ATD#7 Foster Hewitt Division Finals: #1 Falcons vs. #3 Metropolitans
- Thread starter VanIslander
- Start date
Seattle, I have been voting for you all season and series long. How will your team beat the great Jacques Plante this time around ? Do you think Gardiner can hold up against a very good Falcons team ? Lets face it, your offense and defense is stronger than the Falcons IMO, but can you convince the voters you have enough fire power to fool Plante ?
Falcons, at first glance, Seattle has the advantage in this series IMO. He has the better group of forwards and a real solid defense corp. Can Plante win this series for you ? How will you stop that great group of forwards and a very solid defense corp ?
Both teams have great first lines, but I'd give a slight edge to Detroit. But Seattle's second line has a pretty big advantage over Detroit's second line.
I think that Detroit will have trouble with Seattle, if only because they only have one true checking line. I feel that Seattle's fourth line has enough defensive prowess to at least be able to contain Detroit's second, while I don't think I can say the same for Detroit's fourth. Seattle will need to rely on scoring depth up front to win, while Detroit will need the top line to win the head to head battle.
Seattle's biggest edge is defensively. They have four absolute rocks, and I think the combination of defense and goaltending between the two teams nearly evens out (though I'm a huge fan of Gardiner).
This is going to be a tight series, to say the least.
I think that Detroit will have trouble with Seattle, if only because they only have one true checking line. I feel that Seattle's fourth line has enough defensive prowess to at least be able to contain Detroit's second, while I don't think I can say the same for Detroit's fourth. Seattle will need to rely on scoring depth up front to win, while Detroit will need the top line to win the head to head battle.
Seattle's biggest edge is defensively. They have four absolute rocks, and I think the combination of defense and goaltending between the two teams nearly evens out (though I'm a huge fan of Gardiner).
This is going to be a tight series, to say the least.
EagleBelfour
Registered User
I'm surprised my fourth line isn't getting more respect. I do feel I'm on par with Seattle, well with any teams, on that department. Marcel Bonin is a Conn Smythe Trophy winner who have shown he can play at an higher level comes playoff time. Dan Bain was a big physical presence that was able to score clutch goals and defend in his own zone. Larry Aurie was a scorer who was very good in his own zone and was killing penalties. He was also one of the toughess players of his time. Bain and Aurie captain teams to the Stanley Cup, so they know what it take to win it all.
The Phillips-Jarvis duo is a very good defensive duo that has the abilities to contain the other team best line. With Darragh on the right side, which wasn't a defensive wizard, but one of the clutchiest player of all-time with 4 Stanley Cup and 2 Conn Smythe (and he won cups before 1917, where I've read he was Ottawa's best player), it also gives this line the ability to scores some goals (Phillips had also a terrific shot).
I admit my second line isn't as good as Seattle second line, but the difference isn't as huge as some people might think. Am I missing a physical presence on this line? Yes, but Modano and Drillon were big bodies who were able to holding their own. Middleton and Modano were very good 2-way players and Rick Middleton and Gordie Drillon have shown they can be the best player on the ice when a serie is on the line (Drillon won the Conn Smythe in 1938 on a losing efforts, which show how important he was for his team and Middleton put up some incredible playoffs run in '77, '79, '82 and '83.)
My defense isn't as impressive as Seattle one, but they will do the job. Pronovost, Murphy, Hollett and Stuart have the abilities were good offensive defenseman that had the ability to rush the puck. Ching Johnson and Edward Ivanov were pure defensive defenseman (Johnson was one of the most dominant defenseman of his ERA while Ivanov was a great crease clearer and shot blocker and would do anythnig to win). Pronovost and Murphy were also known for their good defensive abilities. I also have a hard hitting defensive, and guys like Pronovost, Johnson, Stuart and Ivanov will give hard bone crushing bodychecks to anyone willing to pay the price.
And Jacques Plante ... greatest goaltender of all-time. I would have have a hard convincing anyone that I will beat Seattle if I didn't have a goaltender that can and WILL dominate against Seattle (I have a lot of respect of the Metropolitans).
I was named the best team in the Foster-Hewitt division. Come playoff time, I have one of the best group of playoff performer of all the 28 teams. 60 Stanley Cups, 7 Conn Smythe (my four offensive line has a Conn Smythe winner on it), 9 team captain. I believe I will win this serie against the Metropolitans Seattle.
The Phillips-Jarvis duo is a very good defensive duo that has the abilities to contain the other team best line. With Darragh on the right side, which wasn't a defensive wizard, but one of the clutchiest player of all-time with 4 Stanley Cup and 2 Conn Smythe (and he won cups before 1917, where I've read he was Ottawa's best player), it also gives this line the ability to scores some goals (Phillips had also a terrific shot).
I admit my second line isn't as good as Seattle second line, but the difference isn't as huge as some people might think. Am I missing a physical presence on this line? Yes, but Modano and Drillon were big bodies who were able to holding their own. Middleton and Modano were very good 2-way players and Rick Middleton and Gordie Drillon have shown they can be the best player on the ice when a serie is on the line (Drillon won the Conn Smythe in 1938 on a losing efforts, which show how important he was for his team and Middleton put up some incredible playoffs run in '77, '79, '82 and '83.)
My defense isn't as impressive as Seattle one, but they will do the job. Pronovost, Murphy, Hollett and Stuart have the abilities were good offensive defenseman that had the ability to rush the puck. Ching Johnson and Edward Ivanov were pure defensive defenseman (Johnson was one of the most dominant defenseman of his ERA while Ivanov was a great crease clearer and shot blocker and would do anythnig to win). Pronovost and Murphy were also known for their good defensive abilities. I also have a hard hitting defensive, and guys like Pronovost, Johnson, Stuart and Ivanov will give hard bone crushing bodychecks to anyone willing to pay the price.
And Jacques Plante ... greatest goaltender of all-time. I would have have a hard convincing anyone that I will beat Seattle if I didn't have a goaltender that can and WILL dominate against Seattle (I have a lot of respect of the Metropolitans).
I was named the best team in the Foster-Hewitt division. Come playoff time, I have one of the best group of playoff performer of all the 28 teams. 60 Stanley Cups, 7 Conn Smythe (my four offensive line has a Conn Smythe winner on it), 9 team captain. I believe I will win this serie against the Metropolitans Seattle.
EagleBelfour
Registered User
Yes I am, reading how they come up with these results, I have no problem using them as a demonstration on how well my players can play come playoff. They are as much accurate than the one voted since the 1960's
http://www.hhof.com/html/newsconn.shtml
Good call on Bonin....Just saw some highlights of his Conn Smythe perfromance on RDS, very clutch !
Spitfire11
Registered User
I like both of these teams a lot and had them finishing 1-2 in the division. This will be another very close series. I still havn't decided a winner, but it'll be in 7 for sure.
First of all Eagle, I definitely have a tonne of respect for your team as well, I had you first in our division, so I definitely consider myself to have gotten the toughest possible matchup.
