ATD10-ML Round 1: #3 Adirondack Red Wings vs. #6 Tidewater Sharks
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VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Discussion and analysis until the end of Wednesday.
Let's refrain from jumping to conclusions about who we think will win and stick to specific advantages and disadvantages. (First impressions and second impressions can be very different. And these playoff threads are further opportunity to talk about the players themselves, about the history of the game).
Thursday is Voting Day.
Let's refrain from jumping to conclusions about who we think will win and stick to specific advantages and disadvantages. (First impressions and second impressions can be very different. And these playoff threads are further opportunity to talk about the players themselves, about the history of the game).
Thursday is Voting Day.
Tidewater's defence pairings for this series will be:
Kenny Jonsson - Steve Chiasson
Dan Boyle - Randy Gregg
Phat Wilson - Jack Ruttan
The forwards will remain the same.
Some thoughts on this series coming later...
Kenny Jonsson - Steve Chiasson
Dan Boyle - Randy Gregg
Phat Wilson - Jack Ruttan
The forwards will remain the same.
Some thoughts on this series coming later...
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Like every series in this first round, I see this as a close matchup and feel that as a 6th seed, my team can pull off an upset. Below is an outline of the strengths of Tidewater team
Coaching:
Tidewater is a team that will suit Bauer’s style of play well. This is a fairly disciplined team (even Flett, a rugged winger on the Flyers in the 70’s, did not take a large amount of penalties). The top six meets Bauer’s requirements of skill and every line should be able to initiate an aggressive forecheck. The speedy transition game will be greatly aided by the puck moving abilities of Boyle, Jonsson, and Wilson from the backend. Bauer will focus the Sharks into a disciplined and hard-working group.
Like Bauer, Percival was a man who challenged hockey’s established norms. The combination of the two should provide for new, unconventional tactics and a team in superior physical and mental conditioning.
Goaltending:
I wouldn’t classify either of Karakas or Peeters among the elite of the MLD goaltenders. In a way, Karakas is a bit of a “what-if” case due to his contract dispute that led to a 5 year exile in the minors. While he was a 2nd team all-star after his return to the NHL and reached the finals in 1944, he missed the prime years of career over a dispute of $500. He’s career started off strong, especially considering the poor Hawk teams he was on. In 1936, he finished 2nd in GAA and recording 9 shutouts, the only year of his first stint in the NHL in which the Blackhawks were not the league’s lowest scoring teams. Karakas was also a teammate of Romnes and March, so he should have good read of the tendencies of the second line. I do not foresee either netminder stealing the series or costing the series.
Defence:
The Sharks defence, while quite different in style than that of the Red Wings, will be effective at both ends of the ice. The defence is well suited to Bauer’s puck-possesion, aggressive forecheck game. The first pairing of Kenny Jonsson and Steve Chiasson will play in all situations. Chiasson was a warrior and will be a physical presence as well as man a point on the powerplay where his hard point shot will be utilized. Jonsson is a poor-man’s Lidstrom, using positional play as a defensive deterrent. I think all of the voters are familiar with Boyle, who will be the Sharks main powerplay quarterback. While not a defensive liability, he will backed up defensively by Randy Gregg, who was a defensive specialist on 5 Stanley Cup champions and 1 Canada Cup. Gregg also credits Bauer as one of his favourite coaches, so that should bring out of the best of his play. Finally, the tandem of Ruttan and Wilson, two long-time amateurs and Hall of Famers, rounds out the Tidewater blueline. Wilson was very gifted offensively and will contribute off the rush and on the powerplay. While there is not a whole lot of information on Ruttan available, he was considered one of the top defenceman of his time.
Top Six:
There may be a perception that my top 6 forwards are overall a soft group, but I do not believe that will hurt them. Weight is as good as centre as there is in the draft. While he may not always seek to initiate the physical play (although he can, just ask a rookie on Carolina this season), he will not shy away from. Denneny thrived in a tough era of hockey, so again, while he’s not physical, it seems unlikely he would shy away from it. Simon Gagne has proven he can raise his game and is compatible with elite players (representing Canada three times at elite level competitions). In the two seasons he played with an elite centre, he notched a combined 88 goals. The second line is as offensively potent as the first, as Stoughton led the league in goals in 1980 and Kapustin is top 10 in Soviet National team goals. However, the gem of the second line is Trihey, the star of three Stanley Cup Championships and the third member of the Sharks who is a Hall of Famer. Like Denneny, he thrived in what was one of hockey’s toughest eras. Trihey can also serve as a player-assistant, as he was known for his innovative set plays in the offensive zone.
