The Sports Archives – Are the Sedins like the Stastnys of the 80s?

Posted on April 25, 2011 by thesportsarchives

They say history has a way of repeating itself.  Back in the 1980s, three Slovak brothers, Peter, Anton and Marian Stastny, played for the Quebec Nordiques.  Marian Stastny was traded in 1985; however, Peter and Anton had contributed greatly to the Nordiques offense throughout the entire 1980s and helped move Quebec from bottom to top during that time.

In similar fashion, the Swedish Sedin brothers, Daniel and Henrik of the Vancouver Canucks, have been an offensive powerhouse during the first decade of the 21st century and have also assisted in making Vancouver a top contender in the Western Conference.

Daniel Sedin can be compared to Peter Stastny, a consistent and prolific goal scorer with a knack for finishing the play.  Henrik Sedin can be compared to Anton Stastny, a playmaker who racks up a ton of assists.  But the similarities don’t stop there, during the Stastny era, Quebec just couldn’t make it over the top during the playoffs and to-date, the same can be said of the Sedins and the Canucks.  The Chicago Blackhawks have been a thorn in Vancouver’s side and once again, Vancouver is in danger of an early exit to the 2011 playoffs after an amazing season.

The Sedins need a game like the Stastnys had on February 22, 1981 when Peter had 4 goals and 4 assists and Anton had 3 goals and 5 assists for a total 16 points as Quebec defeated the Washington Capitals 11 to 7!

What is different about the Sedins?  Nothing, they are identical twins!

The Stastny Brothers

Marian, Peter and Anton...the brothers Stastny!

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories – Boston and Montreal Rivalry Fires Up Again

Posted on April 23, 2011 by thesportsarchives

What has proven to be one of the greatest rivalries in sports archives history is the ongoing battle between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.  They have been fighting it out since the days of the ‘original six’ of the NHL.

Montreal can boast that they have owned the Bruins for most of the 20th century having defeated them in 20 of 22 Stanley Cup playoffs series through 1987.  That run includes victories in 18 straight playoff series from 1946 to 1987.

The modern-day Bruins have performed better winning 6 of the last 10 series since 1987 including a sweep of their last meeting in the 2009 quarter-finals.  Montreal edged them 4-3 in 2004 and 2008.

So far 2011 has proven just as exciting and the series is tied 2-2 at the time of this post.  The last time Beantown won the Stanley Cup was in 1972 when Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr brought the coveted prize to the Boston Garden.

Posted: 04/23/2011

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The Sports Archives – 1936 Stanley Cup Memories – The Longest Game

Posted on April 20, 2011 by thesportsarchives

If someone were to tell us that their goaltender had not given up a goal in 176 minutes and 30 seconds; a quick tally in our heads would conclude that this goalie had been perfect for almost 3 consecutive games.  This is exactly what Normie Smith of the 1936 Detroit Red Wings and Lorne Chabot of the Montreal Maroons did during a single playoff game

The longest NHL overtime game to date was played in the 1936 Stanley Cup championships between the Montreal Maroons and the Detroit Red Wings.   The puck was dropped in the Montreal Forum at 8:30 PM and the match wasn’t over until 2:25 AM when Detroit’s Mud Bruneteau scored the only goal of the game against Chabot at 116:30 of the sixth overtime period!  Smith set an NHL record stopping all 92 shots at him.

To add insult to injury, Smith shut out the Maroons in the following game and Detroit went on to sweep the series 3-0 and ultimately win the 1936 Stanley Cup defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3 games to 1 in a best-of-five.

Now, these are the kind of hockey games I don’t mind spending over $100 a ticket to go and see!  The last overtime game that went into 4 overtime periods was played between the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks on 5/4/2008.  Dallas beat the Sharks 2-1 on Brenden Morrow’s goal at 69:03 of  the fourth overtime stanza.

Posted: 04/20/2011

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The Sports Archives – 1976-1983 Stanley Cup Memories – Canadiens, Islanders Reign Supreme

Posted on April 19, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Will there ever be another time in NHL history where 2 teams win back-to-back 4 consecutive year terms of Stanley Cup championships?  The first question that needs to be answered is ‘Will there ever be another team that will win the Stanley Cup championship for 4 consecutive years?’

If you think about it, the Montreal Canadiens of the late 1970s and the New York Islanders of the early 1980s were truly magnificent teams coached by the best in the business, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour, respectively.  Yes, the Habs have won the Cup many times including 5 in a row back in the late 50s, but this was when the NHL consisted of only 6 teams.  After the expansion of 1967, and when the Canadiens started their 4 time championship run in 1975, the league consisted of 18 teams; that’s 3 times the number of teams and certainly less of a chance of winning the Cup 4 consecutive years.

