ATD #10 - Bob Cole Semifinals: Buffalo Bisons (2) vs. Toronto Marlboros (5)

[papershoes]

Buffalo Bisons
GM: pappyline
Coach: Bob Johnson

Doug Bentley - Stan Mikita (C) - Bryan Hextall Sr.
Roy Conacher - Ulf Nilsson - Anders Hedberg
Don Marshall - Fleming Mackell - Murray Balfour
Johnny Wilson - Orland Kurtenbach - Rene Robert
extras: Ab McDonald, Ron Stewart

Black Jack Stewart - Tim Horton (A)
Carl Brewer (A)-Neil Colville
Lars-Erik Sjoberg-Doug Barkley
extra: Pat Egan

Harry Lumley
Roy Worters

Power play units:
PP1: Doug Bentley - Stan Mikita - Bryan Hextall - Lars-Erik Sjoberg - Rene Robert
PP2: Roy Conacher - Ulf Nilsson - Anders Hedberg - Carl Brewer - Doug Barkley

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Johnny Wilson - Don Marshall - Black Jack Stewart - Tim Horton
PK2: Fleming Mackell - Murray Balfour - Carl Brewer - Neil Colville


VS.


Toronto Marlboros
GM: Leopold Stotch
Coach: Harry Sinden

Dickie Moore - Milt Schmidt (A) - Gordie Drillon
Markus Naslund - Ron Francis (C) - Tim Kerr
Kirk Muller - Troy Murray - Frank Finnigan
Thomas Steen - Bobby Carpenter - Daniel Alfredsson
extras: Alexei Kovalev, Louis Berlinquette

Doug Harvey (A) - Gary Suter
Phil Housley - Tom Johnson
Steve Smith - Bill Barilko
extra: Hobey Baker

George Hainsworth
J-S Giguere

Power play units:
PP1: Moore - Schmidt - Kerr - Harvey - Housley
PP2: Drillon - Francis - Alfredsson - Suter - Johnson

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Schmidt - Finnigan - D - D
PK2: Muller - Murray - D - D​

Click to read more...

 

[God Bless Canada]

There could be an interesting dynamic to this series for no other reason than the little spat that pappy and Leo had a few weeks ago....

Big match-up could be Buffalo's top pairing against Toronto's top line. Grit and skill vs. grit and skill. I've lauded Buffalo's top pairing from the draft's beginning. Two of the best defensive defencemen of all-time. Horton's smarts and sturdy play combined with Stewart's ferocity. But you won't intimidate Moore, and you definitely won't intimidate Schmidt. Drillon might be a different story. Two ways to look at Drillon. He was a fantastic goal-scorer, especially in the playoffs. Back-to-back seven-goal post-seasons, for that time, should catch your attention. But he never faced anything like a Horton-Stewart tandem, and those two won't let him have jurisdiction in front of the net.

If Toronto's top line gets away from Horton-Stewart, then Drillon still has to contend with Carl Brewer. Pick you poison, Gordie.

Toronto will need to get the Harvey-Suter tandem out there against the Mikita line at every possible opportunity. They'll be in tough to stop them otherwise. They don't have that natural shut-down forward. In fact, their top two defensive forwards are probably Schmidt and Francis, although I think Kirk Muller is damn good for his role, too. But if Harvey and Suter aren't out there, the other options are Housley-Johnson and Smith-Barilko.

I like Johnson. But Housley out there against the Mikita line? He has the mobility to keep up with Mikita and Bentley, but not the defensive presence. He would be a liability. Barilko could play against that top line. His speed and aggressiveness would make him an asset. And he wouldn't back down against Mikita. But I don't know if Smith is mobile enough to play against that pairing.

Both teams have excellent depth. pappy's one of the firmest believers that third and fourth liners have to be able to score. You won't find a Kirk Maltby on his teams. Toronto also has four scoring lines. Both teams should be confident that their third and fourth lines can contribute a key goal late in a tight game.

I give the edge to Toronto in net, but it's not a big advantage. Hainsworth is a good No. 1. He falls somewhere in that 17-28 range. He showed me enough after 1929 - when he was still a consistent elite goalie - to warrant No. 1 goalie status. Lumley's underrated, but he's still near the bottom for No. 1 goalies in the draft.

I think Buffalo's edge behind the bench is greater than Toronto's edge in net. This is Badger Bob Johnson's type of team.

