ATD #10 - Jim Robson Semifinal: Nanaimo Clippers (2) vs. Victoria Secrets (3)

[papershoes]

Nanaimo Clippers
GM: pitseleh
Coach: Arkady Chernyshev

Ted Lindsay (C) - Adam Oates - Sergei Makarov
Luc Robitaille - Duke Keats - Cecil Dillon
Jiri Holik - Billy Burch - Ken Wharram
Tony Leswick - Michael Peca - Cliff Koroll
extra: Scotty Davidson, Tumba Johansson

Pierre Pilote (A) - Borje Salming
Pat Stapleton - Ott Heller
Sergei Gonchar - Red Dutton (A)
extra: Jiri Bubla

Jiri Holocek
Normie Smith

Power play units:
PP1: Ted Lindsay - Adam Oates - Sergei Makarov - Pierre Pilote - Sergei Gonchar
PP2: Luc Robitaille - Duke Keats - Cecil Dillon - Pat Stapleton - Borje Salming

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Michael Peca - Tony Leswick - Pierre Pilote - Borje Salming
PK2: Billy Burch - Jiri Holik - Ott Heller - Red Dutton


VS.


Victoria Secrets
GM: MXD & Jungosi
Coach: Pete Green

Bert Olmstead - Mario Lemieux (C) - Cam Neely
Kevin Stevens - Jacques Lemaire (A) - Jack Darragh
Bobby Holik - Phil Watson - Bobby Rousseau
Don Maloney - Tom Dunderdale - Odie Cleghorn
extras: Bernie Nicholls, Murray Murdoch

Sprague Cleghorn - Herb Gardiner
George Boucher (A) - Bill White
Bullet Joe Simpson - Taffy Abel
extra: Glen Harmon

Frank Brimsek
Vladimir Dzurilla

Power play units:
PP1: Olmstead - Lemieux - Neely - Cleghorn - Boucher
PP2: Stevens - Lemaire - Darragh - Simpson - Gardiner

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Rousseau - Watson - White - Abel
PK2: Holik - Maloney - Gardiner - Boucher​

Click to read more...

 

[Towers]

I'm from Coombs!

 

[God Bless Canada]

Geez, both teams have to love this travel schedule. They'll have played two rounds each, without ever having to board a plane.

What to watch for in this series? To me, it's how Nanaimo handles the threat that is Victoria's first line. I said it before - it's the best-assembled first line in the draft. They can beat you with skill, toughness, aggressiveness or size. If you play them passively, you'll lose because they'll burn you offensively. If you play them hard and aggressive, then you're playing right into Neely's hands. Olmstead isn't a natural for a first line skill-wise, but he's a great complimentary player. He'll win a lot of battles along the boards, and get the puck to Neely or Lemieux. Mario, of course, can beat you any which way.

I don't know if there's a line on Nanaimo that matches up well against Victoria's top line. I would suspect that we'll see a lot of the Pilote-Salming tandem out there against the Lemieux line. Ott Heller's another guy who could see a lot of ice time against them. Sergei Gonchar will not see much ice time against them.

The flip side is Nanaimo's first line, which is the prototypical ATD first line. The grinding offensive winger in Terrible Ted Lindsay, the two-way playmaking centre in Oates, and the talented offensive winger in Sergei Makarov.

Bobby Rousseau once said he didn't like physical play. Hard to believe that an O6 guy would say that. It's like an 80s guy saying he didn't like to score goals. But Rousseau's going to get all the physical play he can handle against Ted Lindsay. Maybe Luc Robitaille would be a better match-up.

If Victoria's into line-matching, then I would expect to see a lot of the Lemaire line out there against the Oates line.

Is Georges Boucher mobile enough to keep up with someone like a Makarov or a Cecil Dillon?

Give the edge to Victoria in net. But I don't think it's going to be the difference in this series. And give the edge to Victoria behind the bench, too, although it's not that big of an edge, and I don't think it will be a difference-maker.

 

[MXD]

Bobby Rousseau once said he didn't like physical play. Hard to believe that an O6 guy would say that. It's like an 80s guy saying he didn't like to score goals. But Rousseau's going to get all the physical play he can handle against Ted Lindsay. Maybe Luc Robitaille would be a better match-up.

If Victoria's into line-matching, then I would expect to see a lot of the Lemaire line out there against the Oates line.

We haven't thought about it at all, but two points I'd like to mention...

