ATD #10 - Jim Robson Semifinal: San Francisco (1) vs. California (5)

[papershoes]

San Francisco Spiders
GM: Sturminator & Transplanted Caper
Coach: Cecil Hart

Johnny Bucyk (A) - Joe Sakic (C) - Alexander Maltsev
Frank Foyston - Denis Savard - Ed Litzenberger
Dean Prentice - Don McKenney - Ron Ellis
Bruce Stuart - Jack Adams - Dirk Graham
extras: Fred Stanfield, Vladimir Vikulov

Bill Gadsby - Niklas Lidstrom (A)
Hod Stuart - Cy Wentworth
Phil Russell - Bert Corbeau
extra: Rod Seiling

Grant Fuhr
Dave Kerr

Power play units:
PP1: Bucyk - Sakic - Foyston - Maltsev - Lidstrom
PP2: McKenney - Savard - Litzenberger - Stuart - Gadsby

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Sakic - Graham - Lidstrom - Wentworth
PK2: Prentice - Maltsev - Stuart - Gadsby


VS.


California Golden Seals
GM: Agent Dale Cooper & Evil Sather
Coach: Tommy Gorman

Brian Propp - Alex Delvecchio - Gordie Howe (A)
Brendan Shanahan - Dubbie Bowie - Theo Fleury
Rod Brind'Amour (A) - Cooney Weiland- Bobby Nystrom
John Sorrell - Dave Poulin - Marcel Bonin
extras: Randy McKay, Hakan Loob

Scott Stevens (C) - Flash Hollett
Al MacInnis - Mike Ramsey
Mattias Nostrom - Ron Greschner
extra: Dion Phaneuf

Tiny Thompson
Mike Richter

Power play units:
PP1: Shanahan - Delvecchio - Howe - Stevens - MacInnis
PP2: Propp - Weiland - Fleury - Hollett - Greschner

Penalty killing units:
PK1: Propp - Poulin - Stevens - Norstrom
PK2: Brind'Amour - Fleury - MacInnis - Ramsey​

Click to read more...

 

[God Bless Canada]

This is an interesting match-up, and not just from a travel/location perspective. (All California battle).

How will the Spiders handle the physical toughness of the Seals? How will they handle Howe, Propp, Brind'Amour, Shanahan and even Fleury. There are a lot of really tough players on this California team. They have two of the top 10 power forwards of all-time in Howe and Shanahan. Those are arguably the best power forwards at their respective positions.

Sturm has said he wanted to assemble a team similar to Detroit's Cup-winning entry in 2008, with speed, skill, hockey sense and two-way presence. But Detroit never had to face anything like Howe or Shanahan. Propp and Fleury's clutch scoring is highly underrated.

One thing that shouldn't be an issue in this series is line-matching. Both teams are loaded with smart, two-way players. I don't know if I'd want Savard out there against Delvecchio or Weilland, but Savard's the only centre in the series who isn't capable of logging minutes against an opponent's top line.

Don't be fooled into looking too hard into Savard's playoff performances. The guy was clutch. Did his playoff numbers benefit from playing in the 80s Norris Division? Yes. But any doubts about his ability to deliver in the clutch should have been erased in the 1995 playoffs, with a magical, turn-back-the-clock performance that served as the exclamation mark to both his HHOF credentials, and his career as a Hawk.

This might sound strange to a lot of people, but I think San Fran has the top two defencemen in this series. I have Gadsby ahead of MacInnis and Stevens. It isn't by much, but I think Gadsby is the best of the three. (Lidstrom is a cut above the rest, of course). Now, that's not that big of a deal, after all, we saw Toronto beat Lada, even though Lada had the top two defencemen in that series. (And those were the clear-cut top two. San Fran doesn't have the clear-cut top two).

I still don't think Norstrom's good enough for this level. Another case of the modern bias still being out there. A lot of defensive defencemen who were better. Norstrom could be the weakness of California's defence.

I give the Spiders an edge in net. Whether it's a 2-1 game, or a 6-5 game, when you need the big save from Fuhr, he'll get it. I like Thompson. As far as regular season goes, I think he's on Fuhr's level. (Although I'd say Fuhr's best in the regular season was better). In the playoffs, though, I'll give Fuhr the edge. Although I don't think goaltending will be the difference in this series.

Not much to choose between the coaches. Gorman's the better coach, but I don't think he has a big advantage in that regard.

 

[Sturminator]

One quick point for tonight: California is a bit of a paper tiger on the left wing.

- Brian Propp is not an ATD 1st liner. Period. He doesn't have a single appearance in any top-10 scoring list. Not one. He had a few point-per-game playoffs in the 80's back when a point-per-game didn't mean much and was one of Philly's scoring leaders back when there wasn't much competition for that honor (basically Tim Kerr). Yes, Propp has a solid record in the clutch, but the talent level of an ATD first liner simply isn't there. I am always confused when this guy gets picked ahead of Bert Olmstead and especially Billy Barber. Do you want a 1st liner without a single top-10 scoring finish, even in a support role? That's not helping out your star players very much. I don't think Propp is even an elite 2nd liner. Secondary qualities only take a forward so far if he doesn't have the scoring talent to back it up.