As for that matchup, I agree you have the best forward in Beliveau, who I will not hide my enthusiam for, if I could get a draft pick earlier for a change I would absolutely select him, just a fantastic captain and first line center, and Plante, if you look at our little vote, you will see I have him first all time.
That said, I think there are a couple advantages to exploit for my team to beat yours, first of all, while I don't consider your team soft, players like Johnson, Ivanov, Bonin, Pronovost and even Beliveau shouldn't be considered soft, I think my team brings more overall grit to the table, and I think the physicality of the Mets can definitely cause some players on the Falcons to second guess themselves IMO.
Line-up wise I think my first line, is a touch worse than the Beliveau line, however, one of the best aspects of Trottier is that he was so strong defensively as well as offensively, so while they might not quite have the firepower of the Beliveau line, I think they are superior defensively (Kerr was also great both ways IMO) enough to make up some of the difference.
I think my second line does outclass yours for sure, Modano is not in Federko's league, even with Modano's cup, Federko is still the better PO performer IMO. Jagr obviously creates a mismatch IMO, add on the toughness and skill of Alf Smith (who forced Tommy Phillips to switch wings in the pre-NHL era in order to get a shot with Ottawa) and I don't think Drillon and Middleton can be considered the equivalent of the wingers that Federko has, just making it even more of a mismatch.
I think our 3rd/4th lines are actually remarkably similar, but I feel with the second line difference I have that it will tilt the overall forwards (no matter if the series is best on best or using checking lines against the top lines) into the favour of the Metropolitans.
I think I also have the defensive defensemen to contain your forwards, and while Ivanov and Johnson (especially, very underrated player) are great defensive players, I feel I can exploit your other four in the defensive end to a greater degree than you could exploit my lesser defensive defenseman, which is only the rover Barney Stanley.
With this in mind, I think I have the definitive edge going into the goalie battle, now, I am a huge Plante fan as I said earlier, but I consider Gardiner to be easily top 15 all time, and probably around 9th or 10th, with some outstanding peak value (3 of the first four first team all stars, as well as a second team, in the 4 years of all star teams before he died, and carried his team to a cup) against some very stiff competition goaltender wise, is very impressive to me, he was widely considered the best goalie of his time, so while Plante's obvious longevity advantage is there, I don't know if his peak value is significantly higher than Gardiner's to the degree that it can make up for the advantage among forwards and defense that I have.
When it comes down to it I see the key matchups being that no matter if the series is best on best or checkers vs. scorers, that my second line has the advantage if they face off against the Falcons second line or if they face the 4th line of the Falcons, that they will outperform the Falcons second line. The second key matchup, is which of my first two lines gets to face the Pronovost/Murphy pairing, I think I have the forwards on both the top too lines to exploit that matchup, and in the end, I don't think Plante will be able to hold the fort for longer than Gardiner, who will have an easier time, and could steal the series on his own if necessary anyway.
As for that matchup, I agree you have the best forward in Beliveau, who I will not hide my enthusiam for, if I could get a draft pick earlier for a change I would absolutely select him, just a fantastic captain and first line center, and Plante, if you look at our little vote, you will see I have him first all time.
That said, I think there are a couple advantages to exploit for my team to beat yours, first of all, while I don't consider your team soft, players like Johnson, Ivanov, Bonin, Pronovost and even Beliveau shouldn't be considered soft, I think my team brings more overall grit to the table, and I think the physicality of the Mets can definitely cause some players on the Falcons to second guess themselves IMO.
Line-up wise I think my first line, is a touch worse than the Beliveau line, however, one of the best aspects of Trottier is that he was so strong defensively as well as offensively, so while they might not quite have the firepower of the Beliveau line, I think they are superior defensively (Kerr was also great both ways IMO) enough to make up some of the difference.
I think my second line does outclass yours for sure, Modano is not in Federko's league, even with Modano's cup, Federko is still the better PO performer IMO. Jagr obviously creates a mismatch IMO, add on the toughness and skill of Alf Smith (who forced Tommy Phillips to switch wings in the pre-NHL era in order to get a shot with Ottawa) and I don't think Drillon and Middleton can be considered the equivalent of the wingers that Federko has, just making it even more of a mismatch.
I think our 3rd/4th lines are actually remarkably similar, but I feel with the second line difference I have that it will tilt the overall forwards (no matter if the series is best on best or using checking lines against the top lines) into the favour of the Metropolitans.
I think I also have the defensive defensemen to contain your forwards, and while Ivanov and Johnson (especially, very underrated player) are great defensive players, I feel I can exploit your other four in the defensive end to a greater degree than you could exploit my lesser defensive defenseman, which is only the rover Barney Stanley.
With this in mind, I think I have the definitive edge going into the goalie battle, now, I am a huge Plante fan as I said earlier, but I consider Gardiner to be easily top 15 all time, and probably around 9th or 10th, with some outstanding peak value (3 of the first four first team all stars, as well as a second team, in the 4 years of all star teams before he died, and carried his team to a cup) against some very stiff competition goaltender wise, is very impressive to me, he was widely considered the best goalie of his time, so while Plante's obvious longevity advantage is there, I don't know if his peak value is significantly higher than Gardiner's to the degree that it can make up for the advantage among forwards and defense that I have.
When it comes down to it I see the key matchups being that no matter if the series is best on best or checkers vs. scorers, that my second line has the advantage if they face off against the Falcons second line or if they face the 4th line of the Falcons, that they will outperform the Falcons second line. The second key matchup, is which of my first two lines gets to face the Pronovost/Murphy pairing, I think I have the forwards on both the top too lines to exploit that matchup, and in the end, I don't think Plante will be able to hold the fort for longer than Gardiner, who will have an easier time, and could steal the series on his own if necessary anyway.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
I wouldn't agree with that. he wasn't brtual defensively but he was no better than average defensively. He had the great hands, and is the best goal scorer among either of the 1st line ... Kerr was also an oustanding face-off man. He played center early in his career and even later as a RW, he took a ton of face-offs, because he was so good at it.
Playing with Trottier at even strength and with Trots and Jagr on the PP, Kerr should put up huge goal scoring numbers.
Fair enough, I am really basing my impression of his defensive skill mostly on his play in the final against the Oilers (which, due to my father being a huge Oiler fan and taping all their finals I have watched way too many times, I could definitely overrate him due to repitition of the same plays) so it would be fair to say he was just average and playing more intensely in an extra-ordinary situation, but I was impressed in how he played D that series, especially for his hustle in coming back to the defensive zone, considering he was certainly not the fastest player around.
But that said, I think Trott's superior defensive play is the key considering Beliveau is certainly the key to Eagle's top line.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
Don't I wish.
Flyers faced the Oilers in both the 85 & 87 Finals ... Kerr only played in 3 of the 12 games. He played in the first three games of the 85 Final, at about 40%.
He didn't play at all i the 87 Finals, which went the full 7 games.
Kerr when healthy was a monster in the playoffs, scoring at just under a goal a game pace.
I thought he was amazing in the final against the Oilers (in 85, hence my use of the singular originally, I wish I coulda have seen him the 87 finalsDon't I wish.
