12B - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, April 22, 1996

NHL PLAYOFFS

Jets back up and flying
Winnipeg offense, Khabibulin stone Wings, 4-1

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The Associated Press
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Welcome
back, Winnipeg, to the NHL playoffs.
Facing the daunting task of overcom-
ing a 2-0 deficit in their playoff series
with the powerful Detroit Red Wings, the
Jets came up with a clutch 4-1 victory in
Game 3 yesterday.
A deafeningroarofsupport from 15,544
white-clad fans gave the Jets the kind of
lift they needed to come back after drop-
ping their first two games in Detroit.
"That's why they make it the best of
seven," said Detroit defenseman Mike
Ramsey, who picked up an assist. "It's
not over until it's over."
Keith Tkachuk, Chad Kilger, Eddie
Olczyk and Dave Manson scored for the
Jets, who get to play Game 4 tomorrowat
home before another sold-out crowd.
Igor Larionov was the only Red Wing
who could get the puck past a hot Nikolai
Khabibulin.
The Jets came out checking hard and
kept it up.
"That's the way we have to play," said
coach Terry Simpson, who said Sunday's

win is just the first step. "It's only one
game. We have to come back Tuesday
night and play as good or better."
Winnipeg shut down Detroit's power
play and avoided the penalties that helped
give the Red Wings a4-0 shutout in Game
2.
"We've got to go out there and initiate,
not retaliate," said rookie forward Shane
Doan. "You've got to stay out of the
penalty box."
The Jets and Red Wings each came up
empty on four power plays.
Besides Winnipeg's more successful
physical game, the fans were a big factor.
The crowd mocked players like Keith
Primeau and cheered on their lame-duck
franchise, which is moving to Phoenix
next season.
"I couldn't believe it," Doan said.
Mike Vernon replaced Chris Osgood
in the Detroit net. Osgood, who let in only
one goal in the first two games of the
series, was sidelined with a minor ab-
dominal strain but Vernon has the most
playoff experience.
Tkachuk scored first at 16:03 of the

opening period. He was fed from behind
the net by Craig Janney.
It was his first goal of the series. Only
Alexei Zhamnov had managed to score
against Detroit before Sunday.
The Jets generated more offense
than they managed in the first two
games combined against the Red
Wings, who set an NHL record with
62 victories this season. The Jets were
still outshot 33-25.
The Jets were sharper on defense as
well. Oleg Tverdovsky's end-to-end rush
to frustrate Sergei Fedorov on a breakaway
was a game-making play in the first pe-
riod.
Detroit came on strong in the second,
generating plenty of traffic in front of the
Winnipeg net but failing to crack
Khabibulin's defenses.
Larionov finally scored from the slot at
2:39 of the third to tie things up but the
Jets came back.
Starting with Kilger's go-ahead goal at
11:40 and finishing with Manson's at
18:03, Winnipeg scored three times in
just over six minutes to secure the victory.

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Blackhawks hold off Flames to take 3-0 series lead

The Associated Press
CALGARY, Alberta-Chicago's Eric
Daze stymied a furious comeback by the
Calgary Flames with his second goal of
the game yesterday, as the Blackhawks
won 7-5 and took a stranglehold on their
opening-round playoff series.
The Flames had rallied from a five-
goal deficit to make the score 5-4 when
Daze took a cross-ice pass from Jeremy
Roenick. He went in all alone and beat
Rick Tabaracci, sending the puck be-
tween the goaltender's legs.
TAMPA BAY 5, PHILADELPHIA 4
Alexander Selivanov scored just over
two minutes into overtime yesterday, giving

the Tampa Bay Lightning a 5-4 victory in
Game 3 of their first-round NHL playoff
series with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Lightning stunned the top seed in
the Eastern Conference in overtime for
the second straight game, taking a 2-1
lead in thebest-of-seven series before a
league playoff-record crowd of 25,945 at
the ThunderDome.
Joe Murphy scored moments later to
ensure the victory, giving the Blackhawks
a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Western
Conference series.
NEW YoRK RANGERS 2, MONTREAL 1
Adam Graves scored twice and Mark
Messier played a dominant game as the

New York Rangers battled back into their
first-round playoff series with a 2-1 vic-
tory over the Montreal Canadiens yester-
day.
The Rangers' crucial victory assured
them that they would not go down 3-0 in
the best-of-seven Eastern Conference se-
ries, and assured a Game 5 in New York
on Friday night.
ST. Louis 4, TORONTO 3, OT
Glenn Anderson tapped in a pass
from Shayne Corson at 1:24 of over-
time as the St. Louis Blues beat the
Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 last night in
Game 3 of their first-round playoff se-
ries.

