via thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com

This matchup between the ’79-’80 North Stars and the ’75-’76 Golden Seals turned out to be a fairly competitive one. I was expecting the North Stars to have a slight advantage and they did, and ultimately were the better team. Both teams had a balanced offensive attack. The  North Stars had 17 different players register a point and the Golden Seals had 18 different players register a point.

The North Stars were led by center Bobby Smith who tallied three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. Other offensive standouts for the North Stars were winger Al MacAdam who posted five goals and six assists for 11 points and defenseman Brad Maxwell who posted three goals and seven assists for 10 points. MacAdam was tied with winger Tom McCarthy for the team lead in goals with five. North Stars goalie Gilles Meloche posted a 3.00 GAA and a .910 SV%. Meloche posted a shutout in the North Stars’ series clinching win in Game 6.

The Golden Seals has an even more offensive attack than the North Stars, but just couldn’t match the total offense the North Stars brought. Al MacAdam, surprise, also led the Golden Seals in points with one goal and four assists for five total points. Right behind MacAdam were forwards Bob Murdoch, Wayne Merrick and Bob Girard with four points.  Merrick led the Golden Seals in goals with four and Murdoch and Girard were tied for second with three. Gilles Meloche was also in net for the Golden Seals in this series, how ’bout that? He posted a 4.50 GAA and a .898 SV% for California.

Here are this series’ links:

• Game Boxscores/Results
• Team Stats
• North Stars Skater Stats
• Golden Seals Skater Stats
• North Stars Goalie Stats
• Golden Seals Goalie Stats

Three Stars of the Series:

1. MNS – C – Bobby Smith – 3 G   11 A   14 P   +7   5 Star Points
2. CGS – G – Gilles Meloche – 2-4-0   4.50 GAA   .898 SV%   5 Star Points
3. MNS – LW – Steve Payne – 4 G   5 A   9 P   +7   21 S   4 Star Points

GAME 1:

GAME SUMMARY: MNS – 6   CGS – 2   (1-0 MNS)

1st Period:

• MNS Goal: T. Young (1) assisted by R. Zanussi (1), B. Maxwell (1)

2nd Period:

• CGS Goal: D. Maruk (1) assisted by B. Girard (1)
• CGS Goal: B. Girard (1)
• MNS PP-Goal: B. Maxwell (1) assisted by R. Zanussi (2), T. McCarthy (1)
• MNS Goal: P. Shmyr (1) assisted by T. Young (1)

3rd Period:

• MNS Goal: A. MacAdam (1) assisted by B. Smith (1), B. Maxwell (2)
• MNS Goal: B. Maxwell (2) assisted by P-O. Brasar (1), R. Zanussi (3)
• MNS Goal: G. Smith (1) assisted by S. Christoff (1), F. Barrett (1)

GAME 2:

GAME SUMMARY: CGS – 4   MNS – 3   (1-1 Tie)

1st Period:

• MNS Goal: K-E. Andersson (1) assisted by T. McCarthy (2)
• CGS Goal: D. Gardner (1) assisted by B. Murdoch (1)

2nd Period:

• MNS Goal: B. Smith (1) assisted by A. MacAdam (1), C. Hartsburg (1)
• CGS Goal: B. Murdoch (1) assisted by D. Hrechkosy (1)
• CGS Goal: F. Ahern (1) assisted by L. Frig (1), C. Simmer (1)

3rd Period:

• MNS Goal: G. Sharpley (1) assisted by F. Barrett (2), K-E. Andersson (1)
• CGS Goal: B. Murdoch (2) assisted by B. Stewart (1), D. Gardner (1)

GAME 3:

GAME SUMMARY: MNS – 7   CGS – 1   (2-1 MNS)

1st Period:

• MNS Goal: S. Payne (1) assisted by A. MacAdam (2), B. Smith (2)
• CGS Goal: W. Merrick (1) assisted by A. MacAdam (1)

2nd Period:

• MNS Goal: T. McCarthy (1) assisted by G. Sharpley (1)
• MNS Goal: A. MacAdam (2) assisted by B. Smith (3), B. Maxwell (3)
• MNS Goal: S. Payne (2) assisted by B. Smith (4), A. MacAdam (3)

