Tuesday, April 3, 1973
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Seven
Tuesday, April 3, 1973 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PQge Seven
SPORTS OF THE DAILY
This year
By ROGER ROSSITER
The opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs
begins tomorrow night and as usual, les Montreal
Canadiens loom as heavy favorites to take it all
again this year. No one in his or her right mind
would call this year's version of les Canadiens
the best ever, but they did set an all-time NHL
record for fewest losses in a season, ten (old
record of 13 held jointly by Boston and Detroit).
The biggest thing the Habs have going for them
is depth. No other NHL team can boast for sheer
number the talented, able bodied skaters assembled
by Montreal general manager Sam Pollock.
The recipe is simple. Start with a cast of veterans
that includes Frank Mahovlich, Henri Richard,
Jacques Lemaire, Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques La-
Perriere, Serge Savard, and Ken Dryden; sprinkle
in rookies Murray Wilson, Chuck Lefley, Paul
Robinson, Bob Murdoch, Wayne Thomas and Michel
Plasse; and spice the mixture with the shrewdest
coach in hockey, Scotty Bowman, and you have a
team that was potent enough to finish second in
the league in goals scored and tough enough to win
the Vezina Trophy for the best goals against
record.
Les Canadiens should have little trouble dis-
posing of their first round opponent the Buffalo
Sabres, a third year expansion team. The
Sabres had to fight right up to the finish to
edge out Detroit for the fourth and final playoff
spot in the East Division, largely due to the
scoring of the French Connection line of left
winger Rick Martin, former Calder Trophy
winning center Gil Perreault, and a castoff
right winger from Pittsburgh, Rene Robert.
Buffalo has also gotten great goaltending from
veterans Roger Crozier and Dave Dryden, aided by
a relatively young defense tempered by the experi-
ence of perennial old man all-star Tim Horton.
Realistically speaking, Buffalo is just no match
for les Canadiens.
The other East quarterfinal round finds the run-
ner-up Boston Bruins tangling with the -on again,
off again New York Rangers. After a mid-season
coaching change that saw "Bep" Guidolin assume
the coaching reigns from a maligned Tom Johnson,
the Bruins caught fire and overtook the Rangers
in the season's final week, capturing the home ice
advantage for this crucial series.
With the league's leading scorer Phil Esposito
(55 goals-130 points) and hockey's premiere de-
fenseman Bobby Orr pacing the attack the Bruins
again led the league in goals scored, but the biggest
Bruin plus at this point has to be the acquisition
of goaltender Jacques Plante from Toronto hours
before the trading deadline March 1. Plante has
been nothing but superb in the Bruin net.
New York's GAG line (Jean Ratelle, Rod
Gilbert, and Vic Hadfield) played havoc with
enemy netminders all year and the Ranger
goaltending duo of Ed Giacomin and Gilles
Villemure finished second to Montreal in the
Vezina race. The inevitable question that arises
when discussing the Rangers' chances is
whether they can shake the injury bug that has
plagued their playoff aspirations in seasons
past.
Already defenseman Rod Seiling has been lost,
and super blue liner Brad Park has been nursing
an assortment of ailments all year. Coach Emile
Francis, known for his trading finesse, dealt for
aging veteran Bert Marshall to bolster his defense,
but one cannot help but believe that another injury
here would doom the Broadway Blue in their quest
for Lord Stanley's elusive Cup.
In the West Division, the Chicago Black
Hawks again copped the Clarence Campbell
Bowl which means simply that the Hawks still
outclass their "expansion division" rivals. The
Hawks lost the NHL's most exciting player,
Bobby Hull, to the upstart World Hockey Asso-,
ciation. Without the "Golden Jet," Chicago
actually scored twenty-eight more goals, almost
exclusively due to the efforts of the MPH line
(consisting of Pit Martin, Jim Pappin, and
Dennis Hall) the league's highest scoring trio.
The big difference came defensively where the
Hawks yielded fifty-nine more tallies than the
previous season.
The St. Louis Blues will pose the opposition for
the Black Hawks, token opposition at best. The
Blues were picked in most corners for a higher
post in the final standings, but their lack of a
major league goaltender and inability to score
goals left them in a desperate struggle to even
make the playoffs.
The battle for the right to become les Canadians
second playoff victim between the Minnesota North
Stars and the Philadelphia Flyers should be a
rowdy affair if nothing else.