The Islanders may have been even more amazing; having joined the NHL in 1972 and winning just 12 games that first year, they started their 4 year term of Stanley Cup ownership in 1980, and immediately after Montreal had ended their reign.  It took the Islanders only 8 years to go from bottom to top and then have the experience and composure to maintain that position for 4 consecutive years!

Since the end of the Islander reign, no team has won more than 2 consecutive Stanley Cup championships.  The last team to achieve this honor was the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.  Nowadays, your franchise maybe considered a dynasty if your team wins two consecutive championships or perhaps three in four years.

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The Sports Archives – 1950 Stanley Cup Memories – The Greatest Show on Earth

Posted on April 16, 2011 by thesportsarchives

When are the Stanley Cup finals NOT the greatest show on Earth?  The 1950 New York Rangers would answer:  “When the circus comes to town”.  The Rangers lost their home ice at Madison Square Garden during the 1950 Stanley Cup playoffs to a bunch of clowns (no, not the Harlem Globetrotters)!   Because the Garden had booked the circus, the Rangers had to move their home games to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

In 1950, 6 NHL teams squared off for the coveted trophy.  The original six were the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks.  Four of the 6 teams would make the playoffs, so your odds were very good that you would move ahead.  The Rangers lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 after beating the Canadiens in 5.  They came into the playoffs with a losing record.

In 1950, fans welcomed a change in ice color surface as the NHL added white paint to water before freezing.  This changed the color from concrete gray to white so the puck could be picked up better by players, fans and especially TV.

Also in 1950, NHL president Clarence Campbell fined Chicago coach Charlie Conacher $200 for punching a sports writer after his team was routed 9 to 2.  He also made Canadiens Ken Reardon post a $1000 bond to ensure that he didn’t carry out a retribution threat against Cal Gardner.  Reardon was refunded the money when he did not make good on his threat!  Today, the equivalent would probably be a suspension and a hefty fine.

1950 NY Rangers

1950 NY Rangers?

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories – 1969 and the Montreal Canadiens

Posted on April 14, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The year 1969 was not just another ordinary year in the NHL.  We saw a lot of ‘firsts’ come out of 1969.  What wasn’t a ‘first’ was the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup for the 16th time and second year in a row.  It was an exact replay of 1968 when they swept the St. Louis Blues 4 games to 0.

In 1969, there were only 2 divisions, East and West.  Six teams in each and to even it out, you had Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the West and Detroit and Chicago in the East!  To give you an idea of just how strong the East was, the leader of the West, the St. Louis Blues, which finished almost 20 points ahead of the Oakland Seals would have placed 4th in the East!  Nonetheless, there was some “good ol’ time” hockey played with the likes of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull.

1969 did have it share of ‘firsts’, however.  It was the first time any NHL player ever achieved 100 points in a single season.  Phil Esposito blazed a new record with 126 points followed by Bobby Hull with 107 and Gordie Howe with 103.  Bobby Hull also set a new record for goals with 58 at a time when teams played only 76 games.

1969 was the year that Blues’ Red Berenson tied an NHL record by scoring 6 goals in a game and rookies Danny Grant of the Minnesota North Stars and Norm Ferguson of the Oakland Seals tied a 40-year-old record of most goals by a rookie with 34 each.   Superstar Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins would begin his takeover of the NHL proving that defensemen can play offense too by scoring a record 21 goals which would precipitate his numerous offensive records he would set as a defenseman.

Did we mention how dominant the East was over the West?  The St. Louis Blues swept both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings and were then swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals!

Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr scoring "The Goal" against the St. Louis Blues. Orr would set many records as a defenseman.

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories – Hull Doubles Up in Dallas and Detroit

Posted on April 12, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The golden years of hockey may start when a player reaches the age of 35.  No doubt, Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios would argue that, however either way, when a professional hockey player reaches that age, his playing days are numbered.

The golden years of hockey proved to be truly golden for ‘The Golden Brett’, Brett Hull.  After playing 11 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, five with 50 or more goals and one 86 goal season, Hull was traded to the Dallas Stars in 1998 at the age of 34.  Now, this was at a time when their Western Conference rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, had just won their second consecutive Stanley Cup during the 1997-98 season and looked confident for a three-peat in 1999.

In the three years that Hull played for Dallas, not only did Dallas outlast Detroit through the playoffs, but Dallas won the Stanley Cup in 1999 which was the first for Brett Hull.  Detroit must have seen something in the Stars (no pun intended) and signed Hull on as a free agent in 2001.  I think Detroit management figured out that if you can’t beat him; then acquire him.  So at age 37, Brett Hull played in every game for Detroit in 2001-02 scoring 30 goals and 33 assists for 63 points.   And wouldn’t you know it; Detroit won the Stanley Cup that year, the second for Brett Hull!  You could probably hear the slapping of high-fives in the Red Wing corporate offices of downtown Detroit!