- We have a great checking winger riding the bench, who had an history of coming strong in the playoffs - for he's probably the lone guy from that era to have a better scoring record in the playoffs than in the regular season (with another guy that isn't drafted yet). It also happens that we have a LW that could make a pretty decent (and annoying) Center... And a Center that played RW quite a bit (and was also a major pain for his opponents). Basically Lindsay WILL NOT STAND Phil Watson for 3 games, let alone seven : the guy was NEVER shadowed. Well, there was Ezinicki that we both like, but there's a gap between Ezinicki and Watson, as we're talking of a guy that's credited with shutting down the Kraut Line with Lynn Patrick, of all people, as his left winger. And it's not like Lindsay reacted well when covered by Ezinicki. Chances are, we might throw that line against a Top-Line. Both Rousseau and Cleghorn are way to good to be left out of the lineup, so we'll see if we could really use this road.

- Also, Boucher did face guys like Cameron, Malone, Sprague Cleghorn, Morenz and al. in his prime, which did not prevent him from being considered the best NHL D-Men for, AT LEAST, a 5-year span. And it's not like the Sens from that era surrendered lots of goals either. He wasn't fast, but I yet have to read anywhere that he was slow, and there was absolutely no way he could have a decent offensive career if he couldn't skate with no forward pass. As for defense, he would probably opt to hit opponent forwards before they could move. We'll have to make sure to not over-expose him to Makarov -- he could play against Makarov, but there's somebody quicker -- and meaner -- than him to do that job.

 

[MXD]

Ouch, only 3 comments so far.... Participation is even lower than in Quebec elections.., (For those who didn't knew, it was around 56%. Previous low-mark was like... 70%)

- We're looking to send lots of players in Lindsay's way. He never reacted well when checked and harrassed. We also have the guys to do so : Watson, Holik, Dunderdale, Maloney and Cleghorn. Not to mention Neely, who will have his share of opportunities to pound him, and Stevens, who could do the job as well. Every pairing on the backend has somebody to make life pitful for Lindsay. Oates and Makarov? Fine, but they won't and will never outscore Lemieux and Neely, and the reminder of the Clippers lineup score enough to fix that gap, especially considering they'll face a superior checking line with the Watson line.

- We'll be looking toward playing our 3rd line a bit more than usual this round, and the 4th will mainly be there to lay a few hits. Well, pretty much what they did throughout the year and throughout round 1, but there's also some great offensive potential on that line.

- Boucher? Well, that's where the advantage in coaching comes in handy. We won't expose him to Makarov too much, even though his speed woes seems overstated (basically, there's no way a really slow D-Men could have such an offensive career when the forward pass was not allowed. Slower than guys like Cameron and Cleghorn doesn't make you a slow D-Men) and his toughness underrated.

- Coach Green is on the lookout. Murdoch (quite a playoff performer, I might add, one of the really few players from that era to improve his offensive production in the playoffs) and Harmon can all play. Abel is somewhat on a short leash, but he was able to play great shutdown defense during the playoffs, leading two huge underdogs to Stanley Cup wins. Some will say that he wasn't the best D-Men on his pairing (and they would be right) but he would face first liners - and guys who were, technically, faster and more skilled - while here, he might play the bulk of his icetime against the bottom lines. To wrap it up, Abel was able (wow...) to play great shutdown hockey against some top-liners in his career, why wouldn't be able to do so against ATD's bottom liners, considering he'll play with a guy who's arguably the fastest skater in this matchup?

 

[raleh]

This matchup is a real shame. It looks more to me like an ATD final than a second round.

 

[pitseleh]

Apologies for lack of activity, I've been busy with exams and haven't had time to put together a good post for this matchup. Best of luck to you MXD and Jungosi, you've put in another great entry together.

I think the main area this series comes down to is whether you think that our team has the secondary scoring from the second line and defense to overcome the advantage that Victoria has with Lemieux on the first line. He's clearly the most talented player in the series and has the ability to make his linemates better. I think that after the top player on each respective first line (Lemieux/Lindsay) that we have the edge in talent with Oates/Makarov vs. Neely/Olmstead, but those guys bring complementary skills for Mario.

That said, while Victoria has a decided advantage in defensive play from their second line, conversely we have the edge in offensive. Similarly with the respective third lines, I'd say each player on Nanaimo has the offensive edge over their counterpart on Victoria, while Victoria has the edge defensively. Finally on defense, though Boucher was no slouch offensively, over the respective top-4s that will be getting a bulk of the minutes, Pilote/Stapleton/Salming/Heller represents a more capable offensive group than Cleghorn/Boucher/Gardiner/White. I think we more than make up for any advantage that Lemieux provides over our top offensive players.

