1981 CLARENCE CAMPBELL CONFERENCE QUARTER FINAL #2

CapJack RangersVermont Foresters

CAPJACK vs. VERMONT
GAME #1 Game 1 in Vermont has Vachon in net for Capjack facing Brodeur for Vermont. first shot of the game 21 seconds in and Siltanen beats Brodeur for a 1-0 lead. unfortunately that’s the highlight for the Rangers as Vermont scores the next 6 goals. Faubert and Luce in the first for a 2-1 lead at the end of the opening period.  Gorence, Foligno, Nilsson and Howe score in the second for Vermont and a 6-1 lead. 3rd period was scoreless and game 1 of the series goes to the Foresters. Howe had 1g 3a to lead the home team.
GAME #2 Capjack turns to Dan Bouchard in net against Richard Brodeur for Vermont. on a positive note, Vermont wasn’t trailing after the 1st shot by Siltanen again, this tie lasted until 7:51 of the opening period when Steve Shutt scores on a power-play breakaway unassisted. 4 minutes later Morris Lukowich scores to tie the game on the power-play. almost midway through the 2nd and Kent Nilsson gets his 2nd of the series during a delayed penalty for a 2-1 lead. 3 and a half minutes later though Cloutier scores to even the game at 2. with 33 seconds left in the period, Rod Schutt scored to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. the 3rd period saw a lot of skating back and forth, not many shots on goal, no scoring and a Capjack victory. Vermont held a 35-24 shot advantage but the Rangers had the extra goal.
  Even series headed to Capjack… don’t know where it is but its definitely better than that unnamed island from the 1800’s.
GAME #3 Vermont/CapJack Playoff Series – GAME 3 at Madison Oval Garden

Rangers come home with home-ice advantage after gaining a 1-1 split at Ben&Jerry’s – big feat after the game 1 humiliation. So gain they take advantage of it……..

2 minutes in Lapointe makes a diving block on a Vail shot and the Rangers work it right up ice. DeBlois dumps it in, Dudley Do Right recovers it, takes the slapper and cleanly fired it past Brodeur for a 1-0 lead. Dudley’s 1st goal of the playoffs. Howwever, Lonsberry gets whistled for roughing 7 minutes in and the Foresters take advantage. With time winding down in the PP – Vermont gains control, changes lines, puck gets to Vail, crosses center ice, to Faubert, to Vail, to Nilsson – he moves in, shoots and scores – his 3rd of the playoffs and it’s 1-1. Then the Foresters are dealt a heavy blow – Hunter goes off at 8:53 for holding. And 40 seconds into the PP Lonsberry (1) pulls a wrap-around that gets past Brodeur and it’s 2-1 Rangers. And then Hunter comes back and at 10:53 he gets whistled again – this time for roughing – BUT – Mulvey goes with him for roughing. But that ends all the scoring in period 1. Teams were about even in SOG 11-10 CapJack.
Period 2 highlights aren’t much – Vermont held a 15-12 edge in shots AND HUNTER gets a tripping penalty 34 seconds in – no goal. CapJack had 2 PP ops and Vermont 1 in the period.
Period 3 – Foligno is seen holding and the whistle blows (noted “seen” because other calls weren’t seen). While off the ice the Rangers capitalize when Trottier gets it to Gare, he carries it in, to Shutt – he dekes, he shoots – GOAL (2) and it’s 3-1 Rangers. And boy then the Foresters really came alive. They figured they got to Roggie big time in game 1, so pressure, pressure, pressure. They ruled the faceoffs – winning 54% of them and then fired 19 shots on goal in the 3rd (8 for Rangers) – but Vachon was up to the task – stopping all 19 in the 3rd and the Rangers take the game 3-1 for a 2-1 series lead.
CapJack got all the Stars in this one lead by Roooooogie VaaaaChon!! with 43 saves. 2nd Star – Shutt (goal) and 3rd star goes to Lonsberry for his 1st goal.
One thing other thing of note – Tookey left the game in the early in the 3rd – holding his wrist and didn’t return. 2nd game he’s left early in this series.

So game 3 goes to the Rangers, now up 2-1 and getting ready to host game 4. And also of note, the injuries seem to be more prevalent in the playoffs!!

