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From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: NHL playoffs
Message-ID: <832@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Apr-84 11:57:43 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.832
Posted: Thu Apr  5 11:57:43 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Apr-84 13:09:36 EST
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 57

Here are my views on the first round of the playoffs:

MINN. VS. CHIC.:  The Hawks are a better team than the 68 points or whatever
it was they got in the regular season, especially now that Secord's back.
However, I think Doug Wilson's still out and Minnesota has too much firepower.
The Hawks may take a game or even two, but not the series.

ST.L. VS. DETR.:  The Blues have been hot over the last month or so, so I
would have picked them to win until this past weekend.  Detroit played well
and beat Toronto last week in a game that Toronto had to win, but St.Louis
lost to that same Toronto team on Saturday in a game that was important to
the Blues but meant nothing to Toronto.  The Wings have Ogrodnick back and
I like their combination of youth and experience, so I'll take them in 5.

EDMO. VS. WINN.:  Give me a break.  Oilers in 3.  This is such a mismatch
it should be Oilers in 2.  After L.A. beat them two years ago the Oilers
have never had trouble getting up for games against bad teams.

CALG. VS. VANC.:  I like the Canucks but they've been a disappointment this
year, while Calgary has been surpisingly good because of added young talent.
They've played well despite missing Reinhart and not having Beers and
McDonald up to par, so they should be able to beat the Canucks in 4 even
without Nilsson.

BOST. VS. MONT.:  I have a gut feeling that this won't be as easy as people
think.  Maybe it's because the Canadiens still have several players with
Stanley Cup experience, plus several good youngsters, and the return of
Rick Green will help their defence.  Maybe it's because they have Bobby
Smith, an excellent player when the chips are down, and a big team that
won't be pushed around in tough playoff hockey.  Or maybe it's because
the last few years they've always lost when they were expected to win, and
now they're expected to lose.  The Bruins are still too good to lose, though.
Boston in 5.

BUFF. VS. QUEB.:  When I watched Buffalo in January, they looked like world
beaters, but since then they've tailed off, and with Perreault out, their
key players are young and inexperienced.  Quebec had a 6-1-1 record against
Buffalo this season, and I think they have the ingredients of a good
playoff team now that they have a defence.  Nordiques in 4.

N.Y.I. VS. N.Y.R.:  Too bad the Rangers slumped late in the season or this
would be a great, close series.  The Islanders have trouble getting up for
the first series.  (Remember 2 years ago when they would have been knocked
out by Pittsburgh had Randy Carlyle not given the puck to John Tonelli alone
in front of Pittsburgh's net?)  They may have less trouble getting up for
their cross-town rivals so I'll give it to the Islanders in 4.

WASH. VS. PHIL.:  The Flyers veterans may finally be slowing down, but their
young players are picking up the slack, so they won't be easy victims like
they were the last two years.  However, it's hard to bet against the leagues
best defensive team, even though their attack will be weak without Bengt
Gustafsson.  I'll go with the Caps in 5 because all the experts say defence
wins in the playoffs.  Maybe it does in the early rounds, but to win the
cup, you need an offence too.

                                     Jeff Richardson
                                     DCIEM, Toronto