Bottom Six: While the third line may not be a traditional third line because none of the players are “good Canadian boys”, all three players excel defensively. Anders Kallur and Sergei Brylin combined to win 7 Stanley Cups as defensive specialists while Golonka was noted for his tenacity. This line will play a shutdown role by being aggressive on the puck carrier and strong positional play. Golonka will serve as captain, as he apparently was an extremely motivating and inspiring leader on the Czechoslovak national team. Tidewater’s third line will also chip in offensively off the counter attack, especially Golonka and Kallur. The theme of strong two play continues with the Gracie line. Greg Adams can chip in offense and is strong in clutch situation. Gracie in the defensive zone can be a shut down centre and is a playmaker for Flett and Adams in the offensive zone. Bill Flett is the toughest player on Tidewater and provides a physical presence, but he is also disciplined on the ice .
Keys to Winning the Series:
I feel that Tidewater’s top end forwards are superior. Dough Weight put up more points than Lysiak in a lower scoring era. Stoughton and Kehoe are comparable, but Stoughton put up 50 twice and 40 on two other occasions while Kehoe only put up more than 40 once, when he hit 55 in 1981. Mush March didn’t even put up as good as offensive numbers as Tidewater’s spare forward Lorne Carr. In March’s best season he was 10th in league scoring (he was usually around 30th). Denneny finished 4th, 8th, and 5th between 1920 and 1923. Trihey is a Hall of Famer, while Romnes was never even the leader scorer on his team. Romnes barely outscored Bob Gracie over a similar period of time. Kapustin and Shibicky is a wash. While Shibicky had a hard shot, he also had a slow release, making it easier to defend against. Harris may be better than Gagne, but not so much as to make up the disparity between the two top six groups.
I see the powerplay as key to a Tidewater victory. Playing a physical style against Tidewater has great potential to backfire as penalties will be costly. The first unit has a quarterback (Boyle), hard shot from the point (Chiasson), a sniper (Gagne), a playmaker (Weight), and a net presence (Flett). The second unit will be more a barrage unit, with Wilson and Jonsson on the point, and Denneny, Trihey, Stoughton up front. The coaching of Bauer and the with few players known for taking penalties, Tidewater is unlikely to find itself short handed often, but its penalty kill units will be effective. The game plan is to take short PK shifts and have three sets of PK forwards: Gracie/Kallur, Brylin/Golonka, Flett/Trihey.
Coaching:
Tidewater is a team that will suit Bauer’s style of play well. This is a fairly disciplined team (even Flett, a rugged winger on the Flyers in the 70’s, did not take a large amount of penalties). The top six meets Bauer’s requirements of skill and every line should be able to initiate an aggressive forecheck. The speedy transition game will be greatly aided by the puck moving abilities of Boyle, Jonsson, and Wilson from the backend. Bauer will focus the Sharks into a disciplined and hard-working group.
Like Bauer, Percival was a man who challenged hockey’s established norms. The combination of the two should provide for new, unconventional tactics and a team in superior physical and mental conditioning.
Goaltending:
I wouldn’t classify either of Karakas or Peeters among the elite of the MLD goaltenders. In a way, Karakas is a bit of a “what-if” case due to his contract dispute that led to a 5 year exile in the minors. While he was a 2nd team all-star after his return to the NHL and reached the finals in 1944, he missed the prime years of career over a dispute of $500. He’s career started off strong, especially considering the poor Hawk teams he was on. In 1936, he finished 2nd in GAA and recording 9 shutouts, the only year of his first stint in the NHL in which the Blackhawks were not the league’s lowest scoring teams. Karakas was also a teammate of Romnes and March, so he should have good read of the tendencies of the second line. I do not foresee either netminder stealing the series or costing the series.
Defence:
The Sharks defence, while quite different in style than that of the Red Wings, will be effective at both ends of the ice. The defence is well suited to Bauer’s puck-possesion, aggressive forecheck game. The first pairing of Kenny Jonsson and Steve Chiasson will play in all situations. Chiasson was a warrior and will be a physical presence as well as man a point on the powerplay where his hard point shot will be utilized. Jonsson is a poor-man’s Lidstrom, using positional play as a defensive deterrent. I think all of the voters are familiar with Boyle, who will be the Sharks main powerplay quarterback. While not a defensive liability, he will backed up defensively by Randy Gregg, who was a defensive specialist on 5 Stanley Cup champions and 1 Canada Cup. Gregg also credits Bauer as one of his favourite coaches, so that should bring out of the best of his play. Finally, the tandem of Ruttan and Wilson, two long-time amateurs and Hall of Famers, rounds out the Tidewater blueline. Wilson was very gifted offensively and will contribute off the rush and on the powerplay. While there is not a whole lot of information on Ruttan available, he was considered one of the top defenceman of his time.