Brett Hull hung up his skates in 2006 and the Blues retired his #16 jersey.  During the ceremony, with Neil Young’s “Old Man” playing in the background, “The Golden Jet”, Bobby Hull walked out on the ice to hug his son, “The Golden Brett”.

Bobby and Brett Hull

Bobby and son Brett Hull embracing during Brett's Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration in 2009.

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The Sports Archives – The 5th Quarter of the 2006 Wake Forest Football Season

Posted on April 8, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are a small school and are not known for their dominance across the world of college football.  However, the club has gained notoriety thru the eyes of Hollywood producers who have highlighted some of the players that have come out of the organization.

We all remember Brian’s Song, the inspirational movie about Chicago Bears‘ running back, Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at the age of 26 back in 1970.  We remembered the one-of-kind friendship displayed between Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo, where Sayers remained at Piccolo’s side during the tragedy despite national racial tension going on at the time.  Yes, Brian Piccolo came from Wake Forest.

Now, more recently, another inspirational story out of Wake Forest has shown up in movie theaters; this one centered more on the 2006 Wake Forest Football season.  The 5th Quarter is about the 2006 Wake Forest football season and some of the events, both tragic and inspirational, that occurred during its ACC Conference Championship winning year.

A key player for Wake Forest, Jon Abbate was looking forward to the 2006 season when tragedy struck for him and his family.  His younger brother Luke, 15, was killed in a car accident coming from a lacrosse practice.  Abbate wanted to honor his brother, so he was allowed to switch his jersey number from 40 to the number 5 which was worn by Luke.  Then, at the start of every fourth quarter, Jon and his family would remember Luke by holding up 5 fingers.  The tribute caught on and soon, Abbate’s teammates, Wake Forest fans, and even fans from opposing teams began holding up 5 fingers in Luke’s honor.   This became a symbol and testimonial to Wake Forest’s outstanding 2006 season.

Later, the Abbate family created the “Five Foundation” which is meant to raise awareness of the responsibilities and dangers of driving to young people.

Jon Abbate

Jon Abbate

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – When Foul Trouble Leaves Last Man Standing

Posted on April 7, 2011 by thesportsarchives

What kind of defense do you play when you’re the last man standing after your entire team has fouled out?!  You would have to ask guard Mike Lockhart of the 1982 West Coast Christian College Knights.

The Knights were beating the Santa Cruz Sea Lions 70-57 with just over two minutes left in the game.  That’s when Lockhart became the Knight’s last hope to hold down the Sea Lions and secure the victory.  It was a pretty tall order to ask of Lockhart, to play one on five while having four fouls and just one away from disqualification!   Nevertheless, Lockhart was only outscored 10-5 and single-handedly held on to lead the Knights to a final 75-67 over the hapless Sea Lions.

I am not sure if the Knights were thinking of just making history or the late night highlight reel.  How do you foul out when you have such a huge lead?  In the end, I would have to guess that the Sea Lions must have been horrible shooters and that Lockhart was great at dribbling.  Lockhart inbounding the ball was probably amusing!

So what defense did Lockhart play?  Zone, of course!  Lockhart should have been nominated to play for the Harlem Globetrotters!

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The Sports Archives – UCONN Wins 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament Dogfight Over Butler

Posted on April 5, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The University of Connecticut Huskies (UCONN) led by junior Kemba Walker took a bite out of the Cinderella Butler Bulldogs in the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament by shutting them down 53-41.

UCONN closed out an amazing run of 11 consecutive postseason victories which included 5 wins in 5 days at the Big East Tournament.  The title is Coach Jim Calhoun and the Huskies third since 1999 (1999, 2004, 2011) and groups him with the likes of Indiana’s Bob Knight, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp and UCLA’s John Wooden who are the only others at present to win at least three or more national titles.

Both teams came out nervous and it sort of reminded me of a high school game as UCONN shot 29 percent from the field in the first half and Butler fared worse at a dismal 22.2 percent.  Despite, the poor shooting, Butler led at half 22-19 (high school, right?).  Butler was executing their game plan of leading the Huskies into foul trouble, but they weren’t executing on the floor and the ever-opportunistic Huskies began to pull away with an 18-3 run that had them up by 44-36 late in the second half.  Overall, Butler shot 18.8 percent from the field; the lowest ever for an NCAA final to date.

Kemba Walker finished the game leading all scorers with 16 points and 9 rebounds and was awarded “Most Outstanding Player” of the tournament.  He scored an unprecedented 130 points in 5 games during the Big East Tournament and was named MVP.

Congratulations to Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut Huskies!

Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut Huskies

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