonton Coach Glen Sather, who was the Campbell Conference coach. “I think Wayne had a bit of a charley horse.”

Said Gretzky: “I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been and I got hit. He made a good body check on me.

“I had a charley horse,” Gretzky added, “but it’s all right.”

Gretzky may have helped the Oilers win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, but he has played on three consecutive losing teams in the All-Star game.

“It’s not the end of the world,” he said. “The American League hasn’t been successful in (baseball) All-Star games, but they’ve been winning the World Series. I hope that keeps happening in the NHL, too.”

Tony Tanti of the Vancouver Canucks opened the scoring on a 55-foot slap shot from just inside the blue line, giving the Campbell Conference a 1-0 lead with 12:04 left in the second period.

However, the Wales team tied it at 1-1 when Propp scored at 17:56 on a rebound of a shot by Mats Naslund of the Montreal Canadiens.

Notes It was only the second overtime in the 38-year history of the NHL All-Star game, the other coming in 1978. . . . Dave Taylor, the only King in Tuesday night’s game, said it should have been allowed to end in a tie. “We should have kept it a tie and split the money,” Taylor said. “It was fun, especially the last period.”