NHL Roundup : Gretzky Outshines Tired Lemieux in Oiler Win

Ever since the fans voted Mario Lemieux onto the starting lineup of the National Hockey League All-Star team, Wayne Gretzky has been skating in high gear. And the Edmonton Oilers have begun to resemble the team that won the Stanley Cup in 1985.

However, Gretzky’s first meeting with Lemieux, the big, strong center of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was something of a hollow victory Saturday night. Gretzky had a hand in all four goals in the Oilers’ 4-2 victory at Edmonton, but Lemieux was so weary at times that it seemed he could hardly skate.

The Penguin star, who scored three goals Friday night at Vancouver, was playing in just his third game after missing 13 games with a knee injury. It appeared that the games on successive nights were too much for the 6-foot 4-inch 200-pounder. He managed only an assist on the Penguins’ first goal, at 5:39 of the third period.

Gretzky, meanwhile, scored his 48th goal of the season, this one with his team short-handed, and assisted on the other three Edmonton goals to help lift the Oilers into a tie with the Philadelphia Flyers for the overall point lead in the league. Both have 68 points in 49 games.

Gretzky didn’t really get going until he was flattened on a clean check by Pittsburgh defenseman Randy Hiller eight minutes into the second period.

Three minutes later, while helping to kill a penalty, Gretzky knocked the puck out of Penguin goaltender Gilles Meloche’s glove, whirled around the net and backhanded a shot into the net. Meloche argued in vain that he had complete control of the puck when Gretzky knocked it loose.

Later in the period, Gretzky’s pass set up Jari Kurri for the first of Kurri’s two goals, this one giving the Oilers a commanding 3-0 lead.

“I’m not interested in any so-called duel,” Gretzky said of his meeting with Lemieux. “After all, we are two different type players. All I’m really interested in is helping the Oilers win.”

Hartford 3, Toronto 0--There has been so much talk about how the brilliant goaltending of Mike Liut is the reason the Whalers lead the Adams Division that Steve Weeks, Liut’s excellent backup, has almost been forgotten.

Weeks let people know he can do the job, too. He only had to face 18 shots at Toronto, but he handled them easily.

The Whalers scored in each period. Ron Francis scored the final goal, giving him eight in the last nine games.

New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 3--Mark Johnson scored two first-period goals at East Rutherford, N.J., but the Devils needed help from former goaltender Glenn Resch, now with Philadelphia, to gain the victory.

In the second period, Mel Bridgman skated in on Resch, who was getting a rare start in place of Ron Hextall. Resch made the stop but inadvertently backhanded the puck into the net. Bridgman was credited with the goal.

The Flyers were without Coach Mike Keenan, who was sitting out his one-game suspension.

Boston 5, Calgary 3--Until injuries caused him to miss almost half of last season, Boston’s Rick Middleton was regarded as one of the top forwards in hockey.

He had a run of five consecutive seasons in which he scored at least 40 goals. Once he had 51. It has taken a lot of hard work, but the 13-year veteran has battled back.

The 33-year-old right wing scored twice in the third period in this game at Boston to lead the Bruins to their fifth victory in a row. With 14 goals, he has as many as he scored last season.

Middleton broke a 3-3 tie with a goal just 17 seconds into the final period. At 13:48, he dashed the Flames’ hopes when he knocked the puck in after he bounced off the boards on a miss by Cam Neely.

Buffalo 6, Washington 3--Doug Smith scored two goals, and Tom Kurvers broke a third-period tie at Landover, Md., as the Sabres ended the Capitals’ five-game winning streak.

Kurvers knocked the puck through the legs of goalie Bob Mason to make it 4-3 at 13:00 of the final period.

New York Islanders 2, Quebec 1--Art Haanpaa’s second goal of the season was a big one. It came at 2:28 of overtime at Quebec to give the Islanders the victory.

Bob Nystrom acted as Islanders’ coach in the absence of Terry Simpson, sitting out a one game suspension.

Montreal 3, Chicago 1--Mats Naslund scored his 17th goal of the season, and Patrick Roy stopped 19 shots at Montreal to lead the Canadiens.

St. Louis 5, Detroit 3--Defenseman Rob Ramage scored his first two goals of the season to help the Blues end a seven-game winless streak in a rough game at St. Louis. There were 164 minutes in penalties.