Nalyd Psycho
Registered User
Game 1: The marque match-ups of the night. Ray Bourque vs Jean Beliveau and Bernie Parent vs Vladislav Tretiak. In the first period, Bourque is able to cover Beliveau. His linemates lack the speed to carry the puck, and Bourque covers the passing lanes perfectly, Beliveau is forced to shoot, 3 shots in the first, but Tretiak has a perfect read on all of them. Tretiak isn't so lucky against the garbage goal line of Goring-Stewart-Leach. Tretiak stops a Goring-tipped Fetisov point shot, stops Leach on the rebound, but Stewart out-muscles Murphy for the second rebound and roughs the backhand over Tretiak, top right corner. The Stingers answer in the second with a three on two, give and go between Goulet and Stastny ends with a drop pass to Mogilny and a laser wrist shot past Parent. But that was all the Stingers could get passed Parent. Late in the third, Beliveau final out works Bourque, stickhandling between Bourque's legs and with his stick between Bourque's legs, makes the pass to Lalonde who bangs home the winner.
Blues win 2-1
Game 2: Beliveau sets up early goals by Dye and Lalonde, giving Saskatoon an early lead. So, Bourque switches strategy, he'll match Beliveau's offense. Pinching in from the point he makes what appears to be an errant pass, but, out of no where appears Phantom Joe Malone who finds the five hole before Jarvis finds him. Then, after Stewart takes a bad penalty for a cheap hit on Stastny, Bourque winds up for a point shot and the opportunistic Mellanby deflects it in. Pleading for redemption, Nolan gives Stewart some time on a line with Beliveau, which pays immediate dividends as Beliveau sets up Stewart in the slot for the go ahead goal. With Hawerchuk out as the extra attacker, Blackburn gives there all for the win, but not even a picture perfect Stastny to Bourque one timer can get passed the clutch goaltending of Parent.
Blues win 3-2
Game 3: Realizing that both the Beliveau line and Stewart line are killing the Stingers, Muckler mixes it up by putting Bourque against Stewart and the Mactavish line against Beliveau. Bourque limits Stewart's chances, and Tretiak closes the door on the few they get. To make amends for losing Malone before, Jarvis spends all game watching him like a hawk. The second lines are a non-factor in game 3 due to the excellent defensive play of Bourque and Jarvis. Peter Stastny fakes a pass to Goulet which fools Iafrate, but not Anton Stastny who reads his brother perfectly, unfortunatly, he can't top Peter's one on one skills and Peter Stastny gets the wrist shot passed Parent by using his brother as a screen. Believeau, who had been shut down by Mactavish up until this point get's fired up. He hold's Mactavish off with one hand while stickhandling passed Graham with the other hand, Graham and Mactavish get Beliveau out of scoring position, before they realize it was a ruse to get Guy Lapointe in perfect position for the game tying one timer. The game goes into overtime due to the great play of Tretiak and Parent, as well as the top defensive play backing them up. Early in the second period of overtime, Rob Ramage springs Jean Beliveau for the break-away, and despite Tretiak's best effort, Beliveau makes no mistake getting his first goal of the series.
Blues win 2-1 in OT
Game 4: Parent makes his mark. Bourque gets 5 shots, Stastny 4 and sets up Goulet and Mogilny for 3 a piece. Blackburn outshoots Saskatoon 41-20, but just cannot beat Parent. In the second period, an errant Iafrate slapshot bounces off the boards and right to Bob Bourne in the slot, who makes no mistake. Tretiak doesn't let anything else in on the night, but when he's pulled, a Beliveau clearing attempt goes the length of the ice for the icing on the cake goal.
Blues win 2-0
Three Stars:
3rd star: Bernie Parent
2nd Star: Ray Bourque
1st star: (And early Conn Smythe favourite) Jean Beliveau
The Saskatoon Blues sweep the Blackburn Stinger 4-0
Blues win 2-1
Game 2: Beliveau sets up early goals by Dye and Lalonde, giving Saskatoon an early lead. So, Bourque switches strategy, he'll match Beliveau's offense. Pinching in from the point he makes what appears to be an errant pass, but, out of no where appears Phantom Joe Malone who finds the five hole before Jarvis finds him. Then, after Stewart takes a bad penalty for a cheap hit on Stastny, Bourque winds up for a point shot and the opportunistic Mellanby deflects it in. Pleading for redemption, Nolan gives Stewart some time on a line with Beliveau, which pays immediate dividends as Beliveau sets up Stewart in the slot for the go ahead goal. With Hawerchuk out as the extra attacker, Blackburn gives there all for the win, but not even a picture perfect Stastny to Bourque one timer can get passed the clutch goaltending of Parent.
Blues win 3-2
Game 3: Realizing that both the Beliveau line and Stewart line are killing the Stingers, Muckler mixes it up by putting Bourque against Stewart and the Mactavish line against Beliveau. Bourque limits Stewart's chances, and Tretiak closes the door on the few they get. To make amends for losing Malone before, Jarvis spends all game watching him like a hawk. The second lines are a non-factor in game 3 due to the excellent defensive play of Bourque and Jarvis. Peter Stastny fakes a pass to Goulet which fools Iafrate, but not Anton Stastny who reads his brother perfectly, unfortunatly, he can't top Peter's one on one skills and Peter Stastny gets the wrist shot passed Parent by using his brother as a screen. Believeau, who had been shut down by Mactavish up until this point get's fired up. He hold's Mactavish off with one hand while stickhandling passed Graham with the other hand, Graham and Mactavish get Beliveau out of scoring position, before they realize it was a ruse to get Guy Lapointe in perfect position for the game tying one timer. The game goes into overtime due to the great play of Tretiak and Parent, as well as the top defensive play backing them up. Early in the second period of overtime, Rob Ramage springs Jean Beliveau for the break-away, and despite Tretiak's best effort, Beliveau makes no mistake getting his first goal of the series.
Blues win 2-1 in OT
Game 4: Parent makes his mark. Bourque gets 5 shots, Stastny 4 and sets up Goulet and Mogilny for 3 a piece. Blackburn outshoots Saskatoon 41-20, but just cannot beat Parent. In the second period, an errant Iafrate slapshot bounces off the boards and right to Bob Bourne in the slot, who makes no mistake. Tretiak doesn't let anything else in on the night, but when he's pulled, a Beliveau clearing attempt goes the length of the ice for the icing on the cake goal.
Blues win 2-0
Three Stars:
3rd star: Bernie Parent
2nd Star: Ray Bourque
1st star: (And early Conn Smythe favourite) Jean Beliveau
The Saskatoon Blues sweep the Blackburn Stinger 4-0
