The Prince George Citizen - Wednesday, January 30,1991 - 13 Don Schaffer 562-2441 Sports Sports Editor Local 517 Lemieux makes impact in first home game By The Canadian Press 3; and New York Islanders 8 , Mario Lemieux says he has Hartforda Whalers 1. long way to go before he regains Jets 5 Nordiques 2 KINGS the form that made him one of theWinnipeg outshot the home team NHL’s premier players. 34-20 and got goals from Pat Ely- BATTLE Lemieux, playing his first homenuik, Paul MacDermid, Phil Sykes, game since last March 31, tied the Gord Donnelly and Thomas Steen. score with 5:21 remaining Tuesday The two points moved the Jets past night and rookie defenceman Paul idle Vancouver into fourth place in MUSTANGS Stanton scored 2:46 into overtime,the Smythe Division. rallying the Pittsburgh Penguins to by DON SCHAFFER Sports Editor a 3-2 victory over the WashingtonThe Nordiques had the game’s \ Capitals. first six power-play chances, but mm Between Gord Lennox and they couldn’t score on any of “ I’m still not in shape and I ■'m Derek Prue, the Williams Lake them. Mats S undin and Scott Pear­ Mustangs and Prince George have a long way to go,” Lemieuxson beat Jets goalie Rich Tabaracci said. “ But it feels great to be Wk. V Spruce Kings put on quite a show. back. with Quebed at even strength. f ^ Lennox and the Kings got the better of the night Lennox out- “ The first goal is always tough Quebec announced a trade after t the game: forward Tony McKeg- scored Prue 6-5 and the Kings beat to get after a long layoff, J’m glad m . I scored here in Pittsburgh. ney to Chicago for goaltender Jac­ the Mustangs 7-5 in the Peace ques Cloutier. McKegney moves Cariboo Junior Hockey League ‘‘If I keep playing like this — s game at the Coliseum. 22, 25 minutes a game — I’ll get to his seventh NHL team. Lennox not only had more in shape quick.” Blues 8 Sabres 3 M points, he was the focus of the Lemieux played in only one ofIn St. Louis, Sergio Momesso, | l l Mustangs’ frustrations, an irritant the Penguins’ last 22 games last Dave Lowry, Rod Brind’Amour, that Williams Lake coach Kevin season because of a back injury,Paul MacLean, Ron Wilson, Paul Therrien said was the cause of a then missed their first 50 games Cavallini, Dave Bruce and Geoff V .*•**•• brawl between the first and second this season due to back surgeryCourtnall chipped in with a goal 4 'V periods. and a subsequent lower back infec­each as 52-goal shooter Brett Hull Therrien said Lennox ran tion. He returned to action last Sat­sat out with a sore ankle. '• 4 P * T Mustangs’ goalie Bob Crockett in urday, getting three assists to help Adam Oates earned three assists, the first period. ThaL followed by the Penguins win in Quebec. giving him 15 in his last four what Therrien described as a re­ Washington’s Kelly Miller games. peat of the incident involving scored twice in the first three Pierre Turgeon, Doug Bodger Crockett and Mario LeBlanc late minutes but Lemieux had an assistand Dave Snuggerud scored for in the second period, caused Grant on Bob Errey’s goal and thenthe Sabres, who have lost three Jobe of the Mustangs to take a run scored the tying goal to delight astraight. at Spruce Kings’ goalie Glen sellout crowd of 16,164 that waved Nazanik as the teams were leaving Islanders 8 Whalers 1 black-and-gold signs imprinted the ice after the second period. with Lemieux’s first name to cele­ Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter “ Lennox speared Crockett,” brate his return. scored two goals each and Bill Therrien said. “ He does that once “ Mario’s not there yet, but he’sBerg, Derek King, Mick Vukota a game. Then Mario LeBlanc tried going to get a lot better — a lot and John Tucker added one each to take him out, he took a run at better,” coach Bob Johnson said.for the Islanders, who scored six him, and I figured it was time to goals on 10 shots on Peter “ His shooting was a little off, but send back a message.” Sidorkiewicz in the second period. he put the shot on the net and Therrien said Jobe, billed as Jus­ made things happen.” Hartford outshot the visiting Is­ tus instead of Grant on the score- In other games, it was: Win­ landers 31-26 but New York Quebec's Guy Lafteur (10) and Mike Hough (18) pile up wtth Phil Housley (6) and Gord Donnelly of sheet, “ gave Nazaruk a shot in re­ nipeg Jets 5, Quebec Nordiques 2; goalie Jeff Hackett yielded only a the Jets. Obviously a result of watching too much football Sunday. taliation for them taking a run at St. Louis