33 Years Ago in Leafland; April 12, 1987

Spring of 1987. The Maple Leafs went on an improbable playoff run. They got to within a game of meeting the mighty Edmonton Oilers in the Campbell Conference Finals. I was a 15 year-old hockey mad kid enjoying the fortunes of my favourite team. What better time than now to look back at this memorable time of my youth and Leafs history.

"Rob Ramage had me pinned against the boards behind the net," Daoust said after the game, describing his winning marker in great detail. "I managed to break away and get in front of the net. He (Ramage) had cleared the puck around the boards, but couldn't get it past Borje at the point. Borje got the shot on goal and Walmsley stopped it and the rebound went to Greg (Terrion). He shot it and the next thing I knew the puck came right to me." On top of scoring the winning goal, Daoust spent the evening keeping Blue star Doug Gilmour in check, limiting him to one shot on goal. "He got a little frustrated in the third period," Daoust said. "I hooked him once where no one likes to be hooked and after that we wacked each other with the sticks a few times. Nothing serious."
After the goal put Toronto up 2-1 early in the third, the Leafs valiantly held off the Blues including a spectacular save by Wregget late in the affair. The save (pictured at top) was a dramatic glove hand catch of a blistering 35-foot slapshot by Gino Cavallini. Asked after if he saw the shot, Wregget replied, "I had one eye opened." He added, "The puck was just sitting there. He raised his stick before he spun around to take his shot, so I knew he was going to shoot it all the way." Coach Brophy added, "That's what he gets paid for. He's played well the last few weeks."
Rookie Vincent Damphousse missed this game after he woke up feeling the effects of a hard hit into the boards from Saturday night. Ken Yaremchuk, returning from a broken ankle, drew into the lineup for Wes Jarvis and defenceman Terry Johnson took Damphousse's spot, as the sixth defender bumping Gary Leeman up to right wing. 
Hollywood hunks, Tom Sellick, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg were spotted in one of the Gardens private boxes enjoying the game. They are in town filming what is sure to be a smash hit movie, "Three Men and a Baby" (pic at bottom).
Blues coach Jacques Martin summed up the game, "In the final analysis, in spite of everything, we got the shot we wanted and the Toronto guy made an impossible stop." Blues GM Ron Caron added, "The kid amazes me. I don't know how he can be so sharp and alert, playing his fourth game in five nights in the kind of heat we're getting in these buildings - and under all kinds of pressure. Except of course, that son of a gun did the same thing in the playoffs last spring."

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