And while we don't have the team defense of Victoria, I think our checking (fourth) line is the best defensive line in the series and we will be able to utilize them in situations where a shutdown group is necessary, ramping up their ice time in a situation where we need toughness and defensive play to maintain a small lead against the waves of attack from Victoria's top line. If we can shut them down in that instance, I think we can win the series.

I think the other big question mark around Victoria that Nanaimo doesn't have is that their three best players (along with Stevens on the second line) do have the potential to miss time for various reasons (Neely and Lemieux for health, Cleghorn for suspension) and I think that risk does have to be considered when evaluating their effectiveness as a unit over the course of the series.

Hopefully I'll have some time later tonight to do a more thorough analysis.

 

[MXD]

Apologies for lack of activity, I've been busy with exams and haven't had time to put together a good post for this matchup. Best of luck to you MXD and Jungosi, you've put in another great entry together.

I think the main area this series comes down to is whether you think that our team has the secondary scoring from the second line and defense to overcome the advantage that Victoria has with Lemieux on the first line. He's clearly the most talented player in the series and has the ability to make his linemates better. I think that after the top player on each respective first line (Lemieux/Lindsay) that we have the edge in talent with Oates/Makarov vs. Neely/Olmstead, but those guys bring complementary skills for Mario.

That said, while Victoria has a decided advantage in defensive play from their second line, conversely we have the edge in offensive. Similarly with the respective third lines, I'd say each player on Nanaimo has the offensive edge over their counterpart on Victoria, while Victoria has the edge defensively. Finally on defense, though Boucher was no slouch offensively, over the respective top-4s that will be getting a bulk of the minutes, Pilote/Stapleton/Salming/Heller represents a more capable offensive group than Cleghorn/Boucher/Gardiner/White. I think we more than make up for any advantage that Lemieux provides over our top offensive players.

And while we don't have the team defense of Victoria, I think our checking (fourth) line is the best defensive line in the series and we will be able to utilize them in situations where a shutdown group is necessary, ramping up their ice time in a situation where we need toughness and defensive play to maintain a small lead against the waves of attack from Victoria's top line. If we can shut them down in that instance, I think we can win the series.

I think the other big question mark around Victoria that Nanaimo doesn't have is that their three best players (along with Stevens on the second line) do have the potential to miss time for various reasons (Neely and Lemieux for health, Cleghorn for suspension) and I think that risk does have to be considered when evaluating their effectiveness as a unit over the course of the series.

Hopefully I'll have some time later tonight to do a more thorough analysis.

Glad to see you here... Was wondering if there was something wrong, considering your participation history.

Lemieux and Neely? That's why we picked Nicholls, a pretty good playoff player who can be inserted in the lineup without being a total offensive dud or a softie. That's why we picked Dunderdale, Watson and Lemaire -- all guys that can play above their current status, at least, in a pinch. Especially during the playoffs, in Watson and Lemaire's cases. As for suspension, Lindsay can get suspended too : with Lindsay gone, all the spunk you'll badly need on your 1st line is gone. I will say it again : Lindsay was never really checked in his career, and one of the few times it happened, he was suspended (Ezinicki). If you want to use Lindsay as a checker, fine, but other GM's have to know that the mismatch when it comes to first line will be much bigger. Basically, you need Lindsay as much as I need Cleghorn, perhaps even moreso. Dutton was no angel, either.

Lemieux and Neely didn't miss much games in the playoffs (when they could play!), and I don't think Neely should be penalized for trying to keep playing while other players would have retired in his condition. Same thing for Lemieux, actually.

As for the secondary scoring (or more like 2nd line, because we do have some decent secondary scoring on both our 3rd line and our 4th line), I'd like to point out the outstanding resumes of Kevin Stevens (109 pts in 106 games, and many of those games came when he was way past-prime (6 pts in 17 games), Jacques Lemaire (139 pts in 145 games, including one 1st place - '79, tied with Lafleur - and some Top-5), globally outperforming everybody of his era, except for Guy Lafleur). And Jack Darragh, hero of the Senators for the '19 and '20 playoffs.

While Peca did a great job as a checker, he NEVER had to hold in check - during the playoffs - a guy the cabliber of Lemaire, let alone two great clutch-scoring wingers like Stevens and Darragh. Leswick? Good defensive player, but his success came from agitation, and Darragh was a pretty calm player, according to every reports and low PIM totals, so all that Leswick might get from watching Darragh is... well, PIMs. Not useful against the best PP player of all-time.

