OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Turning Over a New Leaf(s): The 1988-89 Maple Leafs

uWoHollywood · 06-26-2023, 03:29 PM

After a solid regular season Jason Taylor was up for GM of the year AND coach of the year, while Zarley Zalapski was a finalist for Rookie of the Year!

ROUND ONE MATCHUPS
Norris Semi-Final 1: Toronto (92p) vs Chicago (77p)

Norris Semi-Final 2: Minnesota (89p) vs St. Louis (80p)

Smythe Semi-Final 1: Calary (103p) vs Vancouver (66p)

Smythe Semi-Final 2: Edmonton (94p) vs Los Angeles (80p)

Adams Semi-Final 1: Montreal (90p) vs Hartford (71p)

Adams Semi-Final 2: Buffalo (83p) vs Quebec (71p)

Patrick Semi-Final 1: Philadelphia (105p) vs New York Islanders (78p)

Patrick Semi-Final 2: New York Rangers (95p) vs Pittsburgh (80p)

Taylor prepared his playoff line-up. Greg Paslawski was healthy and would return to the line-up. Todd Gill was day-to-day, so Craig Muni would replace him (for now). Ed Belfour was going to be the starter for Game 1, and Taylor would see how things went. Daniel Marois was almost recovered, so Taylor would have to reshuffle the lines once he was back. Ed Olczyk would be missed, but Peter Stastny was a professional. Let’s see how this plays out!

Chicago had won their last four games against Toronto, including two blowouts (11-3 and 8-1). Overall, Chicago won 6 of 8 regular season games, despite the Leafs finishing much higher in the standings. No one knew quite what to expect.

Round 1 Game 1 - 7-3 W v CHI
Toronto scored four straight goals to take a 5-1 lead, and never looked back. Chicago closed it to 5-3 with 3 minutes left, but Zalapski and Wendel Clark each scored in the last two minutes to put it away. Ron Wilson (3A) and Dave Reid (1G 1A) gave the Hawks fits, while Randy Carlyle and Gary Leeman had 2G each. Ed Belfour was excellent in net, stopping 30 of 33.

NHL News: Mats Naslund went 4-2-6 for MTL in their win over HFD

Round 1 Game 2 - 5-4 W v CHI (OT)
Chicago was up 3-0 heading into the second, but the Leafs rallied to go up 4-3 with 12 minutes left. Doug Wilson silenced a rowdy Maple Leafs Gardens crowd, tying the game with just 2:48 remaining. But an unexpected hero saved the day: Greg Paslawski scored the OT winner a mere 1:20 into the extra frame, assisted by linemates Doug Smail and Phil Bourque. Peter Stastny powered the Leafs offense in regulation with 3A, while Zalapski scored 2G. Belfour wasn’t great, stopping 23 of 27, but he was able to keep pace with Darren Pang (27 of 32). Toronto would now take a 2-0 series lead back to Chicago, where they would face a very hostile crowd.

Round 1 Game 3 - 5-3 L @ CHI
Goaltending was the story here. Ed Belfour allowed 5 goals on 25 shots, while Darren Pang stopped 30 of 33. David Mackey was Chicago’s unlikely hero with 3A, while Rick Vaive and Steve Larmer each scored 2G. The Leafs’ checking line was uncharacteristically weak, which allowed Vavie and Larmer to light up Belfour. Kirk McLean may get the start in Game 4 after that poor showing.

Todd Gill was ready to play, sending Craig Muni to the press box. And Taylor confirmed to the media that McLean would get the start in Game 4, as Belfour’s performance had declined each of the last two games.

Round 1 Game 4 - 4-3 L @ CHI
Both goaltenders played well; McLean stopped 33 of 37, while Darren Pang saved 28 of 31. Toronto was up 3-1 with 24 minutes left. Unfortunately, Chicago scored with just 3 seconds left in the 2nd, and then Steve Thomas scored twice in the 3rd to send the series back to Toronto all tied up at 2-2. John Cullen’s 2G and Doug Smail’s 2A were the high points, but the Toronto media was in full-on panic mode at the series now being a best-of-three.