Blues8 , Buffalo Sabres lone goal to Sylvain Cote. Bob. “ That’s the way it’s going to be from now on,” he hinted darkly. “ Things are going to be tense. We Linden to fill centre role for Canucksplay them six more times. I don’t think there’s bad blood between By Grant Kerr smaller centres in Andre Boudrias McCammon. Quinn has a minus-well as he will in two or threesaid. “He's strong on faceoffs and the teams, but you have to like to VANCOUVER (CP) — The ag­ and Thomas Gradin, but never a23 rating, meaning he’s been on years,” said McCammon. “ When in the comers.” play these games. onizing search for a dominating pivot with size and strength to en­the ice for 23 more oppositionhe starts finding people. ” The Canucks may elect to play “ It’s time Mr. Lennox has got centreman continues for the Van­dure the season-long grind. goals than Vancouver goals with The Canucks have difficultyLinden in the middle tonight, butto learn he’s not going to be stick­ couver Canucks. Canuck coach Bob McCammonthe teams at even strength. matching lines with the Oilers be­there’s no guarantee Linden will ing Bob without paying for i t . It’s become so desperate that thehasn’t been happy with the per­Linden, 20, has fashioned a cause Edmonton boasts the mostbe matched against Messier be­ There’s two ways to do it go out NHL team’s best winger — and formance of his centres — Van­comeback this season after slip­physical centre in the pro game causein the Oilers have last change.and get the guy that did it or get top goal producer with 23 — hascouver is 10 games under .500 at ping to2 1 goals in his sophomoreMark Messier. their goalie.” been shifted into the middle. 19-29-4 — and wants to developNHL season. Meanwhile, McCammon plans After the LeBlanc-Crockett inci­ stronger pivot play. When the Canucks play Edmon­to continue using youngsters Petr Trevor Linden skated at centre The lanky, six-foot-four forwardton at home, and the Canucks have dent, LeBlanc and Davey Jones of “ When Dan Quinn’s jumping Nedved and Rob Murphy at centre for two games and could be there has scored 13 times on the powerthe last line change, the assign­ Prince George and Rino Buttaz- (skating), he’s as good as there again tonight when the Canucks play and is one of the few con­ment usually goes to 165-poundas often as possible. zoni and Jason Hueppelheuser of play in Edmonton against theis,” McCammon said. “ When he’ssistent Canuck forwards. Igor Larionov. The Soviet veteran* Nedved, 19, has only three goalsWilliams Lake were ejected for not skating, his game’s gone.” Oilers. “ Linden is very good in ourcan skate with Messier, but often and three assists in 33 games in fighting. During the post-second period ruckus, Jason Mager, Rick In addition, the team’s leading Quinn, 25, has been a major dis­end,” McCammon said. “ Big is manhandled along the boards. his rookie season. He’s six-three, Kooses, Derek Trainor, Preston playmaker, centre Dan Quinn, hasappointment At one stage, thecentres really help with down-low but weighs less than 180 pounds. been benched for two games forfive-foot-11,180-pound pivot wentcoverage.” In Edmonton, the Oilers usually Roulette and Darren Watson of the not playing hard enough. 25 games without a goal. One part of Linden’s game that send Messier against one of the Murphy, 21, is a six-three, 200Kings and Jobe, Phil Valk and In 48 games, the eight-year suffers when he plays centre issmaller Vancouver centres, usuallypounder who may become a de­Scott Cross of Williams Lake got The Canucks have searched for Quinn. a big centre almost since they NHL veteran has nine goals andpassing because he often tries to pendable checking centre with ex­the toss. entered the league in 1970. 26 assists for 35 points. make rushes on his own. “ Not many guys can checkperience. He has three goals and Spruce Kings’ assistant coach They’ve had some productiveQuinn’s defensive play concerns “ He doesn’t move the puck asMessier down low," McCammon one assist in 16 games. Mike Mesic said the incident was a bit overblown. “ It wasn’t all that bad,” Mesic WHITE R O C K ABSE N T said. “ There were three fights after the second period, and a couple before that “ Gord took a foolish penalty in Peewees collide in Tournament of Championsthe first period. He went in late after the whistle after the puck.” by BILL SEYMOUR and Fort S t James complete the eight-team Scott Buchanan, president of the Semiah-Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey lineup.