Top Six:
There may be a perception that my top 6 forwards are overall a soft group, but I do not believe that will hurt them. Weight is as good as centre as there is in the draft. While he may not always seek to initiate the physical play (although he can, just ask a rookie on Carolina this season), he will not shy away from. Denneny thrived in a tough era of hockey, so again, while he’s not physical, it seems unlikely he would shy away from it. Simon Gagne has proven he can raise his game and is compatible with elite players (representing Canada three times at elite level competitions). In the two seasons he played with an elite centre, he notched a combined 88 goals. The second line is as offensively potent as the first, as Stoughton led the league in goals in 1980 and Kapustin is top 10 in Soviet National team goals. However, the gem of the second line is Trihey, the star of three Stanley Cup Championships and the third member of the Sharks who is a Hall of Famer. Like Denneny, he thrived in what was one of hockey’s toughest eras. Trihey can also serve as a player-assistant, as he was known for his innovative set plays in the offensive zone.
Bottom Six: While the third line may not be a traditional third line because none of the players are “good Canadian boys”, all three players excel defensively. Anders Kallur and Sergei Brylin combined to win 7 Stanley Cups as defensive specialists while Golonka was noted for his tenacity. This line will play a shutdown role by being aggressive on the puck carrier and strong positional play. Golonka will serve as captain, as he apparently was an extremely motivating and inspiring leader on the Czechoslovak national team. Tidewater’s third line will also chip in offensively off the counter attack, especially Golonka and Kallur. The theme of strong two play continues with the Gracie line. Greg Adams can chip in offense and is strong in clutch situation. Gracie in the defensive zone can be a shut down centre and is a playmaker for Flett and Adams in the offensive zone. Bill Flett is the toughest player on Tidewater and provides a physical presence, but he is also disciplined on the ice .
Keys to Winning the Series:
I feel that Tidewater’s top end forwards are superior. Dough Weight put up more points than Lysiak in a lower scoring era. Stoughton and Kehoe are comparable, but Stoughton put up 50 twice and 40 on two other occasions while Kehoe only put up more than 40 once, when he hit 55 in 1981. Mush March didn’t even put up as good as offensive numbers as Tidewater’s spare forward Lorne Carr. In March’s best season he was 10th in league scoring (he was usually around 30th). Denneny finished 4th, 8th, and 5th between 1920 and 1923. Trihey is a Hall of Famer, while Romnes was never even the leader scorer on his team. Romnes barely outscored Bob Gracie over a similar period of time. Kapustin and Shibicky is a wash. While Shibicky had a hard shot, he also had a slow release, making it easier to defend against. Harris may be better than Gagne, but not so much as to make up the disparity between the two top six groups.
I see the powerplay as key to a Tidewater victory. Playing a physical style against Tidewater has great potential to backfire as penalties will be costly. The first unit has a quarterback (Boyle), hard shot from the point (Chiasson), a sniper (Gagne), a playmaker (Weight), and a net presence (Flett). The second unit will be more a barrage unit, with Wilson and Jonsson on the point, and Denneny, Trihey, Stoughton up front. The coaching of Bauer and the with few players known for taking penalties, Tidewater is unlikely to find itself short handed often, but its penalty kill units will be effective. The game plan is to take short PK shifts and have three sets of PK forwards: Gracie/Kallur, Brylin/Golonka, Flett/Trihey.
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seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Hedberg, you make some really good points, particularly regarding the top-6 forwards, to the point where I am wondering why you were 6th in the division.
A couple things:
Don't forget where Denneny ranked in the NHA as well. He was actually top-5 in goals, assists, and points four times each, in those splinter leagues, which are as good as top-10's post-26. If you ask me, this makes him one of the elite forwards of the MLD.
Trihey's not just a hall of famer - he was a leading scorer at the turn of the century. Calling him just a hall of famer is selling him short, because let's face it, for some players back then, that's not saying much. Trihey's a hall of famer even if they don't open the floodgates in 1962. His stanley cup stats have to be taken with a grain of salt due to who they were against, but he was still the one who led his team - by a wide margin.
Now I've gotta wait to see what Spitfire says in response. I admit that aside from 1st place, I found this division extremely tough to call, so no one should take anything for granted.
A couple things:
Don't forget where Denneny ranked in the NHA as well. He was actually top-5 in goals, assists, and points four times each, in those splinter leagues, which are as good as top-10's post-26. If you ask me, this makes him one of the elite forwards of the MLD.
Trihey's not just a hall of famer - he was a leading scorer at the turn of the century. Calling him just a hall of famer is selling him short, because let's face it, for some players back then, that's not saying much. Trihey's a hall of famer even if they don't open the floodgates in 1962. His stanley cup stats have to be taken with a grain of salt due to who they were against, but he was still the one who led his team - by a wide margin.