GAME #4 Game 4 – Rangers up 2-1 and hope to make it 3-1…..

All right Rangers fans – let’s hear your roar. The game is not even 13 minutes old and your favorite team is up 3-0!!!! And we did it without scoring on Power Plays. (And we had 1 opportunity in that time frame – and another in the 1st). Dudley (2) Do-Right scores his 2nd – he knocks Howe off the puck in the Vermont end, he’s pressured – only thing to do is shoot and he scores for an unassisted goal. 8+ minutes in Siltanen and Robinson team up to feed Trottier (1) for the Rangers 2nd goal. 3rd goal of the period comes when Trottier passes to Shutt – goal (3) and a 3-0 lead. Total domination 14-8 shots.

Period 2 – Sit tight fans – period 2 belongs to the Foresters as they put 2 goals between the pipes. Again – all even strength scoring. Midway in the period, Howe gains control and he and Luce team up with Prestons for a scoring chance and Luce gets it out to Howe, he shoots it through the crowds and totally got the Rangers defense in a flux and Howe scores (2) and it’s 3-1. 4 minutes later Leach passes to McCourt, over the line, a wrist shot – and Vachon falls asleep and it goes in, 3-2 Rangers. For McCourt, his 1st of the playoffs. Period 2 ends with the our CapJack Rangers clinging to a 3-2 lead.

3rd Period – it’s tight, hitting, checking, saves. CapJack is working hard to keep this lead. They end the game with a 61-39% faceoff win advantage – what?? But the Foresters keep working and with 6 to go the Foresters scores again to tie the game 3-3. Play started when Foligno checks Schutt into the boards – the hit was bogus and the Rangers are vividly upset – bench is fuming and Vermont seems to take advantage of the fury. Lukowich gains the puck and he’s on a breakaway, he goes end to end, no one catches up with him, Roggie’s ready – Luk shoots, no, he pulls it in, then flicks with the wrist – GOAL! His 2nd of the playoffs and the game is tied.

Well hockey fans, playoff fans – we’re going to overtime for as long as it takes.

Doesn’t take too long. Trottier wins the faceoff – puck is played in deep, Brodeur plays it, to Hunter to Gorence, he shoots, but Vachon stops it and freezes it. Faceoff in Ranger end and Nilsson wins it, to Luk, to Murray, to Nilsson, slap shot, redirect but Luk but wide. And Rangers gain control and work it into the Foresters end, working it around, Lapointe slaps – wide. Foligno has control and chips it along the boards to Murray, he passes it out to Foligno – he takes it over the line, passes to Murray, to Nilsson, back to Murray – a shot – on no!! GOAL Murray puts one top shelf to beat Vachon, Vermont wins 4-3 in OT and the series is once again tied.

Except for the faceoff totals – the game was pretty much even. And VERMONT gets all the Stars
1. Murray 1 goal
2. Lukowich 1 goal
3. Howe 1 goal
Brodeur 31 saves and Trottier wins 20 faceoffs. And Cloutier leaves the game early in the 3rd.

So after 4 games it’s tied up 2-2 and we go back to Ben & Jerry’s for game 5. Vermont has regained home ice advantage, but don’t take anything for granted!!

GAME #5 Capjack goes back to Dan Bouchard to face Foresters workhorse Richard Brodeur.  Vermont still hasn’t grasped the concept of getting the early lead as 2:29 into the game Steve Shutt nets his 4th of the playoffs and a 1-0 lead for the visitors. this does seem to wake up Vermont though as 3:21 later Bob Murray blasts in his 2nd of the series tying the game at 1. it stays this way until Capjack on the Powerplay gives up a shorthanded goal to dale hunter on a breakaway at 12:18 of the 1st period and a 2-1 lead for Vermont. early in the second Vermont makes it 3-1 as Dale McCourt scores on the power play. Rod Schutt turns the momentum just 2:21 later as he scores on the power play to cut the lead in half. just 2:28 later Real Cloutier evens the score at 3 as he beats Brodeur. the game remains tied until late in the period with 1:15 left Rod Schutt slips his 2nd of the game past Brodeur and a 4-3 lead. Vermont dominates play in the 3rd and it results in nothing but an insurance goal by Nethery to seal a 5-3 victory, putting the Rangers 1 game away from advancing. Bouchard outplayed Brodeur and its now do or die time for Vermont.
  The series heads back to Capjack with the Foresters down 3 games to 2 and looking at another 1st round exit from the playoffs.
GAME #6 Game 6 – high scoring, exciting hockey. Ranger bring back a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close out Vermont in front of the home crowd. SPOILER ALERT – VERY EXCITING GAME – Really…. 2nd Spoiler ALERT – No injuries!!