It's the traditional pappy team with lots of speed, skill, aggressiveness and balance. They have two scoring lines, a strong defensive line and a rabid fourth line. But the top two lines have grit, and the bottom two lines can score. Buffalo doesn't have a weakness. That's the challenge facing Toronto. They need Harvey to be at his best, they need their top pairing to thrive against Buffalo's top line, and they need their scoring depth to come through.

 

[pappyline]

Leapold, Congrats on advancing. I know, we had a disagreement earlier that was much ado about nothing but that is behind us & I am looking forward to a hard fought series.

I have the utmost respect for players like Harvey, Schmidt & Moore but feel I have the players to stop them. For sure I plan on matching Horton/Stewart against the Schmidt line as much as possible.

 

[Sturminator]

One thing I really like about Butters' team this time around is how cohesive the offensive strategy is on the scoringlines. Both the 1st and 2nd lines have a couple of creative guys at C and LW and then a dominant park-in-front-of-the-net right winger. I'm not normally a huge fan of Kerr and Drillon, but I like how the Marlies have gone all-in on this system. This is also a perfect Harry Sinden system. Let's not forget how Sinden's teams worked: 1st line - Esposito to the front of the net. 2nd line - Bucyk to the front of the net. Let the rest work itself out. Sinden depended on Orr to carry the puck up ice, but Toronto has Harvey and Housley for those duties on the top-2 units.

I'm not at all sure I agree with GBC's assessment that Johnson is the better coach in this series. Sinden is well-matched to this Marlies team, and I'm not entirely sure I like the look of a Johnson team without high-end puckmovement, especially on the 1st pairing. Horton was a good puckmover, but he's fairly average by ATD 1st unit standards. Did Bob Johnson ever coach an NHL team without exceptional puck-movement from the blueline? In Calgary, he had Reinhart and MacInnis and in Pittsburgh he had Coffey and Murphy. Relative to the rest of the league, Badger Bob's teams were always loaded with offensive defensemen. That's not the case here, where Buffalo's best offensive D relative to his roster position is probably Sjoberg. I don't see a problem with Buffalo's D, overall, as they're a stout defensive squad, but I can't agree that this is truly a "Badger Bob team".

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Good luck to you as well pappy, and thanks for the reviews guys.

I'm obviously in tough, I mean, the defending champs, wow. But I do have a lot of confidence in my chances. GBC, I disagree that the Bisons have no weakness. They're obviously very strong and don't have many weaknesses, but I think that second line may be a bit of one. I assume that pappy will keep Nilsson, Hedberg and Sjoberg together, and I think I can exploit that. I don't see any of those players on that unit as a strong defensive presence, and by attacking that I think I can have a big impact. At home, I'm definitely going to try my best to get my first line out there against them at many instances.

Regarding Drillon, I agree, but this is also why I love Drillon in the role I cast him. He's very one-dimensional, and can be shut down, but unlike many other lower-end RW options, he's not a guy you can ignore and get away with it. Being that he's with two of the three best forwards in this series, I think it's a nice fit for him. Also, should pappy put a guy like Horton or Stewart to try and take away his net presence, that should open up one of Moore or Schmidt, my two bests forwards. So, that's definitely something to like.

Housley again won't see a ton of time, but I think that of some he does, a lot could be with the top line if they're matched up against one of those 3rd or 4th lines. Don't get me wrong, those guys can score, but not as much where I'm afraid of having Housley out there. While the significances of his top line will take away Harvey and Suter from that top line, which is definitely a blow, having Housley and Johnson out there with them is also very nice.

Yes, Harvey will be out there a lot against that top line, and Housley definitely will not be. Harvey's partner will change at times, though. Sometimes his buddy Johnson will be out there with him against those guys, giving my answer to Horton-Stewart. Suter will obviously see a significant amount of time with him as well. And, should there be some fatigue, I think I could throw Barilko out there and he could do the job to some extent. I also will try and my first line against his, possibly with Alfredsson or Francis on that right wing slot instead of Drillon. I have the utmost confidence of those three guys' abilities to effectively slow down his top line, and while they aren't horrible defensively, I think I can definitely win that match-up.

While I love his defense, I agree with Sturm that it lacks a strong puck moving presence. Not only is that a big characteristic of a Badger Bob team that he might miss, but I think it's also one of my best qualities of my defense. A lot of guys who can mix it up offensively and make some key contributions. I also think my team defense is pretty solid, and a lack of an impact transitional game will definitely help them out.