Now I've gotta wait to see what Spitfire says in response. I admit that aside from 1st place, I found this division extremely tough to call, so no one should take anything for granted.
Spitfire11
Registered User
Spitfire11
Registered User
Well here's an attempt at defending my team..
Have to agree Weight is the better player, although I think Lysiak brings a more complete game and will do a better job checking Weight, as well as dishing out a physical toll on the Sharks' D. VanI’s preseason game made it seem Lysiak was out of place with an ‘A’ but he served as Flames Captain for 3 straight seasons, and had the respect of his teammates. “(Darryl)Sutter was once quoted considering Lysiak as the best player he's ever played with, an interesting admission considering he played with guys like Denis Savard and Doug Wilson.†–Joe Pelletier
Stoughton only had those 4 good years, only 1 of which he actually lead his team in scoring, while during the same time Kehoe lead his team in scoring 3 straight years. Kehoe also brings much better playmaking ability while Stoughton is pretty much just a goal scorer, and a soft player as well:
"Blaine thrived on fast paced, loosey-goosey hockey games where there wasn't a whole lot of defense being played. But once the game became very physical or very tight, Stoughton frustrated many fans and hockey people by seemingly disappearing in such contests." -Joe Pelletier
Well he's not going to like playing against Adirondack with the likes of McNamara, Munro, Young, Maloney, and Loughlin on defense, and tight checking from the forwards.
Denneny is a very good player, and he’ll get to know Percy Galbraith very well during this series. Galbraith is named in Ultimate Hockey as the best defensive forward and best shadow of the 20’s as well as the best penalty killer. Having home ice advantage will allow him to be matched up against Corb most of the time. Galbraith has a Cup win and also led the ’27 playoffs in scoring so I hope Denneny can do a little backchecking himself
. His centre Gregg Sheppard also gives his line a big scoring threat, putting up an impressive 72 points in 82 playoff games as a secondary player.
Romnes might not have had the best regular season numbers but this is the playoffs, and Romnes lead the Cup winning ’34 Blackhawks in playoff scoring. Consider that Marty Barry is considered among the best playoff scorers in the 30’s with 33 points in 43 games. Romnes put up 25 points in 43 games and Mush March scored 27 in 46 games. Not too shabby, Gracie only had a career 11 points in 33 games. Romnes and March also played under the Hawks’ defensive system and should be perfect for Skinner. They won’t be liabilities defensively as Trihey, Denneny, and Stoughton might be(?).
I guess it's a matter of how you rank the eras, if you see them as all equal I guess Trihey is the best player in the draft. But he played at the turn of the century. His Cup wins were against the Halifax Crescents and Queens University. Who on earth did they have playing for them? Here he’s playing against Stanley Cup winners in the NHL when it was undisputedly the top league in the world, and will have to actually face a halfways decent goaltender.
Shibicky is right up there with solid numbers as well, scoring 24 points in 40 career playoff games and finished tied for 3rd in playoff scoring for the Cup winning ’40 Rangers. He also gives the line a size presence and sniper to compliment Romnes/March.
Your 2nd line of Kapustin/Trihey/Stoughton brings together 3 players that all played in completely different systems which could cause them problems.
None of my players are big penalty takers with the exception of perhaps McNamara. I don’t think we’ll be spending a lot of time pk’ing but if we have to, Skinner can put together some solid units with Galbraith, Sheppard, Lysiak, MacAdam, Bruneteau, Grant, and the entire defense which can all play the pk minus Crossman.
I think we also have an edge on defense with a top 4 consisting of 3 Cup winning captains and a HOFer with a Cup win. McNamara and Loughlin were both at one point arguably the best defenseman in their respective leagues, which can't be said of any defenseman on the Sharks' blueline, except maybe the amateurs. Crossman also had big game success winning the ’87 Canada Cup, and played on the Flyers team that pushed the 80’s Oilers to a game 7 in the finals. Maloney was a 3-year captain of the Rangers and is a good all-around defenseman that will also bring a physical game on the 3rd pairing.
Have to agree Weight is the better player, although I think Lysiak brings a more complete game and will do a better job checking Weight, as well as dishing out a physical toll on the Sharks' D. VanI’s preseason game made it seem Lysiak was out of place with an ‘A’ but he served as Flames Captain for 3 straight seasons, and had the respect of his teammates. “(Darryl)Sutter was once quoted considering Lysiak as the best player he's ever played with, an interesting admission considering he played with guys like Denis Savard and Doug Wilson.†–Joe Pelletier
Stoughton only had those 4 good years, only 1 of which he actually lead his team in scoring, while during the same time Kehoe lead his team in scoring 3 straight years. Kehoe also brings much better playmaking ability while Stoughton is pretty much just a goal scorer, and a soft player as well:
"Blaine thrived on fast paced, loosey-goosey hockey games where there wasn't a whole lot of defense being played. But once the game became very physical or very tight, Stoughton frustrated many fans and hockey people by seemingly disappearing in such contests." -Joe Pelletier
Well he's not going to like playing against Adirondack with the likes of McNamara, Munro, Young, Maloney, and Loughlin on defense, and tight checking from the forwards.
