This - obviously - is not a valid comparison; it's silly.
You're comparing a healthy Gretzky in a weaker, easier-to-score-in league to a largely unhealthy Lemieux in a better, more difficult-to-score-in league.
If you were actually to line them up in the same seasons (and same ages), it's likely that Lemieux would outscore Gretzky most of the time. All things considered, Lemieux was a better scorer than Gretzky, if we remove the health factor.
Gretzky would have the early advantage due to his more natural game; it took Lemieux a while to get going (as it did in the Q also). But Lemieux had better staying power, and he scored better than Gretzky in a tougher league. So Lemieux would be a better scorer over the long haul.
Once Lemieux reached close to his best (after age 21), he was always as good or better scorer than Gretzky, as long as his health was pretty good.
It’s 100% valid you just don’t like it. There is zero evidence whatsoever to support your position. You talk about the health factor hurting Lemieux’s numbers and then about the league magically getting harder to score in when Lemieux entered to diminish what Gretzky did. Lemieux had his two best seasons in the two highest scoring years ever when you look at the number 2-10 in points per game averaged out to 82 games (1989 and 1993 had averages of 132 per 82 and 134 per 82 for the 2-10 average respectively). Not going to dwell on that absurd notion too much longer but if you really wanted to look at adjustments into a neutral environment we can certainly do that.
Lemieux’s two best seasons before injuries started in 89-90 also happen to be his best for total points in a season as well. 87-88 and 88-89 at age 22 and 23. Gretzky at the same age happened in the 82-83 and 83-84 seasons. If we adjust that into the average league environment of 2.24 ESG, 0.72 PPG, 0.10 SHG (3.06 total GPG) we get these results as we also eliminate that garbage league that Gretzky apparently dominated.
Lemieux:
87-88: 77 GP: 55 G, 74 A, 129 P (1.68)
88-89: 76 GP: 66 G, 90 A, 156 P (2.05)
153 GP: 121 G, 164 A, 285 P (1.86)
Gretzky:
82-83: 80 GP: 58 G, 100 A, 158 P (1.98)
83-84: 74 GP: 68 G, 91 A, 159 P (2.15)
154 GP: 126 G, 191 A, 317 P (2.06)
Wayne Gretzky and Lemieux year by year era adjusted by the same method:
Year 1:
WG 79-80: 79 GP: 44 G, 76 A, 120 P (1.52)
ML 84-85: 73 GP: 34 G, 45 A, 79 P (1.08)
Year 2:
WG 80-81: 80 GP: 43 G, 86 A, 129 P (1.61)
ML 85-86: 79 GP: 37 G, 70 A, 107 P (1.35)
Year 3:
WG 81-82: 80 GP: 70 G, 92 A, 162 P (2.03)
*66 GP: 63 G, 76 A, 139 P (2.11)
ML 86-87: 63 GP: 45 G, 44 A, 89 P (1.41)
Year 4:
WG 82-83: 80 GP: 58 G, 100 A, 158 P (1.98)
ML 87-88: 77 GP: 55 G, 74 A, 129 P (1.68)
Year 5:
WG 83-84: 74 GP: 68 G, 91 A, 159 P (2.15)
*57 GP: 56 G, 76 A, 132 P (2.32)
*60 GP: 59 G, 77 A, 136 P (2.27)
ML 88-89: 76 GP: 66 G, 90 A, 156 P (2.05)
Year 6:
WG 84-85: 80 GP: 57 G, 106 A, 163 P (2.04)
*60 GP: 47 G, 84 A, 131 P (2.18)
ML 89-90: 59 GP: 37 G, 64 A, 101 P (1.71)
Year 7:
WG 85-86: 80 GP: 40 G, 125 A, 165 P (2.06)
*68 GP: 37 G, 106 A, 143 P (2.10)
ML 90-91: 26 GP: 16 G, 24 A, 40 P (1.54)
Year 8:
WG 86-87: 79 GP: 51 G, 101 A, 152 P (1.92)
*59 GP: 45 G, 79 A, 124 P (2.10)
ML: 91-92: 64 GP: 38 G, 73 A, 111 P (1.73)
Year 9:
WG 87-88: 64 GP: 33 G, 87 A, 120 P (1.88)
ML 92-93: 60 GP: 58 G, 74 A, 132 P (2.20)
Year 10:
WG 88-89: 78 GP: 45 G, 91 A, 136 P (1.74)
ML 93-94: 22 GP: 16 G, 18 A, 34 P (1.55)
Year 11:
WG 89-90: 73 GP: 33 G, 85 A, 118 P (1.62)
ML 95-96: 70 GP: 63 G, 84 A, 147 P (2.10)
Year 12:
WG 90-91: 78 GP: 37 G, 107 A, 144 P (1.85)
ML 96-97: 76 GP: 52 G, 76 A, 128 P (1.68)
Gretzky still wins 10/12 times when adjusted and lined up as of when Lemieux retired in 1997 where any meaningful years ended for either here. This accounts for the scoring environment of the league. If you want to speculate as to what Lemieux would have done in the years he was playing hurt that’s fine but that’s also not real. Also highly unlikely he beats Gretzky in any more years in this line up scenario even if healthy in those years. It would never be more than 3/12 wins for Lemieux here. This proves your statement of Lemieux outscoring Gretzky in this scenario more often than not as demonstrably false.
85-97 ML: 1253 in 745 (1.68)
80-91 WG: 1726 in 925 (1.87)
473 adjusted points between them in 180 games. It would take Lemieux becoming 20% better than he ever was for a 60 game stretch and maintaining that for triple the length in all of his missed injured games to match Gretzky. Fantasy is futile.
that's the bar for discussion? I need to have had an 11th place finish in the NHL or whatever in order to talk about.........Blair MacDonald? 