I agree that I got a advantage in net, and while it's not that big, I really think it plays well here. I know some don't put much into Hainsworth pre-1929, but hey, while a lot of guys were recording some nice shutout numbers, it's not like anyone else was racking up as much as he. And despite him getting up there in age, he still did some pretty good things with a so-so Canadiens team. Lumley had a nice career, but I don't think he's capable of stealing a game or two, while I definitely think Hainsworth is.

Regarding coaching, I'm not sure how he has much of an advantage, if any at all. Yeah, this is a good team for Badger Bob, but as Sturm pointed out, it does lack that transitional game. As well, I think my team suits Sinden quite well, too. I don't put too much difference between Sinden and Johnson, so I think coaching's quite even.

 

[pappyline]

Good luck to you as well pappy, and thanks for the reviews guys.

I'm obviously in tough, I mean, the defending champs, wow. But I do have a lot of confidence in my chances. GBC, I disagree that the Bisons have no weakness. They're obviously very strong and don't have many weaknesses, but I think that second line may be a bit of one. I assume that pappy will keep Nilsson, Hedberg and Sjoberg together, and I think I can exploit that. I don't see any of those players on that unit as a strong defensive presence, and by attacking that I think I can have a big impact. At home, I'm definitely going to try my best to get my first line out there against them at many instances.

Regarding Drillon, I agree, but this is also why I love Drillon in the role I cast him. He's very one-dimensional, and can be shut down, but unlike many other lower-end RW options, he's not a guy you can ignore and get away with it. Being that he's with two of the three best forwards in this series, I think it's a nice fit for him. Also, should pappy put a guy like Horton or Stewart to try and take away his net presence, that should open up one of Moore or Schmidt, my two bests forwards. So, that's definitely something to like.

Housley again won't see a ton of time, but I think that of some he does, a lot could be with the top line if they're matched up against one of those 3rd or 4th lines. Don't get me wrong, those guys can score, but not as much where I'm afraid of having Housley out there. While the significances of his top line will take away Harvey and Suter from that top line, which is definitely a blow, having Housley and Johnson out there with them is also very nice.

Yes, Harvey will be out there a lot against that top line, and Housley definitely will not be. Harvey's partner will change at times, though. Sometimes his buddy Johnson will be out there with him against those guys, giving my answer to Horton-Stewart. Suter will obviously see a significant amount of time with him as well. And, should there be some fatigue, I think I could throw Barilko out there and he could do the job to some extent. I also will try and my first line against his, possibly with Alfredsson or Francis on that right wing slot instead of Drillon. I have the utmost confidence of those three guys' abilities to effectively slow down his top line, and while they aren't horrible defensively, I think I can definitely win that match-up.

While I love his defense, I agree with Sturm that it lacks a strong puck moving presence. Not only is that a big characteristic of a Badger Bob team that he might miss, but I think it's also one of my best qualities of my defense. A lot of guys who can mix it up offensively and make some key contributions. I also think my team defense is pretty solid, and a lack of an impact transitional game will definitely help them out.

I agree that I got a advantage in net, and while it's not that big, I really think it plays well here. I know some don't put much into Hainsworth pre-1929, but hey, while a lot of guys were recording some nice shutout numbers, it's not like anyone else was racking up as much as he. And despite him getting up there in age, he still did some pretty good things with a so-so Canadiens team. Lumley had a nice career, but I don't think he's capable of stealing a game or two, while I definitely think Hainsworth is.

Regarding coaching, I'm not sure how he has much of an advantage, if any at all. Yeah, this is a good team for Badger Bob, but as Sturm pointed out, it does lack that transitional game. As well, I think my team suits Sinden quite well, too. I don't put too much difference between Sinden and Johnson, so I think coaching's quite even.

Badger Bob would absolutely love the Bison’s. They have one of the most mobile defense lineups in the draft. Horton & Brewer were the best 2 Dmen on one of the top defense units of all time & both were very mobile and skilled at transitioning the puck. Both could make the hit, control the puck, and either lead a rush or make the breakout pass. Their stats weren’t high by today’s standards but certainly were OK for their era playing on a defense oriented team as they did. Horton was actually a pretty high goal scorer for the time, scoring 10 in 62 & 12 in 65. I saw Horton & Brewer play. They were fast & mobile.

I never saw Blackjack but from all accounts he could rush the puck pretty good too. From Legends” Jack "Black Jack" Stewart was the complete package on defense during his dozen years in the NHL. One of the most punishing bodycheckers of his day, Stewart was able to rush with the puck when the need arose”.

