The Montreal Star from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 18

r- yl W( l-y11 ifif liifl "riln'ilf 'f it' Clarke rates as Team hero 'yTyyrv sume that Hall wasn't a product of expansion I No man from that division ever has won a scoring championship years will pass before it Maybe the time isn't far Maylx happens Red column ANYBODY who thinks that Paul Henderson (remember him?) was the bloomin' hero of the Team Canada-Soviet series simply wasn't watching the same series I did Or they don't known my friend The Slasher Phil Esposito? Alongside The Slasher he was merely a rumor in terms of importance The series was not won because Henderson scored a goal with 34 seconds remaining It was not won because Esposito carried his heart on his sleeve and onto the ice for eight straight games It was won by Bobby Clarke with one two-handed slash in the Moscow portion of the series because the ankle at the other end of it (the slash) belonged to Valery Kharlamov As a result of it Kharlamov who almost assassinated Team Canada in the Canadian end of the series was rendered hors-de-borscht for three of the four games in Moscow With him the Soviets could not have been beaten Without him Up until last summer Garke was a stranger to me I first started noticing him somewhere around the middle of July when he was named to Team Canada I saw Garke's name on the list of those invited to camp and then 1 looked for Dave Keon's name and didn't see it and then I started to holler cop! Can you imagine some kid who plays centre-ice with a team from Derek favorite city being chosen over Keon! Who was his agent? Harry Sinden? Clarke who was bom in Flin Flon was the first player to report to the hotel on Day One of training camp It was on a hot Sunday and he was wearing his Flin Flon Sunday suit (For those among you who haven't been in Flin Flon on a Sunday Clarke was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans) ''Where do I check in?" he asked "Try the registration somebody drily suggested wing Ron Ellis rn right) was the most rousistanily productive line on the I'-nm And Clarke was I In man who made it work Mouth agaie hair flying the complete hockey plover Hobby Clarke who was regar'ed as an after-thought by most people in professional lux-key in the 1969 junior draft now is Philadelphia's franchise A lot of people clucked thought fully when the Flyers let it be known that Clarke was signed to a i -y a half-million dollar 'ontraet between seasons hut general-manager Keith Allen should tear it up and re-write it Clarke is everything to this Philadelphia team Everything The West Division hits accomplished much since Expansion Yiir One Eluding it though have been several individual awards For example no bona fide member of that division ever has earned a place on the 1 a 's official All-Star team (Glenn Hall made it when he wns with St Louis but it's safe to as Flin Flon Sunday suit of course Actually he was wearing a tic under his T-shirt but he was too shy and modest to tell anybody about it I'm in dead earnest though when I say I was shocked at his selection to Team Canada You watch a kid like Clarke playing with the Flyers and the sus-picion grows that he looks pretty good because nobody else on the Flyers is "THAT good" Then you watch him in a forest of superstars and there is he is sticking out in that company too Day in day out the line he centred (Henderson on left "You newspaper guys arc all alike" said Clarke with the smart aleck answers And anyway why don't you dress properly? Who ever heard of wearing a tie in a hotel A few minutes later Clarke was back grumbling that his room wasn't available "Something like this would never happen in Flin he said "That's because there aren't any hotels in Flin Flon" somebody suggested he hissed kidding about Clarke and his Seals earn tic on goal NHL EAST DIVISION Wings fail to catch Sabres Red Pierre Roy and Los off When it docs Bobby Clarke will lx? the man Sam -Imdy should talk to this kid Doesn't he realize that he's not supposed to ulay as hard as lie does'? Ihx-sn't he know that bodychecking has become as extinct as the Buffalo so what's he doing running at people? The Philadelnhia Flyers arc clinging to second place in the West Division Maybe they won't stay there because they seem to have a talent for developing a stiff upper collar in the last few games of the schedule My friend The Slasher probably will keep them there though And if lie does maybe somebody should give him the Hart Trophy That's another prize the West Division hasn't won Associated Press A third-period goal by Craig Patrick has cost the Detroit Red Wings a chance to catch the fourth-place Buffalo Sabres in the battle for the final playoff berth in the National Hockey League's East Division Patrick's third period marker enabled the California Golden Seals to tie Detroit 2-2 last night in Oakland The tie gave the Red Wings 67 points while the Sabres who did not see action last night have 68 points In the only other NHL action last night the Vancouver Canucks whipped the Atlanta Flames 54) California opened the scoring midway through the second period when rookie Morris Mott deflected in a shot by Darryl Maggs past Red Wing goalie Denis DeJordy Detroit made it at 16:22 of the period when Red Berenson scored on a power play The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead at 4:23 of the last period on another power play Marcel Dionne scoring his 28th goal