Round 1 Game 5 - 5-2 W v CHI
The Gardens was ROCKING, with a sellout crowd cheering the Leafs’ every move… and Toronto did not disappoint. The Leafs never trailed, and smothered the Blackhawks: Denis Savard (1G 1A) and Steve Thomas (4 SOG, 5 Hits) were the only bright spots. Darren Pang was so-so, stopping 31 of 36. But Kirk McLean was utterly brilliant, with 31 saves on 33 shots. Six different Leafs had two points, with Gary Leeman in particular showing why he is Toronto’s top winger: 1-1-2, +2, 4 SOG, 1 blocked shot, and 2 hits. He played a phenomenal and complete game. Toronto fans nervously awaited Game 6 in Toronto, hoping they wouldn’t see a Game 7 back in Toronto. Some bad news came after the game: Steve Konroyd bruised his shin blocking a shot. He would miss up to a week, so Craig Muni would take his spot on the 3rd pair.

Round 1 Game 6 - 5-4 W @ CHI (OT)
Only one name mattered on this night: Russ Courtnall. Courtnall played a near-perfect game, and assisted on ALL FIVE Leafs’ goals! Darren Pang did his best trying to steal it for Chicago, saving 48 of 53 shots. This was a nailbiter: 2-1 CHI after 1, 3-2 TOR after 2, then 4-3 CHI with 13 minutes left. With just 3 minutes remaining, Peter Stastny tied the game up 4-4. The first overtime period was intense, but no one scored. The second overtime, and the series, ended as every Leafs fan dreamt of: an overtime, game-winning and series-clinching goal by The Captain, Wendel Clark. Peter Stastny was also a hero on this night, scoring 2G and 1A. The dejected Blackhawks returned to their locker room, while the Leafs celebrated on the flight back to Toronto.

NHL News: The Quebec Nordiques had blown a 3-1 series lead, allowing Buffalo to tie it. To make matters worse, Nordiques’ Captain Joe Sakic suffered a season-ending injury, and would miss four months.

Three days later, the first round was officially complete, and the NHL was ready to kick off the 2nd round. Here’s how the first round played out:

ROUND ONE RECAP
Norris Semi-Final 1: Toronto (92p) defeated Chicago (77p) 4-2 in a very tight series

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Norris Semi-Final 2: Minnesota (89p) beat St. Louis (80p) 4-1

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Smythe Semi-Final 1: Calary (103p) stomped Vancouver (66p) 4-1

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Smythe Semi-Final 2: Wayne Gretzky led his new Los Angeles Kings (80p) over his former Edmonton Oilers (94p) teammates 4-3, with LA overcoming a 3-2 deficit

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Adams Semi-Final 1: Montreal (90p) narrowly defeated Hartford (71p) 4-3; the Whalers came back from being down 3-0, but the Habs managed to win Game 7 to avoid the upset

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Adams Semi-Final 2: Buffalo (83p) beat Quebec (71p) 4-3, with the Sabres overcoming a 3-1 deficit

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Patrick Semi-Final 1: In a massive upset, the New York Islanders (78p) took down 1st-Overall Philadelphia (105p) in a 4-1 shocker

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Patrick Semi-Final 2: The New York Rangers (95p) beat Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins (80p) 4-2, setting up an all-NY matchup

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Toronto Round One Summary
The Leafs' first line is delivering in spades, and any concern around Stastny replacing Olczyk has evaporated. Stastny, Courtnall and Leeman combined to go 10-16-26 in the 6-game series. The second line of Damphousse, Cullen and Clark supported them well, collectively going 5-11-16. Zalapski is playing beyond his years, tying Leeman with 5G. Kirk McLean has been excellent since taking over for Games 4-6, with a 2.89 GAA and .907 PCT (both 3rd among playoff starters).

Next up: Minnesota!

06-26-2023, 03:29 PM	#26
uWoHollywood Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 55	1989 Playoffs - Round One After a solid regular season Jason Taylor was up for GM of the year AND coach of the year, while Zarley Zalapski was a finalist for Rookie of the Year! ROUND ONE MATCHUPS Norris Semi-Final 1: Toronto (92p) vs Chicago (77p) Norris Semi-Final 2: Minnesota (89p) vs St. Louis (80p) Smythe Semi-Final 1: Calary (103p) vs Vancouver (66p) Smythe Semi-Final 2: Edmonton (94p) vs Los Angeles (80p) Adams Semi-Final 1: Montreal (90p) vs Hartford (71p) Adams Semi-Final 2: Buffalo (83p) vs Quebec (71p) Patrick Semi-Final 1: Philadelphia (105p) vs New York Islanders (78p) Patrick Semi-Final 2: New York Rangers (95p) vs Pittsburgh (80p) Taylor prepared his playoff line-up. Greg Paslawski was healthy and would return to the line-up. Todd Gill was day-to-day, so Craig Muni would replace him (for now). Ed Belfour was going to be the starter for Game 1, and Taylor would see how things went. Daniel Marois was almost recovered, so Taylor would have to reshuffle the lines once he was back. Ed Olczyk would be missed, but Peter Stastny was a professional. Let’s see how this plays out! Chicago had won their last four games against Toronto, including two blowouts (11-3 and 8-1). Overall, Chicago won 6 of 8 regular season games, despite the Leafs finishing much higher in the standings. No one knew quite what to expect. Round 1 Game 1 - 7-3 W v CHI Toronto scored four straight goals to take a 5-1 lead, and never looked back. Chicago closed it to 5-3 with 3 minutes left, but Zalapski and Wendel Clark each scored in the last two minutes to put it away. Ron Wilson (3A) and Dave Reid (1G 1A) gave the Hawks fits, while Randy Carlyle and Gary Leeman had 2G each. Ed Belfour was excellent in net, stopping 30 of 33. NHL News: Mats Naslund went 4-2-6 for MTL in their win over HFD Round 1 Game 2 - 5-4 W v CHI (OT) Chicago was up 3-0 heading into the second, but the Leafs rallied to go up 4-3 with 12 minutes left. Doug Wilson silenced a rowdy Maple Leafs Gardens crowd, tying the game with just 2:48 remaining. But an unexpected hero saved the day: Greg Paslawski scored the OT winner a mere 1:20 into the extra frame, assisted by linemates Doug Smail and Phil Bourque. Peter Stastny powered the Leafs offense in regulation with 3A, while Zalapski scored 2G. Belfour wasn’t great, stopping 23 of 27, but he was able to keep pace with Darren Pang (27 of 32). Toronto would now take a 2-0 series lead back to Chicago, where they would face a very hostile crowd. Round 1 Game 3 - 5-3 L @ CHI Goaltending was the story here. Ed Belfour allowed 5 goals on 25 shots, while Darren Pang stopped 30 of 33. David Mackey was Chicago’s unlikely hero with 3A, while Rick Vaive and Steve Larmer each scored 2G. The Leafs’ checking line was uncharacteristically weak, which allowed Vavie and Larmer to light up Belfour. Kirk McLean may get the start in Game 4 after that poor showing. Todd Gill was ready to play, sending Craig Muni to the press box. And Taylor confirmed to the media that McLean would get the start in Game 4, as Belfour’s performance had declined each of the last two games. Round 1 Game 4 - 4-3 L @ CHI Both goaltenders played well; McLean stopped 33 of 37, while Darren Pang saved 28 of 31. Toronto was up 3-1 with 24 minutes left. Unfortunately, Chicago scored with just 3 seconds left in the 2nd, and then Steve Thomas scored twice in the 3rd to send the series back to Toronto all tied up at 2-2. John Cullen’s 2G and Doug Smail’s 2A were