- Brendan Shanahan is somewhat overrated in the ATD. I cannot fathom why GBC suggests he may be the greatest left wing power forward of all time, other than that he is using a definition of the term "power forward" which is both bizarre and overly restrictive. At any rate, what about Shanny's scoring record screams best of all time? His two top-10 points finishes (and towards the bottom: 8th and 10th)? His one top-5 goals finish (5th) or his five top-10 goals finishes (5th, 6th, 6th, 9th, 10th)? There are second liners out there with better scoring credentials than this, and it's not like Shanny backs it up with an eye-popping playoff resume. He's been a solid playoff performer, but never really a hero. It's a good playoff record, but not a great one. I like Shanny as a player, but seriously, take a look at what he's actually done in his career and tell me in what world this guy should be considered the top LW power forward of all time? His offensive peak (5th in goals 8th in points in a single season: 93-94) isn't all that high, and he doesn't make up for it by having a particularly long peak, either. Tough, aggressive and strong, but never a particularly good backchecker, nor anything more than a decent middleweight pugilist. I don't get the love for Shanny. He's a strong 2nd liner, but I have a really hard time seeing him as a top-120 player, where he tends to go. He's really not that much better than Ed Litzenberger (against whom he'll often go in this series), to be honest.

 

[God Bless Canada]

One quick point for tonight: California is a bit of a paper tiger on the left wing.

- Brian Propp is not an ATD 1st liner. Period. He doesn't have a single appearance in any top-10 scoring list. Not one. He had a few point-per-game playoffs in the 80's back when a point-per-game didn't mean much and was one of Philly's scoring leaders back when there wasn't much competition for that honor (basically Tim Kerr). Yes, Propp has a solid record in the clutch, but the talent level of an ATD first liner simply isn't there. I am always confused when this guy gets picked ahead of Bert Olmstead and especially Billy Barber. Do you want a 1st liner without a single top-10 scoring finish, even in a support role? That's not helping out your star players very much. I don't think Propp is even an elite 2nd liner. Secondary qualities only take a forward so far if he doesn't have the scoring talent to back it up.

- Brendan Shanahan is somewhat overrated in the ATD. I cannot fathom why GBC suggests he may be the greatest left wing power forward of all time, other than that he is using a definition of the term "power forward" which is both bizarre and overly restrictive. At any rate, what about Shanny's scoring record screams best of all time? His two top-10 points finishes (and towards the bottom: 8th and 10th)? His one top-5 goals finish (5th) or his five top-10 goals finishes (5th, 6th, 6th, 9th, 10th)? There are second liners out there with better scoring credentials than this, and it's not like Shanny backs it up with an eye-popping playoff resume. He's been a solid playoff performer, but never really a hero. It's a good playoff record, but not a great one. I like Shanny as a player, but seriously, take a look at what he's actually done in his career and tell me in what world this guy should be considered the top LW power forward of all time? His offensive peak (5th in goals 8th in points in a single season: 93-94) isn't all that high, and he doesn't make up for it by having a particularly long peak, either. Tough, aggressive and strong, but never a particularly good backchecker, nor anything more than a decent middleweight pugilist. I don't get the love for Shanny. He's a strong 2nd liner, but I have a really hard time seeing him as a top-120 player, where he tends to go. He's really not that much better than Ed Litzenberger (against whom he'll often go in this series), to be honest.

Propp's No. 1 all-time in career post-season points among LWs. It's a little dubious, since I think he's at or near the top in post-season GP among LWs, too, but the guy was excellent in the playoffs. He reached the Cup final five times. He played a key role on three of them. (85 and 87 with Philly, and 91 with Minnesota). Unfortunately, his teams were usually overmatched. He brings a strong physical presence, he's plays tough, he plays hard. I would have had Shanahan on the first line, but I understand why Propp is there. He's aggressive, he's tough, he's physical, he works the corners and he's capable of scoring, too.

If Shanahan isn't the top LW power forward of all-time, then who is? Clarke Gillies? You question the choice, but you don't offer an alternative. When a young, power forward LW comes into the league, the measuring stick for comparison's sake is always Brendan Shanahan. Power forwards are a highly-sought after resource in the NHL. Every team wants an elite PF, but so precious few are out there. Name me an LW who combines size, physical play, skill, goal-scoring ability, toughness, presence in front of the net and along the boards, and leadership like Shanahan. Is he the best LW ever? No. But he's the best LW power forward ever.

As for his playoff record - while you might expect better production from him, he's a guy who doesn't just contribute with his scoring. He contributes with his on-ice presence, with his grit, with his toughness, with his work in front of the net, with his leadership. He's a strong enough leader to be an ATD captain. Unfortunately, the league doesn't hand out "physical assists." He was a huge part of the Red Wings Stanley Cup titles. Shanahan and Larry Murphy were the missing pieces for the Red Wings, and their acquisition put the Wings over the top. Shanahan's arrival forced teams to look at the Wings in a completely different fashion. You want to talk about playoffs? Talk about the impact that Shanahan had on Detroit's championship teams. It goes far beyond anything that any stats can measure.

My biggest concern with California isn't LW. It's the presence of Dubie Bowie as the second line C. I just have big concerns with guys from that time in scoring roles. Talent was so spread out at the turn of the 20th century that it's hard to get a good read on guys. And they played at a time when goalies couldn't leave their feet to make saves. I think Bowie is good enough to be an ATDer, but I think he should be a third scoring line guy, or a spare part (raleh and I had him in that role in the last draft), and not a second line guy. The good news for California is they can plug Weiland into that second line role - a role Weiland is capable of playing.

 

[Sturminator]

Name me an LW who combines size, physical play, skill, goal-scoring ability, toughness, presence in front of the net and along the boards, and leadership like Shanahan.

Uhmmm...Johnny Bucyk? Let's see...size: check. Bigger than Shanny. Physical play: check. One of the most feared hitters among forwards in history. Skill: check. Easily better scoring resume than Shanny. Goal-scoring ability: check. Also better than Shanny. Toughness: check. Presence in front of the net and along the boards: check. Leadership: check. Was Bruins captain for a long time.

Exactly why don't you classify Bucyk as a power forward, GBC? Did he not draw enough minor penalties for your taste? Seriously, is that what it is? Just not dirty enough for you? It can't be fighting, because Shanny was never more than a mediocre middleweight. I don't get it.

Propp's No. 1 all-time in career post-season points among LWs. It's a little dubious, since I think he's at or near the top in post-season GP among LWs, too, but the guy was excellent in the playoffs. He reached the Cup final five times. He played a key role on three of them. (85 and 87 with Philly, and 91 with Minnesota). Unfortunately, his teams were usually overmatched. He brings a strong physical presence, he's plays tough, he plays hard. I would have had Shanahan on the first line, but I understand why Propp is there. He's aggressive, he's tough, he's physical, he works the corners and he's capable of scoring, too.

Wait...aren't you the guy who criticized Esa Tikkanen as a second liner? And now you're defending Brian Propp on a first line?! Eh? Exactly what about Propp makes him so much better than Tikkanen? Both are tough, gritty players and good checkers with mediocre regular season credentials (and mediocre scoring talent, in general) who turned it up in the playoffs. How exactly is Tikk not worthy of a second line role, but Propp worthy of being a 1st liner? I'll say it again: offensively, Brian Propp is about the closest thing you will find to a black hole on a 1st line. Even as great as Gordie Howe is, leaving he and Delvecchio on an island against Gadsby - Lidstrom is not really doing yourself any favors.

As far as holes in California's lineup go, Bowie goes without saying, though the idea that Weiland somehow belongs on the second line is a fantasy. Outside of the bizarro 29-30 season (in which there was no offsides rule in the NHL, for those of you scoring at home), Cooney Weiland has exactly one season as a top-10 scorer, proving that his Art Ross in 29-30 was a fluke caused by the ridiculous rules under which that season was played. He doesn't have the gear to be a second line ATD center, and would seriously hamper the unit offensively. I don't think Bowie has the talent, either, but then you and I seem to agree on that one.

Flash Hollett on a first pairing is also rather troubling. Against a five-man offensive unit like Bucyk - Sakic - Maltsev - Gadsby - Lidstrom, do you really want Flash Hollett as one of your defensemen? I would rotate MacInnis to the 1st unit, personally (chemistry be damned), because Hollett is a disaster waiting to happen against an offensive unit like that. As it stands now, the presence of Propp and Hollett on California's 1st unit constitutes a sizeable advantage for San Francisco. I would rather see the Seals load their first unit up and go strength-on-strength with:

Shanahan - Delvecchio - Howe
Stevens - MacInnis

vs.

Bucyk - Sakic - Maltsev
Gadsby - Lidstrom

Now that would be a battle. Of course, the Spiders would crush the Seals' presumptive 2nd unit of [Propp - Bowie - Fleury - Hollett - Ramsay] in that case, but at least it would be a great battle between the 1st units.

 

[Evil Sather]

I'm tired and got as far as Bucyk being bigger than Shanahan which I knew was wrong (a 4 second check on hockeydb and hockey-reference shows Shanahan at 6'3 220 and Bucyk at 6'0 215) and stopped reading.

I'll check in tomorrow and try hard not to throw in the towel in the meantime. Night.

 

[Sturminator]

Hockeydb is quite possibly wrong on Bucyk's size. Even if they got it right, adjusting for era, and he's probably got 5-10 pounds on Shanny, though he may be a bit shorter. At any rate, Bucyk was extremely strong - stronger than Shanny. Here are a couple of nice quotes from Bucyk's Legends video, which can be found here on hfboards.

Johnny Bucyk hit me with a hip check. I came around the net and saw a guy and Johnny Bucyk came in and he put his rear end on me...like, wow. It took me about six years to get him back.

Brad Park knew something about a hip check. Which HOF defensemen out there are still thinking about a check Shanny put on them? Here's what Larry Robinson thought about Bucyk's size:

They had a terrific powerplay and reason for that was that Johnny just parked himself in front of the net and you couldn't move him. I mean, he had to be 225 - 230 pounds, which was big.

Was Robinson wrong about Bucyk's size? Perhaps, but if Larry Robinson thinks Bucyk was 230 (which in that era would mean he was built like a tree) and says of him "you couldn't move him" that should tell us something. Seriously, Shanny was a powerful man, but he wasn't in Bucyk's class in terms of power. The only reason Shanahan and Bucyk are even in the same discussion is because GBC evidently uses PIMs as one of his metrics for judging what makes a power forward.

 

[Sturminator]

Let’s not get off to a bad start, Evil. I probably shouldn’t have opened up with a criticism of your left wings, but negative campaigning is just so much fun. Wait until I start in about Shanny and his teammates’ wives. Heh. At any rate, in the interest of fairness and good will, I’ll try a more balanced assessment of a few aspects of the matchup. A few points:

1) Gordie Howe: this is not the first time I’ve faced Gordie in an ATD, and I just hate doing it, because it’s pretty much an auto-fail at one matchup. Any team that wants to beat the Seals will have to do something about Howe. The Spiders won’t line-match, but Foyston and Litzenberger will switch wing positions (putting Litz at LW and Foyston at RW) when their line ends up out there against the Howe line, which shouldn’t happen often, but is worth noting. Both Foyston and Litz played all three forward positions well, and I want the left wingers Gordie faces in this series to be hard men, no matter the line. There isn’t a softie among the Bucyk – Litzenberger – Prentice – Stuart group. Lidstrom – Gadsby will play around 30 minutes/game and thus probably handle the vast majority of the even-strength minutes against the Howe line. You can’t stop Howe, but with the best top pairing in the draft and a tough group of left wingers, I think San Francisco is one of the harder matchups for him.

2) Playoff scoring: both teams do quite well in this department. California has a number of guys who raised their level of play in the postseason – Propp, Fleury, Howe, Brind’Amour, Nystrom, Bonin and MacInnis. It’s an impressive group of clutch players on that Seals team. Four of those guys were not really high-talent scorers over the course of their careers (Propp, Brind’Amour, Nystrom and Bonin), but having role-players step up in the postseason is one of the common factors in many Cup wins.

On the other side, San Francisco boasts a number of playoff studs, as well: Sakic, Foyston, Savard, McKenney, Lidstrom, Wentworth, and of course Fuhr. I don’t include Bucyk or Delvecchio here because I think that is a case of a great players maintaining their level of play, but not really raising it. Both were excellent playoff producers for their respective teams, at any rate. With the exception of Wentworth, San Francisco’s playoff scoring heroes are all guys who proved over their careers that they had the skills to be consistent scorers, and I tend to trust playoff heroics more from this type of player, but you can’t take away from California that their role players have excellent postseason credentials.

3) Third lines: I give California a narrow edge here. The Seals made a heavy investment in their third line, and it has paid off. Brind’Amour is an elite 3rd liner and Bobby Nystrom is outstanding, as well. Both have terrific playoff records to back that up. Dean Prentice is an elite 3rd liner, but I like Brindy a bit more, and I think Nystrom is a cut above Ellis. The only matchup of 3rd lines that San Francisco wins is probably McKenney vs. Weiland. Cooney was a better checker than Don (who was good, himself), but their scoring credentials are not very close. I’ve already registered my objection to Weiland’s outlier results from the 29-30 season, and he doesn’t have much beyond that to prove it wasn’t a fluke. In spite of their respective draft positions, I believe McKenney wins this matchup. Comparing 3rd lines is far from a landslide win for California, but I do think the Seals are a bit better. San Francisco’s 3rd line has more scoring punch, but I think the Seals make up for it with superior checking.

That should be enough for now. Evil and Agent Dale, you guys have assembled an excellent team that will not be easy to play against – and belated congratulations on advancing to the second round. If you guys loaded up your top unit like I suggested above, those twelve players on the ice would be an epic matchup that I’d sell my firstborn to witness. I think the real weakness of your team is in the second wave – your #3/#4 defensemen (Hollett & Ramsey) and #5/#6/#7 forwards (Propp, Bowie & Fleury) – which don’t compare well to the Spiders’ second unit. But, as always, the voters will decide who is right. Looking forward to a good one.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

2) Playoff scoring: both teams do quite well in this department. California has a number of guys who raised their level of play in the postseason – Propp, Fleury, Howe, Brind’Amour, Nystrom, Bonin and MacInnis. It’s an impressive group of clutch players on that Seals team. Four of those guys were not really high-talent scorers over the course of their careers (Propp, Brind’Amour, Nystrom and Bonin), but having role-players step up in the postseason is one of the common factors in many Cup wins.

I would add to that John Sorrell, who has a higher ppg in the playoffs than in the regular season and won two consecutive Stanley Cups with the 30's Wings, and shutdown forward Dave Poulin.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

Now that would be a battle. Of course, the Spiders would crush the Seals' presumptive 2nd unit of [Propp - Bowie - Fleury - Hollett - Ramsay] in that case, but at least it would be a great battle between the 1st units.

I don't know about that. You have a very solid second line and second pairing, but I do not think that you are giving our second line enough credit.
Propp and Fleury got it done in the postseason, end of story, and Bowie was a great early star. This line has a lot of speed and two-way awareness, and I don't think that they will be crushed easily.

I still don't think Norstrom's good enough for this level. Another case of the modern bias still being out there. A lot of defensive defencemen who were better. Norstrom could be the weakness of California's defence.

I think that there is one guy who would disagree with you here- Rob Blake. It was Matty Norstrom's solid positioning and defense that allowed Blake to take risks offensively and get way out of position for the big hipcheck. Norstrom was a huge part in Blake taking the next step in becoming a great defenseman.
I have seen Norstrom play many, many games for the Kings, and he is the definition of a 'heart and soul' player. He was probably the Kings' best defenseman when they upset the Wings in '01.