Colville was a converted All star centre so we know he had good offensive skills. Barkley was the top goal scoring Dmen just prior to his career ending injury and Sjoberg was an incredible skater & had great offensive skills.

You zeroed in on my 3 Swedes as being weak defensively which is nonsense. From Legends “His (Sjoberg) talent for choosing the right position, combined with effective bodychecking, made him a virtually impenetrable force to opposing forwards. At the same time, he managed to avoid foul play and behaved with the dignity befitting a true athlete".

Nilsson & Hedberg were excellent 2 way players & were able to easily adapt their game to the close checking Shero coached Rangers.

As far as matching lines, I am the home team so I have the advantage there. Horton & Stewart will be out against Moore/Schmidt as much as possible. I also plan on moving Kurtenbach between Marshall & Balfour and match them against the Schmidt line. If I can control Schmidt & Moore, Drillon will never see the puck.

To re-empathize, Badger Bob will love the Bison’s. Great speed, lots of scoring, A rugged fast D and a great transitional game.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Badger Bob would absolutely love the Bison’s. They have one of the most mobile defense lineups in the draft. Horton & Brewer were the best 2 Dmen on one of the top defense units of all time & both were very mobile and skilled at transitioning the puck. Both could make the hit, control the puck, and either lead a rush or make the breakout pass. Their stats weren’t high by today’s standards but certainly were OK for their era playing on a defense oriented team as they did. Horton was actually a pretty high goal scorer for the time, scoring 10 in 62 & 12 in 65. I saw Horton & Brewer play. They were fast & mobile.

I never saw Blackjack but from all accounts he could rush the puck pretty good too. From Legends” Jack "Black Jack" Stewart was the complete package on defense during his dozen years in the NHL. One of the most punishing bodycheckers of his day, Stewart was able to rush with the puck when the need arose”.

Colville was a converted All star centre so we know he had good offensive skills. Barkley was the top goal scoring Dmen just prior to his career ending injury and Sjoberg was an incredible skater & had great offensive skills.

I will concede that I may have underrated the puck moving skills of some of your guys, but if it's all the same, you do still lack that elite puck-moving presence. Many of those guys were pretty decent, but maybe Brewer and Sjoberg could be considered anywhere near elite for their era, and in an ATD context, definitely none of them could. Badger, though, always had that elite puck-moving presence. I'm sure it won't matter too much, but it is something to take into consideration.

You zeroed in on my 3 Swedes as being weak defensively which is nonsense. From Legends “His (Sjoberg) talent for choosing the right position, combined with effective bodychecking, made him a virtually impenetrable force to opposing forwards. At the same time, he managed to avoid foul play and behaved with the dignity befitting a true athlete".

Nilsson & Hedberg were excellent 2 way players & were able to easily adapt their game to the close checking Shero coached Rangers.

I didn't call them weak, I just said they're not strong, and I would say I'm right. For their eras as they forayed into North American hockey, none of them could be considered anything more than decent defensively. That blurb for Sjoberg from legends is the only thing I've seen that even suggests any of the three were good defensively. In an ATD context, certainly none of them can be considered excellent defensively. Well, it can be considered, I suppose, but there's little to back it up, if anything at all.

As far as matching lines, I am the home team so I have the advantage there. Horton & Stewart will be out against Moore/Schmidt as much as possible. I also plan on moving Kurtenbach between Marshall & Balfour and match them against the Schmidt line. If I can control Schmidt & Moore, Drillon will never see the puck.

To re-empathize, Badger Bob will love the Bison’s. Great speed, lots of scoring, A rugged fast D and a great transitional game.

Yes, you do have the advantage in that regard, but I for one am not worried one bit. Harvey's going to be on that ice for at least half of that game, so even in Buffalo it won't be easy to get away from him. As for putting Kurtenbach on that line and matching them up against the Schmidt line, I welcome it. Not to sound cocky, but I'm not afraid of it one bit, at least. A line where the best defensive forward of the bunch(Marshall) is matched up against my worst offensive player by far(Drillon)? I'll take it. And I've never read anything to suggest either Kurtenbach or Balfour were anything special defensively. Of course, you can say that about Muller and Murray, as well, although Murray did win that Selke trophy(doesn't count for much, but does count for something), and we all saw Muller do his thing on the defensive side. Either way, though, this is Milt Schmidt and Dickie Moore we're talking about. You contain them somewhat, you don't control them.

