Rangers Blow Chances To Move Up With Flubs Against “New” Teams

NEW YORK, N.Y. - In the first three months of the campaign, the New York Rangers were literally kept afloat by their record against the Western Division clubs. In fact, up until January they had lost only one game to the new expansion group and were carrying the torch high for the old N.H.L. establishment. Now as February starts the early stretch drive, the Blueshirts are 13-3-1, not bad, but those two-losses at key spots have really hurt. They were to the Los Angeles Kings in LA on January 19 and to the St. Louis Blues on January 27 in the Mound City. Both came at a time when wins would have put the New Yorkers right up in to the top three of the torrid N.H.L. race. As we went to press,…

Penguins’ Nosedive Angers Perplexed ‘Red’ Sullivan

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - There’s something wrong with the Pittsburgh Penguins team Coach Red Sullivan has put together and no one is quite sure what it is. Perhaps, it’s the absence of a genuine leader who can stimulate the club when the spirit is low? Or, it could be the propensity of opposing teams to get a little more than their proverbial share of luck when playing Pittsburgh? Or, maybe, the 15 men or so who comprise the NHL expansion team simply don’t have the overall talent to be consistent winners in the league? But whatever is wrong, the situation is slowly dropping the Penguins out of contention for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. On one night, the Penguins can look and play like world beaters, scoring at the end of well executed plays and checking so…

Bower Supposedly Reaching End of Great NHL Career, Bounces Back As All-Star

TORONTO, ONT. - Perhaps he’s joking, but Johnny Bower claims he refuses to shovel snow. “They say It’s dangerous for men in my age group,” Bower explains. “It’s supposed to be hard on the ticker.” If true, this would be the only concession Bower makes to the advancing years which, he says, have reached 44 in his case, and not the 43 listed in the National Hockey League guide. Sport’s most amazing antique, Bower has been acting younger and friskier than ever this season and was named all-star NHL goaltender in midseason voting. And, as this issue of THE HOCKEY NEWS went to press, he was No. 1 contender for the Vezina Trophy, a statistical award which goes to the goalie or goalies “having played a minimum of 25 games for the team…

Central Hockey League Summaries