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October 5, 1990
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.
IS PLAYOFF HERO RANFORD FOR REAL?
Among the many questions hanging over the Edmonton Oilers’ defense of the Stanley Cup, one stands out: Is Bill Ranford for real? With Grant Fuhr’s future in limbo because of his admission to using an illegal substance, Ranford will be the Oilers’ No. 1 netminder. Even if Fuhr were available for duty, Ranford might still be the premier guy. All indications are he’s up to the task. Let’s qualify that. Ranford will not play every game this season as effectively as he did last spring. No one, not Patrick Roy or Daren Puppa or Ron Hextall, could be that good over that long a period. But the betting is that Ranford’s excellence was not an aberration. He’s a quality netminder capable of being a good No. 1 in the NHL and will use the 1990-91…
CAN ANYONE HERE PLAY DEFENSIVELY?
There are certain images that simply cannot be envisioned, no matter how hard you try. Woody Allen playing Hamlet, for example. Public-health officials touting the virtues of cigarettes. Frank Sinatra being the warmup act for 2 Live Crew. Or—and this is one of the most incongruous—the Pittsburgh Penguins being anything but wretched in their defensive zone. This, after all, is a team that has tried for years to redefine the concept of back-checking. The way the Penguins have approached it in recent seasons, that term means to look at the back of the player you’re supposed to be checking. “We’re a team that can score goals with any team in the league—probably better than any team in the league—but unfortunately, we give up as many as we score,” defenseman Randy Hillier says. Well, not exactly. The Penguins wish they…
WILL WEAK OFFENSE PROVE TO BE FATAL?
The Boston Bruins will again be a solid and respectable club. They are even capable of repeating last year’s Wales Conference championship. But if death is defined in the NHL as failure to win the Stanley Cup, the Bruins are probably doomed. They simply have to work too hard to score too few goals. As the Stanley Cup final evolved last spring, it became increasingly obvious the Bruins couldn’t come close to matching the three-line firepower of the Edmonton Oilers. Entering the 1990-91 campaign, there’s no reason to think things have changed. The Bruins, who last year allowed the fewest goals (232) in the league, will again be a stingy defensive club. Though it’s never easy picking a winner in the rugged Adams Division, the Bruins certainly rate a solid bet. Buffalo will be…
ANYBODY HEARD OF THIS JOHN MUCKLER GUY?
Given the option, Al Arbour would prefer to see his old buddy John Muckier behind the bench instead of behind the wheel. There is, in his mind, no comparison between Muckler’s aptitude as a driver and as a coach. “He’s a horsebleep driver,” the New York Islander coach says with a chuckle. “As a coach, he’s done an outstanding job. Taking over the (Edmonton) Oilers wasn’t easy but he kept everything under control and he kept them calm.” The relationship between Muckier and Arbour dates back four decades to the days when they were junior teammates on the Windsor Spitfires. Already as teenagers, both were honing their keen hockey minds. They would go to great lengths to take in a game—whether as players or as spectators. One night, Muckier borrowed a car from his girlfriend’s…
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