1980-81 NHL Regular Season
It’s evident right away that scoring it going up. Early in the season, games were averaging about 7 gpg. That’s fallen a tiny bit as more of a sample size is collected, but by December first, we are seeing 6.78 goals per game. That’s up more then half a goal from last year, and it’s the highest total since the 1944 season which saw 6.93 gpg.
Gilbert Perreault, one of the least talked about great players is having quite the year. He’s in his 10th season in
Vancouver, a team that has had next to no success.
Perreault has quietly scored 400 career goals, and has 53 points in 24 games. He has the
Canucks in first place, on pace for their best season ever.
Perreault has to be the early favourite for MVP.
Perreault is an underrated star!
The
LA Kings trade
Robbie Ftorek!
The
Kings have traded first liner
Robbie Ftorek to the
Boston Bruins.
Ftorek, was least productive member of the Purple Gang. While
Guy Lafleur and
Butch Goring have been setting league records,
Ftorek has putting up pedestrian numbers. Right around a point a game every year(SARCASM). He was off to a bad start, with 15 points in 25 games this season, but becomes one of
Boston’s best players right away.
LA gets young defenseman,
Reijo Ruotsalainen. He’s just 20, playing in his rookie season, drafted 26th overall in the last draft. He's got some really good offensive skills. If things go well, he could be a 60 point guy very soon. Both teams do well here, getting good value.
Ftorek to Boston
Scoring records will be broken again this season. Approaching the midway point,
Guy Lafleur, Brian Sutter and
Mike Bossy are all scoring more then a goal a game.
Dennis Maruk is on pace for over 100 assists and 160 points. 4 other players, including
Wayne Gretzky are on pace for over 150 points. It’s a goalies nightmare. Scoring seems to have stabilized at 6.7 goals per game. The top end guys are really scoring more then ever though.
Sutter has 38 goals in 37 games so far for Calgary!
Wayne Gretzky broke his collarbone. He will miss 2-3 months, but hopefully be back for the playoffs. This is the 2nd year in a row
Gretzky has suffered a major injury.
Hartford will be in a battle for a playoff spot the rest of the way. This opening gives
Mark Messier a chance to shine. He takes Gretzky's spot on the first line.
Gretzky had 76 points in 39 games.
Gretzky suffers his 2nd major injury!
Washington's Dennis Maruk just had his 25 game point streak ended. I have no way of knowing what the record is, but I can’t remember seeing anyone get more then 20 games in a row before. In those 25 games,
Maruk has 22 goals and 40 assists!! That’s a great season right there.
Maruk has become a top 5 player in hockey. At 25 years of age, he’s got a long career ahead of him, and a chance to lead the
Caps, with
Mike Bossy, to glory. Through 51 games,
Maruk has 40 goals and 111 points so far!
Maruk is a star!
29 year old
Guy Lafleur has scored his 500th goal!
Lafleur has 200 of those 500 goals in the last 2.5 seasons, which is incredible! He is now 9th on the all time list, before hitting 30. Here is a look at the current career leaders…
Wayne Gretzky returned from injury in early March.
Mark Messier impressed so much in
Wayne’s absence, the
Whalers decided to play the two youngster together on the first line. In those 10 games,
Wayne has 8 goals and 10 assists, while
Messier has 3 goals and 7 assists. The
Whalers won 5 of those 10 games, lost 3 and tied 2. That’s an improvement for the team, who are locks for the playoffs, despite being 7 games under .500. Just a little taste of what the future might hold!
With a week left in the season,
Lanny McDonald has 70 goals, which puts him in reach for the goal scoring record. Two players have already broken the assists record, and one has the new single season points record. Offense for everyone!!
Can Lanny break the goal scoring record?
Final Standings
A three way tie for the final playoff spot exists between
Edmonton,
Philadelphia and
Detroit. I’m not sure what the game will use as the tiebreaker. If it’s wins, then the
Detroit Red Wings are in.
Defending champion
NY wins the Patrick division, but the
Flames are right there behind them It’s there 2nd straight 106 point season. I think the
Flames are the better team on paper. The fans in
Calgary didn’t though. In their first season in their new city, the
Flames averaged just 7500 a game. Half of what they were getting in
Atlanta.
Vancouver wins their first division title, winning 50 games along the way.
Hartford makes the playoffs for the first time.
Wayne Gretzky and
Mark Messier are going to the postseason. The
New York Islanders reach 30 wins for the first time, and qualify for the playoffs for a 2nd time.
Washington’s Dennis Maruk sets the all time single season point record with 163 points.
Bryan Trottier sets the all time single season assist mark with 108.
Maruk now as the 2nd best assist mark with his 102.
Lanny McDonald gets 71 goals, while
Lafleur and
Sutter each hit 70! No goal scoring record is set, though having 3 guys get that many is pretty amazing. 10 players ending up joining the 50 goal club aswell.
Dave Taylor jumped from a career high of 30 goals to 59 this year. Taylor, was one of 3
North Stars to get 50!
Wayne Gretzky finishes the season with 46 goals and 104 points, in just 53 games.
Wayne Gretzky is a healthy season from taking over the NHL.
Gilbert Perreault finished the year with 144 points and 50 goals. He suffered a minor injury near the end of the year, and he might not be available for the 1st round of the playoffs!
Robbie Ftorek didn't spend a long time in
Boston. After 40 games, and 35 points, he was dealt to
Detroit at the deadline in a deal i missed. Overall, he put up 62 points.
Reijo Rustsalainen put up an impressive 52 points in 52 games as a
King!