Flyers faced the Oilers in both the 85 & 87 Finals ... Kerr only played in 3 of the 12 games. He played in the first three games of the 85 Final, at about 40%.
He didn't play at all i the 87 Finals, which went the full 7 games.
Kerr when healthy was a monster in the playoffs, scoring at just under a goal a game pace.
). He left in the third game (incidently with McCrimmon as well) and the Flyers disintigrated, not to mention Lindbergh was struggling with his knee that series as well, that series should have been so much closer. That said, I wouldn't say he was at 40% til the third game, he knee was just slowly disintigrating that whole playoff.Bonin had the one huge playoff, but other than that his playoff numbers are pretty disappointing. Even with his one huge playoff, his playoff PPG is still lower than his regular season PPG (0.5 vs. 0.6). He's a good physical presence though.
Aurie may have been tough, but even during his time he was one of the smallest players in the league at 5'6, 148. I have trouble seeing him being effective physically at that size. He's a good offensive presence though and should be valuable on the PK.
Bain is a tough one to get a read on, he was a good scorer and a tough player, but it's tough to place him all time.
I don't think your fourth line is bad, but I think it lacks direction a little. It isn't great at any one aspect, but is just solid all around.
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
I thought he was amazing in the final against the Oilers (in 85, hence my use of the singular originally, I wish I coulda have seen him the 87 finals
McCrimmon didn't play a shift against the Oilers in 1985, he suffered a devastating shoulder separation in game 6 vs. Quebec. It was a huge loss as Howe & McCrimmon were the best defenive pairing in the league at the time, and losing McCrimmon allowed the Gretzky line to run wild.
Hmm, seems I am completely confused, did someone else not go to the dressing room in the third game? Perhaps it was Poulin actually?
John Flyers Fan
Registered User
I really think this series comes down to Jagr.
While the 1st lines are failry even, having Jagr, the best offensive player in the series on the 2nd line can be huge. Jagr is a good enough player to wreck a game or two by himself.
If Jagr has a real good series Seattle wins ... if Detroit can find away to contain Jagr I think they end up victorious.
While the 1st lines are failry even, having Jagr, the best offensive player in the series on the 2nd line can be huge. Jagr is a good enough player to wreck a game or two by himself.
If Jagr has a real good series Seattle wins ... if Detroit can find away to contain Jagr I think they end up victorious.
Frank the Tank
The Godfather
Hextall, Falcons Bounce Back
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Only one of Ron Hextall Sr.’s two goals counted, but it came with 5:58 left in the third period and gave the Detroit Falcons another home win, 2-1 over the Seattle Metropolitans in Game One of the Foster Hewitt Divison finals.
An apparent tying tally by Hextall early in the second period was disallowed even though some replays appeared to show his deflection crossed the goal line.
Detroit was momentarily ruffled but tied it just under 10 minutes later as Jean Béliveau poked the puck past goaltender Chuck Gardiner off a scramble in the crease for his sixth postseason goal.
That set the stage for Hextall's redemption. Béliveau's shot from the left faceoff circle was deflected back into the slot to Hextall, who flipped the puck off the stick of Seattle center Bernie Federko and past Gardiner for his second playoff goal.
"The puck was bouncing along like a ping-pong ball and Bernie tried to clear it to the corner, but it was just one of those crazy plays where it ended up in the net," Gardiner said.
"Our line worked hard all game and I am very happy to be able to help my team win another game," Hextall said.
Jacques Plante made several key stops down the stretch and finished with 30 saves for the Falcons, who improved to 3-1 at home in the postseason.
"Everything's going our way at home, and we're just playing with a lot of confidence and staying focused out there," said Detroit assistant captain Marcel Pronovost. "We're getting the wins, so we're not going to really talk about or think about why it's happening at home. As long as it keeps on happening, we're going to take it."
The Mets grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on Jaromir Jagr’s goal, but they could not get another puck past Plante. Seattle won Game One of their semi-finals series against the St. Louis Eagles, eventually winning the series in six games.
Although playing for the first time in five days, the Mets showed no signs of rust, dominating the first period. They outshot Detroit, 14-9, and grabbed the lead at 8:42. Federko intercepted defenseman Hod Stuart's clearing attempt behind the net and threw a quick pass in front. Sweeping by a flat-footed Modano in the slot, Jagr shoveled the puck past Plante, who was caught at the left goalpost.
"That was a careless play on my part. I had no business being caught out of position," Plante said. "I was very mad at myself, and that gave me a boost. I said to myself, `That's it, I'm going to close the door on them.' When we got it out of the first period down only 1-0 we thought that we were in pretty good shape."
Plante kept Detroit just one goal behind with a point-blank stop on Bob Bourne with 8:42 left. He denied Michel Goulet from the low slot less than two minutes later and stopped point blank shots by Mets captain Alf Smith and Federko during a flurry with 3:24 remaining.
Hextall appeared to tie it 4:19 into the second period when he deflected Alex Delvecchio’s wrist shot between Gardiner's pads. The puck appeared to slide just inside the left post, hit the padding inside the base of the cage and carom out.
But the goal judge did not turn on the goal light and the goal was nullified after a lengthy review by the video replay officials.
Falcons coach Jacques Demers was incensed, later confronting the NHL's supervisor of officials for this series.
"You saw it with your own eyes, it was a goal," he told reporters in the Olympia Stadium press room after the game. "Whenever the puck goes across the red line, it's a goal, and that's the way it's been in this game for over 100 years."
Hextall was incensed with the goal judge, slapping the glass in front of the goal judge with his stick. To add insult to injury, Seattle right wing Tiger Williams skated past the goal judge and gave him a thumbs-up sign.
The Falcon's mood improved when Béliveau extended his point-scoring streak to three games at 14:07 of the second period. Delvecchio again started the play, wristing a shot from above the right circle that was stopped by Gardiner. The rebound was chipped away from the goalie and Hextall was denied on one poke but Béliveau put it home for his sixth playoff goal.
Afterwards, Hextall made sure the Falcons celebrated directly in front of the goal judge.
During the second intermission, arena workers peeled back a portion of the padding near the left post.
"I guess from here on in, all nets will have to be checked," Demers said. "You would think they would have corrected that problem by now.
"We were certainly upset by having a goal taken away. But we kept battling and kept our confidence level high. We really were relaxed, we got our legs back and I thought we played an excellent game overall."
While Detroit managed only one shot after Hextall's go-ahead goal, the Mets repeatedly tested Plante who stopped Bryan Trottier’s wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle with 2:59 remaining and used his glove to snatch the rebound by Tim Kerr, who reached around defenseman Ching Johnson to get a shot.
With 1:45 to go, Plante kicked out his right pad to stop Gary Dornhoefer’s drive from the right circle and smothered Brent Sutter’s rebound attempt. Just 22 seconds later, Plante turned away Federko’s shot from close range off Jagr's centering pass.
"In order to be successful in the playoffs, you need to count on solid goaltending. Just look at the track record of Jacques Plante," Demers said. "He did an outstanding job for us and he just got caught out of position on their lone goal."
