It All Works Out for Bourque

Ray Bourque needed no help in scoring the game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference’s 5-4 victory over the West Saturday night at the FleetCenter in the NHL’s 46th All-Star game.

But when it came to determining the most valuable player award, the Boston Bruin defenseman needed an assist from the president of the Professional Hockey Writers Assn.

Voters had to submit their ballots with about 10 minutes left and the East leading, 4-3. The top MVP candidates were Mighty Duck forward Paul Kariya, who had a goal and an assist for the West, and East goalie Dominik Hasek, who was acrobatically stopping a barrage of West shots in the third period.

When Winnipeg’s Teemu Selanne tied it with 3:29 to play and Bourque sliced a back-hander over goaltender Felix Potvin’s shoulder with 37.3 seconds left, it was too late for the 29 voters to be canvassed again. Jim Kelley of the Buffalo News, president of the PHWA, invoked a provision in the organization’s bylaws to avoid embarrassment and choose Bourque.

“It was an executive decision,” Kelley said.

And an overwhelmingly popular decision. Bourque, a five-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman and a member of the Bruins his entire 17-year career, got a roaring, standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 17,565 before the game and an even louder tribute afterward. His MVP selection represented only the second time a defenseman has won the award and was the first since another Boston defenseman of some note--Bobby Orr in 1972.

“I told him he deserved it,” West Coach Scotty Bowman said of his brief conversation with Bourque after the game. “He’s always been one of my favorite players. If you’re going to lose to a team and in a place like this, surely Ray is deserving of an honor like this.”

Even Potvin didn’t begrudge Bourque his moment of glory.

“It was just an outstanding shot by Raymond. It was great that he won the MVP in his own hometown,” Potvin said. “I’m really happy for him.”

Bourque’s goal, scored off the rebound of a shot by New York Ranger center Mark Messier, added a welcome bit of zest to the NHL’s first All-Star game in two years (last year’s game was canceled because of the lockout).

It was the lowest-scoring All- Star game since 1986, when the teams combined for seven goals, and the 32 shots mustered by the West was the lowest total by one team since 1988. The West’s four goals were the fewest by one team since 1986.

“I think we put on a good show,” said Bourque, who has played in 14 All-Star contests. “I think the crowd enjoyed the game. The finish was great, the way everything kind of came together at the end.

“This one was the most special of all the All-Star games I’ve been in. I’ve been here 17 years and to have things go the way they did tonight was just incredible. I’ll remember this for a long time.”

The East, which has four of the NHL’s top five scorers, sprinted to a 3-0 lead by the early minutes of the second period on goals by Philadelphia center Eric Lindros, Ranger winger Pat Verbeek and Pittsburgh Penguin winger Jaromir Jagr. The West, which couldn’t get a goal past East starter Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, began its comeback at 5:33 of the second period, when St. Louis’ Brett Hull took a pass from Kariya, used defenseman Scott Stevens as a screen, and rifled a 15-foot shot past goalie John Vanbiesbrouck.

The East rebuilt its three-goal lead at 8:51 of the second period when Hartford Whaler winger Brendan Shanahan slipped a shot past Ed Belfour from the high slot, but Detroit Red Wing defenseman Paul Coffey cut that to 4-2 when Alexander Mogilny slid a pass between Stevens’ legs and found Coffey alone by the left post.

Kariya brought the West within a goal with 2:13 to play in the second period, talking a pass from Mats Sundin and cleverly lifting a shot over Vanbiesbrouck.

“The whole game was great. I wish I had a camera on the ice to keep all the memories,” said Kariya, who spent most of the game on the left side of King center Wayne Gretzky, with Hull on the other side.

“The game was a lot easier than the skills competition,” he added, referring to the Friday night individual contests. “Once the puck drops, I relax. I’ve been in a lot of big games before.”

Gretzky, who has made 15 All-Star game appearances--tying him for second with Frank Mahovlich behind Gordie Howe’s 23 appearances--was impressed with Kariya’s performance.

“It was a lot of fun playing with him. I’ve always said he’s going to be a great player,” Gretzky said. “I thought he played really well. He’s going to be a superstar.”

Had the game remained tied after Selanne’s goal, the NHL would have settled the game in a shootout for the first time. But Bourque’s heroics made that unnecessary.

“It was a great way to end the game for this city,” said Florida Panther Coach Doug MacLean, a winner in his All-Star debut. “There couldn’t have been a better finish for the All-Star game. It was a storybook finish.”

So what if the ending had to be tinkered with a bit. Even Shakespeare may have had a ghost writer.

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All-Star notes

Fox’s vaunted computer-enhanced puck had its debut Saturday on television, creating a blue-dot effect around the puck and a red, cometlike trail that followed the puck when it was passed. Fox officials initially said they would ask spectators to return pucks that went into the crowd because they want to dissect the pucks to determine how they hold up under game conditions (and because they cost at least $100 each) but changed their minds. . . . The winning team will split $250,000. . . . Mike Gartner of the Toronto Maple Leafs became the first player to play in the All-Star game with four different teams. He previously represented the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers.