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are UPEI SIN,’Ihursday,March 16,1978,page I4
THE PROS
Millions enjoy watching professional sport. Many also love arguing about it, The question people never tire of asking is "who is better than who?" What makes it interesting is that the answer is always changing.
In Canada we are now primarily concerning ourselves with hockey. 'Jhe standings reveal the top teams, but the players we must judge for our- selves. Doing that is especially interesting nw that the N.H.L. season is winding to a close. Just who are the league's current all- stars? Going from the net out, the top three at each position appears as follows.
In goal the big name remains Ken Dryden. 'lhe tall and talented Canadien is once again leading everyone in goals against average, and with the capable 7 help of Bunny Iarocque, he appears headed for a third straight Vezina Trophy. His top challenger is Flyer Bernie Parent whose 2.28 average isn't far behind. Number three is Tony Esposito, the man chiefly responsible for Chicago's return to first place. Much deserved honorable mentions go to Edwards of Buffalo, Palmateer of 'Ibronto, and Vachon of LOS Angeles.
01 the blue line, the brightest star is Borje Salming. 'l'ne Swede is scoring well and his defensive play is beyond question. A man even higher in the points race is Dennis Potvin, his counterpart with the Islanders. Although Dennis' defense is suspect, don't be sur- prised if he wins the Morris Trophy. Next is last year's trophy
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by JOHN CAIRNS
winner, Iarry Robinson of Montreal. "Big Bird" ' as he is sometimes called is still a stiff ched<er and a high scorer. ' Tops at center is Mr. Maple Ieaf, Daryl Sittler. When 'Ibronto needs a goal either Sittler helps get it or it doesn't usually get scored. Luckily for the leafs he's collecting his points more regularly than ever. A close second is Brian Trottier from the Islanders. Having come into his own now he was for much of the year leading the league in scoring. 'Ihird is a veteran playing perhaps his best hockey. It is Jacques Iemaire of the Canadiens. Fast skating and entertaining Gilbert Perreault of Buffalo “ merits honorable mention.
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At left wing none beat Islander Clark Gillies. By having his best season ever he has helped New York overpower Philadelphia. Steve Shutt is number We.
7 Though not scoring like he
was last year, his statistics are still excellent. In third is 'IErry O'Reilly of Boston who unfortunately is ' also vastly underrated.
0'1 the right side we have Guy Lafle‘ur, hockey's greatest star who seems destined for yet another scoring championship. Second at the position contrastingly, is rookie Mike Bossy. In him the Islanders have someone who will no doubt be a scoring champion himself some day. 'Ihird spot goes to Buffalo star Danny Gare. Deserving honorable
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'Here you have them, the biggest stars. Just as a matter of interest though, here are 1110 additicnal categories. '
The league's most under- rated player is Canadien goalie Bunny Larocque. Although secmd fiddle to Ken Dryden, he has proven more than capable. Next most mappreciated are respectively 'Iem O'Reilly of Boston and Don Eduards of Buffalo. We've menticned them be- fore.
(n the other end of the scale are the overrated performers. 'Ihe worst emrple is diicago's Stan Mikita. No longer a N.H.L. star he should try the W.H.A. Also guilty
. are mggie leach of
Philadelphia and Gilles Meloche of Cleveland. Leach has had only one superior season and” Meloche is rarely great two games in a row.
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figure there isgIslander boss Al Arbour. He now has his team playing offense as well as it does defense, and they will be a definite Stanley Cup threat. Don Cherry is one big reason why the Bruins will also be in the rmming. Chicago's Bob Pulford is third best. He has made the Hawks again a first place team. Honorable mention here goes to Mmtreal's Scotty Bowman. His team does, after all, have ‘a superb record.
Well, we've ranked just about everything in sight. Toe list will Chan» ge, but as mentioned before, that is what makes it all s ' interesting. . V I ~
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