 

[MXD]

...And I'm also hard-press to say Billy Burch was significantly better than Phil Watson offensively. Might have had slightly more Top-10 finishes in points, but Watson had to split time with another center (Colville, Lach), moreso than Burch ever had to. I'd certainly give the goalscoring edge to Burch, but the playmaking edge has to go to Watson here. And I haven't talked 'bout the playoffs yet.

Burch plays with Kenny Wharram, much more of a scorer than a playmaker, and Jiri Holik, whom... euh... well, the oven is ringing. I don't know Holik enough, but with the little I know, doesn't seem like a great playmaker either. So, it's basically three shooters, while Watson got linemates that are closer to his needs as far as offense is concerned (guys that are better at scoring goals than setting them).

 

[pitseleh]

...And I'm also hard-press to say Billy Burch was significantly better than Phil Watson offensively. Might have had slightly more Top-10 finishes in points, but Watson had to split time with another center (Colville, Lach), moreso than Burch ever had to. I'd certainly give the goalscoring edge to Burch, but the playmaking edge has to go to Watson here. And I haven't talked 'bout the playoffs yet.

A couple thoughts about this:

1) Burch was known for being a great playmaker in terms of qualitative analysis of his play yet his goal scoring finishes are stronger than that of his. To reconcile that difference, I think it's largely due to the terrible offensive support he played with. While other teams had 2-4 Hall of Famers per team, Burch was playing with a bunch of players who would have been hard pressed to be second liners on many teams in the league, it's going to be hard to do well in terms of assists in the league standings.

Every reference I've read, whether it's Ultimate Hockey, Joe Pelletier's site, or first hand reports from the NY Times suggests that he was a great playmaker. People can interpret this in which ever way they like, but to me that seems like the most logical explanation.

2) Watson's best year came in an extremely depleted year for playmakers, with the top players other than Bryan Hextall (more of a goal scorer than playmaker who finished 2nd) and Sid Abel (only 24 at the time and in his second full NHL season) were the only players in the top-10 who were ATD caliber. I'm not going to argue that Burch was a better playmaker than Watson, because he's not, but I certainly think it's closer in that regard than it is with Watson compared to Burch in terms of goals or points.

Holik has struck me as more of a playmaker given that's in limited viewing. Looking at who he played with, both Ivan Hlinka and his brother were big, strong centers who parked themselves in the slot, which suggests he wasn't the primary goal scorer, at the very least.

Burch plays with Kenny Wharram, much more of a scorer than a playmaker, and Jiri Holik, whom... euh... well, the oven is ringing. I don't know Holik enough, but with the little I know, doesn't seem like a great playmaker either. So, it's basically three shooters, while Watson got linemates that are closer to his needs as far as offense is concerned (guys that are better at scoring goals than setting them).

I wouldn't say that Rousseau was better at scoring goals (5th, 8th) than playmaking (1st, 4th, 5th, 8th), though he is a good goal scorer, no doubt, and Holik in the ATD isn't much of a goal scorer either potting between about 15 and 30 goals a year. He compares to a guy like Mike Peca (greater longevity of course though) offensively, and I wouldn't call Peca a very good goal scorer.

 

[MXD]

Watson's best year came in an extremely depleted year for playmakers, with the top players other than Bryan Hextall (more of a goal scorer than playmaker who finished 2nd) and Sid Abel (only 24 at the time and in his second full NHL season) were the only players in the top-10 who were ATD caliber. I'm not going to argue that Burch was a better playmaker than Watson, because he's not, but I certainly think it's closer in that regard than it is with Watson compared to Burch in terms of goals or points.

Probably an overlook or an omission, but Toe Blake finished in the Top-10 for assists that year, as did Tom Anderson, both ATD'ers. Bill Cowley was in the league that year (but was injured for a while). Cowley was on pace to be superior to Watson (but only in assists, as Watson had a better PPG). Watson was also on pace to be ahead of Bauer, Apps and Schmidt when those three guys left.

 

[God Bless Canada]

I'm still looking for a writer for this series. If one isn't found by tomorrow afternoon, I'll do the write-ups tomorrow.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 1...

