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April 18, 1986
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
Patience Is The Watchword For North Stars
BLOOMINGTON—The end result is the same—the North Stars will face St. Louis in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second straight year—but the path taken this year is completely opposite. Last year, the Stars slipped into the playoffs through the Norris Division’s fourth-place back door with a 25-43-12 record and then upset the division-champion Blues in three straight games. This year, the Stars put together a 19-9-1 run after the All-Star break to stay in the title race until the final day of the season, when Chicago pulled out the Norris championship by one point over the second-place Stars with a victory over St. Louis. For a few hours, the Stars were even in first place—for the first time in five months—until the Blackhawks clinched the title. “There’s no…
Chihawks Choice Of Maple Leafs
TORONTO—The last time the Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks met in a playoff series brings to mind a memory hat Toronto fans have long clung to. Twenty years ago, Toronto ousted Chicago 4-2 along the way to winning their 11th and final Stanley Cup. Six times since then, including last year and the year before that, the Maple Leafs failed to make the playoffs. But now they’re back and delighted to be facing the Blackhawks once more. And not because anybody is thinking Stanley Cup. No, they’re thinking regular season. The Maple Leafs matched up against no other National Hockey League team as well as it did the Norris Division-champion Blackhawks (39-33-8). That they were separated by two places and 29 points in the final standings and the fact that Toronto (25-48-7) won just two of…
Series Of Injuries Conspires Against Pats
REGINA—The Western League has its own version of ‘So You Think You’re Tough’. Instead of going with post-season pairings in the Eastern Division, six qualifying teams were thrown into an opening-round double round robin to eliminate just two clubs. Call it a battle royal or survival of the fittest. The league preferred to call it survival of the franchises, saying more post-season revenue would be the salvation for struggling teams. Forgive the Regina Pats if they prefer to call the format something else. The Pats, who finished a strong third with a 45-26-1 record and a .632 winning percentage—ninth best in the nation—were on the playoff ropes after seven post-season contests. Regina, hobbled by nagging injuries all season and faced with a demanding round-robin schedule, was winless and in danger of not making it to…
Goalies Share Only One Trait-Excellence
LONG ISLAND—There were two major reasons why the Islanders gained the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 12th consecutive year. Their names are Bill Smith and Kelly Hrudey. Both goalies played extremely well down the stretch. Smith entered the final week of the regular season with a 4-1-1 record for six starts. During the same period, Hrudey was 4-2-1 for seven outings and was second only to Philadelphia’s Bob Froese in save percentage. The Islanders relied almost exclusively on Smith in past playoffs, and he usually came through for them, especially while they were winning four Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983. He holds goaltender playoff records for most games played (130), most minutes played (7,577) and most victories (88). Hrudey, on the other hand, lacks playoff experience. He got his playoff baptism last spring,…
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