"We can't let a goaltender beat us," Mets defenseman Rod Langway said. "I guess we have to get more shots on him and we definitely have to get a lot more traffic in front of him. One thing about Jacques Plante, he's not going to allow many second or third opportunities. We did have a number of good scoring opportunities, but we weren't able to get those second or third whacks at him."
Seattle pulled Gardiner for an extra attacker with 1:23 left, but never mustered a good chance at the tying goal and was called for icing with 19 seconds to play.
Gardiner made 26 saves for Seattle, which went 0-for-2 on the power play and is 8-for-54 in the postseason.
"I thought the game was exceptionally well-played, and a number of our players showed up and played very well. We need to do a lot of the same things that we did today in order to generate offensive production," Mets coach Pete Green said. "But we need to find a way to slow them down a little bit. And Jacques Plante, I thought, was very, very good for them tonight."
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Only one of Ron Hextall Sr.’s two goals counted, but it came with 5:58 left in the third period and gave the Detroit Falcons another home win, 2-1 over the Seattle Metropolitans in Game One of the Foster Hewitt Divison finals.
An apparent tying tally by Hextall early in the second period was disallowed even though some replays appeared to show his deflection crossed the goal line.
Detroit was momentarily ruffled but tied it just under 10 minutes later as Jean Béliveau poked the puck past goaltender Chuck Gardiner off a scramble in the crease for his sixth postseason goal.
That set the stage for Hextall's redemption. Béliveau's shot from the left faceoff circle was deflected back into the slot to Hextall, who flipped the puck off the stick of Seattle center Bernie Federko and past Gardiner for his second playoff goal.
"The puck was bouncing along like a ping-pong ball and Bernie tried to clear it to the corner, but it was just one of those crazy plays where it ended up in the net," Gardiner said.
"Our line worked hard all game and I am very happy to be able to help my team win another game," Hextall said.
Jacques Plante made several key stops down the stretch and finished with 30 saves for the Falcons, who improved to 3-1 at home in the postseason.
"Everything's going our way at home, and we're just playing with a lot of confidence and staying focused out there," said Detroit assistant captain Marcel Pronovost. "We're getting the wins, so we're not going to really talk about or think about why it's happening at home. As long as it keeps on happening, we're going to take it."
The Mets grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period on Jaromir Jagr’s goal, but they could not get another puck past Plante. Seattle won Game One of their semi-finals series against the St. Louis Eagles, eventually winning the series in six games.
Although playing for the first time in five days, the Mets showed no signs of rust, dominating the first period. They outshot Detroit, 14-9, and grabbed the lead at 8:42. Federko intercepted defenseman Hod Stuart's clearing attempt behind the net and threw a quick pass in front. Sweeping by a flat-footed Modano in the slot, Jagr shoveled the puck past Plante, who was caught at the left goalpost.
"That was a careless play on my part. I had no business being caught out of position," Plante said. "I was very mad at myself, and that gave me a boost. I said to myself, `That's it, I'm going to close the door on them.' When we got it out of the first period down only 1-0 we thought that we were in pretty good shape."
Plante kept Detroit just one goal behind with a point-blank stop on Bob Bourne with 8:42 left. He denied Michel Goulet from the low slot less than two minutes later and stopped point blank shots by Mets captain Alf Smith and Federko during a flurry with 3:24 remaining.
Hextall appeared to tie it 4:19 into the second period when he deflected Alex Delvecchio’s wrist shot between Gardiner's pads. The puck appeared to slide just inside the left post, hit the padding inside the base of the cage and carom out.
But the goal judge did not turn on the goal light and the goal was nullified after a lengthy review by the video replay officials.
Falcons coach Jacques Demers was incensed, later confronting the NHL's supervisor of officials for this series.
"You saw it with your own eyes, it was a goal," he told reporters in the Olympia Stadium press room after the game. "Whenever the puck goes across the red line, it's a goal, and that's the way it's been in this game for over 100 years."
Hextall was incensed with the goal judge, slapping the glass in front of the goal judge with his stick. To add insult to injury, Seattle right wing Tiger Williams skated past the goal judge and gave him a thumbs-up sign.
The Falcon's mood improved when Béliveau extended his point-scoring streak to three games at 14:07 of the second period. Delvecchio again started the play, wristing a shot from above the right circle that was stopped by Gardiner. The rebound was chipped away from the goalie and Hextall was denied on one poke but Béliveau put it home for his sixth playoff goal.
Afterwards, Hextall made sure the Falcons celebrated directly in front of the goal judge.
During the second intermission, arena workers peeled back a portion of the padding near the left post.
"I guess from here on in, all nets will have to be checked," Demers said. "You would think they would have corrected that problem by now.
"We were certainly upset by having a goal taken away. But we kept battling and kept our confidence level high. We really were relaxed, we got our legs back and I thought we played an excellent game overall."
While Detroit managed only one shot after Hextall's go-ahead goal, the Mets repeatedly tested Plante who stopped Bryan Trottier’s wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle with 2:59 remaining and used his glove to snatch the rebound by Tim Kerr, who reached around defenseman Ching Johnson to get a shot.
With 1:45 to go, Plante kicked out his right pad to stop Gary Dornhoefer’s drive from the right circle and smothered Brent Sutter’s rebound attempt. Just 22 seconds later, Plante turned away Federko’s shot from close range off Jagr's centering pass.
"In order to be successful in the playoffs, you need to count on solid goaltending. Just look at the track record of Jacques Plante," Demers said. "He did an outstanding job for us and he just got caught out of position on their lone goal."
"We can't let a goaltender beat us," Mets defenseman Rod Langway said. "I guess we have to get more shots on him and we definitely have to get a lot more traffic in front of him. One thing about Jacques Plante, he's not going to allow many second or third opportunities. We did have a number of good scoring opportunities, but we weren't able to get those second or third whacks at him."
Seattle pulled Gardiner for an extra attacker with 1:23 left, but never mustered a good chance at the tying goal and was called for icing with 19 seconds to play.
Gardiner made 26 saves for Seattle, which went 0-for-2 on the power play and is 8-for-54 in the postseason.
"I thought the game was exceptionally well-played, and a number of our players showed up and played very well. We need to do a lot of the same things that we did today in order to generate offensive production," Mets coach Pete Green said. "But we need to find a way to slow them down a little bit. And Jacques Plante, I thought, was very, very good for them tonight."
Frank the Tank
The Godfather
Relentless Mets tie series
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Whenever the Seattle Metropolitans have needed a big goal in these playoffs, Jaromir Jagr has answered the call.
Jagr's game-winning goal, with 8:08 remaining, snapped a tie and Bryan Trottier added an insurance tally as the Mets defeated the Detroit Falcons, 4-2, to even the Foster Hewitt Division finals at one game apiece.
The Mets dominated throughout but settled for a 2-2 tie heading into the third period. Seattle continued to swarm the Detroit zone in the final 20 minutes, outshooting the Falcons 15-5.