Denneny is a very good player, and he’ll get to know Percy Galbraith very well during this series. Galbraith is named in Ultimate Hockey as the best defensive forward and best shadow of the 20’s as well as the best penalty killer. Having home ice advantage will allow him to be matched up against Corb most of the time. Galbraith has a Cup win and also led the ’27 playoffs in scoring so I hope Denneny can do a little backchecking himself
. His centre Gregg Sheppard also gives his line a big scoring threat, putting up an impressive 72 points in 82 playoff games as a secondary player.Romnes might not have had the best regular season numbers but this is the playoffs, and Romnes lead the Cup winning ’34 Blackhawks in playoff scoring. Consider that Marty Barry is considered among the best playoff scorers in the 30’s with 33 points in 43 games. Romnes put up 25 points in 43 games and Mush March scored 27 in 46 games. Not too shabby, Gracie only had a career 11 points in 33 games. Romnes and March also played under the Hawks’ defensive system and should be perfect for Skinner. They won’t be liabilities defensively as Trihey, Denneny, and Stoughton might be(?).
I guess it's a matter of how you rank the eras, if you see them as all equal I guess Trihey is the best player in the draft. But he played at the turn of the century. His Cup wins were against the Halifax Crescents and Queens University. Who on earth did they have playing for them? Here he’s playing against Stanley Cup winners in the NHL when it was undisputedly the top league in the world, and will have to actually face a halfways decent goaltender.
Shibicky is right up there with solid numbers as well, scoring 24 points in 40 career playoff games and finished tied for 3rd in playoff scoring for the Cup winning ’40 Rangers. He also gives the line a size presence and sniper to compliment Romnes/March.
Your 2nd line of Kapustin/Trihey/Stoughton brings together 3 players that all played in completely different systems which could cause them problems.
None of my players are big penalty takers with the exception of perhaps McNamara. I don’t think we’ll be spending a lot of time pk’ing but if we have to, Skinner can put together some solid units with Galbraith, Sheppard, Lysiak, MacAdam, Bruneteau, Grant, and the entire defense which can all play the pk minus Crossman.
I think we also have an edge on defense with a top 4 consisting of 3 Cup winning captains and a HOFer with a Cup win. McNamara and Loughlin were both at one point arguably the best defenseman in their respective leagues, which can't be said of any defenseman on the Sharks' blueline, except maybe the amateurs. Crossman also had big game success winning the ’87 Canada Cup, and played on the Flyers team that pushed the 80’s Oilers to a game 7 in the finals. Maloney was a 3-year captain of the Rangers and is a good all-around defenseman that will also bring a physical game on the 3rd pairing.
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
He struggled the first couple of years with fans booing him. Yes, he later captained the team. My write-up accurately reflected the high expectations he didn't fill immediately, and how he eventually was appreciated. I did research for every sentence of that preseason game summary, in fact it took me a couple of hours to do that write-up. Would have been much easier just to write what impressions I already had of the teams and b.s. the rest.
I had Loughlin pencilled in as my #1 d-man for my upcoming AAA team and it hurt when you got him. I honestly thought the 4-time PCHA all-star would drop. How stupid!
I really like Adirondack's second pairing. They could play on my MLD blueline any day. They'll be busy facing easily one of the best second lines in the draft in Tidewater's peak-superb Kapustin-Trihey-Stoughton.
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Kyle McMahon
Registered User
- May 10, 2006
- 13,301
- 4,354
Great arguments put forth by both competitors. I love the playoff jam that several Adirondack players bring to the table. Tidewater's second line center could be a second line center in the ATD as far as I'm concerned. He didn't play that long, but Harry Trihey was the best player on a back-to-back champion, even if it was the turn of the century.
I wouldn't expect too much out of Galbraith offensively. Other than the 27 playoffs, he didn't add much offense. He averaged less than 4 goals a season over his NHL careerDenneny is a very good player, and he’ll get to know Percy Galbraith very well during this series. Galbraith is named in Ultimate Hockey as the best defensive forward and best shadow of the 20’s as well as the best penalty killer. Having home ice advantage will allow him to be matched up against Corb most of the time. Galbraith has a Cup win and also led the ’27 playoffs in scoring so I hope Denneny can do a little backchecking himself
I haven't seen anything to suggest Trihey or Denneny are defensive liabilities.