Regarding Badger Bob, of course he'll love this team. No one will ever deny that. In fact, I'm sure you'll find few coaches that won't love their team in this ATD, and even so, Badger Bob might be ahead of them. We're(me and sturm) not saying he won't. What we are saying, however, is that not only is he somewhat lacking a crucial element of his teams, but it's also unfair to Mr.Sinden to say that not only is there a decent coaching advantage in this series(debatable if there's an advantage either way IMO), but also to say it's because his team suits him so well when clearly my team has that resemblance to Sinden's Bruins, and I'm sure this Marlies team will suit him just fine.

 

[pappyline]

Quote:
I will concede that I may have underrated the puck moving skills of some of your guys, but if it's all the same, you do still lack that elite puck-moving presence. Many of those guys were pretty decent, but maybe Brewer and Sjoberg could be considered anywhere near elite for their era, and in an ATD context, definitely none of them could. Badger, though, always had that elite puck-moving presence. I'm sure it won't matter too much, but it is something to take into consideration.

Grasping at straws IMO. Not sure of the definition of Elite puck movers but Bison’s have several D that move the puck very well. Point has been over discussed. Its like saying Sinden always had Orr on D. The Marlies don’t have Orr on D so Sinden can’t be an effective coach.

Quote:
I didn't call them weak, I just said they're not strong, and I would say I'm right. For their eras as they forayed into North American hockey, none of them could be considered anything more than decent defensively. That blurb for Sjoberg from legends is the only thing I've seen that even suggests any of the three were good defensively. In an ATD context, certainly none of them can be considered excellent defensively. Well, it can be considered, I suppose, but there's little to back it up, if anything at all.

I think this could be said for most of the forwards on both teams. There is little information on their defensive game pro or con. I saw Hedberg & Nilsson play & they looked OK defensively. Anyway I drafted them more for their offense.

Quote:
Yes, you do have the advantage in that regard, but I for one am not worried one bit. Harvey's going to be on that ice for at least half of that game, so even in Buffalo it won't be easy to get away from him. As for putting Kurtenbach on that line and matching them up against the Schmidt line, I welcome it. Not to sound cocky, but I'm not afraid of it one bit, at least. A line where the best defensive forward of the bunch(Marshall) is matched up against my worst offensive player by far(Drillon)? I'll take it. And I've never read anything to suggest either Kurtenbach or Balfour were anything special defensively. Of course, you can say that about Muller and Murray, as well, although Murray did win that Selke trophy(doesn't count for much, but does count for something), and we all saw Muller do his thing on the defensive side. Either way, though, this is Milt Schmidt and Dickie Moore we're talking about. You contain them somewhat, you don't control them.

I have the utmost respect for Moore & Schmidt & agree that they will be very difficult to control. Likewise, Harvey who is a very dangerous player. Bison’s will certainly use their speed to forecheck him aggressively & prevent some of those long breakout passes.

Good point on the Kurtenbach line. I will switch the wings. If that doesn’t work., I could bring Ron Stewart in on the right side to cover Moore. Ron Stewart, Kurtenbach & Balfour were good defensive players & there is no evidence to the contrary.

Regarding Badger Bob, of course he'll love this team. No one will ever deny that. In fact, I'm sure you'll find few coaches that won't love their team in this ATD, and even so, Badger Bob might be ahead of them. We're(me and sturm) not saying he won't. What we are saying, however, is that not only is he somewhat lacking a crucial element of his teams, but it's also unfair to Mr.Sinden to say that not only is there a decent coaching advantage in this series(debatable if there's an advantage either way IMO), but also to say it's because his team suits him so well when clearly my team has that resemblance to Sinden's Bruins, and I'm sure this Marlies team will suit him just fine.

I repeat-Bison’s are not lacking any crucial element. They are fast, can score, check, and move the puck,

I do agree that neither team has a significant coaching advantage.

Wish you luck & will leave it up to the voters.

 

[pitseleh]

Thought this was the toughest series to evaluate guys. Toronto is one of the strongest five seeds I can remember and I thought the lineups were really close to one another in all around ability.

 

[Jungosi]

Underdogs?

"We have no problem with being the underdog. We've been in round 1 against the Wings and you know how it turned out for us in the end." - Harry Sinden in the pregame conference when asked whether it is a disadvantage or not.

