1980 STANLEY CUP FINALS – PITTSBURGH SPIRIT @ SAINT CROIX LUMBER JACKS

The inaugural MWOTHL Stanley Cup Finals! The Pittsburgh Spirit travel to Saint Croix Falls to take on the Lumberjacks in Game 1.

Let’s get it started!!

Both teams back and forth. Feeling each other out. Then on the PP Chouinard (6) makes it 1-0 Pittsburgh.
1:10 later, Labraaten (6) makes it a 2-0 Spirit lead.
1:05 later Redmond (2) makes it 3-0 Pittsburgh
2:33 later, Palmer (1) scores a shortie on a breakaway, and the Spirit lead 4-0
Pittsburgh out-shot Saint Croix Falls 19-11. Jumping all over Smith.
Head into the 2nd period. After the Spirit dominating the 1st, Saint Croix jumps out on the ice and really tightens up the D.
14:40 on the PP Turnbull (4) breaks the seal on Chico Resch and cuts the lead to 4-1.
The Lumberjacks out-shoot the Spirit 10-5 but the Spirit still leads 4-1.
3rd period. Saint Croix Falls really puts the screws into Pittsburgh as they spend a majority of the 3rd on the attack.
Lafleur is slashed on a breakaway and is awarded a penalty shot.
He skates toward Smith, but trips and falls. He does not get a shot off. (I LOL’d on that one).
Pittsburgh is held without a shot until 18:19 when Lafleur scores his 12th of the playoffs. 5-1 Spirit lead
With 45 seconds left, Cashman scores his first of the playoffs, but it’s too little too late as Pittsburgh wins Game 1 in Saint Croix Falls by a score of 5-2

1 2 3 F
1979-80 Pittsburgh 8-6-0 4 0 1 5
1979-80 Saint Croix F8-5-0 0 1 1 2

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 5:10 PP PIT Chouinard (6), assisted by Lafleur (19)
1 6:20 EV PIT Labraaten (6), assisted by Edberg (5)
1 7:25 EV PIT Redmond (2), assisted by Sittler (16)
1 9:58 SH PIT Palmer (1), unassisted
2 14:40 PP SCF Turnbull (4), assisted by Federko (12) and Payne (12)
3 18:19 EV PIT Lafleur (12), assisted by Sittler (17) and Campbell (3)
3 19:15 EV SCF Cashman (1), assisted by Mulvey (3) and Saganiuk (3)

Penalty Summary
Per Time Team
1 3:10 SCF Smith (2), 2:00 – tripping
1 8:44 PIT Huber (25), 2:00 – slashing
1 15:08 SCF Van Boxmeer (10), 2:00 – hooking
2 11:02 SCF Turnbull (14), 2:00 – hooking
2 13:40 PIT Vickers (13), 2:00 – elbowing
2 15:28 SCF Clarke (10), 2:00 – roughing
2 17:43 PIT Cameron (13), 2:00 – interference
3 1:05 PIT MacLeish (14), 4:00 – cross checking
3 3:53 SCF Van Boxmeer – slashing (penalty shot)
3 3:53 PIT Lafleur(no shot)
3 5:39 PIT Murphy (5), 5:00 – boarding

SOG 1 SOG 2 SOG 3
Pittsburgh 19 5 1
Saint Croix F 11 10 13

PIT SCF
SOG 25 34
FOW 36 27
FO% 57.1 42.9
Hits 40 29
Blocks 9 8
Missed Net 9 15
Shot Attempts 42 58
Scoring Chances 15 11
PIM 15 8
PP 1-4 1-6
TOA 4:21 6:15

Star 1: PIT Lafleur 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 2: PIT Resch 32 saves
Star 3: PIT Chouinard 1 G

GWG: Dick Redmond

Notables: PIT Resch 32 saves, Sittler 20 faceoffs won
SCF None

Pittsburgh GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G Resch 2 32 .941 59:50 8 5 0 8.1 (-0.4)

Saint Croix F GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G B.Smith 5 20 .800 60:00 6 3 0 8.1 (-0.3)

The Spirit shocked the Saint Croix Falls crowds and won both road games. They come home to Pittsburgh determined, but also ready for anything.

