1983/84 SKATER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #10

Glenn_AndersonAllan_BesterJari_KurriRoland_Melanson

CLARENCE SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASSISTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Anderson, Glenn CHD 3 4 4 8 4 7 8 50%
                   
CLARENCE GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Bester, Alan CHD 2 2 1 67 .971
                   
WALES SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASSISTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Kurri, Jari MIM 3 4 4 8 2 6 9 44%
                   
WALES GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Melanson, Roland MIM 2 2 1.34 33 .943

Chicago Underground
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Just one home game at the Capone Center this series. The Saints of St. Clair Shores come marching in & expect to romp on the Underground as Chicago has not been playing good hockey all season.
GAME #1 – VISITING TEAM: Saint Clair Shores Saints
GAME #1: SAINT CLAIR SHORES SAINTS VS. CHICAGO UNDERGROUND A back & forth affair has 6 lead changes. Chicago outshoots them 39 to 26. 9 Goals later the home team pulls it out with less than 3 minutes left to play.

Final Score: Chicago 5 – St. Clair Shores 4

Labatts 3-Star Selection:
Star 1: CHI – Don Lever 2G, 3Pts
Star 2: SCS – Gaetan Duchesne 2G, 3Pts
Star 3: CHI – Denis Savard 1G, 2Pts

Game Winner: – Peter Stastny

Notables:
SCS – Tom Barrasso 34 Saves
CHI – Peter Stastny 16 Faceoff Wins

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Chicago picks up 2 points at home. The road seems to be the problem for the Underground. Hopefully, with 2 away games, they can grab another 2 Points as they try & reach for the surface & stick their head above ground.
CapJack Rangers
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Some weeks you’re good, some weeks your bad. This week we host New Castle (Stanley Cup rematch again) who is on a resurgence and Portland who is beating up the Smythe division and they also have “the Great One.”
GAME #1: NEW CASTLE DUCKS VS. CAPJACK RANGERS The Stanley Cup playoffs must have set up some bitterness between these teams as rack up 34 minutes in penalties (the NCD getting 19 of those). And that set up 3 Power Play opportunity for the Ducks and a whopping 5 for the Rangers. Even if they couldn’t produce on all of them, it kept the Ducks off their normal momentum and game for a lot of the time.

But it was New Castle who made good on the PP first when Potvin scores the PP goal while Arniel was off for tripping. That was late in the 1st period and the period’s the only goal.

As the 2nd period starts McDonald is whistled for holding. The Ranger capitalize with a PP goal from Neufled to tie the game. McDonald was done being a bad boy however as he goes off again a minute (and next shift) later for cross-checking. That was his last penalty of the game – and the Ducks killed it off. We’re now 4 minutes into period 2, tied 1-1. A couple of minutes later, Ducks big guy Pederson scores to make it 2-1 New Castle. Then the Ducks feel they must give the Rangers a break and at 8:35 and 11:25 they give the Rangers 1 man advantage. Well, the Rangers take advantage of the 2nd PP as Daoust scores as the PP is expiring to tie the game. As the period winds down – Osborne and Crowder drop the gloves for a toe-to-toe (ok, blade to blade) confrontation. Lots of good punches and pretty much a draw.

So we start the 3rd with the score tied 2-2. This is where the Ducks usually quack so much, that the other team cowers. But the early period quacking comes from Trottier as he fires one past a sprawling Billy Smith for the go-ahead goal, 3-2. But we still have 18 minutes to play and we still have another PP opportunity to deal with. Daoust goes off at 4:32 for roughing and New Castle and Walter make the Rangers pay with a game-tying PP goal. Ugh… But then Crowder scores his 20th for the Rangers with 7 1/2 minutes to go giving CapJack a 4-3 lead. And then the Quacks (I mean Ducks) really start to pour it on. For the 3rd period, they fire 17 shots on Resch (41 for the game) – but down the stretch, Resch stops them all and the Rangers win it 4-3!
Stars (all cap)
1. Resch – 38 saves (that was the difference in the 3rd!!)
2. Crowder – 1 goal, 1 assist
3. Daoust – 1 goal, 1 assist

GAME #2: PORTLAND SASQUATCH VS. CAPJACK RANGERS OK – we got through the Ducks but what about those Big Feet? Tight 1st period with Portland outshooting the good guys 8-7 and have 3 PP opportunities to 1 for the Rangers but it was Neufeld score for the Rangers 2 minutes in that was the periods only goal, 1-0 CapJack after 1.

