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PAGE 6 TERRACE BAY NEWS OCTOBER 24, I973 Sports Slants - continued from page 4 three of their IO exhibition games, have more good hockey players than anyone else in the world, except maybe the Russians. They lost the best goalie in the world (Ken Dryden), but they have three youngsters who could play first string on most any other club in Michel Larocque, Wayne Thomas and Michel Plasse. Besides, the fact that Dryden is gone will probably make the rest of the players work harder as a team, since they can't now always count on Mr. Goalie to make the crucial save. This has to be the year for Guy Lafleur, the Quebec Remparts grad who was rated top junior player in the country a couple of years ago when he came up with the Canadiens. Watch for Lafleur to score close to 50 goals this year. And guys like Cournoyer, the Mahovlichs, Lemaire and a few others are big scorers. The only question mark is on defence, but the Habs aren't suffering there either. The Bruins are off to a fine start and they'll keep knocking off most teams as long as Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr stay healthy. Another guy who is off to his best season ever is Ken Hodge, who after only three games had racked up II points. It's unlikely that Orr and Esposito both will stay fully healthy all season long, so that's my reason for pick- ing them second. Any lengthy absence by either or their stars could drop them to third or even fourth. Toronto, you might think, is a bad choice for third spot. Well, I happened to relax one night during my honeymoon a couple of weeks ago and saw the Leafs play host to Buffalo Sabres. Those Leafs looked great. They were patsies last year, but those youngsters have come around real well and if it's fair to judge the Leafs by that one game against the Sabres, they'll be right up there with Montre- al and Boston. Defensively, the Leafs are probably better equipped than most teams with netminders like Doug Favell and Eddie Johnston, late of Philadelphia Flyers and Bos- ton. You know the story of New York. They al- ways start off like a house on fire then die late in the season. Things won't change this season, and, as a matter of fact, had Buffalo had better goaltending, I might have even picked the Sabres for that last playoff spot. Buffalo's French Connection line appears head- ed for another sterling year, so don't be surprised to see the Sabres and the Rangers in a colossal battle for fourth spot. continued page 8 SCOTTY'S NES \ a WO * SCUBA DIVING EQUIPMENT * MARINE ACCESSORIES * CASTROL OILS : * ALL SNOWMOBILE PARTS FOR ALL MAKES * SNOWMOBILE SUITS - GLOVES DROP IN AND SEE CONNIE (WATCH FOR OUR OFFICIAL OPENING) SMALL ENGINE SHOP PHONE TERRACE BAY - 825-3885 AFTER HOURS - 824-2543 ENTRANCES - THROUGH CEBRARIO'S HARDWARE STORE - REAR OF CEBRARIO'S HARDWARE STORE * PIONEER SAWS & ACCESSORIES 4 4 v4, + Cop He OA Ce Rey Fa diate A Lh fabs ib oh SHE A BR @