Hockey Players Chosen Good — They Need Red-Hot Goaltend but They Also Tired out Their Keydale Hunter, Regarded by Many As Ing
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The Prince George Citizen — Wednesday, April 20, 1988 — 13 MARK ALLAN S p o r t s Sports editor CALG ARY STIFLED IN FIRST-GAME LOSS S trategy sw itch beneficial for O ilers CALGARY (CP) — Successor the Edmonton Oilers used to de pend almost solely on their explosive offence. Poor series Tuesday night it was discipline, defence and penalty killing that enabled them to subdue the Calgary Flames 3-1 in the first game of the Sm ythe D ivision best-of-seven final. forgotten “Defensive hockey isn’t something we’re accustomed to, but we have to play Calgary this way,” said Craig MacTavish, who worked tirelessly killing off nine Calgary power plays. as Gallant In a reversal of past seasons, it was the Oilers who played strong defence and tne Flames who had the better offence. scores two “I don’t know if we’ve had a big ger win in our history,” saidC a p i t a l s ' DETROIT (AP) — Detroit for Wayne Gretzky, who scored on a ward Gerard Gallant, who felt he breakaway about three minutes af played poorly in the Norris Divi ter linemate Jari Kurri got the captain sion semi-finals, is making amends game-winning goal in the 13th min in the final. ute of the final period. i n j u r e d Gallant’s fourth playoff goal “It’s a big confidence builder. LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - Wash proved to be the margin of victory After all, they were first overall . ington defenceman Rod Langway Tuesday night as the Red Wings . they deserve to be the favor suffered a lacerated tendon in his beat the St. Louis Blues 5-4 in the ites. left leg Monday night and will miss opening game of the best-of-seven “When we played (after finishing the remainder of the best-of-seven National Hockey League series. first) we were expected to win. NHL playoff series against the “I don’t think I played that well But, really, it doesn’t mean anyNew Jersey Devils, the Capitals against in the semis against Toron thing . we have to win Thurs said Tuesday. to, but it didn’t bother me because day. Langway suffered a three-inch we won,” said Gallant, whose goal “Our penalty killing and discicut in his leg when he was checked at 7:46 of the third period put De pline won it for us,” he added. by New Jersey’s Pat Verbeek with troit ahead 5-3. “If we would have “We worked on penalty killingseven minutes remaining in Game lost, it would have bothered me all all week. We had a few break 1 Monday night. Verbeek’s skate summer. downs, but when we did, Grant cut across the back of Langway’s “It’s a team game. You can’t (Fuhr) was there . and we got leg. worry about personal stuff in the the big goal when we needed it.” The Capitals won the game 3-1. playoffs.” Edmonton limited Calgary to one Washington general manager Da The series resumes Thursday power-play goal — by Brad Mc-vid Poile has sent a tape of the in night at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. Crimmon in the first period — oncident to the offices of the NHL for “I expect a lot of close games,” three attempts. His goal tied the further review. Gallant said. “It’s going to be like game at 1-1 after Mark Messier’s New Jersey general manager tonight.” controversial power-play goal. Lou Lamoriello said he didn’t think It was a typical close-checking The puck went off Messier’s leg the incident warranted that much game between the Blues and Red on a shot by Esa Tikkanen. Referattention. “I’d say both collided in the cor Wings. There were only 41 shots, Oiler forward Mark Messier (right) directs the puck past Mike Vernon into the Calgary net. ee Denis Morel waved the goal off, 22 by Detroit. then let it stand after consultationner. It was a freak situation,” said “They’re very similar to us,” with his linesmen. Lamoriello. Gallant said. “ They have two The big goal — Kurri’s 71st ca Langway, the Capitals’ captain, checking centres and two scoring reer playoff goal — came after had to be helped from the ice to centres. Tikkanen intercepted a Calgarythe team dressing room. “They play physical, but theyV i e w f r o m p r e s s b o x pass near centre ice and slipped Langway will remain in a cast play a clean type of game.” the puck to his linemate. for a week