|
|
Post by franko on Aug 10, 2021 19:25:03 GMT -5
Former Montreal Canadien (strange to say that) Tony Esposito passed away today from pancreatic cancer. SportsnetBlackhawks |
|
|
|
Post by GNick99 on Aug 11, 2021 5:35:46 GMT -5
Former Montreal Canadien (strange to say that) Tony Esposito passed away today from pancreatic cancer. SportsnetBlackhawksArguably Sam Pollock's biggest mistake. Leave him unprotected and protected Phil Myre |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Aug 11, 2021 5:51:51 GMT -5
It would have been interesting to see how that played out had they kept Esposito and Dryden. Both of those guys were far too good to be satisfied playing the backup role.
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Aug 11, 2021 13:09:58 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Aug 11, 2021 17:56:53 GMT -5
That 0-0 tie with the Bruins, in 68 I believe, was one of the best games played at the Forum. I didn't see it, but numerous reputable people believe that to be the case. Tony O in goal for that one. The previous year he was with the Canucks. Yes that's true, but it was the Western Hockey League Canucks (the professional WHL), not the NHL Canucks. I used to listen to some of their games at night on my short wave radio if the CKNW signal was moving in the right direction. There, I've dated myself even more. The WHL Canucks and short wave radio. Sheesh.
PS. There were only 5 teams in that Western Hockey League, but some great names. Besides the Canucks there were the Seattle Totems, Phoenix Roadrunners, San Diego Gulls and the Portland Buckaroos. The year before joining the NHL, the Canucks won the WHL championship. Their leading scorer was Andy Bathgate, who was 37 at the time, with 108 points!
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Aug 11, 2021 18:53:20 GMT -5
Looked it up, seventeen. Saturday, Dec. 21, 1968. 0-0 at the Forum vs. the Bruins.
---------------------
Watched the "Tony Esposito" episode of Cherry's Grape Vine. From the conversation, I'd say it was shot around Espo's final season--'83-84.
In 74-75, the Bruins faced Chicago in the best-of-3 Round 1.
Game 1: 8-2 Bruins.
Game 2: 4-3 OT Chicago.
Back to Boston for Game 3.
Esposito had a game for the ages. Shots were 56-19 Bruins.
Final score: 6-4 Chicago, who built a 3-0 lead and held on.
Gilles Gilbert: .684 save pct. Cherry threw him under the bus for that one, adding "I never liked him and he never liked me." Whatever the reason, coach/goalie animosity can't be healthy. In that context, Esposito talked about his recent feud with Chicago coach, Orval Tessier.
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Aug 11, 2021 21:57:25 GMT -5
From Esposito's final season. Nov. 19, 1983 at the Forum. He had turned 40 the previous April. Wamsley in goal for Montreal. 5-5. Habs were down 5-1 in the third period. Good to see those players again...the year of Steve Penney. |
|
|
|
Post by GNick99 on Aug 12, 2021 8:38:21 GMT -5
It would have been interesting to see how that played out had they kept Esposito and Dryden. Both of those guys were far too good to be satisfied playing the backup role. And these guys cry because we foolishly traded Sergechev. It happens to all GMs. Even the Pollocks. I thought Tony 0 had us though in '71 Finals. Down 2-0 playing in that god forsaken organ playing Chi-town. Then down 2-0 in first period at the Forum. Things did not look good at that point |
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Aug 12, 2021 10:58:49 GMT -5
Here's the Chicago play-by-play of that Game 7. Ironic call just prior to and during Lemaire's rising slap shot from just over centre. "Jacques Lemaire...one of the apparently under-rated fellas of the Montreal team...SCORES!" |
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Aug 12, 2021 14:36:31 GMT -5
It would have been interesting to see how that played out had they kept Esposito and Dryden. Both of those guys were far too good to be satisfied playing the backup role. And these guys cry because we foolishly traded Sergechev. It happens to all GMs. Even the Pollocks. Or....from Dave Stubbs' incredible library 13 games into his NHL career, Tony O was sat down by Sam Pollock in May, 69. "Sam told me what I had to do and I said, 'What do you know about it?' I didn't take any nonsense". Hawks ended up claiming Tony for $30,000 in the intra-league draft. I don't know what Pollock was like as a person, but he had a pretty good hockey knowledge overall, so maybe Tony rebuking him had something to do with making him available for basically nothing. It worked out for both. |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Aug 12, 2021 16:16:43 GMT -5
Here's the Chicago play-by-play of that Game 7. Ironic call just prior to and during Lemaire's rising slap shot from just over centre. "Jacques Lemaire...one of the apparently under-rated fellas of the Montreal team...SCORES!"A while back I read the Gare Joyce bio of Bobby Hull - The Devil & Bobby Hull. He devotes a chapter to game 7 of the 71 Finals and there is some interesting stuff in there. Houle was checking Hull and lost him at a point when the game was 2-0. Hull hits the post. If the Hawks had made it 3-0, they probably win the game. Joyce also critiques the Chicago coaching. Once they were up by two, they inexplicably took their feet off the gas and allowed the Habs back in. I enjoyed the book but that chapter alone made it worthwhile. |
|