3rd Period:

• MNS Goal: P-O. Brasar (1) assisted by T. Young (2)
• MNS Goal: B. Smith (2) assisted by S. Payne (1), C. Hartsburg (2)
• MNS Goal: T. Young (2) assisted by R. Zanussi (4), G. Sargent (1)

GAME 4:

GAME SUMMARY: CGS – 6   MNS – 5   (2-2 Tie)

1st Period:

• MNS Goal: S. Christoff (1) assisted by C. Hartsburg (3), R. Zanussi (5)

2nd Period:

• CGS Goal: F. Ahern (2) assisted by L. Patey (1), J. Neilson (1)
• MNS SH-Goal: T. McCarthy (2) assisted by B. Maxwell (4), P. Shmyr (1)
• CGS Goal: W. Merrick (2) assisted by A. MacAdam (2), T. Jacobs (1)
• CGS Goal: B. Murdoch (3) assisted by B. Stewart (2), D. Gardner (2)
• CGS Goal: J. Neilson (1) assisted by A. MacAdam (3)

3rd Period:

• MNS Goal: K-E. Andersson (2) assisted by G. Sharpley (2), T. McCarthy (3)
• MNS Goal: G. Sargent (1) assisted by A. MacAdam (4), B. Smith (5)
• CGS Goal: W. Merrick (3) assisted by R. Hampton (1)
• MNS Goal: T. Young (3) assisted by B. Maxwell (5), P. Shmyr (2)

Overtime:

• CGS Goal: B. Girard (2) assisted by M. Christie (1)

GAME 5:

GAME SUMMARY: MNS – 10   CGS – 5   (3-2 MNS)

1st Period:

• CGS Goal: W. Merrick (4) assisted by R. Hampton (2), A. MacAdam (4)
• CGS Goal: L. Patey (1) assisted by F. Ahern (1)
• MNS Goal: K-E. Andersson (3) assisted by G. Sharpley (3), B. Maxwell (6)
• MNS Goal: T. Young (4) assisted by G. Smith (1), R. Zanussi (6)
• MNS Goal: S. Christoff (2) assisted by G. Smith (2)
• MNS Goal: T. McCarthy (3) assisted by R. Zanussi (7), C. Hartsburg (4)

2nd Period:

• MNS Goal: T. McCarthy (4) assisted by G. Sharpley (4), G. Sargent (2)
• MNS Goal: B. Maxwell (3) assisted by S. Payne (2), B. Smith (6)
• MNS PP-Goal: T. McCarthy (5) assisted by T. Young (3), B. Maxwell (7)
• MNS Goal: A. MacAdam (3) assisted by B. Smith (7), S. Payne (3)
• CGS Goal: A. MacAdam (1) assisted by R. Hampton (3), B. Stewart (3)

3rd Period:

• CGS Goal: T. Jacobs (1) assisted by G. Sabourin (1), J. Neilson (2)
• MNS Goal: S. Payne (3) assisted by A. MacAdam (5), B. Smith (8)
• CGS Goal: B. Girard (3) assisted by D. Maruk (1), G. Sabourin (3)
• MNS PP-Goal: A. MacAdam (4) assisted by S. Payne (4), B. Smith (9)

GAME 6:

GAME SUMMARY: MNS – 4   CGS – 0   (4-2 MNS)

1st Period:

• MNS Goal: B. Smith (3) assisted by S. Payne (5)
• MNS Goal: A. MacAdam (5) assisted by B. Smith (10), G. Smith (3)

2nd Period:

3rd Period:

• MNS Goal: C. Hartsburg (1) assisted by R. Zanussi (8), T. Young (4)
• MNS Goal: S. Payne (4) assisted by A. MacAdam (6), B. Smith (11)

The 27th-seeded ’79-’80 North Stars now move on to face the 6th-seeded ’12-’13 Chicago Blackhawks in the 2nd Round.

Last, but not least, the final matchup of the 1st Round is up next between the 22nd-seeded ’10-’11 Vancouver Canucks and the 43rd-seeded ’13-’14 Winnipeg Jets.