The game continues to be tight and the only goal in the 2nd comes 7 1/2 in when Howe scores assisted by Hunter. Each team failed on their PP attempts, but the Sasquatch took the SOG total 11-6 for the period.

So we head off to the 3rd tied at 1-1. Low scoring for these two teams – especially CapJack. And CapJack finds a way to grab the lead as Trottier scores 5 minutes into the period. But that’s it – at least until the end. We go into the final 90 seconds with a narrow 2-1 CapJack lead setting the pace. Then Portland sends Soetart to the bench – and at 18:55 Trottier takes advantage of the EN and scores to make it 3-1. Portland now really desperate, keep Soetart on the bench the ref drops the puck. Trottier wins the faceoff – over to Leinonen, fires GOAL. 3 SECONDS after Trottier’s EN goal, the Rangers get another 1. 3 SECONDS!!! That makes it 4-1! And that’s when the Portland towel comes on the ice.
STARS (all CAP)
1. Trottier 2 goals, 1 assist
2. Leinonen 1 goal, 2 assists
3. Neufeld 1 goal
Resch has another good game 96.% save rate on 26 SOGs.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: This week was GOOD – 4 points in the 2 games over tough opponents!!
Charlotte Dynamo
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Dynamo entered the week at 10-17-4 with a pair of inter-division games against Syracuse and Texas. With division leader CapJack rolling along and winning every game in sight, Charlotte, while playing better hockey as of late with ample talent on the roster, needs to go on an unlikely tear to even reach .500 and harbor any sort of postseason aspirations.
GAME #1: SYRACUSE BULLDOGS VS. CHARLOTTE DYNAMO A win over Syracuse was a good start: led by Andy Moog’s 42 saves and Dale Hawerchuk’s two goals, the Dynamo turned back the Bulldogs 5-2. This was yet another game where the team with a clear shot advantage, suffered a setback. Someday DKS will come up with a fix to solve these numerous aberrations, but not in time for this contest as the Bulldogs outshot the Dynamo 44-19 only to lose. Charlotte was outshot 32-12 through the first two periods but still held a 4-2 lead entering the third. Suffice to say Bulldogs goalie Richard Sevigny did not bring his A-game in letting in five goals on 19 shots.

Hawerchuk broke a 1-1 tie with a goal assisted by defenseman Joel Quenneville and Glenn Anderson 11 minutes into the game and Dynamo right-winger Anders Hedberg opened the second with an even-strength goal that proved to be the game-winner and lifted Charlotte to an early 3-1 lead.

Anderson scored midway through the second, shortly after Syracuse defenseman Jiri Bubla’s goal had narrowed the Charlotte lead to 3-2; he finished the game with one goal and four assists and was voted first star honors.

John Tonelli accounted for the other Bulldogs goal and gave Syracuse a brief 1-1 tie nine minutes into the first period.

Three stars (all Charlotte):
Star 1: Anderson 1 G, 4 Pts
Star 2: Hawerchuk 2 G
Star 3: Moog 42 saves

Notable: Pierre Larouche accounted for exactly half his Bulldogs team’s faceoff wins (16) as Syracuse also dominated in that category, 32-22, only to fall to defeat.

GAME #2: TEXAS BRAHMAS VS. CHARLOTTE DYNAMO The Dynamo collected its second straight three-goal margin of victory at home, in defeating the Brahmas 4-1. Charlotte right-winger Bob Crawford broke open a close 2-1 lead with a pair of even-strength goals in the third and was named the first star for his efforts.

Charlotte got another superb performance in net, this time from Alan Bester, who saved 37 of 38 shots for a spectacular .974 save percentage and the second star. The Dynamo again overcame a shots disadvantage, this time by a 38-23 margin.

Glenn Anderson broke a 1-1 tie on an even-strength game-winning goal assisted by Dave Hunter 2:37 into the second period. Brahmas rookie Dave Andreychuk had assured the Brahmas of a 1-1 tie at the first intermission, with an unassisted goal at the 7:44 mark of the opening period. For Andreychuk it was already his 21st goal of this young campaign.