To reach the Stanley Cup challenge games, his team had to get through the Canadian Amateur league, which was at the time the best league in the world, featuring ATD selections Dubbie Bowie, Bruce Stuart, Dan Bain, Graham Drinkwater, Mike Grant, and Blair Russell. The league also had decent goaltenders, like Hall of Famer Bouse Hutton. Trihey led the CAHL in scoring twice.
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Keep those votes coming in!
the absolute DEADLINE for voting is Friday at noon eastern
PM me the winner of the series, in how many games, and the three stars of the series
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Game 1:
Adirondack's fans packed the building with high expectations and they were satisfied early on. Mush March, who started the game, slammed Kenny Jonsson into the boards hard as Jonsson was retrieving a dump-in. March threw the puck in front for Romnes who was stoned by Mike Karakas, but just three minutes later March intercepted a Steve Chiasson pass, went in all alone and made no mistake. March continued his strong play throughout the period, buzzing around in the Tidewater zone but could not dent the twine again. The wings' fine puck control made sure Tidewater did not threaten their goal often.
The second period was a high-flying affair. Harry Trihey worked a great combination play with Sergei Kapustin, who buried the disc right at the start of the period. Both second lines lined up again, and this time Romnes won the draw. Doc breached the zone and dropped a pass back for Doug Young, whose slapshot eluded Karakas. 22 seconds, two goals. Shortly thereafter, Denneny and Kehoe traded powerplay markers after obstruction calls on Crossman and Gregg. Adirondack's fans were incensed when Mud Bruneteau was penalized for what they thought was a clean hit on Greg Adams, but cheered wildly when Percy Galbraith tipped a blueline pass and scored on a shorthanded breakaway to take a two-goal lead. The Wings looked like they'd take that lead into the second intermission but a last-second slapshot by Steve Chiasson from just outside the blueline caught Peeters napping. 4-3 Wings after two.
The last second goal proved demoralizing for the wings, as Trihey again executed a perfect combinaton play off the opening faceoff with both of his wings, this time with Trihey pulling the trigger to tie the game. Doug Weight's line finally woke up as Weight set up a Streaking Gagne for a pretty even strength goal with just five minutes remaining, taking the lead for Tidewater for the first time all game. At this point Pete Peeters had allowed five goals on just 19 shots. Adirondack turned on the jets and pressed really hard, firing seven more shots on Karakas to close out the period for a total of 37, but Wilson and Ruttan cleared a number of rebounds before and Wings forwards could pounce on them. The buzzer sounded and Tidewater walked away with a 5-4 win that they felt lucky to get.
Adirondack's fans packed the building with high expectations and they were satisfied early on. Mush March, who started the game, slammed Kenny Jonsson into the boards hard as Jonsson was retrieving a dump-in. March threw the puck in front for Romnes who was stoned by Mike Karakas, but just three minutes later March intercepted a Steve Chiasson pass, went in all alone and made no mistake. March continued his strong play throughout the period, buzzing around in the Tidewater zone but could not dent the twine again. The wings' fine puck control made sure Tidewater did not threaten their goal often.
The second period was a high-flying affair. Harry Trihey worked a great combination play with Sergei Kapustin, who buried the disc right at the start of the period. Both second lines lined up again, and this time Romnes won the draw. Doc breached the zone and dropped a pass back for Doug Young, whose slapshot eluded Karakas. 22 seconds, two goals. Shortly thereafter, Denneny and Kehoe traded powerplay markers after obstruction calls on Crossman and Gregg. Adirondack's fans were incensed when Mud Bruneteau was penalized for what they thought was a clean hit on Greg Adams, but cheered wildly when Percy Galbraith tipped a blueline pass and scored on a shorthanded breakaway to take a two-goal lead. The Wings looked like they'd take that lead into the second intermission but a last-second slapshot by Steve Chiasson from just outside the blueline caught Peeters napping. 4-3 Wings after two.
The last second goal proved demoralizing for the wings, as Trihey again executed a perfect combinaton play off the opening faceoff with both of his wings, this time with Trihey pulling the trigger to tie the game. Doug Weight's line finally woke up as Weight set up a Streaking Gagne for a pretty even strength goal with just five minutes remaining, taking the lead for Tidewater for the first time all game. At this point Pete Peeters had allowed five goals on just 19 shots. Adirondack turned on the jets and pressed really hard, firing seven more shots on Karakas to close out the period for a total of 37, but Wilson and Ruttan cleared a number of rebounds before and Wings forwards could pounce on them. The buzzer sounded and Tidewater walked away with a 5-4 win that they felt lucky to get.
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Game 2:
The series shifted back to Tidewater for the second, and potentially deciding game in this preliminary series the next evening. Tidewater was visibly run-down after last night's fast-skating affair, but Randy Carlyle's boys seemed to find a second set of legs. Two goals in the middle of the first period by Mush March and Danny Grant just 34 seconds apart, made sure the Wings took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room.
