From: lli+@cs.cmu.edu (Lori Iannamico)
Subject: Pens-3 North Stars-6
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 18:59:41 GMT

Darcy Wakaluk, Ulf Dahlen and and Russ Courtnall were the brightest Stars last
night (Oh, groan...)as the North Stars handed the Pens only their 3rd loss at
home.  Ulf D. had a hat trick, Courtnall a short handed and power play goal,
and Wakaluk stopped 38 shots in an impressive performance.

The Pens, playing without Lemieux, were miserable in the first period, not
getting a shot on goal until almost midway through the period.  The normally
stalwart Tom Barrasso had a rough go last night.  A bobbled puck by him led to
MN's 5th goal on the night.  I felt bad for Barrasso.  Many a night this season
he's saved the team's collective ass with his play in goal.  Last night he
struggled, and the team responded with flat, listless hockey.  Ulf Samuelsson,
in a interview (on KDKA-TV I think) after the game, admitted that the Pens
put forth a poor effort last night, and that there was no excuse for it.

There wasn't.  The players knew that Lemieux would go down sooner or later.
They also knew that when this happened, Bowman would juggle lines.  Constantly.
Last night they acted like they've never played without Lemieux, or even played
together. 

That's not to take anything away from the North Stars.  They outplayed the 
Pens all night.  It's just that it would have been nice to see the Pens play
all 3 periods last night, not just pathetic spurts.

The only player would put forth any consistent effort last night was Jim Paek.
Paek is slowly, quietly, becoming the best defenseman on the team.  And it 
wouldn't surprise me if he became on the of the best defensemen in the league.
He's not flashy.  He's smart, steady and solid.  And he is appreciated.  He
is becoming a fan favorite.

Well, enough whining.  On with the summary.

The first half of the first period was all North Stars.  While the Pens were
on the power play, ? Gavin picked of the puck at the point and got it to 
Russ Courtnall, who broke down the left side and skated in alone on Barrasso.
He beat Barrasso with a 30 ft. slapshot.(3:23)

The Stars then went on to convert on their own power plays.  Courtnall picked
up a Modano rebound and blasted it past a hobbled Barrasso.  He was hobbled 
because Ulf was pushing a North Star into the crease and on top of him.  Bright
move, Ulf.(Ganger. 7:24).  At 12:38, Dahlen picked up his second goal of the 
night when Sjodin's pass deflected off his stick, a Pens' skate and went into
the net.

Play had been very chippy to this point, and it just got worse.  A Star (I
think it was Churla, you'll see why later) caught Kevin Stevens on the bridge
of his nose with the blade of a high stick.  It looked accidental, but a 
penalty still should have been called on the grounds of carelessness.  It
wasn't.  And play got really chippy after that.  

While working on a power play at 15:41, Stevens was able to stuff a Tocchet 
rebound past Wakaluk.  After that Stevens promptly punched Shane Churla in the
back of the head.  And of course a shoving match broke out.  If Devorski had
just laid down the law very early in the game, he wouldn't have lost control.
But he didn't, and the play was chippy and sloppy the rest of the way.  The
first period ended up lasting about 65 minutes.

The Pens seemed to realize that they were actually participating in a hockey
game in the second, but it would be the Stars that scored the only goal of
the period.

Ulf Dahlen scored his second goal at 8:37. He got behind the Pens defenders,
Jim Johnson fed him the puck and he skated in and snapped the puck past 
Barrasso.

The Pens tried to get back into the game in the third, but it was too little
too late.  At 3:30 Kevin Stevens got his second goal of the night.  While 
lying on his stomach, Stevens was able to take a Ron Francis pass and whack
it past Wakaluk.

But a stupid penalty by McEachern gave the Stars a power play, and they were
able to convert again.  Ulf Dahlen completed his hat trick at 5:40.  Barrasso
had made the save on Courtnall, but bobbled the puck and dropped it.  Dalhen
pushed past the Pens' defender, got his stick on the loose puck and flipped
it into the net.

Paul Stanton get the Pens alive.  At 12:32 he blew a slapshot from the right
point past Wakaluk(Stevens, Francis).  But the Stars answered that about 2
minutes later when Gagner skated right in an blew a shot past Barrasso.

Scratches: Mario Lemieux(back), Kjell Samuelsson(cheekbone), Bryan Fogarty
(pneumonia), Jay Caufield, Peter Ahola

BOX SCORE:
Pittsburgh: 1-0-2=3
Minnesota:  3-1-2=6

FIRST PERIOD: SCORING: 1, MN, Courtnall(Gavin)3:23shg. 2, MN, Courtnall(Modano,
Gagner)7:24ppg.  3, MN, Dahlen(Sjodin, Modanon)12:38ppg.  4, PGH, Stevens
(Tocchet, Francis)15:41ppg.  PENALTIES: McPhee, MN(interference)2:21.  Mullen,
PGH(slashing)7:13.  Churla, MN(roughing)9:06.  Stevens, PGH(roughing)9:06.
Berry, MN(high-sticking)9:24.  U. Samuelsson, PGH(high-sticking)11:55.  Churla,
MN(slashing)14:37.  Tinordi, MN(high-sticking)15:51.  Churla, MN(roughing)
15:51.  Stevens, PGH(roughing)15:51.  Ludwig, MN(elbowing)16:32.

SECOND PERIOD: SCORING: 5, MN, Dahlen(Johnson)8:37.  PENALTIES: Tocchet, PGH,
(roughing)1:02.  Klatt, MN(high-sticking)3:34.  McEachern, PGH(hooking)13:44.
Gagner, MN(hooking)18:55.

THIRD PERIOD: SCORING: 6, Stevens(Francis, Mullen)3:30ppg.  7, MN, Dahlen
(Courtnall, Tinordi)5:40ppg.  8, PGH, Stanton(Stevens, Francis)12:32.  9,
Gagner(unassisted)14:35.  PENALTIES: Wakaluk, MN(slashing)served by Courtnall
2:31.  McEachern, PGH (slashing)4:21.

SHOTS ON GOAL:

Pittsburgh: 15-13-13=41
Minnesota:    10-8-9=27

GOALIES:

Barrasso (27 shots, 21 saves. 24-8-3)
Wakaluk  (41 shots, 38 saves)

Ref. Devorski  Linesmen: Collins, Pare

Lori
Contact for the Penguins
lli+@cs.cmu.edu