[Big T]

January 2nd, 1983


Montreal Canadiens (24-20-2) at Winnipeg Jets (27-15-3)

The Canadiens start the new year off at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. The house will be a rocking as it usually is. Montreal starts 1983 2 points out of 3rd in the Atlantic tied with the Lightning. The 3rd place Bruins do have 2 games in hand. Montreal is facing the Jets for the 1st time this season.

Winnipeg is currently 4th in the Western Conference, 16 points behind the run-away Oilers. The Jets are in the top 10 for scoring at 2.76 goals per game.

C George Sinclair leads the Jets with 16 goals. He also has 33 points in 45 games. The 32 year old 2-time All-Star is an offensive forward that excellent in the face circle. In his 3rd season with the Jets he has yet to miss a game. He has 61 goals with 182 points and 150 PIMs with a +33 rating in 209 career NHL games.

LW Will Newby leads the Jets with 23 assists and leads with 35 points. He also has 12 goals in 42 games. The 34 year old goal scorer and 2-time All-Star has quick acceleration. In 204 career NHL games, all with the Jets he has 79 goals and 177 points with 122 PIMs and a +34 rating.

RW Ken Karakas is 3rd on the Jets with 32 points, He has 14 goals in 45 games this year. The 32 year old offensive forward is extremely accurate with his shot. In his 3rd season with the Jets, he has 59 goals and 159 points with 126 PIMs and a +48 rating in 208 career NHL games.

Montreal will start December's Goalie of the Month in the NHL Mike Blackshear. He has 21 wins in 38 starts with a .895 save %. The Jets start G Clifton Drake, he has 5 wins in 7 starts with a .913 save %.

Montreal takes a 1-0 lead at 8:14 when RW Yevgeny Ronov scores his 7th of the season. It didn't take the Jets long to answer, LD Frank Altman scores his 6th of the year at 8:53 to tie it 1-1. Winnipeg goes up 2-1 at 11:18 when RD Vernon Morgan scores his 4th of the year. Montreal makes it 2-2 at 19:18 when C Melvin Swiney gets his 7th of the season. The periods ends 2-2 with Montreal out shooting the Jets 14 to 9.

Montreal gains the lead at 4:30 when LD Marc-Andre Berube gets his 2nd of the year to make it 3-2. Montreal takes a 4-2 lead at 9:59 of the 2nd when LW Lorenzo Bocci scores his 16th of the year. The period ends with the score 4-2 in favour of Montreal. The Habs out shot the Jets badly in the 2nd, 20 to 9.

Montreal extends their lead to 5-2 early in the 3rd when RW Al Ladd scores his 15th on the PP at 2:08. Winnipeg closes the gap to 5-3 at 7:29 when LD Tomas Creel gets his 4th of the season. Montreal hangs on to win. Montreal out shot Winnipeg 9 to 7 in the 3rd. The Canadiens were 1 for 3 on the PP while the Jets were 0 for 1 on the PP for the game.

Montreal's Marc-Andre Berube was the 1st star with a goal and 2 assists. The 33 year old Berube now has 2 goals and 14 points in 39 games this season. Berube has played 175 career NHL games, all with Montreal and has 11 goals and 56 points with 101 PIMs and a +10 rating.

Montreal 5 Winnipeg 3

PER	TEAM	GOAL	#	ASSIST	ASSIST
1st	MTL	Yevgeny Ronov	7	Martin Sulc	Marc-Andre Berube
1st	WPG	Frank Altman	6	Vernon Morgan	George Sinclair
1st	WPG	Vernon Morgan	4	Doug MacNamara	Brad Brayshaw
1st	MTL	Melvin Swiney	7	Marc-Andre Berube
2nd	MTL	Marc-Andre Berube	2	Batsaikhany Vanoosten	Ronnie Marvin
2nd	MTL	Lorenzo Bocci	16	Yegor Berestnev
3rd	MTL	Al Ladd (PP)	15	Yegor Berestnev
3rd	WPG	Thomas Creel	4	Ken Karakas	Bruce O'Horan

MAJOR PENALTY's
PER	TEAM	PLAYER	MIN	PENALTY
3rd	WPG	Devon Fone	5	Fighting
3rd	MTL	Lorenzo Bocci	5	Fighting

TEAM	GOALIE	SA	GA
MTL	Mike Blackshear	25	3
WPG	Clifton Drake	43	5

Around the league..............


Carolina Hurricanes RW Patrick Connor had 2 goals and 3 assists in a 10-1 win over the Ducks. The 28 year old Connor now has 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games. The 1981 Maurice Richard Trophy Winner has played 191 career NHL games, all with Carolina and has 99 goals and 198 points with 364 PIMs and a +55 rating. Connor is the NHLs current career leader in goals.