The day started with Denis Savard giving away a point that ended his scoring streak at 19 games.
Upon learning Sunday that officials had changed the scoring on the Hawks` only goal in a 5-1 loss in Winnipeg Friday and had credited him with an assist that would have extended his string to just one shy of Bobby Hull`s club-record 21 games, the Hawks` center asked that the point be given back to Bob Murray.
”I guess Bob Murray, Al Secord and Steve Larmer asked the scorekeeper to give me an assist on the play because I won the draw just before the goal,”
said Savard. ”I didn`t know anything about it. That just tells you what kind of teammates I have.
”I didn`t deserve it, Bob did. But I sure appreciate them being so unselfish. I told them to have it changed back because I don`t want to get any records I don`t deserve. So that`s the way it stands. I`ll just have to start a new one now.”
Savard did exactly that by getting two goals and an assist Sunday night in a 6-4 victory over the Red Wings. But this time, most of his Hawk teammates played giveaway in a sloppy effort against a Detroit team that already was missing seven players because of injuries or suspensions for fighting–and then lost two more during the action because of injuries.
”I don`t think it`s a matter of us playing down to their level,” said Troy Murray, who also scored twice. ”It`s a matter of us playing to our level. If we don`t work, we`re a very average hockey team.”
On this night, it took some very above-average plays by goalie Bob Sauve to preserve a victory. The Hawks never led by more than a goal until a late empty-netter by Murray.
”Sauve came up with some big saves,” said assistant coach Roger Neilson, subbing for Bob Pulford, who was attending league meetings in Florida. ”I`m just glad this game is over. We`ve played them five times now. ”Maybe you get a little overconfident. You try not to be. But you look at their lineup and see half of them out. They played strong, though, and that often happens.”
So strong, in fact, that a Red Wing team that had been outscored 27-13 in the four earlier losses almost tied the game with an embarrassing shorthanded goal late in the third period.
It took a stop by Sauve of Glen Merkosky`s breakaway, followed by saves of two rapid-fire rebound shots by Steve Yzerman and John Barrett, to keep the Wings at arm`s length.
”The first shot was a clear one I saw all the way, and I stood up,”
said Sauve, now 8-1 in his last nine decisions. ”I knew Yzerman was around there for the rebound, and I went down.
”But Barrett I didn`t see coming. All I saw was red socks, and I just tried to stack my pads (while lying on the ice) as high as possible.”
That Detroit could get off two more shots after the breakaway said something about the way the Hawks were playing. And that Sauve subsequently made two more splendid stops against Ron Duguay and Joe Kocur said even more. ”We hurried those shots, and if we`d just taken our time and lifted them over him, we would have scored,” said Detroit coach Brad Park. ”I think Sauve came out shaky in the first, but he came on very big for them in the third.
”There`s no doubt in my mind we should`ve won that game. I think it was out best road game in three years. We outplayed them and deserved better.”
Behn Wilson scored the winning goal on a power-play late in the second period, but the crowd of 17,456 couldn`t breathe easy until Murray scored his empty-netter with 25 seconds left in the game.
The Wings outshot the Hawks 13-6 in the final period and played without missing a beat despite the losses of starting goalie Eddie Mio and center Billy Carroll to injury.
Carroll left in the first period with a possible fractured right foot. Mio was struck squarely in the chin by Larmer`s hard 25-foot shot from the right side in the second period.
Mio was unconscious when medical personnel reached him, and he had to be carried off the ice on a stretcher with his neck in a brace. However, Park said that it appeared his goalie was all right and that he would be kept in a Chicago hospital overnight merely as a precaution.
The Hawks also lost All-Star defenseman Doug Wilson late in the game when a puck flew up and struck him in the cheekbone. Wilson had several stitches taken and was scheduled for X-rays Monday.
The game got off to a deceptive high-scoring start before dissolving into a rugged, defensive struggle for most of the final two periods.
The wild opening period ended 3-3, with Detroit tying the score every time the Hawks took a lead on goals by Secord, Troy Murray and Savard.
Savard got his second of the night early in the second period before Warren Young tied the game again at 4 with an unassisted goal on a power play.