Period 1 – Rangers outshoot the Foresters 14-10 and Vachon stops all 10 Vermont shots – Brodeur, not so lucky. He only stops 9 – that’s right, CapJack scores 5 times in the 1st. 1st goal comes while Foligno (unsportsmanlike conduct) and Tookey (roughing) are staring at each in opposing penalty boxes. Trottier lights it up 1:58 into the game (2). 18 seconds later, he lights it up again (3). Then, with Vail off for interference, Cloutier (3) scores. In the 2nd half of the period, Siltanen scores (2) – assisted by Trottier. and then with just over 3 to go, Vadnais scores (1) – Trottier part of the assist team! 5-0 after 1.

Period 2 – OK – Vermont kicks it up a notch and wins the shot race 12-8, they also win the scoring race 2-1. In fact, Lonsberry gets nailed for a 5 minute spearing penalty 4 minutes in, and the Foresters cut down 2 trees during the span. First it’s Hunter (2) and then McCourt (3). Rangers glad to see that penalty expire – and they get back to solid defense and then with 2 1/2 to go, Dudley fires in his 3rd of the playoffs and the Rangers skate to the locker room with a commanding 6-2 lead after 2. And Roggie is hot!

Period 3 – starts off well for the Rangers way back at the end of the 2nd when Nilsson was called for tripping. Minute 57 carried over into the 3rd. So Rangers start on the power play – but it gets ripped up when Howe (3) scores a SH goal. Gare was in the Vermont end, got nailed on a bogus hit. Ramsay (the hitter) scoops it up, odd man rush to McCourt, dekes, to Howe, he moves around a Ranger – back to Ramsay, back to Howe and he shoots to Vachon’s glove side, but Roggie left the glove in the locker. And just like that it’s 6-3. Well, it’s 6-3, nothing to worry about. In fact, just after the 7 minute mark Shutt (5) scores (assisted by Trottier among others) and the Rangers breath serious comfort with a 7-3 lead. However, the Foresters don’t want to go home for the summer yet to cut down trees and they pour it on – boy to the pour it on. Shot totals in the 3rd 16-4 Vermont. And what’s the result: 9 minutes to go, Lukowich goal (3), 7-4. 6 minutes to goal, Lukowich goal (4), 7-5. 2 1/2 to goal, Howe (4), GOAL! 7-6 Rangers and an eternity left in the game. Rangers buckle down until the final minute, then the Foresters pull Brodeur. Leach comes in and the Foresters do everything they can to score including 3 shots on goal. Vachon saves the 1st two, then with 19 seconds left, Leach drills Robinson to gain the puck! Oh, there was something way wrong with that hit, everyone but the striped shirts and Foresters knew it. Foligno takes it over the line to McCourt, he slides it to Vail, passes to Faubert – FIRES A ROCKET! Vachon gets a stick on it, save, rebound, 5 seconds, Leach gets it, but is quickly surrounded and can’t do a thing and, whew, the Rangers hold on winning an amazing 7-6 game. Talk about tale of two cities in this one. Vermont has to be commended after falling behind 5-0 after 1 period, but the never, never quit! Fortunately the Rangers finally remembered how to stop a puck. Funny thing, Vachon was listed in the notables for making 32 saves (hey, he didn’t stop 6 shots!!).
STARS:
1. CAP – Trottier 2 goals, 3 assists
2. VER – Howe 2 goals, 2 assists
3. CAP – Siltanen 1 goal, 2 assists

GAME #7 So with the 7-6 win, the Rangers close out the series 4 games to 2 – but it was not at all easy, but it was exciting. Congratulations to George for a very good team (and serving great ice cream to the visiting teams!). CapJack waits to see where they play next.