AP PHOTO
Winnipeg Jets (from left) Craig Janney, Keith Tkachuk and Norm Maciver celebrate Tkachuk's first-period goal, yesterday as
Red Wing center Steve Yzerman skates by. The Wings still have a 2-1 series lead over the Jets in first-round playoff action.
The Sporting Views: 4
Wings' defense will bring home Stanley

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By Kevin Kasiborski
Daily Sports Writer
The Detroit Red Wings organization
has chosen "I want Stanley" as the theme
for this year's pla'yoff run. Although the
song they recorded with that title can only
be described as horrid, the Wings chances
for the Stanley Cup are anything but.
The Wings were far and away the best
team in hockey during the NHL regular
season. They set a record with 62 wins,
and they finished 27 points ahead ofColo-
rado in the overall standings.
The excellent season makes the Wings
the favorite to win their first Stanley Cup
in 41 years. But Despite the regular sea-
son success, there are still some doubters.
They point to New Jersey's sweep of
the Wings in last year's Cup finals, and
question the Wings' toughness.
Detroit didn't lose four straight games
last June because the Devils were tougher
and had bigger forwards. The Wings lost
because New Jersey played better de-
fense and had better goaltending.
New Jersey's famous neutral zone trap
limited Detroit's scoring chances, and
when the Wings did get a shot off, Martin
Brodeur was superb in the nets.
Detroit abandoned itsown left-wing
lock defensive system in an effort to
score, and Mike Vernon's play in goal
was average at best. The result was a
summer of what might-have-beens.
Thisseason,theWingsrecommittedthem-
selves to playing team defense every night.
They led the entire league in goals against,
and were first in penalty-killing percentage.
Some teams, Chicago in particular,
tried to intimidate Detroit by playing a
physical style. It didn't matter what tac-
tics their opponents used though, the
Wings won regardless.
Don Cherry of CBC has criticized

Detroit's five-man Russian unit for not
fighting. But fighting doesn't win hockey
games - defense does. And while the
Russians get attention for their slick pass-
ingand offensive abilities, they play strong
defense, too. Defenseman Vladimir
Konstantinov led the N H L in plus/minus.
The first round of the '96 playoffs has
already shown what can happen to teams
that don'ttake care oftheirend ofthe rink.
The Pittsburgh Penguin's explosive and
talented forwards made them the NHL's
highest scoring team and the No.2 seed in
the Eastern Conference. But the Pens'
porous defense allowed the Washington
Capitals to overcome two-goal deficits,
and win games one and two in Pittsburgh.
The Philadelphia Flyers, the top team
in the East, probably match up the best
with Detroit. But the Tampa Bay Light-

ning have a 2-1 lead in that series behind
stellar goaltending from Darren Puppa.
Colorado hasa strong youngteam with
formerConn-Smythe winner Patrick Roy
in goal. But the Wings have had success
against Roy.
Chicago is more a veteran team tha4
the Avalanche, and may face the Wings in
the Western Conference finals again. But
Detroit has dominated the Blackhawks
over the past two years, and there is no
reason to believe that will change. The
Hawks play a style similar to the Red
Wings', but Detroit has better players.
The Wings learned their lesson last year.
They have to ignore what their opponent is
doing, and play their own game.
If the Wings play defense through thi
spring, it will finally be a happy summer
in Detroit.


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Dino Ciccarelli and
the rest of the Re4
Wings shouldn't
find themselves
pinned down too
often, as Winnipeg
Jet Teppo
Numminen does in
yesterday's game,
if Detroit continues
to play the kind of
defense that led
the NHL in goals-
against average
during the regular
season.
AP PHOTO

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Kasdan Scholarship in Creative Writing
Arthur Miller Award
Michael R. Gutterman Award in Poetry
Jeffrey L. Weisberg Freshman Poetry Award
Dennis McIntyre Prize
Chamberlain Award for Creative Writing
Helen S. and John Wagner Prize
Andrea Beauchamp Prize
Robert F. Haugh Prize
Naomi Saferstein Literary Award
Meader Family Award
will be announced
Monday, April 22
3:30 p.m. in the

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