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From: rick@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Edmonton "No Class" Oilers
Message-ID: <5383@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 12:54:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.5383
Posted: Mon May 13 12:54:46 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 15-May-85 01:32:42 EDT
References: <5229@ucla-cs.ARPA> <481@alberta.UUCP>
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Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
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In article <481@alberta.UUCP> lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake) writes:
>Let's remember that team defence requires the cooperation of ALL 5 skaters
>on the ice at any time.  Losing Wilson and Brown is not an excuse for the
>bloodbath Chicago encountered.

Yes the defense is a combination of forwards and defensemen. My point was
that Chicago was missing a pair of important *players* who happened to be
a couple of their best defensemen. While we are on the topic, I may be
biased (yes, I am, really!) but Messier check on Brown that put him out
of action sure looked like boarding to me. OF COURSE there was no penalty.
My vote for nastiest player in the league (now that Clarke has retired goes
to Messier - the man is an animal (and a pretty good player when he wants
to be).

>> (... my claims of the '70s Bruins being more dominating ...)
>Oh, come on Rick!  The style of hockey played back in the early '70s has
>not changed much from what is being played today - if anything it has
>improved.

Let's not get into the defense vs offense argument AGAIN! Yes it is
different, but I think less different than 3 or 4 years ago when so
many teams went to 19 year old players who couldn't check their hats.

>           There were proportionately just as many weak teams back then
>(remember the Islanders?) as there are now.  If today's Oilers were play-
>ing back then, they would at least equal if not better the record of the
>Bruins.

Wrong! The Oilers dominate the scoring now, yes, but not to the extent of
Bruins of the early '70s (I can't find the stats but they scored 390+ goals
when no one else was withing 70 or 80 of that - if anyone else topped 300
at all). Those were the days when goalies had averages in the 2's, not like
today when anything under 4 is good. But it is a fruitless exercise to play
(how would .... play in another era).
-- 

			       Rick Gillespie
				  rick@ucla-cs
				  ...!{cepu|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|ucbvax}!ucla-cs!rick

	"She turned me into a newt! . . . I got better."