As far as holes in California's lineup go, Bowie goes without saying, though the idea that Weiland somehow belongs on the second line is a fantasy. Outside of the bizarro 29-30 season (in which there was no offsides rule in the NHL, for those of you scoring at home), Cooney Weiland has exactly one season as a top-10 scorer, proving that his Art Ross in 29-30 was a fluke caused by the ridiculous rules under which that season was played. He doesn't have the gear to be a second line ATD center, and would seriously hamper the unit offensively. I don't think Bowie has the talent, either, but then you and I seem to agree on that one.

If scoring was so easy, how come it was Weiland, not Morenz, etc. who won the scoring title?
Dubbie Bowie did win five scoring titles, take it for what it's worth.

One another note: congrats to 'Frisco for reuniting the Stuart Brothers. I have picked both brothers in different ATD's, and I have to say that they are some very underrated early players.

I think that we have the single greatest player in the series. How is impossible to shut down, and it will take everything Lidstrom and Gadsby have to contain him.

 

[Sturminator]

I don't know about that. You have a very solid second line and second pairing, but I do not think that you are giving our second line enough credit. Propp and Fleury got it done in the postseason, end of story, and Bowie was a great early star. This line has a lot of speed and two-way awareness, and I don't think that they will be crushed easily.

It's not so much that Fleury and Propp weren't good playoff performers, but you're comparing them to a line led by Savard and Foyston, who were huge postseason stars. Frank Foyston outperformed the likes of Cyclone Taylor, Newsy Lalonde, Joe Malone and Frank Nighbor over the course of their respective careers. He was the greatest big game player of his era. Savard's playoff record is well-known.

The offensive leader of your second line is evidently Theo Fleury, whose regular season scoring credentials fall short of all three Spiders second liners, and whose claim to postseason greatness basically rests on three straight seasons in which he was great in the process of his team getting knocked out in the 1st round. Fleury's playoff record does not compare well to Savard's, and it's not even in the same stratosphere as Foyston's.

If scoring was so easy, how come it was Weiland, not Morenz, etc. who won the scoring title?

An interesting question. How come Weiland only appeared in the top-10 scoring list once more (30-31, which was another adjustment season under another set of new rules) in his career? Obviously, Weiland and the Dynamite line adjusted faster to the new forward passing (no-offsides) rules. Once modern league rules were set, however, he went back to being a mediocre offensive player.

 

[pitseleh]

An interesting question. How come Weiland only appeared in the top-10 scoring list once more (30-31, which was another adjustment season under another set of new rules) in his career? Obviously, Weiland and the Dynamite line adjusted faster to the new forward passing (no-offsides) rules. Once modern league rules were set, however, he went back to being a mediocre offensive player.

Interesting note about that Sturm. Weiland won the 1929/30 scoring title, but the Bruins kept scoring goals even after the introduction of offside rules.

The only information I have read about the offside rule was that it was introduced in December. If you look at their game breakdown here, regardless of where you cut off the 'pre-offside rule' in December (i.e. December 1st, December 15th, December 31st, etc.), Boston's GPG average stays relatively constant in a split of the season in two. Their GPG average from January to March is at 4.04 GPG, and their GPG average at different points in December ranges from 3.7 and 4.2, peaking around mid month.

It's possible that they just figured out the forward passing thing quicker than other teams but it's an interesting phenomena that there wasn't much change because of it. Now whether Weiland's scoring individually fluctuated before and after the rule is obviously still a question, but the team performed relatively consistently over that period.

 

[God Bless Canada]

I didn't have any volunteers for this series, so I'm doing the write-ups. They will be done tonight.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 1...

Howe and Delvecchio too much for the Spiders

San Francisco (AP) - Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio proved to be too much for the San Francisco Spiders in the first installment of the Bay Area Battle.
The long-time Detroit Red Wing linemates each had four points as the California Seals defeated the Spiders 6-4 in Game 1 of the Jim Robson Division Semi-Final. Howe and Delvecchio lifted California to a 3-1 lead after the period, as they were in on all three Seals goals.
And then with the Spiders mounting a comeback, they combined on a power play goal early in the third period.
“You don't stop Gordie Howe; you contain him,” Spiders captain Joe Sakic said after the game. “You might keep him off the scoresheet for one night, but then he gets three goals the next.”
Howe and Delvecchio were flying from the outset. Brian Propp, the third forward on that line, was left off the scoresheet, but Seals coach Tommy Gorman lauded Propp for his efforts.
“His aggressive forecheck led to the second goal, and his work in the corners keyed the fourth goal,” said Adams.
California took a 4-1 lead early in the second on a goal by Brendan Shanahan. Ed Litzenberger and John Bucyk scored late in the second to narrow the gap to 4-3.
But Howe's second of the game early in the third period, and a goal by Cooney Weiland less than five minutes later, dashed any hope of a San Fran comeback.
“That was the difference-maker,” Howe said of his second goal. “San Fran played great hockey in the last six to eight minutes of the second. We knew that if we didn't get a goal early, they would probably tie the game.”
The power play goal came after Alexander Maltsev was assessed a two-minute minor for goalie interference 10 seconds into the third. California scored 23 seconds later.
Flash Hollett and Al MacInnis also scored for California. Joe Sakic and Jack Adams had the other goals for San Francisco.
Grant Fuhr struggled in net for Oakland, making just 18 saves.
Tiny Thompson picked up the win with 35 saves for California.
“He made some excellent saves,” San Francisco coach Cecil Hart said. “We had about a dozen shots on goal in the final six minutes of the second. We scored two. But we should have scored more.”