His team started with the same self-confidence their coach had shown earlier. Toronto came out flying and soon silenced the hostile crowd in Buffalo. Tim Kerr converted a Harvey-pass midway during the first period while his team was on the powerplay. Moore added to that lead but moments later Stan Mikita cut it down to 1 goal again. Buffalo started playing better in the second period and soon tied the game with a goal by Hedberg. Housley made a bad pass and wasn't able to track down the speedy Swede and prevent the 2-2. From them on the game slowed down because non of the teams wanted to take a risk and get scored on. After nearly twenty-five minutes without a goal and a everyone set on overtime it was Harvey again who made a beautiful breakout-pass. Moore blew past Horton and beat Lumley with a wrister. The last few minutes of the game went uneventful and Toronto won the all important first game.

Toronto wins the game 3-2 and leads the series 1-0

Boxscore
1st period
11:17 - Tim Kerr 1 (Harvey,Housley) - PP
18:01 - Dickie Moore 1 (Schmidt,Suter)
18:42 - Stan Mikita 1 (Hextall sr.)
2nd period
9:31 - Anders Hedberg 1 (unassisted)
3rd period
14:03 - Dickie Moore 2 (Harvey)

 

[Jungosi]

Man on a mission

"It looked like Stan had the mission to roll over the Marlboros tonight on his own." This was said by a very happy Orland Kurtenbach right after a very impressive game by his captain.

The game itself did start very much like the first one. Milt Schmidt scored early after Lumley gave up a juicy rebound. The Marlboros got a powerplay moments later after Horton cross-checked Kerr in the slot. During that powerplay Suter made a cross-ice pass to Johnson which was interrupted by Mikita. Mackell joined the rush and scored on the ensuing 2-on-1. After the first period ended with a tie , the Bisons were hungry for more. Bentley did a strong job on the forecheck and got it to Mikita who converted from about 20 feet. Stosh continued his great play when he drove Ron Francis into the half boards. He forced a turnover and his pass went to Hextall who shot it past Hainsworth for the 3-1 lead. Mikita added another goal to give his team an impressive comeback in the series.

Buffalo wins 4-1 and ties the series at 1

Boxscore
1st Period
7:41 - Milt Schmidt 1 (Moore)
10:26 - Fleming Mackell 1 (Mikita) - SH
2nd Period
6:01 - Stan Mikita 2 (Bentley)
15:15 - Brian Hextall sr. 1 (Mikita)
3rd period
9:37 - Stan Mikita 3 (Horton,Stewart)

 

[Jungosi]

Low score , high tempers

"If they want blood they'll get it." - "Black Jack" Stewart.

Infront of a extremely enthusiastic crowd in the Maple Leaf Gardens the Marlboros appeated very determined to get the lead in the series again. Harry Lumley was able to hold them from the scoresheet but aside from him there wasn't done much Bisons. Toronto played the body and crashed the net all night long. When the Bisons finally started to fight back Tom Johnson got pretty upset about a hi-stick by Nilsson and put a cross-check right in the face of the Swede. From then on it was pandemonium. The main event was a fight between Johnson and Stewart. Johnson got quite a beating a did not return until the third period. After the fighting was over Kerr scored on a powerplay to mark the final score of 1-0. Hainsworth faced very few shots in the game but made a remarkabale save on Hextall in the dying seconds of the third period.

Toronto wins 1-0 and leads the series 2-1

Boxscore
1st period
scoreless
2nd period
16:41 - Tim Kerr 2 (Schmidt,Moore)
3rd period
scoreless

 

[Jungosi]

Flying high

Those who were expecting bench-clearers and violence were probably disappointed after tonight's game. Those who wanted creative and high-energy offensive play won't see a better game soon.

The game was rich on penalties and goals since the penalty kill took a day off. Both teams relentlessly threw pucks at each other's net. Neither of the goalies had a great night which made scoring even easier for everyone. The Bisons got the first goal for the first time in the series on a powerplay and added another one on a 3-on-2 play. Schmidt played like possesed in the second period and scored a hattrick to get the lead for his team. It did not last very long though. Horton and Brewer scored on the powerplay but Francis tied it again. Mikita gave the Bisons the lead again but his team lost ultimately after two more goals by Naslund and Suter.