Secrets top line stars in Game 1

Nanaimo, B.C. (CP) – The Victoria Secrets top line combined for eight points in the Secret’s stunning 5-1 win over the Nanaimo Clippers in Game 1 of the Jim Robson Division Semi-Final.
Mario Lemieux had two goals and one assist, Cam Neely had two goals and an assist, and Bert Olmstead chipped in with two assists. Nanaimo seemingly had no answer for the opponent’s top line in Game 1.
“They overwhelmed us tonight,†said defenceman Pierre Pilote, who spent much of the game matched up against Lemieux’s line. “No matter what we did, they had an answer. Olmstead controlled the boards. Neely controlled the front of the net. Mario just controlled everything.â€
There was no doubt from the outset that this was the Lemieux line’s night.
Olmstead hit the post on their first shift. Neely scored on their second. They had four shots on goal on their third shift. Lemieux scored late in the first period.
“We wanted to send a statement from the outset,†Olmstead said. “That’s a terrific team we’re playing against. Nanaimo has been one of the ATD’s prestige organizations for the last five drafts. We did everything we wanted tonight.â€
Neely provided the only offence of the second period with his second goal of the game.
Nanaimo pulled within two early in the third period on a point shot by Bjore Salaming. But Victoria erased any doubt with tallies from Jacques Lemaire and Sprague Cleghorn.
“We were starting to get some momentum in the third period,†Clippers' captain Ted Lindsay said. “Salming scored early in the period. And we had some chances. We had a couple power plays. But we couldn't get another by Frank Brimsek. When Lemaire scored, that was it.â€
Clippers coach Arkady Chernyshev said he felt the Clippers were adequately prepared to play against the Lemieux line. They played several times in the regular season, and they scouted the line in the first round of the playoffs.
“Tonight was the best we've seen from them all year,†Chernyshev said.
Brimsek had 32 saves - 15 of them in the third period - and was named the game's third star.
“We were on the verge of a collapse out there,†Bobby Rousseau said. “Outside of the Lemieux line, nobody was generating anything out there. The checkers weren't checking. But Brimsek held us together.
Jiri Holocek came up with 22 saves for the Clippers.

Victoria Secrets win Game 1 5-1
Victoria leads the best of seven 1-0

Scoring summary
First period:
1. Cam Neely (Mario Lemieux, Bert Olmstead) 4:00
2. Mario Lemieux (Cam Neely, Bert Olmstead) 18:11
Second period:
3. Cam Neely (Mario Lemieux, Sprague Cleghorn) 6:10
Third period:
4. Borje Salming (Pierre Pilot, Duke Keats) 4:22
5. Jacques Lemaire (Kevin Stevens, Georges Boucher) 15:15
6. Sprague Cleghorn (Bobby Rousseau) 16:11

Three stars
1. Mario Lemeiux (1 G, 2 A)
2. Cam Neely (2 G, 1 A)
3. Frank Brimsek (32 saves, including 15 in the third period.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Neely stars in Game 2

Nanaimo, B.C. (CP) - Cam Neely scored three times, including twice on the power play, as the Victoria Secrets defeated the Nanaimo Clippers 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.
Victoria won both games in Nanaimo, so it means the Clippers will have little margin for error if they hope to win the series. They'll also have to win two or three games in Victoria.
“It's going to be tough,†Clippers centre Adam Oates said. “This is an incredibly tough team to play against. But other teams have come back from 2-0 deficits to win series. We're capable of doing it.
If they're going to do it, they'll need to figure out a way to stop Victoria's top line
Once again, the Secrets first line came out flying. Neely opened the scoring six minutes into the game on a power play. He increased the lead to 2-0 late in the first period.
But the Clippers didn't fold this time.
Ted Lindsay and Mike Peca scored in the second period to tie the game after 40 minutes. And Sergei Makarov scored a power play goal early in the third to give the Clippers their first lead of the game.
Georges Boucher tied the game midway through the third period. Then Neely gave the Secrets the lead again with about five minutes remaining on a redirection of a Bert Olmstead shot.
“Bertie won a battle along the boards, again, and he fired the puck towards the net from about 45 feet away,†Neely said. “I was fortunate enough to get a stick on the shot and it evaded Jiri Holocek.â€
Holocek had no chance on the winning goal. He played much better on this night, making 32 saves. He kept the Clippers in the contest early on as the Secrets controlled the play for the first 25 minutes of the game.
“He was a difference-maker for them,†coach Pete Green said. “He gave them a chance to win.â€
Frank Brimsek had 23 saves to get the win, but he made two or three critical saves in the final minute, when the Clippers were desperate to get the tying goal in what many felt was a must-win game.