Jacques Plante kept the score tied before Jagr and Trottier scored on consecutive shots almost five minutes apart.
"We played tonight's game as if it was the seventh game of the series," Mets coach Pete Green said. "It's that style of play and tenacity that we're going to have to play with the rest of the series. We certainly played 60 minutes and did an awful lot of things we need to do to beat a hockey club such as Detroit. We're just going to have to keep our level of intensity up when we go there for Games Three and Four."
Mets assistant captain Rod Langway began the play on the winning goal at the right point. He slid a pass into the high slot for Alf Smith, whose one-timer was stopped by Plante. But an unchecked Jagr calmly swept the puck between the goaltender's pads for his eighth of the playoffs.
"It was a great play by Rod and Alf and I was left all alone for the rebound," Jagr said. "I had plenty of time to put it home. It would've been awfully tough to go down two games in this series. We played much harder today and we had a very determined effort which really paid off for us in the third period."
Jagr, who has two goals in the series, has 11 points in his last 8 games.
Falcons winger Jack Darragh took an ill-advised elbowing penalty against Bill Gadsby with 5:21 to play and Trottier cashed in 1:49 later, beating Plante over the left shoulder from the right faceoff circle for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
"We knew coming in that we had to put an awful lot of shots on Jacques. The key is getting the second and third opportunities against him," Trottier said. "He always in position for the first shot and you have to look for rebounds. That's exactly what happened on Jags' goal, he was able to get it through his legs after he went down."
Trottier had two goals and seven assists during the series against St. Louis, but was held scoreless in Game One against Detroit.
"I thought our patience with the puck was exceptional tonight," added Trottier. "We were very strong with our puckhandling down low and in the corners and we did a real good job of getting the puck in front and creating scoring opportunities. That type of patience and puck control was something we did not have in Game One."
Marcel Pronovost and Rick Middleton scored for Detroit, which suffered its second loss in five home games in the playoffs.
"They played a very strong game and Gardiner came up with some big saves at the right time," Falcons coach Jacques Demers said. "They had better legs than us and were hungrier than us and deserved to win the game. We were not on the puck as much as we should have been and our forecheck was not very good. When the forecheck is not working, they can do whatever they want and that's what happened tonight."
Game Three is Wednesday at the Ice Arena in Seattle.
"They played a great game and came out and played very physical," Falcons right wing Brian Hextall Sr. said. "We tried to match them but they kept pushing and pushing and we didn't react to it well at all. Their physical play serves as a wakeup call for us. It was a tough loss but we're tied at one after two games so things aren't that bad."
Plante, who finished with 41 saves, had been 2-0 when facing 40 or more shots in these playoffs.
"We knew they were a desperate hockey club tonight and that they were going to come out and do everything they could to win the game," Plante said. "It would've been a huge hole for them to climb out of being down 2-0. They had so many shots against me tonight but I'm not upset at the players in front of me for allowing so many shots because we played very well up until that point. There is no problem with our confidence level right now."
Gardiner stopped 17 shots, improving to 9-4 in these playoffs.
"When the game was tied 2-2, you just had the feeling that the next goal wins the game," Detroit center Doug Jarvis said. "Unfortunately, they were the team that got the goal and they pressed us very hard throughout the third period. Now we're going on the road, but what has home ice really meant in the playoffs? We know that home ice is not that big of a deal because we played so well on the road. But one thing is for certain, we have to play a lot better in Game Three than we did tonight."
The Falcons struck first 10:32 into the game on Pronovost's power-play goal on a point shot that found its way through a crowd in front. But Rick Meagher's breakaway goal with 5:49 left in the opening period tied the score.
Seconds after Plante slid across the crease to deny Michel Goulet on a 2-on-1, Bill Gadsby swooped in from the point to bury the puck, netting his first goal of the series at 4:56 of the second period to give Seattle the lead. Trottier carried into the Falcons zone and left the puck for Gadsby in the right circle. The Mets defenseman stepped into a slap shot and blasted it past Plante's stick side.
Middleton’s third goal of the postseason with 5:01 to play in the second period lifted the Falcons into a 2-2 tie. Gordie Drillon left a drop pass for Ching Johnson along the left boards. Johnson put a slapper on net that Gardiner stopped but a diving Middleton flipped a backhander over the prone goaltender.
Tim Kerr appeared to give Seattle a 3-2 lead with 13:02 remaining but his goal was disallowed when replays showed that his stick was above the crossbar when he redirected Langway’s point shot.
"The disallowed goal definitely sparked us. After that we were winning al the one-on-one battles and it paid off in getting two goals," Kerr said. "Certainly the key is to get as much rubber on Jacques as possible because we know 90 percent of the time he's going to stop the first shot. It's the rebounds and deflections that are critical against him and we were able to get a couple of those by him tonight."
Mets left wing Peter McNab suffered a left knee injury five minutes into the first period while checking Detroit defenseman Flash Hollett. McNab was on crutches after the game and is expected to miss the next couple of games.
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Whenever the Seattle Metropolitans have needed a big goal in these playoffs, Jaromir Jagr has answered the call.
Jagr's game-winning goal, with 8:08 remaining, snapped a tie and Bryan Trottier added an insurance tally as the Mets defeated the Detroit Falcons, 4-2, to even the Foster Hewitt Division finals at one game apiece.
The Mets dominated throughout but settled for a 2-2 tie heading into the third period. Seattle continued to swarm the Detroit zone in the final 20 minutes, outshooting the Falcons 15-5.
Jacques Plante kept the score tied before Jagr and Trottier scored on consecutive shots almost five minutes apart.
"We played tonight's game as if it was the seventh game of the series," Mets coach Pete Green said. "It's that style of play and tenacity that we're going to have to play with the rest of the series. We certainly played 60 minutes and did an awful lot of things we need to do to beat a hockey club such as Detroit. We're just going to have to keep our level of intensity up when we go there for Games Three and Four."
Mets assistant captain Rod Langway began the play on the winning goal at the right point. He slid a pass into the high slot for Alf Smith, whose one-timer was stopped by Plante. But an unchecked Jagr calmly swept the puck between the goaltender's pads for his eighth of the playoffs.
"It was a great play by Rod and Alf and I was left all alone for the rebound," Jagr said. "I had plenty of time to put it home. It would've been awfully tough to go down two games in this series. We played much harder today and we had a very determined effort which really paid off for us in the third period."
Jagr, who has two goals in the series, has 11 points in his last 8 games.
Falcons winger Jack Darragh took an ill-advised elbowing penalty against Bill Gadsby with 5:21 to play and Trottier cashed in 1:49 later, beating Plante over the left shoulder from the right faceoff circle for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
"We knew coming in that we had to put an awful lot of shots on Jacques. The key is getting the second and third opportunities against him," Trottier said. "He always in position for the first shot and you have to look for rebounds. That's exactly what happened on Jags' goal, he was able to get it through his legs after he went down."
Trottier had two goals and seven assists during the series against St. Louis, but was held scoreless in Game One against Detroit.
