Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!decvax!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!rick From: rick@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey Subject: Re: New York Islanders Message-ID: <5050@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Fri, 26-Apr-85 16:00:11 EDT Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5050 Posted: Fri Apr 26 16:00:11 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 28-Apr-85 09:25:24 EDT References: <4846@ucla-cs.ARPA> <459@alberta.UUCP> Reply-To: rick@ucla-cs.UUCP (Richard Gillespie) Distribution: na Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 56 Xref: tektronix net.sport.hockey:00470 Summary: In article <459@alberta.UUCP> lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake) writes (about my predictions for the series winners in the playoffs): > ... >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. Of course my predictions are colored by my favorite teams, but with a little logic thrown in. The Islanders are not a bunch of crotchety old men who can barely walk - there are 6 rookies on the team right now, although they don't always get to play a lot (and one is hurt but should be back soon (like the next series :-))). Yes they have been playing badly, I never did like this "turn it on for the playoffs" stuff. But Philadelphia has been making them play badly - I've already expressed my admiration for the job they have been doing. But I look at it this way - the Flyers are playing as well as they can (if not better), and quite frankly the Islanders haven't played very well. If I were the Flyer coach (after last night's 6-2 Isle win) I wouldn't let any of my players read the newspapers - they might start to believe the Islanders can win when they really want to. As for Chicago vs the Oilers. Hands up anyone who believes the Hawks are really a .500 team? Ok, put your hand down Rob. This team had a ton of injuries this year (they were missing the entire left side for quite a while), and were saddled with a coach they didn't want to win for (no flames about how pros shouldn't do that - look what a coach can do in Philadelphia). The Hawks are a young (in many cases), tough, fast (there you go Rob) team with a lot of talent. If they can't give Edmonton a tough time (assuming they don't get hit with the tradional pre-Oiler injury jinx) then who will? And when the Chicago Stadium gets rockin' to that pipe organ - WATCH OUT! > >Even if the Islanders get into the finals, I wish them luck (with their >speed) controlling Gretzky, Coffey, Kurri, Messier, Anderson, and Napier. > Assuming the Oilers actually make it :-). >Myself, I still stand by my prediction: Flyers in '85 (although my heart >is saying 'GO OILERS!!'). > Robert Lake (alberta!lake) If the Flyers win the Cup this year then Keenan should be cannonized! That is one hell of a coaching job to do, and he has already done a great one! -- Rick Gillespie rick@ucla-cs ...!{cepu|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|ucbvax}!ucla-cs!rick "She turned me into a newt! . . . I got better."