Victoria wins Game 2 4-3
Victoria leads the best-of-seven series 2-0

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Cam Neely (Mario Lemieux, Georges Boucher) PP 6:11
2. Cam Neely (Bert Olmstead, Joe Simpson) 17:10
Second period:
3. Ted Lindsay (Adam Oates, Pierre Pilote) 7:10
4. Mike Peca (Pierre Pilote, Borje Salming) 15:15
Third period:
5. Sergei Makarov (Ted Lindsay, Sergei Gonchar) 3:23
6. Georges Boucher (Bill White, Don Maloney) 10:02
7. Cam Neely (Bert Olmstead, Mario Lemieux) PP 14:51

Three stars:
1. Cam Neely (3 G, 7 hits)
2. Ted Lindsay (1 G, 1 A, 5 hits, 4 shots blocked)
3. Mario Lemieux (2 A)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Magnificent Mario puts Nanaimo on the brink

Victoria, B.C. (CP) - Mario Lemieux was at his magnificent best, putting up five points in the first two periods at the Victoria Secrets defeated the Nanaimo Clippers 6-2 to take a 3-0 stranglehold in the Jim Robson Division semi-final.
Lemieux's line was often double-shifted by coach Pete Green. It often led to mis-matches for the Secrets, and Lemieux took full advantage.
He scored on his first shift, giving a raucous Victoria crowd even more reason to cheer. He scored on his fourth shift. He set up Cam Neely for a goal before the end of the first period to give the Secrets a 3-0 lead.
Ted Lindsay cut the lead to 3-1 early in the second period. Then Lemieux took over again. He set up a pinching Bill White to make the score 4-1, and then he set up Bert Olmstead on a two-on-one to give the Secrets a 5-1 lead.
“Everyone's happy whenever Bertie scores,” Lemieux said. “He plays so hard out there whenever he is on the ice. He has created so many chances with his ability along the boards and in the corners. He's a big part in the success of this line and this team.”
Olmstead said it's easy playing with Lemieux.
“I win the battle for the puck along the boards, I get the puck to Mario, or to Cam Neely, and they score,” said Olmstead. “I have the best job in hockey.”
Duke Keats scored midway through the period to draw the Clippers within three. Jack Darragh rounded out the scoring.
“That was a nice reward for Jack,” said coach Pete Green. “Jack and his linemates spent most of the game out there against either Adam Oates line or Duke Keats line. Jack's line wasn't out there when those lines got their goals.”
Darragh's centre, Jacques Lemaire, was awarded the third star, but Green said Darragh would have been a worthy choice.
Nanaimo coach Arkady Chernyshev said his team will return to the drawing board.
“We've tried everything so far, other than deliberate attempts to injure against Lemieux,” said Chernyshev. “Something has to work. We found things that worked in the regular season. I don't know why it isn't happening now.”
Captain Ted Lindsay agreed.
“We have to make adjustments,” Lindsay said. “We have to find a way to contain the Lemieux line. I don't know if we'll stop them, but they have 11 goals in three games. I have to find a way to win my battles with guys like Sprague Cleghorn and Jack Darragh. If that doesn't happen, we're done.”

Victoria wins Game 3 6-2.
Victoria leads the best-of-seven 3-0

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Mario Lemieux (unassisted) :23
2. Mario Lemieux (Cam Neely, Herb Gardiner) 7:33
3. Cam Neely (Mario Lemieux, Sprague Cleghorn) PP 18:12
Second period:
4. Ted Lindsay (Pat Stapleton, Adam Oates) 4:20
5. Bill White (Mario Lemieux, Bert Olmstead) 8:30
6. Bert Olmstead (Mario Lemieux, Sprague Cleghorn) 14:35
Third period:
7. Duke Keats (Cecil Dillon, Pat Stapleton) 11:11
8. Jack Darragh (Jacques Lemaire, Kevin Stevens) 18:44

Three stars:
1. Mario Lemieux (2 G, 3 A)
2. Sprague Cleghorn (2 A, 27 minutes played)
3. Jacques Lemaire (1 A)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Lindsay carries Clippers to victory

Victoria, B.C. (CP) - Ted Lindsay showed why he is the Nanaimo Clippers captain. Jiri Holocek showed why he is their No. 1 goaltender.
Lindsay had two goals and an assist, and Holocek stopped 40 shots as the Nanaimo Clippers staved off elimination with a 4-1 win over the Victoria Secrets in Game 4. Victoria leads the series 3-1, but Nanaimo showed tremendous gumption in an elimination situation.
Lindsay opened the scoring and added an assist in the first period to silence a Victoria crowd that expected to see the completion of a sweep. His goal midway through the third period gave Nanaimo a two-goal lead, and ended any chance of a comeback.
“He was something else out there, wasn't he,†said linemate Adam Oates after the game. “I've seen a lot of great all-round players come up with a lot of great all-round efforts in my days, but nothing like that.â€
Lindsay finished the game with three points, seven hits and two blocked shots in 23 minutes played. He drew an assist on Sergei Makarov's goal. Lindsay was a plus-3 in the game. And he dominated along the boards and in the corners.
Holocek provided the answer that Nanaimo has been searching for against Mario Lemieux's line. The Lemieux line still controlled the game during many of their shifts - they combined for 14 shots in 18 even-strength shifts - but Holocek was brilliant in keeping Lemieux's line off the scoresheet.
“If you want to win, you need great performances from your captain and your goaltender,†Nanaimo coach Arkady Chernyshev said. “We got those tonight. Ted Lindsay was the best player on the ice by a wide margin. Jiri Holocek was the second best.â€
Jack Darragh scored Victoria's only goal midway through the second period. At the end of his shift, he took a pass from Phil Watson and slipped it past Holocek.
Lindsay restored the two-goal lead in the third period, and Pat Stapleton finished off the scoring a couple minutes later.
“They played with a lot of desperation throughout the night,†said Watson. “They played a great game. We did not match their intensity.â€

