From: mattb@ctron.com (Matthew E. Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Sharks lose to Kings 11-4
Date: 10 Nov 92 18:16:04 GMT
Reply-To: mattb@olympus.ctron.com (Matthew E. Brown)
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

Haven't seen Nelson's original yet. Thanks for quoting the whole thing, Jeff!

jmarold@netlink.cts.com (Jeff Marold) writes:
>nlu@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Nelson Lu) writes:
>> Sunday, November 8, 7:30 P. M. at the Cow Palace:
>> Goalie Arturs Irbe, making his first NHL start this season, was not
>> particularly sharp; the defense didn't give Irbe much help
>> The Kings peppered 49 shots on Irbe
>> while Robb Stauber stopped 36 of 40 San Jose shots for the victory.

A defensive struggle, eh?
 
>> Sandstrom had the puck at the left
>> sent it out into the slot to Kurri, who deflected it right to
>> Robitaille ..., and Robitaille poked the puck by Irbe.
                                  ^^^^^
>> power-play.  Paul Coffey and Sandstrom
>> exchanged passes behind the net, and Sandstrom spotted Kurri right open in
>> front and center the puck to him.  Kurri had little problem one-timing the
>> puck by Irbe.                                               ^^^^^^^^^^

>> Corey Millen added another goal at 8:52.  Mike Donnelly, getting
>> a pass from Tony Granato at center ice,
>> dropped the puck for Millen, who blasted the puck through a screen past
>> Irbe.                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>> Robitaille made the game 4-0 at 9:51 on a rather stupid play by the
>> Sharks and a brilliant play by Sandstrom.  Sandstrom was streaking down the
>> right side, attracting two Sharks defensemen, and he needled the pass through
>> the Shark defense, leaving Irbe exposed to a 2-0 break, and Robitaille poked
>> the puck by Irbe.  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^             
 
>> Robitaille made the
>> lead 5-1 at :52 on the power-play, as he deflected a shot from Rob Blake, who
                                            ^^^^^^^^^
>> one-timed a Kurri pass, past Irbe.  A short-handed goal at 4:26 by the Kings
   ^^^^^^^^^                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> made it 6-1.  Robitaille stole the puck from Ed Courtenay at the Kings blue
>> line, and went on a 2-on-1 with Kurri, feeding Kurri with a cross-ice pass,
                       ^^^^^^
>> and Kurri had little problem beating Irbe.

>> Sandstrom then struck on the power-play at 11:58.
>> the puck skipped to Sandstrom behind the net. Sandstrom tried to center it
>> but the puck bounced off Kelly Kisio's skate past Irbe.
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> A similar goal at 16:05 gave the Kings an 8-1 lead.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Donnelly, trying to center it in front, bounced the puck off the back of Irbe
                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Kurri completed his hat trick at
>> 11:33, as he one-timed a Sandstrom pass from behind the net past Irbe.  Then,
                ^^^^^^^^^
>> at 12:56, Donnelly, right off the faceoff, took the puck and skated right in
>> unmolested on Irbe, and beat Irbe to the right corner.  Donnelly completed hi
   ^^^^^^^^^^
>> hat trick at 15:22 on a 4-on-4.  Blake had sent the puck to him behind the
>> net, and as Donnelly tried to return it to Blake, it went off Irbe's stick in
                                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Did you ever have one of those days?

You know, when I see a goalie called shaky, I expect the write-up to say things
like "beaten cleanly", "wrap-around while he was at the wrong post", "waved at
the puck", "broke in off his pads", "five-hole caverns", etc. Maybe as a former
goalie who has played on teams where the defensemen couldn't skate backwards, 
I'm just being too sensitive. If these were the ones that scored, what were
the other 38 shots like? Nelson, you mentioned rebounds, but none of the goals
look like they were the direct result of rebounds. Maybe you were just so 
disappointed in this showing in Irbe's first game that you didn't notice how
little help he was getting.

Don't get me wrong, Nelson, I'm not criticizing your account. It just doesn't
sound like Irbe was the root of the problem.

And what the hell is going through Kingston's mind? Is this guy trying to ruin
Irbe the way he ruined Myllys? Any coach not on life support will pull a rookie
goalie after 6 or 8 just to shame the donkeys playing in front of him, take a
break, and try to change the momentum. I remember he left Jarmo in for a 
couple of shellackings last year. What's his excuse?

I have liked Irbe since I saw him years ago playing for a touring soviet
junior team. It is really a bummer to see a game like this. When the Kings
are getting the bounces, they are uncanny. (Refer back to Kings 8 Bruins 6
earlier this year). They are a different team when playoff hockey is being
played (re Bruins 6 Kings 4 in a later game). Why did Kingston start a rookie
against them? Was he mailing in this game, and resting his regular guy so he
wouldn't face a volley of rubber bullets? 

>> Tonight's defensive pairings:
 
>> 		Jayson More		Rob Zettler
>> 		Doug Wilson		Doug Zmolek
>> 		Pat MacLeod		Neil Wilkinson

These people should be ashamed.

>> 1.	The Robitaille-Kurri-Sandstrom line might very well be the best in
>> 	the world right now.  (Yes, I am ready for CMU/PSU flames. :-))  This
>> 	line appeared to be incapable of making mistakes, either offensively
>> 	or defensively, tonight.

Lucky. When they are forechecked, they can be handled, unlike the Mario Bros.

>> 2.	The three hat tricks tied a Kings record.  Robitaille's third goal
>> 	was his 300th of his career, and Kurri's 3rd put him past Jean
>> 	Beliveau on the all-time scoring list.

This is incredible! Kurri should mention Gretzky in his will. 

>Does it seem like scoring has returned to 1982 levels? Didnt someone beat 
>the Senators 13-3? It'd be interesting to calc the avg goals per game...

Jeff, sorry to so callously use your quoted article, so I feel obligated to
comment (well, I might have anyway). If you look at the rules changes, it
is not surprising at all. Coupled with 3 expansion teams and several doormats,
the lack of fighting has left more time for playmaking, and the close calling
of hooks, holds, interference, cross-checks, etc. has made for more man short
situations. Plus the referees have shown that being a man down is no excuse
for further fouls. I have seen less "penalty immunity" on kills than I can
ever remember. Given this, players such as Mario, Lafontaine, Kurri, and Sakic
have been flying. Jeez, look at Kontos! Yet when the players play clean,
tight forechecking, you get games like Hawks 3 Bruins 2 and Rangers 2 Bruins 2.
Personnally, I like the variety.

Matt
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey