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May 5, 1995
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.


Playoff hopes ride with Bill
It’s Bill Ranford’s baby. If the Edmonton Oilers are going to keep playing after May 3, they must ride most of the way to the post-season on the shoulders of their star goalie. Ranford has been unable to carry the Oilers much of anywhere this season. It has been a condensed year of few highs and some desperate lows for the team’s highest-paid player. “The type of hockey we’ve played this year, either we’re on or we’re not,” Ranford said. “It seems I’ve gone along with that. “Right now I’m not as confident as I’d like to be. You’ve just got to get over that hump.” It has been a long climb up the front side of that hump and Ranford is still working on it. It’s fair to say that by his high standards…


Kurvers a sitting Duck
Tom Kurvers has played for the Montreal Canadi-ens, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders. Now he’s not playing for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Ducks traded for Kurvers last summer in a deal that has failed, sending captain Troy Loney to the Islanders in an effort to give the NHL’s worst power play a shot in the arm. Or at least a shot from the point. The power play is still the worst and Kurvers is a denizen of the press box, largely because of defensive shortcomings that led to a spate of shorthanded goals against the Ducks. When the Ducks traded for young defensemen Milos Holan, Dave Karpa and Jason York in rapid succession, Kurvers was odd man out. He was scratched 12 times…


Leetch hits stride for stretch drive
The original NHL schedule had the playoffs starting in mid-April. That is when Brian Leetch, the real Brian Leetch, reappeared in New York. Fairly or not, everything Leetch now does is compared to his eight-week blitz last spring. The New York Rangers’ defenseman dominated the playoffs and became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe trophy as post-season MVP. Unfortunately for Leetch, nobody short of Bobby Orr could be expected to sustain that level of play. Still, until the middle of April, there hadn’t even been a sighting of that dominant Leetch, the one who could control a game’s tempo. Through the Rangers’ first 35 games, the 27-year-old Leetch had just four goals and 19 points while the team’s power play starved. By comparison, Leetch had 11 goals and 34 points…


Injuries keep hammering Islanders’ thin blueline
Just when you thought the carnage on the New York Islanders’ blueline was over, two more defensemen were lost for the season. In an April 18 win over the Quebec Nordiques, the Islanders lost Dennis Vaske and Rich Pilon with broken bones. Vaske broke his left ankle when he was checked into the boards at an awkward angle by Scott Young. Pilon broke a bone in his left wrist when he was slashed by Wen-del Clark. No penalties were assessed on either play. The severe injury run for Islander defensemen began even before the abbreviated season got under way when Bob Beers was struck in the eye by a puck in practice and missed the first 18 games. Darius Kasparaitis sustained a season-ending knee injury Feb. 20. Then Scott Lachance, who was having…