of the season Patrick tips shot Patrick scored 24 seconds later when he tipped in a long blast by defenceman Marshall Johnston It was Patrick's 15th goal of the season The Seals who have tied their last two games are winless in their last 12 games In Vancouver Ed Dyck recorded his first National Hockey League shutout and five different players did the scoring as the Canucks trimmed the Flames 5-0 Dyck kicked out 18 shots as Vancouver spread its scoring over all three-periods in stopping the attempt to move into a fourth-place tie with St Louis Blues in the Western Division Bobby Lalonde Gerry O'Flaherty John Wright Don Tannahill and Dale Tallon picked up a goal apiece and Dyck played 1 i 1 as Vancouver handcuffed the 1 a to record their second shutout of the season Lalonde and O'Flaherty sent Vancouver into a 2-0 lead with goals within a minute of each other in the opening period and Wright scored on a fine individual effort to give the Canucks a 3-0 lead entering the final period right beats Quinn Wright the Canuck rookie out of the University of Toronto outraced Atlanta defenceman Pat Quinn to a loose puck and then let loose a quick wrist shot to the far side to beat Atlanta netminder Phil Myre The Canuck defence played solidly in the final period with Dyck only being tested twice Both shots were simple clearing efforts after weak Atlanta scoring attemps Tannahill gave Vancouver a 4-0 lead at 13:04 of the final period with his 19th goal of the year Tallon rounded out the scoring with his 11th of the season banging in a powerplay goal at the 17:48 mark sais added the other Shawinlgan goals while Andre St Laurent Robert Siro's AI Hike and Mario Tremblay replied for Montreal Iaval scored five consecutive goals in the third period to sink the Rangers Gilles Therrien fired three goals for the Nationals with singles going to Mirhcl Ix'febvre Mike liar-amis Marcel Roussel Marcel Duma's lbb Fee Bernard Rochelcau and Jean Trotticr Denis Drolet matched effort scoring hi each period Claude Larose Denis Patry and Daniel St Cyr notched the other goals MacLeish emerges as leader Philadelphia Minnesota St Louis Atlanta Los Angeles Pittsburgh California 59 26 24 1 208 2M 61 57 26 23 8 IN 156 60 57 24 23 10 171 177 58 60 23 27 10 155 172 56 51 23 28 8 173 113 54 57 23 28 6 112 193 52 59 9 36 14 IB 218 32 LAST NIGHT Vancouver 5 Atlanta 0 Detroit 2 California 2 TONIGHT Philadelphia at Montreal Islanders at Toronto Boston at Minnesota Detroit at Vanconver Buffalo at Pittsburgh Chicago at St Louis Atlanta at Los Angeles TOMORROW Montreal at Toronto Islanders at Rangers Boston at Chicago Pittsburgh at Buffalo Minnesota at Philadelphia Los Angeles at California Houston blanked by Jets Associated Press High-scoring Bobby Hull low-scoring Bill Sutherland and average Ab McDonald scored two goals apiece and goalie Joe Daley turned in his second consecutive World Hockey Association shutout in leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-0 rout of the Houston Aeros last night In other WHA games Quebec tied Los Angeles 2-2 at Quebec and Philadelphia Blazers crushed New York Raiders 9-2 Sutherland who only had two previous goals started the assault on Houston goalie Jim McLeod early in the first period -and McDonald's 16th goal and Chris Bordeleau's 38th made it 3-0 after 20 minutes McDonald added a power play goal in the second period while Hull fired Ms 37th and 38th goals in the third stanza before Sutherland wrapped up the scoring Hull on hot streak Hull who had two other apparent goals nullified by referee Ron Sloan nevertheless ran his streak to 14 goals in the last seven games and also picked up two assists as the first-place Jets moved 13points ahead of Houston in the West Division Daley stopped 31 shots in a brilliant goaltending performance In Quebec Bob Guindon and Mike Rouleau scored less than two minutes apart early in the third period and goalie Serge Aubry stopped 46 shots as the Nordiques rallied for a 2-2 overtime tie with the Sharks Joe Szura had given the Sharks the lead midway through the opening period and Tom Serviss' shorthanded tally made it 24) with 52 seconds left in tiie second stanza The deadlock enabled both teams to gain ground in their quests for playoff berths Fifth-place Quebec trails New York by two points and Philadelphia by one in the East Division while Los Angeles fifth in the West is just one point in back of Alberta and two behind Minnesota B4 THE MONTREAL STAR SPORTS in the main event at last night's WHA game "He's got more poise than you how come?" Shero asked MacLeish "I know him He can't even carry your stick" MacLeish flushed Then he showed the other centre which of them had the poise faceoff by faceoff Another night Shero had MacLeish against Stan Mikita in Giicago Again he challenged his 23-year-old sniper Shero told him that Mikita had eanred his glory and that he (MacLeish) had to prove himself He asked MacLeish if he was afraid to let the Chicago veteran know who was boss Again MacLeish flushed was the first time anybody on my team ever hit Mikita bodily and in Chicago!" said Shero So MacLeish is doing it all scoring hitting checikng playmaking for the Flyers who never have to worry about having penalty killers collecting unemployment insurance Shero says Maclxush is the best penalty killer he has and on a team that averages one period anight shorthanded there's plenty of competition His 34 goals is tops on the team and tops in the West Division The