The California Golden Seals win Game 1 6-4
California leads the series 1-0

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Gordie Howe (Alex Delvecchio) 8:28
2. Flash Hollett (Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio) 8:41
3. Joe Sakic (Nik Lidstrom, John Bucyk) PP 12:22
4. Al MacInnis (Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio) 18:22
Second period:
5. Brendan Shanahan (Theo Fleury, Ron Greschner) 11:12
6. Ed Litzenberger (Bert Corbeau) 14:13
7. John Bucyk (Joe Sakic, Bill Gadsby) 19:13
Third period:
8. Gordie Howe (Alex Delvecchio, Brendan Shanahan) :33 PP
9. Cooney Weiland (Rod Brind’Amour, Al MacInnis) 5:25
10. Jack Adams (unassisted) 15:10

Three stars:
1. Gordie Howe (2 G, 2 A)
2. Alex Delvecchio (4 A)
3. Tiny Thompson (35 saves)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 2...

Spiders' top pairing overwhelming in Game 2

San Francisco (AP) - The San Francisco Spiders top pairing proved to be the difference in Game 2.
Niklas Lidstrom and Bill Gadsby each played nearly 30 minutes – most of them against the Gordie Howe line – and kept the Howe line off the score sheet as the San Francisco Spiders defeated the California Golden Seals 4-1 in Game 2.
To top it off, Lidstrom scored a power play goal and Gadsby scored the winner while short-handed.
“They're so hard to play against,” said California forward Alex Delvecchio after the game. “They can beat you in so many ways. And they compliment each other well. Lidstrom's so smart and savvy; Bill Gadsby tough and aggressive. They're so skilled, too. It seemed like they were out there the whole game.”
Seals coach Tommy Gorman estimated that Lidstrom or Gadsby, or both, were out there for 45 to 50 minutes of tonight's game.
“It's tough to win like that,” said Gorman. “They play together at even strength, and then they're on separate special teams units.”
Denis Savard opened the scoring late in the first period with a great individual effort. Then Gadsby and Lidstrom took over in the second with their respective markers.
John Bucyk scored in the third, with assists going to Lidstrom and Gadsby.
“Nik and I knew after Game 1 that we would have to play our best game tonight,” said Gadsby. “Not just individually, but as a pairing. We vowed to each other that we would not let that line get on the score sheet.”
Howe did get on the score sheet, but only in the form of two minor penalties. During his second minor, Lidstrom scored. Howe's line, which contributed eight points and stellar all-round play in Game 1, was a combined -6 in Game 2, and they managed only seven shots on Grant Fuhr.
Fuhr stopped 22 shots in a much better effort than his Game 1 folly.
Russell (Dubie) Bowie had the Seals only goal midway through the third period, after a fantastic individual effort.
“Dubie was our best player tonight,” said Gorman. “It didn't change the result, but I was happy to see him score, and to see that line get a goal. They were working hard all night, generating chances, and getting involved physically.”
Tiny Thompson made 31 saves for the Seals.

The San Francisco Spiders win Game 2 4-1
Series is tied 1-1

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Denis Savard (Ed Litzenberger, Frank Foyston) 14:12
Second period:
2. Bill Gadsby (Alexander Maltsev, Dean Prenctice) SH 6:22
3. Niklas Lidstrom (Joe Sakic, John Bucyk) PP 8:02
Third period:
4. John Bucyk (Niklas Lidstrom, Bill Gadsby) 8:02
5. Dubie Bowie (Theo Fleury, Scott Stevens) 9:00

Three stars:
1. Niklas Lidstrom (1 G, 1 A, +2, 28 minutes played)
2. Bill Gadsby (1 G, 1 A, +3, 26 minutes played)
3. Dubie Bowie (1 G)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 3...

Stevens lifts Seals to win

Oakland, CA (AP) - Scott Stevens’ biggest goal of the year came in arguably his best game of the year.
Stevens played more than 36 minutes and scored the winning goal 14 minutes into overtime as the California Seals defeated the San Francisco Spiders 3-2 in overtime in Game 3.
Stevens took a pass from Theoren Fleury, and with Brendan Shanahan parked in front, wired a heavy, accurate shot past a screened Grant Fuhr.
“I never saw it,” Fuhr said. “I had as much chance of seeing that shot as Ray Charles. That was a textbook screen by Fuhr.”
But Stevens biggest contributions came in his defensive effort. Teamed with Mike Ramsey, they shadowed the John Bucyk-Joe Sakic-Alexander Maltsev line all night. And while Maltsev did manage to score the Spiders first goal, it was one of the few times the Sakic line managed any offence.
“They were almost as good tonight as Nik Lidstrom and Bill Gadsby were in Game 2,” Bucyk said after the game. “We saw a lot of those two. And we saw a lot of Dave Poulin tonight. Tough to score against those guys.”
California looked strong early, as they led 2-0 after the first period on goals by Gordie Howe and Al MacInnis. While Fuhr had no chance on either goal, he was visibly upset after allowing two first period goals on 10 shots.
But the Spiders tied the game in the second on goals by Maltsev and Ron Ellis.
Then Fuhr took over.
The Hall of Fame goaltender, heralded for his play in big-game situations, stopped 16 shots in the third period and 14 more in overtime as the Seals peppered the Spider net in a desperate attempt to get the go-ahead goal. In all, Fuhr wound up with 45 saves.
“That was a terrific effort,” Shanahan said after the game. “I knew I had to get to the front of the net and screen him if we were going to score, because Fuhr was stopping everything he saw. It might be the best individual effort we'll see from a player in this series. Well, outside of Stevens' effort tonight.”
Tiny Thompson was much quieter in the winning effort for the Seals, as he had to make only 24 saves - 14 of them in the second period.

