34 — THE CITIZEN, Prince George — Wednesday, October 8, 1900 NHL PREVIEW Hab fans demand success The job gets tougher every year, but the demand never lessens: Nothing short of the continuation of the dynasty will satisfy Montreal Cana-diens fans. Opposing teams will again be taking dead aim at the Canadiens starting Thursday night when the National Hockey League season opens. While Montreal failed to win the Stanley Cup last spring for the first time in five years, there still is special pleasure in beating a perpetual powerhouse. • With ever more teams vying for talent, keeping the player-rich club that way is a bigger challenge all the time for managing director Irving Grund-man. “Absolutely, it’s getting more difficult,” Grundman said Monday. "There are 21 teams and a common draft. “There are more and better players graduating from American college ranks, though, and there’s some movement of players from Europe. But everybody’s working harder too.” At least for the regular season, however, Montreal looks to be a winner again. The playoffs are a second season. Here’s how the Norris Division clubs of the Prince of Wales Conference should stand at regular season’s end April 5: Montreal Canadiens: When the current alignment was devised for the 1974-75 season, the Canadiens were said to have a 50-year lease on first place in this division. It hasn't expired yet. The defence corps boasts oldsters Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe, the NHL’s top defenceman in Larry Robinson, partially-seasoned youngsters Rod Langway, Brian Engblom and Gaston Gingras and newcomer Bill Baker, the United States Olympian, with Bill Kitchen readily available. Coach Claude Ruel’s biggest problem is keeping everybody happy. Montreal’s offence starts with right winger Guy Lafleur, who scored 50 goals last season. Mark Napier must prove he can score with consistency. Mario Tremblay and Rejean Houle rely on hard work. No. 1 draft choice Doug Wic-kenheiser moves into a centre spot, bringing needed size. Pierre Larouche matched Laf-leur’s goals total, and Doug Jarvis and Doug Risebrough are capable. The Canadiens, 47-20-13 last year, await the return of Pierre Mondou, missing with a tom Achilles tendon. Bob Gainey leads the left wingers. Steve Shutt was a 47-goal man last season. Yvon Lambert comes off a so-so season. Ruel has retained three goal-tenders, holdovers Denis Herron and Michel Larocque and young Richard Sevigny, who played in 11 games. If there’s a weakness, it's in goal. Los Angeles Kings: The Kings. 30-36-14 a year ago, will build from the bottom up with draft choices. For now, they’ll go with centre Marcel Dionne, right winger Dave Taylor and left winger Charlie Simmer, who fired 56 goals last season, tied for tops in the NHL. The Kings picked up Garry Unger to skate at centre with Andre St. Laurent when he returns from a back injury. Other forwards of note are left winger Steve Jensen and right wingers Mike Murphy and Billy Harris. Rookies Greg Terrion, a centre, and Jim Fox, a right winger, had outstanding training camps. Much-needed moves were made to bolster the defence last year, with Jerry Korab and Dave Lewis arriving to assist Doug Halward, but Randy Manery, Barry Gibbs and Rick Hampton now are minor leaguers, making room for rookie Larry Murphy. Goaltenders Ron Grahame and Mario Lessard return to a team that ranks a weak second. Pittsburgh Penguins: If new head coach Eddie Johnston can bring them together quickly, the Penguins may waddle home ahead of the Kings. Centre Mark Johnson from the U.S. Olympic team embarks on his first full NHL season, joining 30-goal right winger Rick Kehoe and centres Greg Malone, Gregg Sheppard, George Ferguson and Orest Kindrachuk, hindered by a hip pointer in the second half last season. Right wingers Pat Hughes and Peter Lee and left winger Rod Schutt, all from the Montreal system, have potential. Young Greg Millen has shown promise as the No. 1 goaltender. The defence includes Ron Stackhouse, Randy Carlyle, Russ Anderson and Gilles Lupien. who arrives from Montreal. But whether the Penguins can improve their 30-37-13 record will depend in great part on their power-play and penalty-killing proficiency. Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings are an old-line club that has made the playoffs twice in Whitworth and Young win LPGA championship PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -Kathy Whitworth and Donna Caponi Young mastered the Riverside Golf Club course for the third consecutive day Sunday to win the $115,000 LPGA team golf championship for the second time in three years. Whitworth and Young, who together have won 99 tour titles, finished at 24-under-par 195 for 54 holes on the par-73, 6,308-yard course. They combined for an eight-under-par 65 in each of the three rounds and finished in style with a 12-foot birdie putt by Young on the final hole. The two veterans, with $1.6 million in combined career earnings, held off a late charge by Janet Alex and Judy Clark. Alex and Clark shot a 10-under-par 63 and finished at 20- under-par 199. Alex had seven birdies and Clark added three on Sunday. The two had never finished better than fourth in an LPGA event. JoAnne Carner and Judy Rankin finished third at 18-under-par 201, five strokes behind the leaders. Barbara Moxness and Beth Solomon, who began the final round just one stroke behind the leaders, finished in fourth place at 17-under-par. Whitworth, 41, and Young, 35, won the team title in 1978 and have finished no worse than fifth in the four-year history of the event. Young has won $209,000 on the LPGA tour this year, second only to Beth Daniel, while Whitworth has won $43,666. They split $21,000. 14 seasons. At 26-43-11 last year, the biggest excitement came when Gordie Howe returned to Detroit for the all-star game. But things may be looking up. Ted Lindsay moves behind the bench to direct a young fifth-place club that got goalie Gilles Gilbert from Boston Bruins in trade for Rogie Vachon, a major disappointment. Right winger Mike Foligno led the team in scoring last year with 36 goals, and centre Vaclav Nedomansky had 35, followed by left winger Errol Thompson with 34. Centre Dale McCourt and left winger Dan Labraaten gave Detroit five 30-goal scorers. Reed Larson and Willie Huber lead the defence. And Rick Vasko, nephew of former NHL rearguard Elmer Vasko, comes off a fine minor league season. If he and such as Perry Miller and Greg Joly hold up, and if Gilbert produces, the Red Wings could move to fourth. Hartford Whalers: The' Whalers were the best of the former World Hockey Association clubs in their inaugural NHL season with a 27-34-19 record. They’ve lost the 52-year-old Howe to retirement and were unable to reach contract agreement with left winger Bobby Hull, 41. Centre Dave Keon, 40, returns, but 27-year-old right winger Blaine Stoughton and his 56 goals won’t necessarily be back, having won free agency last week. Centre Mike Rogers led the team with 105points, including 44 goals, and left winger Jordy Douglas had 33 goals. Defensively, preseason sensation Mike Veisor from Chicago Black Hawks replaces A1 Smith as John Garrett’s goal-tending partner, and Thommy Abrahamsson returns to the blue line from Sweden. Rick Ley and youngsters Mark Howe and Gordie Roberts will help clear the Hartford zone. First-round draft choice Fred Arthur could become a topflight defender. ELECTRICAL .PROBLEM? ZAP IT NOW. Compare our direct Food Service With the Supermarket Meat prices will rise in the fall: Experts », HAJXDU TURNBUU. B C . Uttar CIANBROOK - Stock U* Intur. Ml. ta4 bur toU ot chvcotl. Dad. 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