"I thought our patience with the puck was exceptional tonight," added Trottier. "We were very strong with our puckhandling down low and in the corners and we did a real good job of getting the puck in front and creating scoring opportunities. That type of patience and puck control was something we did not have in Game One."
Marcel Pronovost and Rick Middleton scored for Detroit, which suffered its second loss in five home games in the playoffs.
"They played a very strong game and Gardiner came up with some big saves at the right time," Falcons coach Jacques Demers said. "They had better legs than us and were hungrier than us and deserved to win the game. We were not on the puck as much as we should have been and our forecheck was not very good. When the forecheck is not working, they can do whatever they want and that's what happened tonight."
Game Three is Wednesday at the Ice Arena in Seattle.
"They played a great game and came out and played very physical," Falcons right wing Brian Hextall Sr. said. "We tried to match them but they kept pushing and pushing and we didn't react to it well at all. Their physical play serves as a wakeup call for us. It was a tough loss but we're tied at one after two games so things aren't that bad."
Plante, who finished with 41 saves, had been 2-0 when facing 40 or more shots in these playoffs.
"We knew they were a desperate hockey club tonight and that they were going to come out and do everything they could to win the game," Plante said. "It would've been a huge hole for them to climb out of being down 2-0. They had so many shots against me tonight but I'm not upset at the players in front of me for allowing so many shots because we played very well up until that point. There is no problem with our confidence level right now."
Gardiner stopped 17 shots, improving to 9-4 in these playoffs.
"When the game was tied 2-2, you just had the feeling that the next goal wins the game," Detroit center Doug Jarvis said. "Unfortunately, they were the team that got the goal and they pressed us very hard throughout the third period. Now we're going on the road, but what has home ice really meant in the playoffs? We know that home ice is not that big of a deal because we played so well on the road. But one thing is for certain, we have to play a lot better in Game Three than we did tonight."
The Falcons struck first 10:32 into the game on Pronovost's power-play goal on a point shot that found its way through a crowd in front. But Rick Meagher's breakaway goal with 5:49 left in the opening period tied the score.
Seconds after Plante slid across the crease to deny Michel Goulet on a 2-on-1, Bill Gadsby swooped in from the point to bury the puck, netting his first goal of the series at 4:56 of the second period to give Seattle the lead. Trottier carried into the Falcons zone and left the puck for Gadsby in the right circle. The Mets defenseman stepped into a slap shot and blasted it past Plante's stick side.
Middleton’s third goal of the postseason with 5:01 to play in the second period lifted the Falcons into a 2-2 tie. Gordie Drillon left a drop pass for Ching Johnson along the left boards. Johnson put a slapper on net that Gardiner stopped but a diving Middleton flipped a backhander over the prone goaltender.
Tim Kerr appeared to give Seattle a 3-2 lead with 13:02 remaining but his goal was disallowed when replays showed that his stick was above the crossbar when he redirected Langway’s point shot.
"The disallowed goal definitely sparked us. After that we were winning al the one-on-one battles and it paid off in getting two goals," Kerr said. "Certainly the key is to get as much rubber on Jacques as possible because we know 90 percent of the time he's going to stop the first shot. It's the rebounds and deflections that are critical against him and we were able to get a couple of those by him tonight."
Mets left wing Peter McNab suffered a left knee injury five minutes into the first period while checking Detroit defenseman Flash Hollett. McNab was on crutches after the game and is expected to miss the next couple of games.
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EagleBelfour
Registered User
Tie after 2 games, I can't get a 2-0 lead at home
Fantastic writeup FtT, I read with a lot of interess!
Fantastic writeup FtT, I read with a lot of interess!
Frank the Tank
The Godfather
Plante leads Falcons to 2-1 series advantage
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Call the Ice Arena the unfriendly confines for the Seattle Metropolitans.
Jacques Plante recorded another playoff shutout and Jean Béliveau scored his third game-winning goal of the postseason as the Detroit Falcons blanked Seattle, 3-0, for a two games to one lead in the Foster Hewitt Division finals.
Plante stopped 34 shots for his second shutout of this year's postseason. He withstood a furious attack early in the first period, making key saves on Michel Goulet and Rod Langway, whose point shot made it through a maze of players with just under 15 minutes left.
Seattle was on the power play with six minutes to go in the period when Plante came up with a pair of point-blank stops, denying Jaromir Jagr and Bernie Federko.
"They came out strong and had a lot of chances right off the bat," Plante said. "Our game is to play team defense. We cleared out our crease and kept their shots from the outside. We have to come out strong and get going early next game."
Detroit grabbed a 1-0 lead 2:22 into the second period on its 15th shot as Béliveau scored a fluke goal. From behind the net, he threw the puck in front. It caromed off defenseman Brad McCrimmon’s right skate and trickled between goaltender Chuck Gardiner's pads for Béliveau's seventh playoff goal.
"It was a tough break when the puck went off my skate," McCrimmon said. "They did a better job of getting the puck deep. We played well in the first and pressed too hard in the third."
"I thought we worked hard and kept the pressure into their end. If we can keep the puck down in their end, that's exactly what they don't want us do," Béliveau said. "We have to play with the same attitude as we had tonight. We are making sacrifices. We had good chemistry tonight even though we mixed up the lines for a bit."
Coach Jacques Demers juggled his lines, double-shifting Béliveau between left wing Rick Middleton and Gordie Drillon for a few shifts.
Plante got a little help just under two minutes after Béliveau 's goal as Tim Kerr's backhanded wraparound attempt glanced off the crossbar.
But there was no luck involved when Plante stopped Rod Langway's shot from the right side two minutes into the third period and stacked his pads to deny Brent Sutter's shorthanded chance from close range.
With 11:17 to play, Bryan Trottier's wrist shot from the left circle hit the near post.
"I felt real strong tonight, I was seeing the puck well," Plante said. "It was a great team effort. The post was on my side, too."
"Jacques was good in net. We didn't create traffic and get rebounds," Trottier said. "We kept on working, but we made a mistake to create their second goal. We played well until then. We have to be smarter and cannot let down. We opened up well and had good speed and pressure, and then we had a couple of letdowns."
Just over two minutes later, Alf Smith turned over the puck at the Detroit blue line and Craig Ludwig was caught at center ice, helping Béliveau and Gordie Drillon in on a 2-on-1. Béliveau made a perfect pass and Drillon lifted a wrist shot over Gardiner's glove for his fifth playoff goal.
"After the second goal, I felt they started to get frustrated," said Falcons center Doug Jarvis "That's the way we like it. The first five to six minutes, they came out hard. And after that, we started to play our game."
Plante made two more big saves to preserve the shutout, getting his right pad on Bill Gadsby's point-blank one-timer and stopping the rebound by Tim Kerr with 5:20 left.
Larry Aurie capped the scoring with 3:55 remaining, moving down the right wing off a poor Mets’ line change and putting a bad-angle shot into the top left corner of the net for his first goal of the playoffs.
Béliveau picked up another assist on the play, completing his second three-point game of the postseason.
Gardiner made 23 saves for Seattle, which hosts Game Four on Friday.