the high points, but the Toronto media was in full-on panic mode at the series now being a best-of-three. Round 1 Game 5 - 5-2 W v CHI The Gardens was ROCKING, with a sellout crowd cheering the Leafs’ every move… and Toronto did not disappoint. The Leafs never trailed, and smothered the Blackhawks: Denis Savard (1G 1A) and Steve Thomas (4 SOG, 5 Hits) were the only bright spots. Darren Pang was so-so, stopping 31 of 36. But Kirk McLean was utterly brilliant, with 31 saves on 33 shots. Six different Leafs had two points, with Gary Leeman in particular showing why he is Toronto’s top winger: 1-1-2, +2, 4 SOG, 1 blocked shot, and 2 hits. He played a phenomenal and complete game. Toronto fans nervously awaited Game 6 in Toronto, hoping they wouldn’t see a Game 7 back in Toronto. Some bad news came after the game: Steve Konroyd bruised his shin blocking a shot. He would miss up to a week, so Craig Muni would take his spot on the 3rd pair. Round 1 Game 6 - 5-4 W @ CHI (OT) Only one name mattered on this night: Russ Courtnall. Courtnall played a near-perfect game, and assisted on ALL FIVE Leafs’ goals! Darren Pang did his best trying to steal it for Chicago, saving 48 of 53 shots. This was a nailbiter: 2-1 CHI after 1, 3-2 TOR after 2, then 4-3 CHI with 13 minutes left. With just 3 minutes remaining, Peter Stastny tied the game up 4-4. The first overtime period was intense, but no one scored. The second overtime, and the series, ended as every Leafs fan dreamt of: an overtime, game-winning and series-clinching goal by The Captain, Wendel Clark. Peter Stastny was also a hero on this night, scoring 2G and 1A. The dejected Blackhawks returned to their locker room, while the Leafs celebrated on the flight back to Toronto. NHL News: The Quebec Nordiques had blown a 3-1 series lead, allowing Buffalo to tie it. To make matters worse, Nordiques’ Captain Joe Sakic suffered a season-ending injury, and would miss four months. Three days later, the first round was officially complete, and the NHL was ready to kick off the 2nd round. Here’s how the first round played out: ROUND ONE RECAP Norris Semi-Final 1: Toronto (92p) defeated Chicago (77p) 4-2 in a very tight series over Norris Semi-Final 2: Minnesota (89p) beat St. Louis (80p) 4-1 over Smythe Semi-Final 1: Calary (103p) stomped Vancouver (66p) 4-1 over Smythe Semi-Final 2: Wayne Gretzky led his new Los Angeles Kings (80p) over his former Edmonton Oilers (94p) teammates 4-3, with LA overcoming a 3-2 deficit over Adams Semi-Final 1: Montreal (90p) narrowly defeated Hartford (71p) 4-3; the Whalers came back from being down 3-0, but the Habs managed to win Game 7 to avoid the upset over Adams Semi-Final 2: Buffalo (83p) beat Quebec (71p) 4-3, with the Sabres overcoming a 3-1 deficit over Patrick Semi-Final 1: In a massive upset, the New York Islanders (78p) took down 1st-Overall Philadelphia (105p) in a 4-1 shocker over Patrick Semi-Final 2: The New York Rangers (95p) beat Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins (80p) 4-2, setting up an all-NY matchup over Toronto Round One Summary The Leafs' first line is delivering in spades, and any concern around Stastny replacing Olczyk has evaporated. Stastny, Courtnall and Leeman combined to go 10-16-26 in the 6-game series. The second line of Damphousse, Cullen and Clark supported them well, collectively going 5-11-16. Zalapski is playing beyond his years, tying Leeman with 5G. Kirk McLean has been excellent since taking over for Games 4-6, with a 2.89 GAA and .907 PCT (both 3rd among playoff starters). Next up: Minnesota!