Warren Skorodenski came back to his summertime and Junior hockey stomping grounds and celebrated his 25th birthday in sparkling style Friday night.
Stopping 33 shots in only his second start in the last month, the Black Hawks` rookie goaltender scored a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.
”Skoro played a great game,” said Bob Pulford, the Hawks` general manager and coach. ”Anytime you hold the second-best scoring team in the league to one goal, it`s a great game. Don`t kid yourself, that was one of the best teams in the league that we faced out there tonight.”
The triumph kept the Hawks in the hunt for the Norris Division title. They moved to within three points of idle St. Louis, which has a home date with Minnesota Saturday night.
It wasn`t until 3 minutes 38 seconds remained in the game that Skorodenski lost his shutout against the team that is third in the Smythe Division and fifth in the National Hockey League`s overall standings. Rookie Gino Cavallini scored on a rush to the net, triggered by a pass from fellow rookie Perry Berezan.
”I`m just glad Carey Wilson`s wingers (Cavallini and Tim Hunter)
couldn`t put the puck in the net because he was setting them up all night long,” said Skorodenski. ”Wilson was beating our defense wide and making the passes from the slot, but the shooters were missing the net.”
Skorodenski was a 6-4 loser Wednesday in Edmonton, his first game after spending a month on the disabled list to mend a torn groin muscle.
”Yes, it means a lot to me,” said Skorodenski. ”I played Junior here, and I had memories of winning on my birthday then. And I make my home here during the summer. I`m lucky–I have two hometowns, here and Winnipeg (where he was born).”
In a game that was close from start to finish, Skorodenski was both lucky and good.
Cavallini`s goal made the score 2-1. Calgary coach Bob Johnson then pulled his goalie, Reggie Lemelin, with 40 seconds to go.
It was to no avail. Rick Paterson hit the empty net on a shot with 12 seconds remaining.
It was appropriate that Paterson, Steve Ludzik and Troy Murray scored the Chicago goals. All three are members of the penalty-killing crew that performed impeccably in the face of the NHL`s most potent power play.
The Hawks killed all three of their penalties–one in each period–the last of which was for having too many men on the ice with 6:04 left in the game.
Ludzik`s goal came on a short-handed strike that opened the scoring with 4:13 remaining in the opening period.
Murray and Doug Wilson assisted on the play. Wilson`s assist was his 52d of the season, breaking his own team record established in 1982-83.
It wasn`t until 7:52 of the third period that Murray got the second Chicago goal. He started the play by winning a faceoff from Mike Eaves. The puck went to Curt Fraser, then back to Murray for the shot from the slot that produced what proved to be the winning goal.
This was only the Flames` second loss in the last 11 games (7-2-2).
Despite ongoing injury problems, undesirable but unavoidable travel arrangements, the presence of Edmonton in the same division and a shortage of stars, they have managed to stay hot.
