NHL PREVIEW 1986-87 : Strangely, Upsets This Season Would Mean a Return to Normal

By way of explaining last season’s quirky playoffs, people around the National Hockey League are spending a lot of time talking about the “new parity” in the sport.

That’s a much simpler explanation than saying that the best teams choked on their own success at the end of last season.

None of the top five teams made it to the semifinals. The frustration of hockey’s best teams was epitomized by the Edmonton Oilers. Here was a team rich with talent, strong management, loyal fans and a tradition. The Oilers, with Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Mark Messier and Jari Kurri, had the best regular-season record in hockey, winning 74% of their games.

Just as preparations were made to send the Oilers to yet another Stanley Cup final, Edmonton fell apart. In the seventh game of the Smythe Division final against Calgary, the Oilers knocked the puck into their own net, beating themselves and handing the Flames their ticket to the final series against Montreal.

Of course what Montreal, the team with 13 rookies, was doing in the final was anyone’s guess. The Canadiens advanced thanks in part to luck, timing and the timely folding of teams able to beat them in the playoffs.

The combination of such odd circumstances is not likely to happen again this season. The teams that were denied their annual postseason advancement--Philadelphia, Quebec, Washington, Chicago, Edmonton--are all crying for revenge. The teams that capitalized on the chaos of last season are surely looking over their shoulders for they can feel the heat already.

If this season in hockey is topsy-turvy, it will be the upending that will set the league back where it started. ADAMS DIVISION

Montreal Canadiens

1985-86 record: 40-33-7

Standing: Second place in division, seventh overall. Stanley Cup Champions.

Coach: Jean Perron.

Leading Players: Forwards Claude Lemieux, Mats Naslund; goaltender Patrick Roy.

Outlook: This team is a blend of youth and experience. And, after playing 13 rookies last season, now even the youth is experienced. Roy, the MVP goalie of the Stanley Cup series, is eccentric but effective. This is a tough division, but the Candadiens are better for it.

Quebec Nordiques

1985-86 record: 43-31-6.

Standing: First place in the division, fourth overall.

Coach: Michel Bergeron.

Leading Players: Forward Peter Stastny; defenseman David Shaw.

Outlook: Like Montreal, Quebec is a young team building around veterans. The Nordiques won the division title but flamed out in the playoffs. It will take more than a flashy offense, called “Edmonton East,” to offset weaknesses elsewhere, but Quebec can count on veterans Stastny, Michel Goulet and Dale Hunter.

Hartford Whalers

1985-86 record: 40-36-4.

Standing: Fourth place in division, 11th overall.

Coach: Jack Evans.

Leading Players: Goaltender Mike Liut; defenseman Dave Babych.

Outlook: It’s been like “Let’s Make A Deal” around Hartford, under the direction of that savvy trader, General Manager Emile Francis. Fourteen of the 23 players on the Whalers’ roster last season came in trades. A big acquisition for Hartford was goaltender Liut, who led all goalies in the ’86 playoffs with a 1.90 goals-against average. Playoff contenders.

Buffalo Sabres

1985-86 record: 37-37-6.

Standing: Fifth place in division, 13th overall.

Coach: Scotty Bowman.

Leading Players: Forward Gilbert Perreault; goaltender Tom Barrasso.

Outlook: Buffalo’s failure to make the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons ended its last campaign on a sour note. More sour for the Sabres is the demise of its once highly rated defense. The defense that was ranked No. 1 two years ago was last year ranked No. 9. Major weakness: goaltending.

Boston Bruins

1985-86 record: 37-31-12.

Standing: Third in division, ninth overall.

Coach: Butch Goring.

Leading Players: Defenseman Ray Bourque; left wing Charlie Simmer.

Outlook: Boston also has a goaltending problem. Disappointed with the play of their two top goalies, Boston went to rookie Bill Ranford for the playoffs. Defensively, Boston is strong behind Bourque and Gord Kluzak. SMYTHE DIVISION

Edmonton Oilers

1985-86 record: 56-17-7.

Standing: First place in the division, first overall.

Coach: Glen Sather.

Leading Players: Forwards Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier; defenseman Paul Coffey.

Outlook: If there is a weakness here, it is the defense, which was 13th in the league last season. There was some off-season turmoil, related to drug charges, that has reportedly unsettled the team. But, with the talent and the revenge factor, Edmonton looks very good.

Calgary Flames

1985-86 record: 40-31-9.

Standing: second place in division, sixth overall. Lost in Stanley Cup final.

Coach: Bob Johnson.

Leading Players: Defenseman Gary Suter; forward Joe Mullen.

Outlook: The Flames keep improving. They are shoring up their defense, thanks to rookie-of-the-year Suter. It’s clear that Calgary can score. The Flames’ 354 goals last season were second only to the Oilers. Speaking of Edmonton, and they do in Calgary, the Flames will be out to prove their Stanley Cup appearance was no fluke.

Winnipeg Jets

1985-86 record: 26-47-7.

Standing: Third place in division, 17th overall.

Coach: Dan Maloney.

Leading Players: Forwards Dale Hawerchuk and Brian Mullen.

Outlook: A new coach may breathe new life into this oft-injured, lackluster team. Hawerchuk and Mullen made up for in scoring what Thomas Steen and Doug Smail missed. Bad trades hurt last season and a bad attitude this season may be worse.

Los Angeles Kings

1985-86 record: 23-49-8.

Standing: Fifth place in division, 20th overall.

Coach: Pat Quinn.

Leading Players: Forwards Marcel Dionne, Bernie Nicholls and Dave Taylor.