=========================
That is all for today. I'll finish the Foster Hewitt finals game write-ups tomorrow.
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Call the Ice Arena the unfriendly confines for the Seattle Metropolitans.
Jacques Plante recorded another playoff shutout and Jean Béliveau scored his third game-winning goal of the postseason as the Detroit Falcons blanked Seattle, 3-0, for a two games to one lead in the Foster Hewitt Division finals.
Plante stopped 34 shots for his second shutout of this year's postseason. He withstood a furious attack early in the first period, making key saves on Michel Goulet and Rod Langway, whose point shot made it through a maze of players with just under 15 minutes left.
Seattle was on the power play with six minutes to go in the period when Plante came up with a pair of point-blank stops, denying Jaromir Jagr and Bernie Federko.
"They came out strong and had a lot of chances right off the bat," Plante said. "Our game is to play team defense. We cleared out our crease and kept their shots from the outside. We have to come out strong and get going early next game."
Detroit grabbed a 1-0 lead 2:22 into the second period on its 15th shot as Béliveau scored a fluke goal. From behind the net, he threw the puck in front. It caromed off defenseman Brad McCrimmon’s right skate and trickled between goaltender Chuck Gardiner's pads for Béliveau's seventh playoff goal.
"It was a tough break when the puck went off my skate," McCrimmon said. "They did a better job of getting the puck deep. We played well in the first and pressed too hard in the third."
"I thought we worked hard and kept the pressure into their end. If we can keep the puck down in their end, that's exactly what they don't want us do," Béliveau said. "We have to play with the same attitude as we had tonight. We are making sacrifices. We had good chemistry tonight even though we mixed up the lines for a bit."
Coach Jacques Demers juggled his lines, double-shifting Béliveau between left wing Rick Middleton and Gordie Drillon for a few shifts.
Plante got a little help just under two minutes after Béliveau 's goal as Tim Kerr's backhanded wraparound attempt glanced off the crossbar.
But there was no luck involved when Plante stopped Rod Langway's shot from the right side two minutes into the third period and stacked his pads to deny Brent Sutter's shorthanded chance from close range.
With 11:17 to play, Bryan Trottier's wrist shot from the left circle hit the near post.
"I felt real strong tonight, I was seeing the puck well," Plante said. "It was a great team effort. The post was on my side, too."
"Jacques was good in net. We didn't create traffic and get rebounds," Trottier said. "We kept on working, but we made a mistake to create their second goal. We played well until then. We have to be smarter and cannot let down. We opened up well and had good speed and pressure, and then we had a couple of letdowns."
Just over two minutes later, Alf Smith turned over the puck at the Detroit blue line and Craig Ludwig was caught at center ice, helping Béliveau and Gordie Drillon in on a 2-on-1. Béliveau made a perfect pass and Drillon lifted a wrist shot over Gardiner's glove for his fifth playoff goal.
"After the second goal, I felt they started to get frustrated," said Falcons center Doug Jarvis "That's the way we like it. The first five to six minutes, they came out hard. And after that, we started to play our game."
Plante made two more big saves to preserve the shutout, getting his right pad on Bill Gadsby's point-blank one-timer and stopping the rebound by Tim Kerr with 5:20 left.
Larry Aurie capped the scoring with 3:55 remaining, moving down the right wing off a poor Mets’ line change and putting a bad-angle shot into the top left corner of the net for his first goal of the playoffs.
Béliveau picked up another assist on the play, completing his second three-point game of the postseason.
Gardiner made 23 saves for Seattle, which hosts Game Four on Friday.
=========================
That is all for today. I'll finish the Foster Hewitt finals game write-ups tomorrow.
Frank the Tank
The Godfather
Goulet evens series with OT winner
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Michel Goulet scored on a one-timer in the final minute of overtime, giving the Seattle Metropolitans a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Falcons and tying the Foster Hewitt Division finals at two wins apiece.
Bill Gadsby intercepted Hod Stuart’s clearing attempt just inside the blue line and backhanded a pass to the left faceoff circle. Goulet corraled it and wristed the puck into the top left corner of the net with 31 seconds remaining for his fourth playoff goal and first game-winner.
"It was a scrum play at the blue line. I tried to get it over to Trots, but it didn't get there. The next thing you know, Gads comes rushing in and he gets a soft pass over to me and I fired it up in the corner," Goulet said.
Goulet saw plenty of ice time late in the game for Seattle, which played without injured captain Alf Smith who left the game in the second period after receiving a puck in the mouth.
"Every injury gives another player the opportunity to step up and pick up the slack. I have lots of players that can play many positions," Seattle coach Pete Green said. "I was looking for who was fresh out there, going down to three lines. There are some guys who can recuperate faster than others. I was just trying to utilize the freshest legs."
The Mets scored on their first two shots of the game and their last to reduce the series to a best-of-three showdown. Game Five is Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
"It's a whole new series," proclaimed Seattle right wing Gary Dornhoefer. "We're going on the road, where we've had a lot of success, and we want to pick it up where we left off with our last road win in Game Two."
"I'm not sure (the intensity) could go any higher than it is going right now," said Falcons coach Jacques Demers. "We want to win as bad as anybody. I just think you've got two teams that are maxing out. There's nothing left in the tank for anybody -- their players or our players. It was just a tremendous hockey game."
Defenceman Rod Langway challenged Seattle's top line to produce and Tim Kerr and Bryan Trottier –held to one goal in the first three games -- responded. They combined on the game's first goal as Kerr screened goalie Jacques Plante and Trottier beat him to the glove side with a wrist shot from the top of the slot 4:06 into the first period.
"I didn't challenge anybody, I just said what I thought I had to say," Langway said. "If you take that as a challenge, it's up to you. I think they responded very well."
Only 48 seconds later, Jaromir Jagr's shot from the top of the right faceoff circle deflected off defenseman Edward Ivanov’s stick and over Plante's left shoulder. It was Jagr's third goal of the series.
"We are not surprised that they came out with their `A' game," said Falcons center Doug Jarvis. "They know they are down and it could be their last home game."
But Plante was perfect for the rest of regulation and the Falcons began to control play in the second period. They dodged a bullet when Federko shot wide at the end of a 2-on-1 just 4 ½ minutes into the period but halved the deficit at 9:48.
Brent Sutter was penalized for tripping 41 seconds earlier and Detroit' much-maligned power play broke out of a 1-for-17 slump when Jean Béliveau’s wrister from the top of the left circle found its way between Gardiner's pads. The goalie was screened by Falcons teammates Bryan Hextall Sr. and Alex Delvecchio, and never saw the puck.
"The guys worked hard and played well," Gardiner said. "We had to play that kind of game. We took an early 2-0 lead, but that's a good team we're playing. They play very well defensively and can score goals."
Detroit got a scare with just under three minutes left in the second as Mike Modano got tangled with Tim Kerr and appeared to injure his right knee. But the Falcons’ center returned early in the third period.
Taking advantage of a bad line change, the Falcons nearly tied it four minutes into the third. But Gardiner came out and got a piece of Larry Murphy’s blast from the right faceoff dot.