Three stars all Charlotte
Star 1: Crawford 2 G
Star 2: Bester 37 saves
Star 3: Glenn Anderson 1 G

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Charlotte seems to be finding its mojo as the first half nears a close: sparked by spectacular goaltending from Andy Moog and Alan Bester it grabbed four points out of four with these two latest victories at home. It has now won five of six home contests in this month of December, but after digging itself a deep hole, it now needs some W’s on the road if it wants to make any sort of noise this year.
Saint Clair Shores Saints
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Saints host Brooklyn in a short week.
GAME #1 – VISITING TEAM: Brooklyn Harbor Rats
GAME #1: BROOKLYN HARBOR RATS VS. SAINT CLAIR SHORES SAINTS Everything goes well for the Saints early as they lead, 2-0 after 1 period. Gustafsson and Bridgman score the goals.

In the 2nd, Blake plays a terrible game in goal as Brooklyn scores 7 goals. Housley ends up with a hat trick.

The Saints outshoot Brooklyn 35-29.

Brooklyn 8 SCS 3

1- Housley 3 goals
2- Sutter
3-Stastny

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Brooklyn 8 SCS 3 is the only game of the week in St. Clair Shores. Housley with a hat trick.
Michigan Stags
WEEKLY PREVIEW: With a 4-1-1 record in their last half-dozen home games, the Stags play host to Chicago and New Castle.
GAME #1: CHICAGO UNDERGROUND VS. MICHIGAN STAGS Mike Bullard has a 1st-period natural hat trick for the Stags, but the Underground arises with 2nd-period tallies from Stastny, Holmgren, and Bossy to even the score after 40 minutes. Goring recaptures the lead for Michigan, Stastny’s 2nd re-ties it, but Bullard’s 4th of the night puts the Stags back in front at 5-4. But Denis Savard ties the score again and just 1:36 to go in the third. Scoreless overtime ensues in which Chicago has 5 SOG to Michigan’s zero.
GAME #2: NEW CASTLE DUCKS VS. MICHIGAN STAGS Ryan Walter’s goal at 15:38 of the third period gives New Castle a 3-2 win at Michigan.
WEEKLY SUMMARY: 1 of 4 possible points does nothing to improve Michigan’s status as the Adams Division cellar-dweller.
Charlestown Chiefs
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Three home games, as we run the “buy a beer, get a free ticket” promotion.
GAME #1: MICHIGAN STAGS VS. CHARLESTOWN CHIEFS 5-4 Michigan
GAME #2: MACKINAC ISLAND MOOSE VS. CHARLESTOWN CHIEFS 6-1 Mackinac Island
GAME #3: CHICAGO UNDERGROUND VS. CHARLESTOWN CHIEFS 6-5 Chicago
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Laid a big fat egg at home – fortunately, the fans were too drunk to notice or care.
New Castle Ducks
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Only one home game this week for the Ducks who are starting to generate more offense and are looking more and more like a playoff contender once again. The game is against last-place Pittsburgh but the Spirit always gives the Ducks trouble.
GAME #1: PITTSBURGH SPIRIT VS. NEW CASTLE DUCKS The Spirit sprints out to a 2-0 lead in the first on goals by Haworth and Pettersson. The Ducks get a power play and take advantage when Mark Osborne lights the lamp to make it 2-1 after one period. In the second period, it’s another POWER PLAY GOAL – this one by Pat Boutette to tie the game. The teams go to the locker room tied at 2-2 after two. In the third, Pittsburgh goes ahead once again as Thomas Steen puts the puck past Don Edwards at 3:45. Two minutes later, Rick Middleton gets his 25th of the year to tie it once again. 3-3. At 9:24 Rick Meagher scores, only his 4th of the year, to make it 4-3. Bobby Clarke gets a big insurance goal at 18:04 as the Spirit pressed and pressed against Edwards. In the frantic third period, Pittsburgh outshot New Castle 15-6 but Edwards stood tall in goal as New Castle hangs on for the 5-3 win.

