33 Years Ago in Leafland; April 8, 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.
"You can't take that many penalties against that team. We couldn't get into the game."This was Coach John Brophy's summation after the Leafs dropped game one of the Norris Division semi-final by a score of 3-1. Toronto spent 28 minutes in the penalty box, of which 13 resulted in a St.Louis power play. The Blues capitalized by scoring two power play goals to run up a 3-0 lead before the second period was there minutes old. Blues goals were from Rob Ramage and Gino Cavallini on the power play, and Doug Gilmour at even-strength.
Gary Leeman said, "There's no doubt we took some stupid penalties. Certainly the one I took was a dumb one. It was one I shouldn't have taken. I should have stood him (Nattress) up, but he got a step on me and I got my stick on him."Rick Vaive scored the lone Leaf marker on a 30-foot slapshot with less than five minutes remaining in the second, beating Greg Millen. Vaive figured, "I think we're going to win if tonight is any indiction. Other than when we were in the box we totally outplayed them." Vaive continued with some slight criticism of referee Terry Gregson, "There were some infractions and we thought they should have been called. But they weren't and there isn't much we can do about it."
Blues Bernie Federko is a player requiring special attention from the Leafs as the first two St. Louis goals were set up by him from behind the Leaf net. Leeman stated, "To stop him is to get him before he gets behind the net and we've got to stop that." Federko admitted, "Dougie and I use that play a lot, if the other team watches him I'm usually wide open or vice versa. Everyone gets in the middle but that time Leafs keyed on it. Damage made a great play coming in and I had lots of time to get the puck to him. And I had lots of time again for the second goal. They were all looking at me behind the net. I was a little lucky on that one. The puck bounced over Wregget's stick. All Dougie had to do was knock it in."
The teams are right back at it with Game 2 tomorrow in St. Louis

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