next goal he scores on a power play the next goal he scored period will tic 35 of last season Teams battled to 2-2 tie CPWIrvphofo The shots first 34 have all been wrist use a MacLeish said "I don't think there's any need for it I abandoned it when I became a centre Roger Neilson (his junior conch at Peterborough) said there was no reason why I should use it" His last four goals all came Wednesday night at the expense of New York Islanders The Islanders find it too amusing but the night left MacLeish in stitches 35 of them 17 outside his mouth and 18 inside from one of the pucks he put in Temporarily he has trouble saying his name But now at least he has one ICE CHIPS Canadiens will be missing right-winger Claude Larose for game and tomorrow's in Toronto which is good news for cither Pierre Bouchard or Dale Ilogan-son one of whom will dress again Larose has bruised rib muscles Flyers are missing defenceman Joe Watson out for two more weeks with a shoulder injury in addition to Harry Asliboc another disabled defenceman Shero will use Bobby Taylor in goal tonight and Doug Fav-ell tomorrow night against Minnesota even if Taylor shuts out Canadiens games Laval Nationals outlasted Drummondville Rangers 104! and Sherbrooke Beavers tripped Trois-Ri-vieres Dues 4-1 At Sorel Denis Desgngncs fin'd tlree goals to lead the Black attack while a a 1 Gill Pierre Mnndou Michel Deziel and Pierre Larouchc added singles Gary McGregor Blair MacDonald rvii iuninntte Yvnn Bouilbn and Su Davison replied for the Hovals wh 'nd a 48-17 edge in shots I'icrrc Brodcnr and Normand Ber-" 1 of'h had a pair in Hr Bruins' win over Montreal Louis Granger Maximc Quoquochi and Claude Arvi- Angeles' JP Leblanc battle behind the net patched him to Boston for MacLeish and Danny Schock MeanwhiTc hockey fans everywhere shook their heads and wondered who in Philadelphia owed Harry Sinden a favor At the time Shero was in Omaha coaching on New York Rangers' farm "Who is this guy?" he remembers saying "I've never heard of him got guys better right here' And when last season ended MacLeish having made two visits to the big leagues Shero was asking the same question He was also asking why a visitor with such credentials wasn't filing NHL citizenship papers knew this guy had a lot of said Shero could handle the puck as well as anyone and he could skate as well as anyone So I said send him down and make him a MacLeish who never played a game in Boston found himself in Richmond with the American League Robins Frequently he was in the same faceoff circle as an oldtimcr who was in the twilight of a lengthy AIIL career Neither MacLeish nor the oldtimcr knew it then but their meetings in those faceoff circles gave them a starting point several months later Nykoluk the oldtimcr oldtimcr folks was Because the Mike Nykoluk was very strange that the kid know much about Nykoluk recalled too hard to heat Shero hired Nykoluk last May and at training camp he went to work on MacLeish and faceoffs Since then Nykoluk's had help from Clarke to the point that Shero no longer onints to only Garke when Flyers need to win a crucial faceoff is this guy?" is no lnnr asked of MacLeish by anyone And Shero has made it his business to know hist exactly who Maclish is ami how he reacts iio night he matched MacLeish with a centre who once played for Shero who declined to identify the player By BOB DUNN Flip the calendar back 25 pages A no-name hockey player is fingered as the key man in a trade for a name hockey player slowly now flip the pages forward The no-name hockey player distinguishes himself over the course of the next two seasons by scoring three goals for Philadelphia Flyers his new team to today It is the third season He has scored that many plus one in one night He has scored 34 altogether and there are six weeks still to play after game at the Forum against Canadiens Explain it Rick MacLeish the no-name (ex) hockey player: got a lot more experience I seem to be able to get the puck away quicker When I played left wing I used to like to hit to get into a game Now that a centre I can get in forechecking right off the Fred Shero his coach: year no matter what I tried I couldn't reach him He always looked tight He seemed to be in a daze If I told him something take it as an insult Now I can give him hell He grew up in a helluva Mike Nykoluk his assistant coach: "He's just putting everything together He's acquiring an understand- 1 mIm hnI tuiV iifinnirwr ing of playing centre and he's winning the faceoffs where they count Fred gave him the confidence to play but the most important thing is he WANTS to be a good hockey player Bob Clarke his team-mate: "They've given him some responsibility He kills penalties and on the power play Some nights like Orr he has the puck so much He con'ro's the The name player in that trade Mike Walton Within minutes the Flyers acquired him from Toronto in the Bernie Parent deal and des- Cormvall drops key game to Sorel Canadian Press Cornwall Royals continued to lose ground to Icnguc-lcading Quebec Rempnrts last night as they dropped a 7-5 decision to Sorel Black Hawks in one of four games scheduled The loss left the Royals five points behind the Remparts but 'iioboc who have B2 points have played five fewer games than the Ontario dull l's win kept them in third spot one point up on Sh'iwiniu Hrirns who scored three third-period goals to dump Montreal Red While and Blue 74 in Montreal In other DICESTFMIRUARY IT 1I7S CO.