1985 WALES CONFERENCE QUARTER FINAL #2
 
ST. CLAIR SHORES SAINTS vs. NEW CASTLE DUCKS |
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| SERIES PREVIEW | Its Game 1 of the Quarter Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! The Norris Division Champion Ducks will host the St. Clair Shores Saints. Even though the Saints had the better regular season record, the Ducks have the home-ice advantage by reason of being a division winner. During the regular season, these two teams split their 6 games and the total goals scored were 25-24 in favor of New Castle. Thus, the pundits expect a very close series on the path to the Stanley Cup |
| GAME #1 | Forget the regular season! The Saints come out flying and SCORE THREE GOALS in the first 13:38. Mel Bridgman started the scoring, at 4:35 and Bernie Federko and Ray Ferraro added the additional goals, as Ducks #1 goalie Billy Smith looked shaky. John Tonelli scored with 4:03 left in the period to make it 3-1 and give the Ducks some life. In the second period, Rick Tocchett lit the lamp at 5:44 at which point Coach Raylesberg had seen enough of Billy Smith after the netminder allowed four goals on only 11 shots. In came John Vanbiesbrouck as the Ducks tried to change the momentum. VBK held the Saints scoreless for the rest of the period. However, the Ducks also failed to score as Tom Barrasso looked great in the St Clair Shores net.In the third period, VBK continued to shut out the Saints and Barrasso did the same to the Ducks -then at 15:47, defenseman Brad McCrimmon scored for New Castle, making it 4-2 and again giving the Ducks and their fans some life. Whatever hopes the Ducks had were extinguished two minutes later when inexplicably the now aggressive New Castle squad was called for TOO MANY MEN ON THE ICE. The penalty gave SCS the power play with 2:12 to go in the period, making it all but impossible for NCD to come back. Adding insult to injury it took SCS only 22 seconds to score on the Power Play as Bridgman got his second of the game to make it 5-2 Saints. The Ducks pulled their goalie trying to come back from 3 down with less than 2 minutes to go but Barrasso stopped shot after shot and finally with 41 seconds left, Derrick Smith scored into the empty net for SCS to make the final 6-2. FINAL SCORE: SCS 6 NCD 2THREE STARS: 1- SCS – Bridgman 2 G 2- SCS – Ferraro 1 G 2 A 3- SCS – Derrick Smith 1G 1 ASaints defenseman Jamie Maccoun had 3 assists. Ducks defenseman Denis Potvin had 5 blocked shots. Shots on goal were even (8-8) in the first two periods before NCD outshot SCS 14-8 in the third period. |
| The Ducks lost home-ice advantage as goaltending was the difference in this game. Will the Ducks start #1 goalie Smith in Game 2 or will they turn things over to Vanbiesbrouck who played a solid game in relief of Smith?
Down 1-0 at home, the Ducks need a win to even the series, before traveling to St. Clair Shores. New Castle will start Billy Smith in goal despite a poor performance in Game 1 |
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| GAME #2 | During the regular season, the Ducks were 10th in the league in penalty killing – one of the weakest parts of the team. St. Clair Shores led the league in defense with the fewest goals allowed. Both elements were on display in Game 2 as incredibly the Saints were FOUR FOR FOUR on the POWER PLAY as they beat the Ducks handily for the second straight game. FINAL SCORE: SCS 5 NCD 1. Scott Stevens scored TWO PP GOALS and Murray Craven and Rick Tocchet one each as SCS scored two in the first period, one in the second, and one at 7:59 of the third, to take a 4-0 lead behind the goaltending of Tom Barrasso. Kent Nilsson finally got the Ducks on the scoreboard at 9:56 of the third. One minute later, Doug Wilson of the Saints was sent to the sin bin and the Ducks had a golden opportunity to get back into the game. They called a timeout and sent their #1 power-play unit out on the ice. Barrasso and his teammates were up to the task once again, killing off the penalty as NCD was 0-3 on the power play in the game. With a little over 2 minutes to go, the Ducks pulled their goalie (down 3) and sent shot after shot at Barrasso but the Saints star netminder stopped them all, before Jamie Macoun scored an empty net goal to make the final 5-1.
THREE STARS: |
| Things look very bleak for the Ducks as they now trail 2-0 in the series with the next two games in St.Clair Shores. St Clair Shores can win the series at home while the Ducks hope to see a Game 5 back at The Duck Pond. The Saint’s defense and the goaltending of Tom Barrasso may prove to be too much for the upstart Ducks.
The Saints take on the Ducks at home. The Saints lead 2-0. |
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| GAME #3 | The Ducks take on the Saints. This was a one-sided affair. In the first 12 minutes, Van Biesbrouck gives up 4 goals. Smith comes in. He gives up 5 and this was ugly.
No need to go through the details. The Saints had the best defense in the league, and now their offense is on all cylinders. SCS 9 New Castle 2 The Saints get the victory to go up, 3-0. |
| GAME #4 | Best game of the series in terms of being close.
Four games scored in the 1st. Craven scores for the Saints. Tonelli gets a power play goal for the Ducks. Bridgman and Gustaffson score to close out the period. The Saints lead 3-1. New Castle with a nice comeback in the second as Napier and Nilsson scored goals 1:10 apart. Then, in the 3rd with the fans on the edge of their seats, the Saints get goals from Bozek and two from McCarthy go up 6-3. With 29 seconds to go, Tonelli scores his 3rd of the series and 2nd of the game. The Saints win 6-4 to clinch the series. The Saints outshot the Ducks, 42-23, and win 67% of the faceoffs to control much of the play. |
| SERIES SUMMARY | The Saints win 6-4 to close out the series. |