33 Years Ago in Leafland; April 30, 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.
"Our backs are against the wall. If we don't take this game at home it'll be tough going back to Detroit for the seventh game," stated Leaf winger Steve Thomas. Wendel Clark admitted that as well as Glen Hanlon was playing in the Wings net, he has not got to the Leafs psychologically, "Not yet anyway." John Brophy even suggested he may consider playing Clark at centre or defence saying,"I could play him on defence and he'd be as good a defenceman as we've got." Brophy also suggested that Clark's lack of production in Game 5 was caused less by the checking of Joey Kocur, but more the play of his  own line mates, "We've got to have Peter Ihnacak and Rick Vaive play stronger games than they played Wednesday night."
Jacques Demers gave his Wings the day off after the big win, but the players requested a light skate. "That's the attitude of this hockey club," Demers said, "The players came forward and said they'd like to be on the ice today even if it's for an hour." After Hanlon's Game 5 shutout, it was Leaf Al Iafrate who retrieved the puck for the Detroit goaltender. Mel Bridgman delivered the puck to Hanlon, the sportsmanship from the young Leaf defender was appreciated by the Wings.
At the World Championships, in their first game of the medal round, Canada managed to hold the mighty Soviets to a 0-0 tie thanks to the goaltending of Bob Froese. Coach Dave King said after, "That's one tie when I definitely don't feel as if I kissed my sister." Canada next plays Czechoslovakia on their road to a hopeful Gold medal.

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