Mike Babcock managed to wake his boys up as they showed some jump to begin the second period, but was it too late? Clem Loughlin rocked Simon Gagne along the boards as he tried to squeak by with the puck. Loughlin fed Romnes, who found Shibicky streaking to the blueline. Shibicky's slapper from the faceoff dot trickled past the line as Jonsson tried in vain to swat it away. The wings knew first hand what kind of effect a demoralizing goal could have on a team, and knew to go for the jugular while they had the chance. Lysiak set up a Kehoe slapper and then after a tripping call on Dan Boyle, Doug Crossman notched a PP marker with a blast from the point. 5-0 wings at the end of the 2nd.
Whatever enthusiasm Babcock instilled in the Sharks was wasted and resulted in a lot of excess running around in the 2nd. With the game now out of reach, the focus became salvaging some moral victories before the time ran out. Tidewater played a much calmer and more controlled game, and Wilson and Ruttan laid the body heavily on Harris, Kehoe, and Shibicky, the latter of which left the game and did not return. Bill Flett then challenged the much larger George McNamara to a fight and held his own. The Sharks managed to get on board late in the period on the power play when Doug Weight fed a pass to Denneny through three pairs of skates, and then Gagne streaked past Loughlin to go in all alone and shelf it. There would be no crunching bodycheck this time. But as everyone in Tidewater was aware, this was too little, too late. The Sharks had won the period but lost the game, and they'd have to win another game in Adirondack to advance. Tidewater finished the game with 22 shots to Adirondack's 32.
5-2 final.
The series shifted back to Tidewater for the second, and potentially deciding game in this preliminary series the next evening. Tidewater was visibly run-down after last night's fast-skating affair, but Randy Carlyle's boys seemed to find a second set of legs. Two goals in the middle of the first period by Mush March and Danny Grant just 34 seconds apart, made sure the Wings took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room.
Mike Babcock managed to wake his boys up as they showed some jump to begin the second period, but was it too late? Clem Loughlin rocked Simon Gagne along the boards as he tried to squeak by with the puck. Loughlin fed Romnes, who found Shibicky streaking to the blueline. Shibicky's slapper from the faceoff dot trickled past the line as Jonsson tried in vain to swat it away. The wings knew first hand what kind of effect a demoralizing goal could have on a team, and knew to go for the jugular while they had the chance. Lysiak set up a Kehoe slapper and then after a tripping call on Dan Boyle, Doug Crossman notched a PP marker with a blast from the point. 5-0 wings at the end of the 2nd.
Whatever enthusiasm Babcock instilled in the Sharks was wasted and resulted in a lot of excess running around in the 2nd. With the game now out of reach, the focus became salvaging some moral victories before the time ran out. Tidewater played a much calmer and more controlled game, and Wilson and Ruttan laid the body heavily on Harris, Kehoe, and Shibicky, the latter of which left the game and did not return. Bill Flett then challenged the much larger George McNamara to a fight and held his own. The Sharks managed to get on board late in the period on the power play when Doug Weight fed a pass to Denneny through three pairs of skates, and then Gagne streaked past Loughlin to go in all alone and shelf it. There would be no crunching bodycheck this time. But as everyone in Tidewater was aware, this was too little, too late. The Sharks had won the period but lost the game, and they'd have to win another game in Adirondack to advance. Tidewater finished the game with 22 shots to Adirondack's 32.
5-2 final.
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Game 3:
Tidewater and Adirondack had both experienced disappointments. The Wings had let a lead escape them in game 1, and the Sharks came up flat in game 2. Neither goalie had played well, with Peeters and Karakas rocking .829 and .870 save percentages. There was no more room for error and whoever could cut down on the mistakes was going to take this one. Tidewater struck early when Trihey, alone in front, picked up a pass from Kapustin after a strong forecheck. Dunc Munro, however, caught Trihey with a solid open ice hit the next time he was on the ice, then straight-armed Randy Gregg after the whistle as he came to defend Trihey. The Shamrock was shaken up but would return. This momentum-changing hit led to a pair of strong forechecking shifts by the Wings' bottom two units, culminating in a goal by Smokey Harris. Peeters stood tall in the Wings' net, stopping 16 shots. The period ended 1-1.
The second period was a slow, cautious affair. Both Babcock and Carlyle had their squads employ dump-and-chase tactics with little offensive success. Only 14 shots were taken in total and only Dan Boyle's slapper following an odd-man rush for Adirondack challenged either goalie. This shot was snared by Peeters' trapper. The first scoreless period of the series meant that this one was going into the third tied at one apiece.