1st period – 34 seconds in The Captain Guy Lafleur makes it 1-0 with his 13th of the playoffs.
4:37 Federko (6) ties it 1-1
7:09 Labraaten (8) gets the lead back for the Spirit and we end the first with a score of 2-1 despite SCF out-shooting PIT 24-9.
2nd period – 4:40 Houle gets his 1st of the playoffs (his ice time has diminished due to lack of performing). PIT leads 3-1
11:43 Federko (7) pulls SCF within one 3-2 PIT lead.
Into the 3rd period with the score 3-2 PIT.
Mulvey scores his 11th at 4:02 of the 3rd to tie the game 3-3
A little over 2 minutes later Lariviere (2) gives SCF their first lead of the game 4-3.
With 4:56 seconds remaining, Sittler gets his 8th of the playoffs to tie the game at 4.
With 2:13 left, Labraaten gets his 2nd of the game, 9th of the playoffs to give the Spirit a late 5-4 lead.
Saint Croix pulls the goalie and fires pucks on net. Hitting the crossbar! But with 11 seconds remaining, Palmer gets his 2nd of the playoffs to seal the deal with an empty netter… PIT wins 6-4.

1 2 3 F
1979-80 Saint Croix F8-7-0 1 1 2 4
1979-80 Pittsburgh 10-6-0 2 1 3 6

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 :34 EV PIT Lafleur (13), assisted by Greschner (11) and Sittler (18)
1 4:37 EV SCF Federko (6), assisted by Payne (13) and Sims (9)
1 7:09 EV PIT Labraaten (8), assisted by Houle (8)
2 4:40 EV PIT Houle (1), assisted by Tkaczuk (1) and Campbell (4)
2 11:43 EV SCF Federko (7), assisted by Payne (14) and Stoughton (7)
3 4:02 EV SCF Mulvey (11), assisted by Korn (3) and Cashman (5)
3 6:06 SH SCF Lariviere (2), assisted by Clarke (14)
3 15:04 EV PIT Sittler (8), assisted by Lafleur (20) and Greschner (12)
3 17:47 EV PIT Labraaten (9), assisted by Huber (3) and Resch (2)
3 19:49 EN PIT Palmer (2), assisted by Hedberg (10)

Penalty Summary
Per Time Team
1 11:06 PIT Huber (34), 2:00 – interference
1 13:53 PIT Sittler (10), 2:00 – holding
1 18:02 PIT Hedberg (8), 2:00 – roughing
1 18:39 PIT Tkaczuk (2), 2:00 – hooking
2 1:23 SCF Clarke (12), 2:00 – hooking
2 5:26 SCF Saganiuk (10), 2:00 – roughing
2 5:26 PIT Lafleur (4), 2:00 – roughing
2 8:16 SCF Lariviere (8), 2:00 – tripping
2 14:17 PIT Murphy (7), 2:00 – hooking
2 17:58 SCF Currie (4), 2:00 – elbowing
3 5:15 SCF Williams (47), 2:00 – charging

SOG 1 SOG 2 SOG 3
Saint Croix F 24 8 12
Pittsburgh 9 8 13

SCF PIT
SOG 44 30
FOW 36 24
FO% 60.0 40.0
Hits 30 34
Blocks 11 8
Missed Net 8 8
Shot Attempts 60 49
Scoring Chances 24 28
PIM 10 12
PP 0-5 0-4
TOA 4:14 4:01

Star 1: PIT Labraaten 2 G
Star 2: SCF Federko 2 G
Star 3: PIT Houle 1 G, 2 Pts

GWG: Dan Labraaten

Notables: SCF None
PIT Resch 40 saves

Saint Croix F GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G Larocque 5 24 .828 59:06 2 2 0 6.4 (-0.6)

Pittsburgh GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G Resch 4 40 .909 60:00 10 5 0 9.2 (+0.7)

