Yzerman lifts Wings over Leafs in slugfest
Saturday, March 03, 1990
GARY LOEWEN
Detroit MI -- BY GARY LOEWEN The Globe and Mail DETROIT The first place a hockey player feels intensity is in the fists.
That's the way it is when a couple of raucous rivals from the Norris Division meet - players work off their aggression with fights, scrums and macho posturing before getting down to the business of playing hockey.
But what the heck, it was entertaining.
The Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs got most of the fisticuffs out of the way early, the Wings eventually prevailing in overtime, 3-2, in a rough, chippy game before a Joe Louis Arena crowd of 19,875.
The teams combined for 66 penalties and 272 minutes and at the conclusion, ill-tempered coaches Doug Carpenter and Jacques Demers, who had exchanged words during the game, took verbal shots at each other - each complaining of the other's tactics.
"Obviously their game plan was to take our best players off the ice," said Carpenter, who charged that Demers was showboating.
Jacques wanted to steal the show like he always does. I guess the players were getting too many accolades."
The Leaf coach also was upset with referee Ron Hoggarth, who presented the Wings with eight power plays and the Leafs with just two.
"Eight to two, it's absolutely ridiculous," Carpenter said.
Demers replied with a few jabs of his own, saying he was well aware of Carpenter's reputation as the perpetual innocent. Carpenter did dress an intimidating lineup of his own, calling up ruffian Tie Domi to support enforcer John Kordic.
"He's a cute little guy, always playing the martyr," Demers said of Carpenter.
"His player (Domi) challenges our bench and he's smirking. Nineteen Toronto Maple Leafs played a physical game, show class, and one guy playing his first NHL game challenges our bench twice and makes fun of us because we're not in the playoffs."
Domi's actions inspired the Wings to come back from a 2-1 disadvantage, Demers said.
The hockey portion of the evening was rather dull, though, in what was the opening round of an important two-round home-and-home series. The victory vaulted the Wings out of last place in the Norris for the first time since Oct. 28, one point ahead of Minnesota. Round two goes tonight at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Steve Yzerman scored the winner with 3:44 to play in overtime, converting Dave Barr's pass into the slot.
Ironically, in a game that took more than three hours to play, it was a delay-of-game penalty to Leaf goalie Jeff Reese that let the Wings back in the game in the third period.
Yzerman tied it, 2-2 at 8:00, on the ensuing power play after a nice rush by John Chabot.
The Leafs, in the meantime, managed their one and only third-period shot at Detroit goalie Tim Cheveldae at 13:58.
The Leafs showed more spark in overtime, as Mark Osborne tested Cheveldae on a two-on-one. They had a good scoring chance moments before Yzerman's winner.
Just two nights after the NHL's most penalized game in history in Los Angeles (85 infractions), the Leafs and Wings established a record pace, combining for 34 penalties and 132 minutes in the opening period.
But they managed just 15 penalties and 70 minutes in the second before blowing a shot at the title with a relatively incident-free third. After a couple of scraps in the overtime session, the teams finished with one of the highest penalty totals of the season. The Leafs had 36 infractions (six majors) and 146 minutes.
Domi was the individual leader with two minors, a major and three misconducts.
At one point in the first period, the Leafs had just three extra skaters on the bench.
Adding to the pro wrestling flavor, the coaches yapped at each other across the sheet of plexiglass separating the players' benches. Demers was so worked up he had to be restrained by assistant coach Dave Lewis.
"Why didn't he (come after me). I was there," Carpenter said.
Gilles Thibaudeau and Daniel Marois scored for the Leafs with Vincent Damphousse assisting on both.
Gerard Gallant extended his scoring streak to a career-high 10 games (seven goals, 19 points) with a second-period goal.
The Leafs held a narrow lead on most scorecards after a first period that took 51 minutes to play.
John Kordic led the Leaf attack, winning two fights. He was in trouble during the second one - against youngster Randy McKay - but, like a wily veteran, finished strongly.
On the undercard, Thibaudeau took an ill-advised sucker punch at tough guy Gallant then gave way to Scott Pearson, who was ejected as third-man in.
Brian Curran and Joey Kocur fought to a draw while rookie Domi tried his darndest to find a partner but struggled.
Domi took a cheap roughing minor and later talked his way into a 10- minute misconduct. He had better luck in the second period, squaring off with Kevin McClelland.
The Leafs carried their exuberance into the second, taking a pair of foolish penalties. Gallant capitalized on the second one, knocking in a loose puck at 3:50.
Thibaudeau tied it on a power play at 16:50 after Lee Norwood fanned on a clearing attempt in the goal crease.
Marois put the Leafs ahead at 19:31, beating Cheveldae with a stoppable slapper.