Trihey, who had been ineffective throughout the second period after being rocked by Munro, was skating a lot better in the third and nearly caught Peeters off guard with a knuckleball of a shot early on, but Peeters recovered and made the save. At the other end, Karakas allowed an Al MacAdam shot to pass him, but the goalpost did not. Doug Weight broke the tie ten minutes in when he pulled off a give-and-go with Gagne to get around McNamara and buried the disc deep in the net. March continued his fine forechecking at the other end and it paid off when he stripped Dan Boyle of the puck behind the net and buried a wraparound goal. With only four minutes left, Trihey dodged what would have been quite an encore of a hit from Munro, and deked out Peeters to go ahead with a beauty of a potential series winning goal.
Peeters, who had redeemed himself with a very strong game, was hung out to dry on this goal, and with just four minutes to go, would soon find himself the victim of two odd-man rushes as his teammates pressed too hard for the equalizer. First, he stopped Sheppard's wrister off the wing that had top corner written all over it, and on the next shift he dove across to stop a Sergei Brylin one-timer to keep his team in the game. Time was running out for the wings, though. They caught a break when Phat Wilson was sent off for an accidental high stick and pulled Peeters with 65 seconds to go in the game. Kallur and Golonka tipped a pass each, and Ruttan put his shin pads in front of two heavy shots. Two made their way through to Karakas, who somehow found them through the crowd. Finally, with 15 seconds left, Brylin was able to slice the puck out of the zone, ending the onslaught. Tidewater had pulled off the daring upset on the higher-seeded Wings. Shots: 34-30 Sharks.
3-2 Sharks, final.
Three stars of the series:
* Harry Trihey (3G, 2A)
** Mush March (3G)
*** Doug Weight (4A)
Tidewater and Adirondack had both experienced disappointments. The Wings had let a lead escape them in game 1, and the Sharks came up flat in game 2. Neither goalie had played well, with Peeters and Karakas rocking .829 and .870 save percentages. There was no more room for error and whoever could cut down on the mistakes was going to take this one. Tidewater struck early when Trihey, alone in front, picked up a pass from Kapustin after a strong forecheck. Dunc Munro, however, caught Trihey with a solid open ice hit the next time he was on the ice, then straight-armed Randy Gregg after the whistle as he came to defend Trihey. The Shamrock was shaken up but would return. This momentum-changing hit led to a pair of strong forechecking shifts by the Wings' bottom two units, culminating in a goal by Smokey Harris. Peeters stood tall in the Wings' net, stopping 16 shots. The period ended 1-1.
The second period was a slow, cautious affair. Both Babcock and Carlyle had their squads employ dump-and-chase tactics with little offensive success. Only 14 shots were taken in total and only Dan Boyle's slapper following an odd-man rush for Adirondack challenged either goalie. This shot was snared by Peeters' trapper. The first scoreless period of the series meant that this one was going into the third tied at one apiece.
Trihey, who had been ineffective throughout the second period after being rocked by Munro, was skating a lot better in the third and nearly caught Peeters off guard with a knuckleball of a shot early on, but Peeters recovered and made the save. At the other end, Karakas allowed an Al MacAdam shot to pass him, but the goalpost did not. Doug Weight broke the tie ten minutes in when he pulled off a give-and-go with Gagne to get around McNamara and buried the disc deep in the net. March continued his fine forechecking at the other end and it paid off when he stripped Dan Boyle of the puck behind the net and buried a wraparound goal. With only four minutes left, Trihey dodged what would have been quite an encore of a hit from Munro, and deked out Peeters to go ahead with a beauty of a potential series winning goal.
Peeters, who had redeemed himself with a very strong game, was hung out to dry on this goal, and with just four minutes to go, would soon find himself the victim of two odd-man rushes as his teammates pressed too hard for the equalizer. First, he stopped Sheppard's wrister off the wing that had top corner written all over it, and on the next shift he dove across to stop a Sergei Brylin one-timer to keep his team in the game. Time was running out for the wings, though. They caught a break when Phat Wilson was sent off for an accidental high stick and pulled Peeters with 65 seconds to go in the game. Kallur and Golonka tipped a pass each, and Ruttan put his shin pads in front of two heavy shots. Two made their way through to Karakas, who somehow found them through the crowd. Finally, with 15 seconds left, Brylin was able to slice the puck out of the zone, ending the onslaught. Tidewater had pulled off the daring upset on the higher-seeded Wings. Shots: 34-30 Sharks.
3-2 Sharks, final.
Three stars of the series:
* Harry Trihey (3G, 2A)
** Mush March (3G)
*** Doug Weight (4A)
Good luck in future drafts, Spitfire. That was a great discussion about this series.
Thanks for the writeups, Seventieslord.
Thanks for the writeups, Seventieslord.
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