1st period… back and forth. Saint Croix Falls shows no signs of urgency.
7:00 – Sittler (9) gives PIT the lead 1-0.
2:54 – Huber (3) gives PIT a 2-0 lead.
17:15 – Houle rounds out the 1st period scoring with his 2nd of the playoffs for a commanding 3-0 Spirit lead.
Head into the 2nd. Lumberjack players look dazed and confused, even coming back onto the ice.
12:41 Houle gets his 2nd of the evening, 3rd of the playoffs to give PIT a 4-0 lead. Where was this production in the rest of the playoffs?
At 14:34 SCF finally shows some signs of life with Federko (8) putting them on the board. 4-1 PIT lead.
19:00 a last minute “back breaker” as Robert (3) pulls SCF within 2… 4-2 PIT lead.
3rd period. SCF players look rejuvenated and determined. Perhaps a bit too determined as Van Boxmeer gets carted to the sin bin for high sticking just 14 seconds into the period. A double minor.
33 seconds later (at the :47 mark) Sittler scores his 2nd of the night and 10th of the playoffs to give PIT a 5-2 lead.
Still on the same power play, Sittler completes the hat trick (11) for the 6-2 lead.
On another power play cause by Bobby Clarke cross-checking, Tkaczuk scores his 3rd of the playoffs to make it a 7-2 Spirit lead.
It’s all but determined… but we play the rest of the period out and time ticks down 3… 2… 1…
The crowd erupts! Your 1979-1980 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Spirit!!!

1 2 3 F
1979-80 Saint Croix F8-8-0 0 2 0 2
1979-80 Pittsburgh 11-6-0 3 1 3 7

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 7:00 EV PIT Sittler (9), assisted by Lafleur (21) and Vickers (10)
1 9:54 EV PIT Huber (3), assisted by Edberg (7) and Houle (9)
1 17:14 EV PIT Houle (2), assisted by Edberg (8) and Campbell (5)
2 12:41 EV PIT Houle (3), assisted by Labraaten (1) and Edberg (9)
2 14:34 EV SCF Federko (8), assisted by Stoughton (8) and Payne (15)
2 19:00 EV SCF Robert (3), assisted by Clarke (15) and Lariviere (4)
3 :47 PP PIT Sittler (10), assisted by Greschner (13) and Lafleur (22)
3 1:25 PP PIT Sittler (11), assisted by Greschner (14) and Lafleur (23)
3 6:18 PP PIT Tkaczuk (3), unassisted

Penalty Summary
Per Time Team
1 11:07 PIT Vickers (15), 2:00 – tripping
1 14:41 SCF Lariviere (10), 2:00 – interference
2 3:35 SCF Hangsleben (6), 2:00 – holding
2 6:37 SCF Mulvey (12), 2:00 – interference
2 7:53 SCF Robert (4), 2:00 – hooking
2 16:53 SCF Van Boxmeer (12), 2:00 – tripping
2 17:28 PIT Huber (36), 2:00 – holding
3 :14 SCF Van Boxmeer (16), 4:00 – high sticking
3 1:42 SCF Turnbull (28), 2:00 – hooking
3 5:56 SCF Clarke (14), 2:00 – cross checking
3 18:23 SCF Korn (14), 2:00 – interference

SOG 1 SOG 2 SOG 3
Saint Croix F 9 9 7
Pittsburgh 11 14 22

SCF PIT
SOG 25 47
FOW 23 34
FO% 40.4 59.6
Hits 26 23
Blocks 8 8
Missed Net 17 18
Shot Attempts 50 73
Scoring Chances 14 25
PIM 20 4
PP 0-2 3-9
TOA 2:59 5:44

Star 1: PIT Sittler 3 G
Star 2: PIT Houle 2 G, 3 Pts
Star 3: PIT Edberg 3 A

GWG: Rejean Houle

Notables: SCF Larocque 40 saves
PIT Lafleur 3 assists, Sittler hat trick, Sittler 19 faceoffs won, Edberg 3 assists

Saint Croix F GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G Larocque -L 7 40 .851 60:00 2 3 0 6.5 (-0.5)

Pittsburgh GA SV Save% TOI W L T Rate
G Resch -W 2 23 .920 58:36 11 5 0 7.8 (-0.7)

A great and fun season! Looking forward to defending our title! Enjoy your off-season. See you at the draft.