The Flyers were the league's most penalized
team this season wresting the "brawling"
championship away from Boston. Like Boston,
the Flyers have found the rough house style to
their advantage, using the pugnacity of bad
. .
boys Andre "Moose" Dupont, Dave Schultz and
Don Saleski to intimidate smaller foe. Phila-
delphia's scoring punch relies on high flying
centermen Bobby Clarke (a leading candidate
for the Hart Troph-MVP) and Rick MacLeish,
in line for the league's comeback award.
Doug Favell will have to carry the load in goal
for Philly, but a hot Favell can be as good as
anyone in the league.
Minnesota must rely on old men at some key
positions and goaltending that can only be termed
suspect. One really must wonder how much longer
ancient defensemen Ted Harris and Doug Mohns
will last under the strain of playoff competition.
Goalie Cesare Maniago's playoff performances have
been dismal in the past, and Gil Gilbert offers
little back up help.
Despite the fact that Minnesota and Philadelphia
finished with identical 37-30-11 records, the Flyers'
youth and aggressiveness should prevail, four
games to two.
The semi-finals pits the winner of the one vs four
series in each division against the winner of the
two vs three series in the other. If these predictions
hold true, it will be Montreal-Philadelphia and
Boston-Chicago.
Montreal should need no more than five
games to dispose of Philadelphia, while the
Bruins will probably need six games to scalp
the Hawks. The finale for the right to quaff
champagne from the eighty year old cup should
be a classic, featuring the high scoring Bruins
against the continuing legacy of les Canadiens.
The pick here is Montreal in seven games with
Ken Dryden the recipient of the Con Smythe Trophy
.. Montreal
WEATHER PERMITTING
Blue bc
Michigan's baseball club and the
Eastern Michigan nine open their
regular-season campaigns this af-
ternoon at Ray L. Fisher Stadium.
The scheduled doubleheader starts
at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
The word from Ypsilanti is op-
timistic. Huron Coach Ron Oestrike
returns 20 of 22 lettermen from a
1972 squad that finished 21 - 20.
Eastern came home from their
successful spring trip last Satur-
day with an 8-3 mark compiled
against competition in North and
South Carolina.
itsmen
face EMU
today
SPORTS
NIGHT EDITOR: THERESA SWEDO
conference opener on Thursday.
The Hurons begin play this year
in the expanded Mid - American
Conference.
Michigan and Eastern split a
doubleheader in Ann Arbor a year
ago in their only 1972 encounter.
Last y e a r, Michigan finished
third in the Big Ten with a 9-5
record, behind Iowa and Michigan
State.
College baseball, along with the
American League, has adopted the
designated pitch hitter rule. The
Wolverines, however, in one game
at least will not be employing this
rule since Forhan batted a solid
.471 last year.
The Lineups
Forhan, last year's freshman
sensation. pitched well on the Ari-
EMU's probable pitchers are zona trip, but the Michigan bats
Wody Millsad Terry Harrison, a will have to support him more. He
pair of hard-throwing righthanders. lost to Arizona 3-1 and Arizona
Mills, a 6-1, 190-b. senior, has com- State 5-3 while compiling a 2.57
ERA.
piled a 17-9 ledger in his varsity H,'s,
c a r e e r. Harrison, smaller and However, Michigan's hitters, if
craftier than Mills, pitched a nine they repeat last year's perform
inning 2-hitter in Carolina. Wolver- ance, should have a potent offense.
ine mentor Moby Benedict was Pat Sullivan, who hit .336 last year
__ _ __ . t:T~t, b ata hlitc dn 19 r ns
regain his poise from last year in-
stead of repeating his anemic .111
batting average at Arizona this
spring, Michigan will be prepared
to face EMU.
Eastern Michigan batted .305 on
their Carolina caravan paced by
Washington's .455 (15-33) and Wag-
ner's .355. These two also led the
Hurons with nine RBI's apiece.
Petrilla socked three homers on
the trip.
Oestrike, 1970's NAIA Baseball
Coach of the Year, looks at today's
twinbill as a tuneup for his club's
EASTERN
MICHIGAN
close - mouthed on his lid - lifting:
hurlers, but speculation puts Pete
Helt and Craig Forhan on the hill.
Helt has been having problems
recently and he is hoping to regain
his 1972 form which placed him
ninth in the Big Ten Conference
with an ERA of 3.25.
