European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 1993 sports the stars and stripes b Page 29 Gartner leads Wales Blowout by Ken Rappoport Montreal a maybe the won t Overlook Mike Gartner anymore. A late addition to this year s nil All Star game Only because of an injury to new York Ranger teammate Mark Mes sier Gartner scored four goals to Lead the Wales conference to a record 16-6rout of the Campbell conference on sat urday. Gartner who also won the fastest skater title at the skills Competition Friday night had a hat trick in the first period nil All Star game and added a goal in the second with one of the greatest one Man performances Winall Star history. I think we All knew it was going to Bea High scoring game if history was an indication of All Star games Gartne said. But i Don t think anyone thought i would be this  Gartner s four goals tied an All Sta record shared by Mario Lemieux Wayne Gretzky and Vincent Damphousse. I addition Gartner had an assist to give him five Points one Short of Lemieux six Point Effort in St. Louis in 1988. Gartner who scored his four goals on his first four shots was voted the most valuable player award and won a car. Pierre Turgon of the islanders added three goals and two assists for the Wales. Lemieux who missed saturday s Gam because of illness was introduced in emotional pre game ceremonies at the Montreal forum. Lemieux who is being treated for Hodgkins disease donned ceremonial Wales conference Jersey and waved to the crowd which gave him Aone minute ovation. After that the All Star show belonged to Gartner who earlier this season set an nil record by scoring 30 goals for the14th straight season. The 33-year-old Gartner came into theall Star game with 34 goals this season and 572 for his career ranking him seventh on the All time list. But despite his notable accomplishments he has been largely overshadowed by his Peers such As Lemieux Gretzky and Messier. Mostly responsible for this has Brengartner s sub Par performances in play off games and the fact that none of the teams he played for Ever got past the Sec Ond round. Gartner played for Washington and some Bojoh Kekis Montreal a Adam Gates called it Knock  the Knock it appears might be on hockey. The Boston Bruin Star was referring to saturday s nil All Star game. Final score. Wales conference 16, Campbell conference 6. That s right. A 16-6 hockey game on network television. Even the players were incredulous. I expected a High scoring game said Pat l font Jane of the Buffalo sabres. But i would t have expected that. We were joking around that the touchdown and Field goal Guys were in  instead maybe the nil s All Star for mat needs a closer look. The league Des Perate to land a major network television contract in the United states has altered its All Star weekend to showcase the skills of its greatest stars in an attempt to sell the game. An old timers game is staged along with a skills Competition to determine who has the hardest shot the most accurate one the fastest skater the Best goal Mike Gartner the game s map slips one of his four goals pasted Balfour s shoulder in first period of saturday s nil All Star contest. Minnesota before the rangers. I be tried to avoid publicity most of my career and it s worked out Gartner said. Gartner a physical fitness advocate has kept in Good shape throughout his 14-year nil career. Age does t make a difference Gartner said. It s a state of mind any  As he spoke to reporters from podium Gartner had his son Joshua sit Ting with him. The Best part was being Able to share it with my family Gartner said. It was the first time that my kids Joshua an Natalie have come to an All Star game. It makes it very  Gartner and his teammates quickly turned the "44th All Star game into the biggest Blowout in the history of the game scoring the first nine goals of the game. The Wales led 6-0 after one period peppering shaky Chicago goal endured by Lour with 22 shots in the first 20  came into the game leading the league in several statistical categories but was helpless in a wide open affair that has become common in recent All Star play. The Campbell and Wales conferences combined for 65 goals in the previous four All Star games. The 22 goals by the teams on saturday broke the All Star record for most Goa sin a game established in the Wales con Ference s 12-7 Blowout of the Campbellin 1990. The Wales 16 goals established a record for most goals scored by one Teany. The Wales out shot the Campbell 49-41and the 90 shots were also an All Star re Cord. That surpassed the 87 total shot fired in Pittsburgh. I gave up a couple of goals i Don usually let in a couple where i did t have my stick on the ice Balfour said. I think the fans would have liked to Sec a closer game. But they like to see of sense and they saw that  Calgary goaltender Mike Vernon leaved the second period for the Camp Ell stars and also gave up six goals. It s not fun when you sit on the Bench in the first period and see All the goal scored Vernon said. I Felt for Bel  the Victory restored the Wales Domi nation in this series. The Campbell con Ference won the last two games but the Wales holds a 12-5 Edge since the current format was established in 1975. Change in All Star format Bowman Gretzky tender. But then there s the game. It has Bee broadcast on Abc for the past three years. The scores 16-6, 11-5, 10-6. It snot indicative of the physical game on which the nil has built its  one penalty was called saturday. Changes have to be made in the whole format said Wayne Gretzky the nil s All time leading scorer. There Are so Many factors. Do you go to a Stan Ley cup Champion versus an All Star team or maybe an nil versus a euro All Star team. Maybe that would be Worth a try. The Only Way to get checking in the game is if the fans pick the first line and the coaches pick the team any Way the want said Gretzky who prefers an old timers game before the All Star game the nil began staging annual All Sta games in 1947, pitting the defending Stanley cup champions against All Star from the league s other five teams. It experimented with other formats before deciding on a matchup Between conferences in 1975. I think the nil should take a hard look at the format said Calgary goal tender Mike Vernon victimized for six goals in the second period saturday. If they change the format maybe the can use two offensive lines. The Guys who kill penalties and Block shots maybe we should give them some recognition. If they did that they might have to take week off and practice together people like to see goals scored new Jersey goaltender Craig Billington said. That s wha the All Star game has  can t expect people to Block shots and run each other into the boards when there s a serious Battle for playoff positions ahead.". You re seeing All the Best players inthe league playing right Here Phila Delphia s Mark Keechi said. The score i indicative of How Many skilled players there were. It s touch to bring in u Gam where it s going to be intense and physical. Guys Are going to have u Tough Tim getting up for it. Is play 84 games As it  Rocchi added. It would be really Tough to nut i another game with banging and stuff like that. Guys Are sore As it is.1 it gives Guys a Hance to make great plays great goals to show the skill Side of the  Pittsburgh coach Scotty Bowman who was behind an All Star Bench for u re Cord 10th time favors change. The question is How is this As a marketing tool Bowman asked. The result As a marketing tool is that this is not Howe want to sell the  maybe Washington defens Eman Al Law rate summed it up Best it s All relative to the people watching it. You can t please