1985 WALES CONFERENCE QUARTER FINAL #1

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DALLAS DRAKES vs. MACKINAC ISLAND MOOSE
SERIES PREVIEW	Playoffs are here, and so are the Dallas Drakes. The Moose prevailed 5-1 in the regular season. Records are back to 0-0-0. Let’s see what happens now.
GAME #1	Moose 6, Drakes 3. This game is played head-to-head. After a bit of feeling things out, the Drakes score first with Mullen. Fairly quick response from the Moose minutes later, a rare goal from the 4th line, Seiling, and it’s 1-1. Late in the period, a Greschner minor set up the PP and Englom with a blast. Period ends 2-1 Moose. Kurri opens up the 2nd early, only 16 seconds in, to put the Moose up 2. Dallas kills off a minor. Finally Dallas with a response, Carson narrows the lead to just 1. We go to the break at 3-2 Moose. Moose dominate the first half of the 3rd period with 3 goals. MacLean, Propp on the PP, and Kurri, made the score 6-2. Dallas with a goal late, by Sundstrom, to make the final 6-3. 1st star – Kurri 2G 2nd – Propp 1G 2pts 3rd – MacLean 1G 2pts
GAME #2	Moose 6, Drakes 0. Moose jump out hard in the 1st. Defense holds the Drakes scoreless, while the offense clicks on all areas, with goals from Frycer, Propp, Quinn, and Seiling. The 4th line showing up again with 2 goals. It’s 4-0 after 1. The defense stays perfect the rest of the game, while the offense adds a couple more, MacLean and Gilbert. The final is 6-0. 1st star – Meloche 26 saves 2nd – MacLean 1G 2pts 3rd – Propp 1G 2pts
GAME #3	The game opens with a bottom 6 goal by Gilbert just 37 seconds in. Quick response from the Drakes. Dionne ties it just 2 minutes later, and Peplinski flips the lead to the Drakes side and it’s 2-1 Drakes just 6 minutes in. But wait, Kurri ties the game up at the 7-minute mark. And just 2 minutes later it’s MacLean with a goal, now the lead has flipped again, and less than 9 minutes elapsed. 3-2 Moose. And just a minute later, Carson evens it up at 3 with less than 10 minutes elapsed. Goalies feeling a bit shell-shocked. Reid completes the lead flip over to the Drakes 3 minutes later. And mercifully for the goalies, no more goals in the period and we go to break at 4-3 Drakes. 2nd period opens just like the 1st as each team gets a goal in the first 6 minutes. First Maruk for the tie at 4, and then Carson to put the Drakes up 5-4. Things finally settle down to a more traditional back-and-forth. As we get close to the end of the period, Propp finds an opening, and scores to tie it up. We head to the 3rd, tied at 5. Threats of another goal fest early when MacLean scores just 3 minutes in. Moose is now up 6-5. But the teams must be a bit tired as defenses keep things quiet. Propp gets his 6th of the playoffs to put the Moose up 2 at the midpoint of the period. Drakes ramp up the aggressiveness but are unable to generate any quality chances, and the Moose strangle the clock away to ice the 7-5 win. 1st star – Propp 2G 4pts 2nd – Kurri 1G 4pts 3rd – MacLean 2G
GAME #3		Pretty good opening to the playoffs with a 12-3 goal advantage, goals from the 4th line, and a shutout. Taking a 2-0 game lead and heading on the road. After the split on the road, we return to the Island up 3 games to 1, hoping to put this to bed and avoid another road trip.
GAME #4	Moose is very fortunate to hold our old nemesis Marcel Dionne to just 2 goals. His history of doing damage to the Moose is well known. At the same time, 9 goals from the bottom 2 lines give the Moose good feelings going forward.
SERIES SUMMARY	Congratulations to Scott Needle and the Dallas Drakes on a good season. Always a challenging foe.