Jump to content

1970–71 Minnesota North Stars season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1970–71 Minnesota North Stars
Division4th West
1970–71 record28–34–16
Goals for191
Goals against223
Team information
General managerWren Blair
CoachJack Gordon
CaptainTed Harris
Alternate captainsJ. P. Parise
Barry Gibbs
Team leaders
GoalsBill Goldsworthy (34)
Danny Grant (34)
AssistsJude Drouin(52)
PointsJude Drouin (68)
Penalty minutesBarry Gibbs (132)
WinsCesare Maniago (19)
Goals against averageGump Worsley (2.50)

The 1970–71 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' fourth season.

Coached by Jack Gordon, the team compiled a record of 28–34–16 for 72 points, to finish the regular season 4th in the West Division. In the playoffs they won the quarter-finals in a 4–2 upset over the St. Louis Blues, becoming the first expansion team to defeat the three-time Stanley Cup finalists in the playoffs. While the North Stars ultimately lost in the semi-finals 4–2 to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens under the revised playoff format, they did become the first expansion team to win postseason games against an Original Six opponent.

Offseason

[edit]

Regular season

[edit]

Final standings

[edit]
West Division[1]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1 Chicago Black Hawks 78 49 20 9 277 184 +93 107
2 St. Louis Blues 78 34 25 19 223 208 +15 87
3 Philadelphia Flyers 78 28 33 17 207 225 −18 73
4 Minnesota North Stars 78 28 34 16 191 223 −32 72
5 Los Angeles Kings 78 25 40 13 239 303 −64 63
6 Pittsburgh Penguins 78 21 37 20 221 240 −19 62
7 California Golden Seals 78 20 53 5 199 320 −121 45


Record vs. opponents

[edit]


Schedule and results

[edit]
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1 L October 10, 1970 1–2 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 0–1–0
2 W October 15, 1970 4–2 Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 1–1–0
3 L October 17, 1970 2–3 Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 1–2–0
4 W October 18, 1970 2–1 @ Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 2–2–0
5 W October 21, 1970 3–1 @ Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 3–2–0
6 L October 24, 1970 1–4 New York Rangers (1970–71) 3–3–0
7 W October 28, 1970 2–1 Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 4–3–0
8 W October 31, 1970 3–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 5–3–0
9 L November 1, 1970 0–5 @ Boston Bruins (1970–71) 5–4–0
10 L November 4, 1970 3–4 Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 5–5–0
11 T November 7, 1970 1–1 St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 5–5–1
12 T November 8, 1970 3–3 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 5–5–2
13 W November 11, 1970 3–1 Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 6–5–2
14 T November 14, 1970 3–3 Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 6–5–3
15 W November 17, 1970 5–3 @ St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 7–5–3
16 L November 18, 1970 4–8 Boston Bruins (1970–71) 7–6–3
17 W November 21, 1970 3–0 Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 8–6–3
18 L November 22, 1970 0–2 @ New York Rangers (1970–71) 8–7–3
19 L November 24, 1970 2–3 @ Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 8–8–3
20 W November 27, 1970 3–2 @ California Golden Seals (1970–71) 9–8–3
21 W November 28, 1970 3–2 @ Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 10–8–3
22 W December 2, 1970 3–2 California Golden Seals (1970–71) 11–8–3
23 L December 5, 1970 1–4 Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 11–9–3
24 L December 6, 1970 0–1 @ Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 11–10–3
25 T December 9, 1970 2–2 Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 11–10–4
26 L December 10, 1970 1–6 @ Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 11–11–4
27 W December 12, 1970 1–0 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 12–11–4
28 L December 13, 1970 2–5 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 12–12–4
29 L December 15, 1970 1–2 @ St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 12–13–4
30 T December 16, 1970 1–1 Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 12–13–5
31 L December 19, 1970 3–5 New York Rangers (1970–71) 12–14–5
32 L December 20, 1970 2–7 @ Boston Bruins (1970–71) 12–15–5
33 W December 25, 1970 6–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 13–15–5
34 T December 26, 1970 1–1 @ St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 13–15–6
35 L December 30, 1970 2–6 Boston Bruins (1970–71) 13–16–6
36 L December 31, 1970 1–4 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 13–17–6
37 T January 2, 1971 3–3 @ Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 13–17–7
38 L January 5, 1971 0–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 13–18–7
39 T January 6, 1971 4–4 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 13–18–8
40 L January 9, 1971 0–1 New York Rangers (1970–71) 13–19–8
41 W January 10, 1971 3–2 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 14–19–8
42 T January 14, 1971 3–3 Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 14–19–9
43 L January 16, 1971 3–4 Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 14–20–9
44 W January 17, 1971 2–0 @ Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 15–20–9
45 W January 21, 1971 5–3 St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 16–20–9
46 T January 23, 1971 2–2 Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 16–20–10
47 L January 24, 1971 2–6 @ New York Rangers (1970–71) 16–21–10
48 L January 27, 1971 2–6 @ California Golden Seals (1970–71) 16–22–10
49 W January 29, 1971 2–1 @ Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 17–22–10
50 W January 31, 1971 7–1 California Golden Seals (1970–71) 18–22–10
51 T February 3, 1971 4–4 Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 18–22–11
52 L February 6, 1971 2–6 Chicago Black Hawks (1970–71) 18–23–11
53 T February 7, 1971 4–4 @ Boston Bruins (1970–71) 18–23–12
54 L February 10, 1971 3–4 @ New York Rangers (1970–71) 18–24–12
55 L February 11, 1971 2–6 @ Montreal Canadiens (1970–71) 18–25–12
56 T February 13, 1971 2–2 Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 18–25–13
57 W February 14, 1971 5–4 Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 19–25–13
58 W February 17, 1971 3–2 California Golden Seals (1970–71) 20–25–13
59 L February 18, 1971 3–5 @ Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 20–26–13
60 L February 21, 1971 1–4 Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 20–27–13
61 W February 24, 1971 5–1 Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 21–27–13
62 T February 25, 1971 1–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1970–71) 21–27–14
63 W February 27, 1971 4–2 Detroit Red Wings (1970–71) 22–27–14
64 L February 28, 1971 2–5 @ Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 22–28–14
65 L March 2, 1971 0–6 Boston Bruins (1970–71) 22–29–14
66 W March 6, 1971 3–1 Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 23–29–14
67 W March 7, 1971 3–1 Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 24–29–14
68 W March 10, 1971 4–0 St. Louis Blues (1970–71) 25–29–14
69 T March 13, 1971 0–0 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1970–71) 25–29–15
70 L March 14, 1971 0–5 Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 25–30–15
71 W March 16, 1971 7–2 @ Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 26–30–15
72 W March 21, 1971 6–3 @ Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 27–30–15
73 W March 23, 1971 3–1 Los Angeles Kings (1970–71) 28–30–15
74 T March 25, 1971 2–2 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 28–30–16
75 L March 28, 1971 2–4 @ Buffalo Sabres (1970–71) 28–31–16
76 L March 30, 1971 1–2 Vancouver Canucks (1970–71) 28–32–16
77 L March 31, 1971 1–4 @ California Golden Seals (1970–71) 28–33–16
78 L April 3, 1971 2–3 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1970–71) 28–34–16

