The top priority in the Black Hawks` game plan is to halt the Edmonton Oilers` rush.
If they are successful Tuesday night, they think–perhaps wishfully–they can stop the defending Stanley Cup champions from setting a National Hockey League record by winning their 12th straight playoff game.
”No sense changing anything,” said Bob Murray, the Hawks` most experienced defenseman. ”Before we think about changing anything, first let`s go out and do what we were supposed to do opening night.”
Edmonton pulverized the Hawks 11-2 Saturday in Game 1 of their best-of-seven semifinal series, equaling the NHL playoff records for consecutive triumphs and most goals in a game.
Of the Oilers` 42 shots, 28 were labeled scoring chances by assistant coach Roger Neilson.
”I consider a scoring chance a shot from the goalposts out to the top of the circle, a screened shot, a tip-in or an open shot,” Neilson said. ”The average in the playoffs is about 18, but Edmonton normally gets 22 or 23.
”This is the most chances any team has had against us this season in regulation. . . . All but two of Edmonton`s came on the rush. Our first defensive job has to be to stop them on the rush.”
How can that be accomplished?
”The forwards really have to help out the defensemen,” said goalie Murray Bannerman. ”It`s tough enough to play them even-strength; you just can`t allow any three-on-twos or two-on-ones.
”It`s misleading to say we have to hit them. We`re not going to intimidate them. What we have to do defensively is finish the play. After a man makes a pass, stay with him and get in his way so he doesn`t get back into the play.
”As a team, they can do it all–skate, handle the puck and shoot it. They`re also much better defensively than Minnesota, and Grant Fuhr gives them better goaltending.”
Bannerman said he came away from Saturday`s battering with a bruised ego, but added that it only hurt for a little while.
”You build your stock up during the course of the season,” he said,
”and one bad game doesn`t erase what you have accomplished in the past. One game is one game, and you put it in perspective.”
Then he smiled slyly and said, ”They may be hurting tomorrow night
–they`ve got to have sore arms from all the shooting and celebrating they did Saturday.”
Glen Sather, the Oilers` general manager and coach, and his players also were trying to digest the slaughter with a few grains of salt.
”You have to look at a game like Saturday`s in two ways,” Sather said.
”We have given them an awful lot of (emotional) ammunition and incentive to come back at us with.”