Outlook: The Kings can only hope to improve after a dive-bomb season. Bright spots are two rookies, top draft pick Jimmy Carson and Canadian major junior player of the year Luc Robitaille. Major competition at goaltender is forcing the Kings to keep three goalies.

Vancouver Canucks

1985-86 record: 23-44-13.

Standing: Fourth place in division, 18th overall.

Leading players: Forwards Barry Pederson and Tony Tanti.

Outlook: The Kings like to have the Canucks around to make them look good. Prospects for this team are dismal. Tanti, who had 39 goals last season, and Pederson, who has scored 100 points a season twice, will carry the offensive load. PATRICK DIVISION

Philadelphia Flyers

1985-86 record: 53-23-4.

Standing: First place in division, second overall.

Coach: Mike Keenan.

Leading Players: Defenseman Mark Howe; forward Tim Kerr; goaltender Bob Froese.

Outlook: The tough got tougher when the Flyers aquired two additional tough-guy defensemen in the off-season. The Flyers are not short on offense, either. Their 110 points were second in the league. Kerr is a power-play specialist who scored 34 power-play goals. He also had his third straight 50-goal season.

Washington Capitals

1985-86 record: 50-23-7.

Standing: Second place in division, third overall.

Coach: Bryan Murray.

Leading Players: Defensemen Rod Langway and Scott Stevens; goaltender Al Jensen.

Outlook: The Capitals always seem to disappoint. Last season, Washington played well in the regular season and fizzled in the playoffs. If they could improve on their 10th-rated offense, they might be able to change that. These underachievers need to score goals.

New York Islanders

1985-86 record: 39-29-12.

Standing: Third place in division, fifth overall.

Coach: Terry Simpson.

Leading Players: Forward Mike Bossy; goaltender Kelly Hrudey ; defenseman Denis Potvin.

Outlook: New coach Terry Simpson heads the list of changes for the rebuilding Islanders. As they claw their way back to the top, Simpson is expected to employ an aggressive defense, which would be a plesant change. The Islanders were ranked 17th in shots allowed and last in penalty minutes last season.

New York Rangers

1985-86 record: 36-38-6.

Standing: Fourth place in division, 14th overall.

Coach: Ted Sator.

Leading Players: Goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck; forward Mike Ridley.

Outlook: Vanbiesbrouck almost single-handedly took the Rangers to the playoffs last season. But defense is not enough these days. Ridley, the Rangers’ leading scorer, was 18th in league scoring. On top of that, the Rangers were the only team in the league not to have a 30-goal scorer.

Pittsburgh Penguins

1985-86 record: 34-38-8.

Standing: Fifth place in division, 15th overall.

Coach: Bob Berry.

Leading Players: Forward Mario Lemieux; defenseman Moe Mantha.

Outlook: The Penguins, a perennial doormat, earned some respect last season. Lemieux, the second-leading scorer in the league, was responsible for that change. They are getting help at every position and may finally have the depth they’ll need to survive in the division.

New Jersey Devils

1985-86 record: 28-49-3.

Standing: Sixth place in division, 16th overall.

Coach: Doug Carpenter.

Leading Players: Forwards Greg Adams and Kirk Muller.

Outlook: This is the youngest team in the league and the toughest to figure. The Devils scored only 59 points last season but young stars may change that. Four goaltenders are fighting it out, but Craig Billington and Chris Terreri are the best. NORRIS DIVISION

Minnesota North Stars

1985-86 record: 38-33-9.

Standing: Second place in division, 10th overall.

Coach: Lorne Henning.

Leading Players: Defenseman Frantesik Musil; forward Neal Broten.

Outlook: The North Stars’ big surprise last season was the way they came together after the All-Star break. They have great individual players--Dino Ciccarelli with 44 goals, Scott Bjugstad with 43 goals and Brian Bellows with 31 goals. If the North Stars continue to play as a team, they could win the division title.

Chicago Blackhawks

1985-86 record: 39-33-8.

Standing: First place in the division, eighth overall.

Coach: Bob Pulford.

Leading Players: Forward Troy Murray; defenseman Doug Wilson.

Outlook: Although the Blackhawks--scored a record 351 goals last season, they also allowed 350. It’s easy to see why defense is a problem for Chicago. They are deep on offense and don’t look to get help on defense.

St. Louis Blues

1985-86 record: 37-34-9.

Standing: Third place in the division, 12th overall.

Coach: Jacques Martin.

Leading Players: Forward Bernie Federko; defenseman Rob Ramage.

Outlook: New Coach Jacques Martin inherits a featureless team. The Blues may get help from their top draft pick, Jocelyn Lemieux.

Toronto Maple Leafs

1985-86 record: 25-48-7.

Standing: Fourth place in division, 19th overall.

Coach: John Brophy.

Leading Players: Forward Wendel Clark; goaltender Ken Wregget.

Outlook: Brophy is another new coach who will have to deal with a sluggish team. Clark, another young player, scored 34 goals last season and was second in rookie-of-the-year voting. However, all eyes will be on the rookie coach.

Detroit Red Wings

1985-86 record: 17-56-6.

Standing: Fifth place in division, 21st overall.

Coach: Jacque Demers.

Leading Players: Forwards John Ogrondick and Steve Yzerman.

Outlook: The Red Wings had the top pick in the draft in Joe Murphy, who may help. The Red Wings have a new coach--Detroit’s 10th in 10 years--and maybe that will help. The Red Wings allowed 415 goals last season and that only helped the opposition. Something has to give on this dismal team.