"This wasn't exactly a great defensive display by us but I guess it was fun to watch and featured some great offense." - Doug Harvey

Toronto wins the game 6-5 and leads the series 3-1

Boxscore
1st period
7:19 - Anders Hedberg 2 (Conacher,Brewer) - PP
11:15 - Murray Balfour 1 (Mackell,Marshall)
2nd period
6:16 - Milt Schmidt 2 (Moore,Harvey)
10:45 - Milt Schmidt 3 (Harvey) - PP
12:01 - Milt Schmidt 4 (Suter,Drillon)
14:34 - Tim Horton 1 (Hextall,Mikita) - PP
18:37 - Carl Brewer 1 (Nilsson,Conacher) - PP
3rd period
1:22 - Ron Fracis 1 (Drillon,Housley)
9:01 - Stan Mikita 4 (Horton)
11:22 - Naslund 1 (Suter) - PP
15:39 - Suter 1 (Drillon,Naslund)

 

[Jungosi]

The day the Memorial Auditorium rocked

The Bisons looked liked they would let the series end early but they showed an impressive display of character in the probably loudest night ever in the Auditorium.

"The walls shook. I am sure." - random Bisons fan

The game however started really bad for Buffalo. Gary Suter opened the scoring early on a nice rush together with Moore and Schmidt on a shorthanded oppotunity. The next goal came from Frank Finnigan who converted a feed by Murray. Down 2-0 and facing elimination the Bisons found their strenght and Kurtenbach scored early to cut the lead in half. Buffalo was pushing for the tie but Hainswort denied them until midway through the third period. Drillon went to the box for a hi-stick and his victim Roy Conacher scored on the following powerplay on a great feed by Nilsson from the corner right into the slot. The Marlboros went on the attack again but Horton forced a turnover and got the puck out of the Bisons's zone.

The following sequence is taken directly from the play-by-play.


... play made by Horton , on now to Hextall they got a 3-on-2. Hextall moves in , feeds to Bentley , nicely backchecked away by Schmidt ..... Stewart drives SCORES!!!

The Auditorium was louder than ever and the Bisons were able to maintain the lead bring the series back to the Gardens.

Bisons win 3-2 and trail 2-3 in the series

Boxscore
1st period
5:08 - Gary Suter 2 (Schmidt,Moore) - SH
15:16 - Frank Finnigan 1 (Murray,Muller)
2nd period
7:12 - Orland Kurtenbach 1 (Robert,Wilson)
3rd period
13:06 - Roy Conacher 1 (Nilsson,Brewer) - PP
14:28 - Stewart 1 (unassisted)

 

[Jungosi]

Sad Wings of destiny

One team celebreting with eyes full of joy and one team staring into the distance and probably crying. This is how every playoff series ends. The Bisons fought like lions in their final game. Batteling for every inch of the rink. But in the end it was not enough to overcome Toronto. When Doug Harvey tied the game late with a shot off the stick of Tim Horton and the overtime is decided by a controversial goal that would have probably been waved off after further review , you know that you just weren't meant to win no matter how hard you fought.

Roy Conacher opened the scoring very early and it would be the lone goal for a long,long time. Lumley defended his net with everyting he had , even stopping a puck by throwing his stick but despite all his heroic effort he would get scored on at the most crucial time of the game. Doug Harvey banged in a shot with his team's net already empty in a desperate effort to tie the game. The shot looked harmless but was deflected of Horton's skate into the net. The Bisons were still stunned when OT started and Toronto scored the deciding goal just a few minutes in. Drillon placed himself infront of the net and got a shot away but the sprawling Lumley saved it with his leg. Drillon was checked by Stewart but moments before he apparently kickek in the puck. The from the ref's point of view it looked like it went off Stewart's skate and the goal was ruled legal. The Marlboros had won the series.

Toronto wins 2-1 in overtime and wins the series 4-2

Boxscore
1st period
4:58 - Roy Conacher 2 (Hedberg,Brewer)
2nd period
scoreless
3rd period
19:12 - Doug Harvey 1 (Schmidt,Moore)
Overtime
6:17 - Gordie Drillon 1 (unassisted)

Congrats to Leopold for advancing to the divisional finals!

Also congratulations to pappyline for building this great team!

3 Stars :

1) Harvey
2) Mikita
3) Horton

 

[pappyline]

Sad Wings of destiny

One team celebreting with eyes full of joy and one team staring into the distance and probably crying. This is how every playoff series ends. The Bisons fought like lions in their final game. Batteling for every inch of the rink. But in the end it was not enough to overcome Toronto. When Doug Harvey tied the game late with a shot off the stick of Tim Horton and the overtime is decided by a controversial goal that would have probably been waved off after further review , you know that you just weren't meant to win no matter how hard you fought.

Roy Conacher opened the scoring very early and it would be the lone goal for a long,long time. Lumley defended his net with everyting he had , even stopping a puck by throwing his stick but despite all his heroic effort he would get scored on at the most crucial time of the game. Doug Harvey banged in a shot with his team's net already empty in a desperate effort to tie the game. The shot looked harmless but was deflected of Horton's skate into the net. The Bisons were still stunned when OT started and Toronto scored the deciding goal just a few minutes in. Drillon placed himself infront of the net and got a shot away but the sprawling Lumley saved it with his leg. Drillon was checked by Stewart but moments before he apparently kickek in the puck. The from the ref's point of view it looked like it went off Stewart's skate and the goal was ruled legal. The Marlboros had won the series.

Toronto wins 2-1 in overtime and wins the series 4-2

Boxscore
1st period
4:58 - Roy Conacher 2 (Hedberg,Brewer)
2nd period
scoreless
3rd period
19:12 - Doug Harvey 1 (Schmidt,Moore)
Overtime
6:17 - Gordie Drillon 1 (unassisted)

Congrats to Leopold for advancing to the divisional finals!

Also congratulations to pappyline for building this great team!

3 Stars :

1) Harvey
2) Mikita
3) Horton

Congrats Leopold. Your second upset. I knew you would have a competitive team when your first 2 picks were Harvey & Schmidt.

Still think I had the better team (I always think that ). However you did have a strong nucleus in Harvey, Schmidt & Moore. I expect that is the main reason you won. Other reasons would be that voters underestimate the abilities of Nilsson & Hedberg plus there is always a backlash against the reigning champion

Congrats again & good luck in future rounds.

Jungosi. thanks for the speedy & entertaining write-ups.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

HUGE upset. Congrats Leopold! Both great teams, but kudos on knocking off the defending champs

 

[God Bless Canada]

HUGE upset. Congrats Leopold! Both great teams, but kudos on knocking off the defending champs

Concur. I had pappy as the team to beat again, largely due to his top three defencemen. But congrats to Leo for pulling off maybe the biggest upset in ATD history. At least thus far. If someone was going to beat the defending champ, well, I wanted it to be me. If someone else was going to do it, I'm glad it's someone from Saskatchewan.

Can we now qualify the Marlies as a Cinderella team?

 

[jlockhart89]

Looks interesting guys, This is the first time I've checked these out, how are the games simulated? EHM?

 

[Jungosi]

Looks interesting guys, This is the first time I've checked these out, how are the games simulated? EHM?

The games aren't simulated. Everyone involved in the draft votes for the team he feels will win the series. For example in this case here most people voted for Toronto to win the series in 6 or 7 games. The votes are added together and divided (I think) to determine the final result.

The voters also decide which players are going to have the most impact in the series. Doug Harvey , Stan Mikita and Tim Horton recieved the majority of the votes here.

 

[jlockhart89]

The games aren't simulated. Everyone involved in the draft votes for the team he feels will win the series. For example in this case here most people voted for Toronto to win the series in 6 or 7 games. The votes are added together and divided (I think) to determine the final result.

The voters also decide which players are going to have the most impact in the series. Doug Harvey , Stan Mikita and Tim Horton recieved the majority of the votes here.

Gotcha, very interesting.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Wow, just wow. I can't believe it. I thought for sure after going up 3-1, and then especially after blowing a 2-0 lead in a potential deciding game(two fairly used cliches in these write-ups for turning points), I thought it was over. I thought my team could win, but in six? I'm still in shock. Thanks for the great series pappy, you drafted a great team and it's a honor even just to go up against you. Also, thanks for the votes and I'll see you all in round 3, I guess.

 

[Jungosi]

Well for game 5 , some might find striking similarites to the sixth game of the 1987 Stanley Cup finals.

 

[vancityluongo]

Wow, just wow. I can't believe it. I thought for sure after going up 3-1, and then especially after blowing a 2-0 lead in a potential deciding game(two fairly used cliches in these write-ups for turning points), I thought it was over. I thought my team could win, but in six? I'm still in shock. Thanks for the great series pappy, you drafted a great team and it's a honor even just to go up against you. Also, thanks for the votes and I'll see you all in round 3, I guess.

Congrats man.

I thought your team deserved a better fate than 5th, but like I said in my series it's really good to see that at least people aren't voting based on seedings, something I felt was happening at times in previous ATD's.

Also congrats to pappy for another solidly built team.