Nanaimo wins Game 4 4-1
Victoria leads the best-of-seven 3-1

Scoring summary
First period:
1. Ted Lindsay (Adam Oates, Pierre Pilote) 5:08
2. Sergei Makarov (Ted Lindsay, Pierre Pilote) 16:02
Second period:
3. Jack Darragh (Phil Watson, Bobby Holik) 15:10
Third period:
4. Ted Lindsay (Borje Salming, Sergei Makarov) 6:11
5. Pat Stapleton (Ott Heller, Billy Burch) 8:14

Three stars:
1. Ted Lindsay (2 G, 1 A)
2. Jiri Holocek (41 saves)
3. Pierre Pilote (2 A, 28 minutes of ice time)

 

[MXD]

I can't believe this one would finish in 5, so...

 

[God Bless Canada]

Pilote and Salming stymie Lemieux line

Nanaimo, B.C. (CP) - Have the Nanaimo Clippers found an answer to the Mario Lemieux line?
For the second straight game, the Lemieux line was held off the scoresheet as the Clippers defeated the Victoria Secrets 5-1 in Game 5 of the Jim Robson Division semi-final. Victoria still leads the series 3-2, but the Clippers have now won two straight.
In Game 4, it was Jiri Holocek who kept the Lemieux line at bay. In Game 5, it was the pairing of Borje Salming and Pierre Pilote.
The skilled, physical tandem shadowed the Lemieux line throughout the game, battling hard, playing aggressive and winning battles along the boards and in front of the net. Not surprisingly, they were named the top two stars of the game.
“They were tremendous,” said Duke Keats after the game. “They set the tone for the game from the first shift. They didn't give an inch.”
Victoria opened the scoring on a goal by Don Maloney eight minutes into the game. At that point, the Secrets had outshot the Clippers 7-3. Nobody would have guessed that would be the best they would play tonight.
“Even though he wasn't named a game star, Jiri Holocek was tremendous again,” said coach Arkady Chernyshev. “He didn't have much work after the first 10 minutes of the game, but he put us in a position to win.”
Nanaimo had goals from five different players, and offensive contributions from all four lines.
Mike Peca tied the game late in the first period, capping a string of strong shifts from the Clippers as they tried to erase the deficit.
Luc Robitaille finally scored his first of the series in the second period. It proved to be the game-winner. Robitaille drew an assist on a power play goal for Salming.
Sergei Makarov and Ken Wharram provided offence in the third period.
Jiri Holocek picked up his second straight win in net with 18 saves.
Frank Brimsek stopped 30 shots for Victoria.
Victoria coach Pete Green didn't sound any alarm bells after the game.
“Good for them. They finally stopped Mario's line,” said Green. “They had last change, they took advantage of it, and Pilote and Salming played tremendous games. Best games for defencemen that we've seen in these playoffs.
“But they won't have last change in Game 6. We will. That's our biggest advantage. Pilote and Salming showed they can stop Mario's line. But we'll see how Mario's line does when we get them out there against the other pairings. Pilote and Salming can't play all night.”