Walton okayed
to face Soviets
WASHINGTON OP)-The National
Collegiate Athletic Association said
yesterday it will allow college bas-
ketball players, including All-
American Bill Walton of UCLA, to
compete in the upcoming basketball
series between the United States
and the Soviet Union.
Walter Byers, executive director
of the NCAA, said his organization
under rules already established,
could in effect sanction the tour
if the Amateur Athletic Union made
a formal request.
The NCAA changed its previous
objection to the series after Rep.
Peter Peyser, R-N.Y., told Byers
that Walton was to call the NCAA
offices Monday to seek permission
to compete for the American team.
Peyser also, released a letter to
Byers signed by 58 senators re-
questing the NCAA to permit its
athletes "to participate . . . with-
out fear of reprisal or penalty to
those athletes."
with 4 extra-ease us anuf r u
for a .539 slugging percentage,
should provide the Wolverines with
a good attack if Mike De Cou could
r Mills and
Harrison
Gary Gentle
Ron Curtis or
Mark Skeels
Helt and
Forhan
p
C John Lonchar
1B
Pat Sullivan
It' s YOUR turn now!.
I Ue
I would like to proudly a
* ca st m y ballot for ....................................................... #
* is MICHIGAN ATHLETE I
# OF THE YEAR,
|MICHIGAN COACH OF e
* THE YEAR, AND .. .. #
r is the most exciting moment in Michigan athletics .
this year. s
# #
# SEND BALLOTS TO: SPORTS DEPT.
# MICHIGAN DAILY
420 MAYNARD ST.,
# ANN ARBOR, MICH. 48104 #
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BALLOTING ENDS APRIL 9, 1973
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OPENINGS AVAILABLE on the
1974 MICHIGANENSIAN
Staff-experience desired
* Copywriters for features and
investigative reporting.
0 Photographers-paid per assignment.
e Section Editors and Business Staff
members.
Your interest will be well rewarded
(all 662-3971 or 761-3702
Mike Wagner 2B Brian Balaze
' Mike Ferguson 3B Chris Burak or
Mark Mills
Bill Riechel SS Mark Crane
Jeff
Washington LF Tom Kettinger
Larry Bolt CF Don Damiani
Chuck Petrilla RF Mike Decou
from Daily Archives
UNIDENTIFIED NO. 16, an undercover FBI agent, is frantically trying to convince the winning run to turn around and go to third. It
didn't work.
- --- - --___
Exhibition Baseball
Pittsburgh 6, Philadelphia 4
Kansas City 7, St. Louis 2
Montreal 5, Boston I
Chicago (A) 8, Texas 4
San Diego 5, Milwaukee 3
Oakland 8, California 3
THERE WILL BE A
MASS
MEETING
OF
THE UNDERGRADUATE POLITI(AL SCIENCE ASSOC.
to elect officers for next year . .
If yOU are interested in becoming active we URGE you to attend
this important meeting ..
2013 Angell Hall
Wednesday, April 4th
7:30 P.M.
®' ____________
r t
At Michigan's
Crisler Arena
Sat., April 7
8:00 p.m.
Tickets on Sale at:
MICH. ATHLETIC DEPT.
1000 S. STATE
TUESDAY, APRIL 3
The International Center Presents
SYLVIA WYNTER
Visiting Professor from
the University of the West Indies
SPEAKING ON:
"REVOLUTION AND CHANGE
IN THE THIRD WORLD"
12:00 NOON
I COFLSA
COFFEE HOUR
TUESDAY
3:00-4:30
April 3
Near Eastern
Languages, Dept.
With a shovel. At an archaeo-
logical site. On a new EL AL Col-
lege Vacation.
There is more in Israel that's
exciting, surprising and profoundly
moving than you can
imagine.
You'll dig sunny,
fascinating Israel.
Go to the Negev.
Scale Massada.
Explore Jerusalem.
See 4 seas. Tan at
Tiberias on the Sea of
Galilee.
Water-ski the coral
- -1 1)-1 Q1,
begin to
swinging,
the under 3
Fraternize at an oasis on the
Dead Sea.
Poke through our Roman past
at Caesarea (Mediterranean Sea).
Beach-hop. Bible-hop. Live,
Learn. Enjoy.
You can renew yourself and
wear yourself out.
You can fly to Israel for $381)*
(from New York) and
on the way home
we'll give you one Eu-
ropean stop-over free.
Add $57* during June,
July and August de-
30 airln partures
I