THREE STARS:
1- NCD – Boutette 1G 1 A
2- PIT Pettersson 1G 1 A
3- NCD Osborne 1G

Barry Pederson and Bobby Clarke each won 15 faceoffs as the Ducks won nearly 60%.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: The Ducks get the 2 points they needed in their only home game of the week
Texas Brahmas
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Only one game in the Lone Star state this week as CapJack comes to visit. Capjack is leading the Patrick as Texas is trying to stay within striking distance of Portland in the Smythe.
GAME #1: CAPJACK RANGERS VS. TEXAS BRAHMAS A very even game as both teams exchanged goals throughout the game. Poddubny gets things started for Texas in the first, answered by Neufeld. Rota strikes for Texas and Texas leads 2-1 after 1. Beblois ties it up midway through the 2nd and we remain tied at 2 headed to the 3rd. Rota scores again and Texas takes a 3-2 lead at the 7:04 mark. Texas plays tight defense the rest of the way and holds on for the much-needed 3-2 victory.

3 Stars:
1. Rota 2G, 1A
2. Bannerman 41 saves
3. Poddubny 1G, 1A

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Can’t ask for anything more. Now maybe Santa can give me some road wins.
Ohio Legends
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Syracuse Bulldogs, in the hunt for one of the postseason spots in the Stanley Cup playoffs, visit Ohio this week.
GAME #1: SYRACUSE BULLDOGS VS. OHIO LEGENDS OHIO 6, SYR 4

The Ohio Legends got three goals in the first and second periods and held off Syracuse, 6-4. Tony Tanti, the MWOTHL’s scoring leader, notched a goal and an assist for Ohio. Cam Neely had a pair of goals and added a couple of assists for the Bulldogs.

Mike Liut improved to 15-3-1 with a 24 save performance, while Greg Millen absorbed the loss, despite turning away 25 shots. The Legends capitalized on two of four on the power play, while the Bulldogs were one for four with the man-advantage.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Ohio picks up a much-needed victory heading into the holiday break.
Pittsburgh Spirit
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Two games vs. Texas and Syracuse
GAME #1: TEXAS BRAHMAS VS. PITTSBURGH SPIRIT The Texas Brahmas bull their way into town and deflate the spirit of the Spirit with a 5-0 drubbing.
GAME #2: SYRACUSE BULLDOGS VS. PITTSBURGH SPIRIT The Syracuse Bulldogs bulldog their way into town and kill the spirit of the Spirit with a 5-2 drubbing.
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Coach Tom Atkins said during his press conference “That’s about it. Nothing more to say. To be fair…
TO… BE… FAAAAIIIIRRRR… it’s a bad season and I think I’ll just go have a Puppers and relax after my daily chores.”To be fair (TO.. BE.. FAAAAAIIIIIRRRR) Coach Atkins has been binging #Letterkenny lately.
Andes Mountaineers
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Andes welcomes Brooklyn and Charlotte to town this week as the team hopes to put some holiday cheer in the home fans’ hearts.
GAME #1: BROOKLYN HARBOR RATS VS. ANDES MOUNTAINEERS Brooklyn comes to town for game 1 this week. Period 1 wasn’t much action on the ice but beer sales were above average. In Period 2 the team started getting some offensive fireworks going as they put 3 in the back of the net. Period 3 saw fans being entertained with more scoring and more fighting. Not sure what brought this on but the penalty boxes were pretty full at one point. After giving up a goal to tie it at 3 apiece, Larry Murphy sends the home fans happy as he nets the winning goal.

1st Star – Goulet
2nd Star – Sundstrom
3rd Star – Fox

GAME #2: CHARLOTTE DYNAMO VS. ANDES MOUNTAINEERS The final home game of this short week brings the team from Charlotte to town. Last game the gloves came off in the 3rd period, but this game it was only a couple of minutes into the action. The Dynamo must have been displeased with the pre-game buffet, I guess. While being outshot for the game Charlotte made it count where it mattered and wins going away 4 – 1.

1st Star – Anderson
2nd Star – Hawerchuk
3rd Star – Bester

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Andes had a chance to win two winnable games this week but could only find the fortitude to win one. Christmas break is here and the team is looking forward to a few days off.
Portland Sasquatch
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Portland host Ohio in their single home game of the week
GAME #1: OHIO LEGENDS VS. PORTLAND SASQUATCH Portland beats Ohio in a high-scoring 7-4 game as they score 4 goals in the 3rd period. Gretzky scores twice and adds 3 assists while Ciccarelli adds 2 goals and 2 assists for Portland
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Portland gets a win and remains atop of the division heading into the break