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!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!lor From: lor@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey Subject: Re: The End of a Dynasty Message-ID: <5130@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Tue, 30-Apr-85 17:05:03 EDT Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5130 Posted: Tue Apr 30 17:05:03 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 1-May-85 17:18:35 EDT References: <5092@ucla-cs.ARPA> <5101@ucla-cs.ARPA> <5103@ucla-cs.ARPA> Reply-To: lor@ucla-cs.UUCP (Kar-Wing Lor) Distribution: na Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 102 Summary: >>1) The dynasty has long been over. You have to keep a dynasty by >> an excellent team, not by magical, lucky rallies, as Rick has >> dreamed. > >How can you say that the dynasty has long been over? 5 consecutive >appearances in the '80s, and 9 semi-final appearances in 11 years, >should been pretty convincing. The dynasty was officially over after game 3 of last year's championship series. That was quite a long time. Is this year's Islanders still part of the dynasty? Forget it! >And the sign of a great team is one >that finds a way to win even when things are not going well. >the Islanders have shown that in the past. But now it is time to >retool the machine. A truly great team simply won't have things not going well. Look at the 1976 Cincinatti Reds (7-0), 1983 Philadelphia 76ers (12-1), 1983 LA Raiders, and the 1985 Detroit Tigers (7-1), they simply breezed through the playoffs. A team that rallies from 0-3 to win 4-3, 0-2 to win 3-2 is, to its credit, a great team. But it is also lucky to have played a team that can find a way to lose. Only perennial losers like the Penguins or the Caps can do that. Have you ever seen teams like the Canadiens, the Celtics or your own Islanders blowing such leads at their prime? >>3) Billy Smith was, but no longer is, the best money goalie in >> the playoffs. A goalie is only as good as the team in front of him. > >Wait. Are you saying he is was a good goalie, or had a good team in >front of him? Make up your mind. Both. During the 4 cup years, the islanders was terrific as a team and Smith was splendid at the net. But in at least two series (last year vs Oilers, this year vs Flyers), the team has been awful, whether Smith was a good goalie is irrelevant. As somebody else in the net said, a goalie can only take a certain amount of punishment. >>5) I still stick with the Oilers. If their offense is at high gear >> (which is apparent after the Jets series), NO defense can stop them. >> This Oiler team can play defense too. They also have Grant Fuhr, >> who is as good as Pelle Lindbergh. > >Is that the same "NO defense" that the Islanders used 2 years ago when >the Oilers were billed as the most awesome team of all time? >Good, and I mean GOOD TEAM, defense will almost always beat offense. >There have been plenty of examples. No, I mean the awesome Islanders "Defense" of last year. Last year's islanders defense is not as bad and crippled as you said. They beat the Rangers, the Caps and the Canadiens (5-2, 3-1, 3-1, 4-1) basically by defense. In the first two games in the finals, they gave up only 2 goals (0-1, 6-1). In other words, they only gave up 7 goals in a string of six games before the bubble burst. Till then, they conceded 41 goals in 18 games (2.27 gaa). Is that enough evidence of good defense? Then what happened? The Oilers knocked in 7 goals in the 3rd game. Once the Oilers turned to high gear and proved that they could crack the Islander defense, there was no look back. In fact, that game was the turning point of the series and the Islanders' fate. They could not stop the blowouts in games 4 & 5. You are talking about the Oilers of '83, while I am taking about the one of '84 and a more matured one of '85. Which one is more applicable? I like the Oilers because they defy the physics of hockey: You have to win with defense. They just prove otherwise. Fortunately you said "ALMOST" in your statement "Good, and I mean good team, defense will ALMOST always beat offense." They are just a good counter example. I agree with you statement in general. But I also said NO defense will beat the '85 Oilers' offense. Notice the difference. >It looks like Hrudey is ready to >take over though. He played 3 (maybe 4, I'm not sure) games in this >year's playoffs and lost 2 when someone crashed into him in the crease. Also, it seems you are very bitter about the officiating. The dynasty is not overthrown by the officials. They simply don't take Billy Smith's acting anymore. I don't know the other incidents, but Mike Gartner's 2-OT goal against Hrudy was definitely legal. Greg Adams (Caps forward) was pushed onto Hrudy by Gord Dineen, resulting in the interference (this was obvious after looking at numerous replays.) This incident was the fault of Dineen instead of Adams, and correctly resulted in the no-calls from the officials. You can only blame your own guy. -- A diehard Cap fan and a diehard Islander hater! -- Eddy Lor ...!ucbvax!ucla-cs!lor lor@ucla-locus.arpa