1982-83 NHL Playoffs
Adams Division
I thought
Hartford’s offense would be an issue for teams, but they allow
Buffalo to score just 2 goals in their first round sweep.
Montreal has an easy time with
Boston who aren’t ready to make any impact. In a rematch of last years Adam’s Division final,
Hartford is able to to beat
Montreal, in overtime, in game 7! The winning goal was scored by 25 year old winger,
Mats Hallin!
Mats Hallin scores the biggest goal in the short history of the Hartford Whalers!
Patrick Division
New Jersey looks very outclassed for a bit in their opening round series, but come back to win 2 road games before losing the deciding game 5 at home. The
Rangers have an easy time with the
Penguins. The
Capitals were able to score each and every game against the
Rangers, eliminating them in 5.
Norris Division
St. Louis, with the best record in hockey, gets some revenge on
Chicago, who knocked them out last year.
Minnesota beats
Toronto for the 2nd straight season, after scoring 6 goals in the final period of a wild game four!
Minnesota’s vaunted offense went out the window though.
St. Louis, the leagues best defensive team, held the high scoring
North Stars to 9 goals in 5 games.
St. Louis got 10 in game four alone!!
Smythe Division
After upsetting first place
Vancouver last year, the
Oilers take the first place
Kings to a 5th and deciding game. This year, they can’t get the upset.
Calgary, whose season didn’t go according to plan loses to
Vancouver ending their slim repeat hopes. The
Kings rode the contributions of
Mike Eaves and
Guy Lafleur to a 6 game series win over the
Canucks.
Eaves and
Lafleur have combined for 15 goals and 43 points so far in the postseason.
Wales Conference Final
Wayne Gretzky suffered a lower body injury in
Hartford’s final game vs
Montreal. He’s day to day, and not in the lineup for game one.
Jamie Macoun scores the series first goal, giving
Hartford the first period lead.
Dennis Maruk ties it in the 2nd, but the
Whalers grab the lead back before the end of the 2nd on
Bob Berglund’s first playoff goal.
Mike Bossy scores halfway through the third to tie the game and force overtime. In OT,
Mike Bossy strikes again, winning it 4 minutes in! 3-2
Washington wins the opener. The first period of game two equaled the goals scored in all of game one.
Dennis Maruk has 3 points in the period, but
Washington just led 3-2.
Maruk made the lead 4-2 after two periods, and adds another assist in the third. He finishes the day with 5 points, leading the
Caps to a 7-3 win.
Maruk with 5 points in game two!
Still no
Gretzky for
Hartford, which means things look bleak. In front of their home fans, the
Capitals score 8 seconds in, and dominate the rest of the way.
Dirk Graham and
Dennis Maruk get 3 points each. 10
Capitals score atleast 2 points.
Washington crushes
Hartford 10-2.
Gretzky returns for game four, but it might be too late.
Mark Messier gets his first goal of the series to open the scoring, but
Dennis Maruk responds to tie it before the period ends.
Maruk gets his 2nd in the 2nd to take the lead. Down by one in the third,
Wayne Gretzky scores to tie the game. With 5 minutes remaining though, the
Caps Chuck Walters gives them back the lead, and
Dennis Maruk completes the hat trick 40 seconds later.
Washington wins 5-3 to sweep the series.
Campbell Conference Final
Tied at 2, heading into the third,
Mike Eaves scores for the
Kings, giving them the lead.
St. Louis then responded with vigor!
Milan Novy opens the floodgates with the tying goal.
Jim Fox, Craig Ramsay and
Stan Smyl all follow.
St. Louis wins 6-3! Game two is almost a copy of game one. Tied at 2 in the third period,
St. Louis gets 4 straight goals from 4 different players.
Bob Gainey is the first star with 3 points. The
Kings are outscored 8-2 in the third period so far. 6-2
Blues win.
Gainey is the first star of game two!
These two teams are tied again after two periods in game three. This time though, the
Blues don’t score 4 third period goals. Noone scores in the third at all and overtime is needed. In OT,
LA’s Mike Eaves wins it for the
Kings, keeping them in this series.
LA wins 2-1. Lets go for four straight. The two teams are tied after 2 periods for the 4th straight game, and just like game three, no one scores in the third. In overtime, the hero this time is
Mike Bullard. That gives the
Blues a 4-3 win, and a 3-1 series lead.
Mike Bullard's OT goal puts the Blues a game away from a finals appearance!
Game 5 broke all the previous patterns from this series.
La grabs an early lead, but the
Blues storm back scoring 3 in the first, leaving the period with a 2 goal lead.
Mike Eaves makes it 3-2, but
Kelly Kisio restores
St. Louis’ 2 goal lead before the end of the period. No scoring in the third, which gives the
Blues the 4-2 win, and a 5 game series victory.
St. Louis is going to the finals!