Nanaimo wins Game 5 5-1.
Victoria leads the best-of-seven 3-2

Scoring summary
First period:
1. Don Maloney (Tom Dunderdale, Bobby Rousseau) 8:02
2. Mike Peca (Cliff Koroll, Pierre Pilote) 17:52
Second period:
3. Luc Robitaille (Duke Keats, Red Dutton) 4:02
4. Borje Salming (Pat Stapleton, Luc Robitaille) 9:14
Third period:
5. Sergei Makarov (Ted Lindsay, Pierre Pilote) :40
6. Ken Wharram (Billy Burch, Jiri Holik) 14:02

Three stars:
1. Pierre Pilote (2 A, 28 MP, +2)
2. Borje Salming (1 G, 28 MP, +2)
3. Mike Peca (1 G)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Lemieux line lifts Secrets to next round

Victoria, B.C. (CP) - Mario Lemieux and Cam Neely scored third period goals to help the Victoria Secrets to a 3-2 win over the Nanaimo Clippers. The Secrets defeated the Clippers in six games in the Jim Robson Division semi-final.
Nanaimo took a 2-1 lead into the third period. And for most of the third period, it looked like the series would return to Nanaimo for an unlikely seventh game.
But Neely forced home a rebound from a Lemieux shot to tie the game.
Then, less than two minutes later, it was Lemieux's turn to pounce on a Neely shot.
“We finally broke through,†Neely said. “We had great chances to score, but couldn't convert. Once we got that first goal, it changed the momentum of the game.â€
The line of Lemieux, Neely and Bert Olmstead dominated the first three games as the Secrets jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. But they were shut out in Games 4 and 5, which Nanaimo won to get back into the series.
“In Game 5, we were shutdown,†Neely said. “But in Game 4 and tonight, we had a lot of chances. We just finally broke through.â€
Victoria opened the scoring on a short-handed goal by Bobby Rousseau. Taffy Abel blocked a shot by Sergei Gonchar, and sprung Rousseau on a breakaway for his first goal of the series.
Ted Lindsay tied the game midway through the second period for Nanaimo, and Luc Robitaille gave the Clippers the lead with 40 seconds remaining in the period.
It appeared Robitaille's goal would stand up as the winner. Then Neely and Lemieux re-asserted their dominance.
Clippers coach Arkady Chernyshev believes Victoria might be the team to beat.
“If their top line is clicking, they're almost impossible to stop,†Chernyshev said. “They're so big and strong. They're skilled. And they understand their roles. It will take a tremendous pairing to stop them. We got to them once in this series, and we had one of the best top-pairings in the draft.â€
The Secrets will face the San Francisco Spiders in the division final. San Francisco had the best record in the division during the regular season; California was third.

Scoring summary
First period:
1. Bobby Rousseau (Taffy Abel) SH 7:51
Second period:
2. Ted Lindsay (Adam Oates) 10:42
3. Luc Robitaille (Cecil Dillon, Pierre Pilote) 19:20
Third period:
4. Cam Neely (Mario Lemieux, Georges Boucher) PP 14:11
5. Mario Lemieux (Cam Neely, Herb Gardiner) 16:00

Three stars:
1. Frank Brimsek (34 saves)
2. Mario Lemieux (1 G, 1 A, series-winning goal)
3. Pierre Pilote (1 A)

Three stars for the series:
1. Mario Lemieux (Four goals, eight assists. Dominance set the tone in the first three games. Elevated his team to victory in Game 6).
2. Cam Neely (Seven goals, three assists. Rough-and-tumble goal scorer played tremendous with Lemieux and scored some big goals)
3. Ted Lindsay (Five goals, three assists. Nanaimo's best player carried them to victory in Game 4. A offensive threat who played a tough, aggressive game).

Congrats to Victoria on winning the series, and to MXD and Jungosi for building a strong team. Good luck to San Francisco and Victoria in the division final.
And applause to pitseleh for building another outstanding team. You know that Nanaimo will always be a dangerous team, and you know that their GM will build that team with class and respect. See you in ATD 11.

 

[Jungosi]

Geez , I really did not exspect this one to go in 6. Anyway thanks for the great write-ups GBC.

Also thanks to pitseleh for being a great opponent with a great team. I think you could have gone to the divisional finals in any other draft with ease.

 

[Sturminator]

I'm also fairly shocked that this one went in six, as I found picking the winner here quite difficult. This Nanaimo team deserved better, but the ATD#10 Robson is just a meat grinder. Congrats to MXD and Jungo on advancing, and enjoy the victory while you still can. See you in the divisional finals.

 

[MXD]

Congrats Pits. Not only I had your team in the Top-3 (at the very least) of the whole draft - you were my pick for 1st place, and to give an idea, I thought the ranking would be the Clippers, then the Spiders or the Secrets in any order for second and third place - , but I was a bit scared to face your team, as I thought it wasn't exactly the best matchup for our team. I knew we did had a small advantage with the goalies and coach, but I thought you had clearly a better defense (not a huge gap, but it seemed like an obvious advantage) and I really thought your defense would be a kicker.

 

[pitseleh]

Congrats MXD and Jungosi, apparently you two together have my number.

You put together a great team, so there's not too much disappointment in losing to them.