Plante kept the deficit at one goal with a pad save on Goulet's shot from the low left circle and Gardiner answered midway through the period by denying Tommy Phillips’ stuff attempt.
Detroit finally tied it with with 3:53 left in regulation on Jack Darragh’s third playoff goal. Doug Jarvis tied up defenseman James Patrick, freeing the puck for Darragh, who rifled a slap shot from the right circle between Gardiner's pads and under his stick.
"Yes, we felt we did have (the momentum)," Detroit defenseman Marcel Pronovost said. "Halfway through the game, things were starting to go our way a little bit. We expected a push from them tonight, and they got a couple of quick goals. We had to play from behind, and I think that is a tough team to play from behind with."
The game almost never reached overtime. Jagr and Federko broke in 2-on-none with just over a minute to go in the third period but Federko steered Jagr's pass wide of the left post.
The Falcons had the best chance early in the extra period, but Gardiner challenged center Dan Bain, who broke in alone but had his shot from the left circle stopped at 5:44.
Trottier, battered and bruised throughout the game, tried a wraparound at the right goalpost, but Plante stopped him with his left skate.
Both teams had power plays in overtime. Kerr went off for cross-checking Ching Johnson into the end boards at 12:08 and Detroit defenseman Hod Stuart followed him to the penalty box 2:28 later for high-sticking.
During the ensuing Seattle power play, Gardiner charged out of his net and beat Falcons center Mike Modano to a loose puck. The Mets still had the man advantage when Plante got the paddle of his stick on Rick Meagher's backhander at the end of a partial breakaway.
"I think the only disappointing part about the power play was in overtime, when we had the opportunity to shoot the puck and we didn't," Demers said. "It was a whale of a hockey game. I'm very proud of my team, the way we battled back, especially after being down 2-0 after five minutes. It was a tough way to lose."
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Michel Goulet scored on a one-timer in the final minute of overtime, giving the Seattle Metropolitans a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Falcons and tying the Foster Hewitt Division finals at two wins apiece.
Bill Gadsby intercepted Hod Stuart’s clearing attempt just inside the blue line and backhanded a pass to the left faceoff circle. Goulet corraled it and wristed the puck into the top left corner of the net with 31 seconds remaining for his fourth playoff goal and first game-winner.
"It was a scrum play at the blue line. I tried to get it over to Trots, but it didn't get there. The next thing you know, Gads comes rushing in and he gets a soft pass over to me and I fired it up in the corner," Goulet said.
Goulet saw plenty of ice time late in the game for Seattle, which played without injured captain Alf Smith who left the game in the second period after receiving a puck in the mouth.
"Every injury gives another player the opportunity to step up and pick up the slack. I have lots of players that can play many positions," Seattle coach Pete Green said. "I was looking for who was fresh out there, going down to three lines. There are some guys who can recuperate faster than others. I was just trying to utilize the freshest legs."
The Mets scored on their first two shots of the game and their last to reduce the series to a best-of-three showdown. Game Five is Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
"It's a whole new series," proclaimed Seattle right wing Gary Dornhoefer. "We're going on the road, where we've had a lot of success, and we want to pick it up where we left off with our last road win in Game Two."
"I'm not sure (the intensity) could go any higher than it is going right now," said Falcons coach Jacques Demers. "We want to win as bad as anybody. I just think you've got two teams that are maxing out. There's nothing left in the tank for anybody -- their players or our players. It was just a tremendous hockey game."
Defenceman Rod Langway challenged Seattle's top line to produce and Tim Kerr and Bryan Trottier –held to one goal in the first three games -- responded. They combined on the game's first goal as Kerr screened goalie Jacques Plante and Trottier beat him to the glove side with a wrist shot from the top of the slot 4:06 into the first period.
"I didn't challenge anybody, I just said what I thought I had to say," Langway said. "If you take that as a challenge, it's up to you. I think they responded very well."
Only 48 seconds later, Jaromir Jagr's shot from the top of the right faceoff circle deflected off defenseman Edward Ivanov’s stick and over Plante's left shoulder. It was Jagr's third goal of the series.
"We are not surprised that they came out with their `A' game," said Falcons center Doug Jarvis. "They know they are down and it could be their last home game."
But Plante was perfect for the rest of regulation and the Falcons began to control play in the second period. They dodged a bullet when Federko shot wide at the end of a 2-on-1 just 4 ½ minutes into the period but halved the deficit at 9:48.
Brent Sutter was penalized for tripping 41 seconds earlier and Detroit' much-maligned power play broke out of a 1-for-17 slump when Jean Béliveau’s wrister from the top of the left circle found its way between Gardiner's pads. The goalie was screened by Falcons teammates Bryan Hextall Sr. and Alex Delvecchio, and never saw the puck.
"The guys worked hard and played well," Gardiner said. "We had to play that kind of game. We took an early 2-0 lead, but that's a good team we're playing. They play very well defensively and can score goals."
Detroit got a scare with just under three minutes left in the second as Mike Modano got tangled with Tim Kerr and appeared to injure his right knee. But the Falcons’ center returned early in the third period.
Taking advantage of a bad line change, the Falcons nearly tied it four minutes into the third. But Gardiner came out and got a piece of Larry Murphy’s blast from the right faceoff dot.
Plante kept the deficit at one goal with a pad save on Goulet's shot from the low left circle and Gardiner answered midway through the period by denying Tommy Phillips’ stuff attempt.
Detroit finally tied it with with 3:53 left in regulation on Jack Darragh’s third playoff goal. Doug Jarvis tied up defenseman James Patrick, freeing the puck for Darragh, who rifled a slap shot from the right circle between Gardiner's pads and under his stick.
"Yes, we felt we did have (the momentum)," Detroit defenseman Marcel Pronovost said. "Halfway through the game, things were starting to go our way a little bit. We expected a push from them tonight, and they got a couple of quick goals. We had to play from behind, and I think that is a tough team to play from behind with."
The game almost never reached overtime. Jagr and Federko broke in 2-on-none with just over a minute to go in the third period but Federko steered Jagr's pass wide of the left post.
The Falcons had the best chance early in the extra period, but Gardiner challenged center Dan Bain, who broke in alone but had his shot from the left circle stopped at 5:44.
Trottier, battered and bruised throughout the game, tried a wraparound at the right goalpost, but Plante stopped him with his left skate.
Both teams had power plays in overtime. Kerr went off for cross-checking Ching Johnson into the end boards at 12:08 and Detroit defenseman Hod Stuart followed him to the penalty box 2:28 later for high-sticking.
During the ensuing Seattle power play, Gardiner charged out of his net and beat Falcons center Mike Modano to a loose puck. The Mets still had the man advantage when Plante got the paddle of his stick on Rick Meagher's backhander at the end of a partial breakaway.
"I think the only disappointing part about the power play was in overtime, when we had the opportunity to shoot the puck and we didn't," Demers said. "It was a whale of a hockey game. I'm very proud of my team, the way we battled back, especially after being down 2-0 after five minutes. It was a tough way to lose."
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