Playoffs

[edit]

For the third time in four seasons, the North Stars played the Blues. This time, the North Stars gained the upper hand and won over the Blues after winning three in a row.

Stanley Cup Quarterfinals

Game Date Location Score Record
1 April 7 St. Louis 3–2 1–0
2 April 8 St. Louis 2–4 1–1
3 April 10 Minnesota 0–3 1–2
4 April 11 Minnesota 2–1 2–2
5 April 13 St. Louis 4–3 3–2
6 April 15 Minnesota 5–2 4–2

North Stars win series 4–2

This was the first series played between the Canadiens and the North Stars. Their win on April 24 was the first win by a member of the expansion squad against the original teams in the playoffs.

Stanley Cup Semifinals

Game Date Location Score Record
1 April 20 Montreal 2–7 0–1
2 April 22 Montreal 6–3 1–1
3 April 24 Minnesota 3–6 1–2
4 April 25 Minnesota 5–2 2–2
5 April 27 Montreal 1–6 2–3
6 April 29 Minnesota 2–3 2–4

North Stars lose series 4–2

Player statistics

[edit]

Awards and records

[edit]

Transactions

[edit]

Draft picks

[edit]

Minnesota's draft picks at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
2 17 Buster Harvey  Canada Hamilton Red Wings (OHA)
2 20 Fred Barrett  Canada Toronto Marlboros (OHA)
3 34 Dennis Patterson  Canada Peterborough Petes (OHA)
4 48 Dave Cressman  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHA)
5 62 Hank Lehvonen  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHA)
6 76 Murray McNeil  Canada Calgary Centennials (WCHL)
7 89 Gary Geldart  Canada London Knights (OHA)
8 101 Mickey Donaldson  Canada Peterborough Petes (OHA)

Farm teams

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1970–1971 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  2. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
[edit]