to 10 days before the The Red Wings finished first in There were only 41 penalty minteam doctor will re-examine the in the division with a 41-28-11 record, utes called and the only major was jury and determine when the vet 17 points better than the second- high-sticking to Edmonton’s Nor-eran defenceman will return to the place Blues. They had a 4-1-3 regu mand Lacombe for cutting ColinCapitals’ lineup. lar season edge on St. Louis, 3-0-1l o o k s fine to Naslund Patterson. at home. MONTREAL (CP) - Mats Na that I was hurt before most of the he said. “The other night, we just But the Oilers killed off that sec “They couldn’t afford to lose this slund isn’t accustomed to watchinggames we played against Boston,” didn’t get the puck into their end ond-period penalty, allowing CalgaN o r d i q u e s one,” Blues’ centre Bernie Federkoa National Hockey League gamesaid Dahlin, dismissing the notion enough for me to get any kind ofry only four harmless shots on said. “They were all fired up. from the press box, but he enjoyedthat his swift and shifty moves contact on their defencemen. Fuhr, who made at least half a Mark Hunter, seeing his first what he saw Monday night — a 5-2 were incompatible with the thump “It was just a poor effort on evedozen potential game-saving stopss h u f f l i n g playoff action after suffering avictory by the Montreal Canadiensing required against the Bruins. ryone’s part. I think you’ll see beforea his teammates broke loose. knee injury with four games reover the Boston Bruins. “I don’t think I have a problem different team in the next game. If “We knew what we had to do to front office maining in the regular season, It was in the opening game ofagainst the Bruins,” he added. we’d lost the opener 3-2 and playednight, but I guess we just didn’t do scored two goals for St. Louis. the best-of-seven Adams Division “They might have a problem the best we could play, I think it,” Calgary centre Joel Otto said. QUEBEC (CP) — The Quebec final series and Naslund will also against me. Maybe they don’t take we’d be a lot more concerned.” “We held them to less than 20 Nordiques started their off-season Shawn Burr scored a pair for the shots so we must have done somehousecleaning at the top Tuesday Red Wings, including the go-ahead miss the second game tonight at me seriously because most people The Bruins will use veteran Re the Forum right knee. say I can ’t play against the jean Lemelin in goal, replacing thing right. But we didn’t get a lot by announcing that Maurice Filion goal at 6:09 of the third period. will relinquish his duties as gener The left winger was also moved Bruins.” first-game starter Andy Moog. of offence. We didn’t work as hard Burr, like Gallant, was seeking as we should have.” al manager to become vice-presi redemption following a lacklustreby the play of Kjell Dahlin, a fel Dahlin has two goals in seven “I was surprised I didn’t start low Swede who sparked the victory playoff games, matching the total the first game,” said Lemelin, the Every game has a turning pointdent. semifinal series. and both teams pointed to Calga Filion, 56, has been the general by scoring the first goal. of Cam Neely, the Boston right team’s No. 1 netminder during the ry’s inability to score on the five-manager of the team since 1974, “I was really bad against Toron “Kjell is really skating-out there- winger whose 42 goals led the team season and the winner of three of minute power play, created by La-when they were a member of the to,” said Burr, who now has three ,” said Naslund. “And did you see during the regular season. the four games in the semifinal playoff goals. “The last two Neely’s name surfaces because a against Buffalo. “I think that combe’s penalty, with the score 1- World Hockey Association. He con the hits he was delivering?” tinued when Quebec joined the Na games, I sort of pulled up my The shy, soft-spoken Dahlin is rebig series is needed from him if (coach) Terry O’Reilly may have 1. “The major penalty was the tional Hockey League for the 1979- socks.” garded as a finesse player, a style the Bruins are to end Montreal’s been trying to throw a curve at the turning point,” MacTavish said.80 season, and is fourth on the Goals by Jim Nill and Burr gave in direct contrast to the bumpingstring of 18 consecutive playoffCanadiens by starting Andy.