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From: lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: New York Islanders
Message-ID: <459@alberta.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Apr-85 14:41:18 EST
Article-I.D.: alberta.459
Posted: Mon Apr 22 14:41:18 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Apr-85 07:19:10 EST
References: <4846@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Distribution: na
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Lines: 30

I, quite frankly, think the Islanders were lucky to get past Washington
in the 5th game.  The number of shots on goal is not misleading - the
Islanders were completely (with the exception of 10 minutes in the 2nd
period) outplayed by Washington.  Smith was the main reason for them
winning the game.  The Capitals came very close to tying the game in the
third period - many of their really good opportunities came as a direct
result of their speed over the Islanders.  The 1984-85 Islanders are SLOW
compared to teams like the Flyers and Oilers, and (past) playoff experience
only goes so far against youth and speed.  The longer the playoffs go,
the harder it will be for the Islanders compared to other teams.  There's
a limit to the amount of punishment Smith can take (remember what happened
to the Islanders in the finals last year).

I find your predictions for the eventual Stanley Cup winner to be quite
amusing.  On the one hand, you predict, based on their playoff experience,
the Islanders will knock off the #1 Flyers en route to winning the Stanley
Cup, while in the same article you have the Oilers (who are the defending
Stanley Cup champions and two-year-in-a-row Stanley Cup finalists) getting
knocked out in the semi-finals by a team which barely finished about .500.
Playoff experience?  Seems to me these predictions are being based totally
on team loyalties (I know you dislike the Oilers as much as I dislike the
Islanders) and wishful thinking.

Even if the Islanders get into the finals, I wish them luck (with their
speed) controlling Gretzky, Coffey, Kurri, Messier, Anderson, and Napier.

Myself, I still stand by my prediction: Flyers in '85 (although my heart
is saying 'GO OILERS!!').
					Robert Lake (alberta!lake)
					University of Alberta