Ache #11: The 1981 Stanley Cup Finals

Now in their 14th season in the NHL, the North Stars had finally built a contending team.

The 1980-81 North Stars were looking to build off their then-franchise record 88 points from the previous season. Prior to their 88 point season, they had missed the playoffs five times in six seasons. With a rebuild beginning with 1978 #1 overall pick Bobby Smith, the 1981 team boasted a lot of young talent (Steve Payne, Dino Ciccarelli, Don Beaupre, Tom McCarthy, Craig Hartsburg, Curt Giles) with a couple of veteran guys sprinkled in (Gilles Meloche, Paul Shmyr, Fred Barrett), GM Lou Nanne had a team built for the future.

And the future was now.

Steve Payne scored 30 goals for Minnesota in 1980-81

A year after losing in the conference semi-finals to Philadelphia 4-1, the North Stars had their eyes set on the next level: the Stanley Cup Finals. They finished one point shy of matching their 1979-80 point total with 87 total points (35-28-17), which tied them with the Boston Bruins for second place in the Adams Division. They drew the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs for the first and only playoff match up between the two teams.

The 1980-81 NHL Playoff seeding. Teams were reseeded after each round

PRELIMINARY ROUND VS BOSTON:

When these two teams played the previous February, these two teams battled at Boston Garden for a game that resulted in a combined 406 penalty minutes. Minnesota won Game One at Boston Garden (they were 0-35 all-time in Boston up to that point) in large part to a Steve Payne hat trick. In Game Two, the North Stars blew them out 9-6. In Game Three back at the Met Center, Minnesota scored four first-period goals in a 6-3 win, sweeping the hated Bruins out of the playoffs.

Yeah...these guys didn't like each other...
This is what 392 penalty minutes looks like

QUARTERFINAL ROUND VS BUFFALO: 

After reseeding the field, Minnesota drew the Adams division winner Buffalo in the quarterfinals. These two teams had met one other time in the playoffs...a two-game sweep by Buffalo in 1977. Minnesota won Game One 4-3 in OT courtesy of a Steve Payne winner with :22 seconds left. Minnesota also won Game Two at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. The series shifted back to the Met Center. Minnesota won Game Three 6-4. After trailing in Game Four 3-0, the North Stars scored three quick goals (Ciccarelli, Christoff, Payne) in the second period to tie the game before losing in OT 5-4. Minnesota closed out the series in Game Five 4-3 to advance to the semifinals.

SEMIFINAL ROUND VS CALGARY

Through the first two playoff series, Minnesota was 6-1. The Calgary Flames were just as much of a surprise in the playoffs as the North Stars were. Entering the tournament as a 7 seed, they swept the Chicago Black Hawks and then upset Philadelphia in Seven Games in the Quarterfinals. The teams split the first two games at Stampede Corral. The North Star's offense exploded in Games Three and Four, scoring 13 goals in the two games with Ciccarelli's hat trick in Game Four. Flames goalie Pat Riggin, who had 41 saves (on 47 shots....) in the games at the Met calmed down in Game 6, allowing only one goal to the North Stars on 34 shots in a 3-1 Flames win to force a Game 6 back in Bloomington. The North Stars advanced to their first ever Stanley Cup after a 5-3 win at the home.

Rookie winger Dino Ciccarelli scored a rookie-record 14 goals (in 19 games)

in the 1981 playoffs

STANLEY CUP FINALS vs NEW YORK ISLANDERS

The North Stars faced their toughest test for the Stanley Cup...the defending champion New York Islanders. NYI had a pretty smooth path to the finals...a sweep of Toronto in the prelims and a sweep of the rival Rangers in the semis. The only team that gave them trouble was Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Mark Messier and the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton took them to 6 games and was the only road team to win at Nassau Coliseum during the tournament.

Games One and Two were at Nassau, and the Islanders won them both by identical 6-3 scores. A sold-out Met Center welcomed the North Stars back for Game Three. The Stars played great hockey at home as well, having gone 5-1 at home, with their one loss coming in overtime to Buffalo. 

Minnesota led 3-1 after the first period after goals from Christoff, Payne and Smith. But, in the second, Butch Goring scored two of his three goals that game, and Bobby Nystrom added another. Mike Bossy also tallied two goals in a game that ended in an Islanders win, 7-5.

Game Four was at the Met Center, too. After Gilles Meloche gave up six goals in Game Three, North Stars head coach put rookie Don Beaupre between the pipes. Beaupre responded by stopping 33 of 35 shots in a 4-2 North Stars win.

That would be the only Stanley Cup Finals loss the Islanders would suffer the rest of their dynasty.

C Butch Goring had five goals (seven points) in the five game series,

including a hat trick in Game Two.

In Game Five back in Long Island, Goring netted two goals in the first period as the North Stars failed to show up. New York won the game 5-1, capturing the second Stanley Cup in what would be a four-year Islanders dynasty as the North Stars became a footnote in Islanders history.