California wins Game 3 3-2
California leads the best-of-seven 2-1

Scoring summary
First period:
1. Gordie Howe (Alex Delvecchio, Al MacInnis) 4:08 PP
2. Al Macinnis (Theo Fleury, Dubie Bowie) 18:01
Second period:
3. Alexander Maltsev (Joe Sakic, Hod Stuart) 14:14
4. Ron Ellis (Dean Prentice) 16:00
Third period:
No scoring
Overtime:
5. Scott Stevens (Theo Fleury) 13:58

Three stars:
1. Scott Stevens (36 minutes played, OT winner, nine hits)
2. Grant Fuhr (45 saves, including 30 in the final 34 minutes of play)
3. Theo Fleury (Two assists, five hits)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 4...

Howe’s best not enough

Oakland, CA (AP) - Try as he might, Gordie Howe could not lift the California Golden Seals to a win on this night.
Howe had a natural hat trick in the third period to erase a 3-0 deficit, but the San Francisco Spiders scored in the waning minutes of the third period for a 4-3 victory in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series.
For the first 40 minutes, it appeared that San Francisco's vaunted tandem of Niklas Lidstrom and Bill Gadsby would get the better of Howe again. They shadowed him effectively, and limited him to just two shots on net.
Then Seals coach Tommy Gorman started to double-shift Howe, and at one point, Howe had a two-minute shift.
It worked.
Howe's first goal came with the fourth liners. His second goal came with his usual linemates, and it was his first goal at even strength against the Lidstrom-Gadsby tandem since Game 1. His third goal came with the second line.
“With all due respect to San Fran's other defencemen, Lidstrom-Gadsby makes that team go,†said California coach Tommy Gorman. “If we can get Gordie away from those two, I think it's a very favourable match-up for us. He's the best forward ever, after all.â€
San Francisco coach Cecil Hart said he was ironically encouraged by tonight's proceedings.
“We squandered a 3-0 lead,†said Hart. “We let Gordie Howe turn this game into an exhibition in the third. Their best player threw everything he could at us. We still won. This should be demoralizing for the Seals.â€
Gadsby had the only goal of the first period - a power play marker. Cy Wentworth and John Bucyk scored three-and-a-half minutes apart in the second to give the Spiders a 3-0 lead after two periods.
Then Howe took over.
Not only did he score three times, but he logged 11 minutes of ice time in the third period, had eight shots on goal, dished out three crunching body checks, and finished his checks at every possible opportunity.
“He should have been named the first, second and third star tonight,†said linemate Brian Propp.
But with a little more than two minutes remaining, Flash Hollett made a bad turnover in his own zone. Denis Savard picked up the loose puck and fed it over to Frank Foyston, who scored his second of the series.
Grant Fuhr made 27 saves for the Spiders, including a terrific glove save off of Brendan Shanahan with 17 seconds remaining. The play was set up by, of course, Howe.
Tiny Thompson came up with 20 saves for the Seals.

San Francisco wins Game 4 4-3
Series is tied 2-2

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Bill Gadsby (Hod Stuart, Don McKenny) PP 15:11
Second period:
2. Cy Wentworth (Joe Sakic, John Bucyk) 10:00
3. John Bucyk (Alexander Maltsev, Joe Sakic) 13:30
Third period:
4. Gordie Howe (Al MacInnis, Dave Poulin) 6:16
5. Gordie Howe (Brian Propp, Alex Delvecchio) 10:40
6. Goride Howe (Scott Stevens, Brenden Shanahan) 11:00
7. Frank Foyston (Denis Savard) 17:56

Three stars:
1. Gordie Howe (3 G, 8 SOG, 12 hits)
2. Joe Sakic (2 A, 25:04 minutes played)
3. John Bucyk (1 G, 1 A, six hits)

Working on the write-ups for the remaining games. Will be coming ASAP.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Game 5...

Spiders' stars shine in Game 5

San Francisco (AP) - Niklas Lidstrom and Bill Gadsby were the difference once again.
California Golden Seals star Gordie Howe was unable to shake the star defensive pairing as the San Francisco Spiders defeated the California Seals 5-2 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.
Lidstrom and Gadsby didn’t get any points this time, but there was no doubt in coach Cecil Hart's mind who were the two best players.
“They were dominant,” Hart said. “Don't know who flubbed that three-star selection. Probably some stats freak who doesn't know a thing about the game, looked at the score sheet, and picked the stars."
"Yeah, our top line came up with three goals. And they played great. Our best players were our best players, and you need that to win at this level. But the best of the best tonight were Lidstrom and Gadsby.”
Howe was completely stymied this time. He was shut out for the second time in the series, but he had six shots on goal and delivered seven hits. He also fought Gadsby late in the third period in an effort to send a message to his team.
“I thought we needed a lift, something to give us a little momentum entering Game 6,” said Howe. “You aren't going to get much momentum with a mean-nothing goal with two minutes remaining. But you can make a statement by winning a fight.”
The two teams traded goals in the first period, with Rod Brind'Amour opening the scoring for California and Hod Stuart replying for San Francisco. Theo Fleury scored in the first minute of the second period to give the Seals a 2-1 lead.
Then San Francisco's top line took over.
Alexander Maltsev tied the game less than three minutes after Fleury's goal. Joe Sakic gave the Spiders their first lead of the game with less than three minutes remaining in the second period. And 25 seconds into the third, Maltsev put the game away with his second of the night.
In a little more than 17 minutes, spread out over two periods, the Spiders line had scored three goals and combined for seven points.
“We've been playing great,” Sakic said. “We haven't always had the statistical results to show for it, but everyone on our line has been doing their job. Tonight we got the results.”
Bruce Stuart rounded out the scoring less than two minutes after Maltsev's second goal.
Grant Fuhr had a relatively quiet night to get the win with only 15 saves. Tiny Thompson had 31 saves for the Seals.

San Francisco wins Game 5 5-2
San Francisco leads the best-of-seven 3-2

Scoring summary:
First period:
1. Rod Brind’Amour (Cooney Weiland, Bobby Nystrom) 6:15
2. Hod Stuart (Denis Savard, Ed Litzenberger) PP 12:00
Second period:
3. Theo Fleury (Dubie Bower, Al MacInnis) :49
4. Alexander Maltsev (John Bucyk) 3:20
5. Joe Sakic (Alexander Maltsev, Bert Corbeau) 17:18
Third period:
6. Alexander Maltsev (John Bucyk, Joe Sakic) :25
7. Bruce Stuart (Ron Ellis, Don McKenny) 2:10

Three stars:
1. Joe Sakic (1 G, 1 A)
2. Alexander Maltsev (2G, 1A)
3. Rod Brind'Amour (1G)

 

[God Bless Canada]

Spiders clinch Bay Area series

The San Francisco Spiders advanced to the Jim Robson Division Final with a 3-1 victory over the California Golden Seals.
San Francisco won the best-of-seven series in six games.
Once again, Gordie Howe was the best player on the ice, but his best wasn't good enough to get a win for California in an elimination game.
“Gordie was the best player on the ice in three or four of the games,” said Seals coach Tommy Gorman. “He had just the one 'off' game in Game 2. We just got beat by a better team.”
Neither team could score during a non-eventful first period. Facing elimination, California carried the play, but couldn't muster many shots, and they had few quality chances.
San Francisco broke through in the second period. Frank Foyston made the score 1-0 midway through the period, and Lidstrom scored a little more than three minutes later to give the Spiders a 2-0 lead.
“I just got the puck on net,” Lidstrom said. “John Bucyk had a great screen in front. He deserved an assist for that one.”
Howe scored 85 second into the third period to give the Seals some life, and some enthusiasm into the crowd.
Then Grant Fuhr took over.
For the second time in the series, Fuhr lived up to his reputation as one of the best clutch goaltenders in league history. He stopped the final 18 shots he faced, robbing Howe twice and stopping Dubie Bowie and Cooney Weiland on breakaways.
“We had our chances to score in the third period,” said Weiland. “It would have been nice to play like that all game, or all series. But we didn't. And that's why we'll be cleaning out the lockerrooms tomorrow. It's not because of Fuhr.”
Ron Ellis scored into an empty net with five seconds remaining in the third. But Fuhr's play had erased the hope of a comeback for many Seals fans.
“Our third line has been really solid throughout the series,” said Spiders coach Cecil Hart. “They have usually been matched against the opposition's first or second line. Dean Prentice has probably been our unsung hero throughout the season.”
Fuhr stopped 30 shots, but more than half of his saves were in the third period. Tiny Thompson had 18 saves for the Seals.
The Spiders will play either the Victoria Secrets or the Nanaimo Clippers in the division final. When asked which team he would rather face, Hart said he doesn't care who they face.

San Francisco wins Game 6 3-1
San Francisco wins the best-of-seven in six games

Scoring summary
First period:
No Scoring
Second period:
1. Frank Foyston (Denis Savard, Niklas Lidstrom) 8:10
2. Niklas Lidstrom (Bill Gadsby, Joe Sakic) 11:20
Third period:
3. Gordie Howe (Alex Delvecchio) 1:25
4. Ron Ellis (Dean Prentice) EN 19:55

Game 6 three stars:
1. Gordie Howe (1G, seven shots, seven hits)
2. Niklas Lidstrom (1G, 1A, 30 minutes of ice time)
3. Grant Fuhr (30 saves, including 18 in the third period)

Three stars for the series:
1. Gordie Howe (7 Goals, 2 Assists)
2. Joe Sakic (2 Goals, 6 assists)
3. Nik Lidstrom (2 Goals, 3 Assists, played regular shift against Howe)

Congrats to sturminator and Transplanted Caper for advancing to the next round.
Applause to Evil Sather and Agent Dale Cooper for assembling a strong all-round team. Hopefully see you guys in ATD 11.

 

[Sturminator]

Thanks for the great write-up, GBC. The box scores are a really nice touch.

Evil and Agent Dale, congratulations on assembling a great team and giving us a good run in the first ever Bay showdown in ATD history. I wouldn't have guessed either team could have taken this in six.

Looking forward to the series with Victoria.