The Hockey Unknows : Chris Kontos

Christopher T. Kontos (born December 10, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario) is a former National Hockey League forward who is best known for his surprising 9 goals in 11 playoff games while he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings and his shocking franchise opening night 4 goal performance (with the Tampa Bay Lightning) against that season's Vezina Trophy winner Ed Belfour.
During the 1981–82 OHL season he scored 42 goals, and after the season was drafted with the 15th selection in the first round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. He split his time in both the NHL and minor leagues in his first two seasons.

He was member of the Tulsa Oilers (CHL) team that suspended operations on February 16, 1984, playing only road games for final six weeks of 1983-84 season. Despite this adversity, the team went on to win the league's championship.^[1] Kontos spent the first half of 1985–86 playing in Finland before returning to finish the year in the AHL. On January 21, 1987, Kontos was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Ron Duguay, finishing his tenure with the Rangers with 38 points in 78 games. He would score 25 points in 67 games with the Penguins over two seasons before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings on February 5, 1988.

He played only six regular season games for the Kings in 87–88 tallying 12 points (another career highlight was a 6 point game against Chicago where Kontos had 1 goal and 5 assists), and scored a goal in his first NHL playoffs. The following year, after returning from playing in Switzerland he scored three points in seven games, and his 9 playoff goals would help the Kings advance to the second round. He played only 11 games (6 regular season, 5 playoff) with Los Angeles after the 1988–89 playoff run, and decided to join the Canadian National Team in 1991–92.

When the Tampa Bay Lightning started play in 1992–93, Kontos signed on as a free agent. His surprising 4 goal-performance led the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7–3 shocker of the Chicago Blackhawks on October 7, 1992. He scored 27 goals in 66 games, second only to Brian Bradley. His Lightning record 4 goals in one game has since been tied by Martin St. Louis in 2014. He would return to the National Team in 93–94, help Canada win a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics losing to Sweden in a heartbreaking shoot out after overtime. Kontos continued to play in Sweden for(Skellefteå AIK 94-95), the IHL and Germany before retiring in 1998.

 

 

Awards :

He won the 1983-84 CHL Championship (Adams Cup) as a member of the Tulsa Oilers ^[2] team coached by Tom Webster.

 

 

Stats :

CH : Le Lightning complète une saison parfaite contre le Canadien

source : radio-canada.ca

Le Lightning l'a emporté 5-3 contre le Canadien lundi soir au Centre Bell pour balayer la série de cinq matchs entre les deux équipes cette saison.

Il n'y a rien à faire: le Lightning de Tampa Bay a le numéro du Canadien cette saison. Même privé de quelques éléments importants, le Lightning a fait la barbe au Tricolore.

En complétant le coup de balai, l'équipe de la Floride s'est approchée à un point du Canadien, qui trône au sommet de la section Atlantique (102-101).

Vladislav Namestnikov a dirigé l'attaque des vainqueurs, avec deux buts et une passe. Jonathan Drouin, son troisième, Nikita Kucherov et Anton Stralman, en plus d'une aide, ont été les autres contributeurs à l'attaque. Ondrej Palat a amassé deux passes, tout comme le gardien Ben Bishop!

Bishop a terminé la soirée à une passe du record de la LNH pour un gardien, que possède Jeff Reese depuis 1993.

Max Pacioretty, son 37e, Jeff Petry et P.K. Subban ont fourni la réplique.
Price a subi la mitraille de 43 tirs du Lightning tandis que Bishop a été mis à l'épreuve 28 fois.


CH foudroyé

Après avoir tenu bon au premier vingt grâce au brio de Price, le Canadien a été dévoré tout rond en deuxième période. C'en était gênant, on aurait dit deux équipes de calibres différents.

Surclassé 31-13 dans les tirs, le Tricolore pouvait s'estimer chanceux de n'accuser qu'un retard de deux buts (3-1) avant la troisième.

Même Bishop avait un plaisir fou devant son filet, en ayant prêté son coucours à deux filets des siens.

Michel Therrien en a eu assez avec 10:24 à jouer et il s'est prévalu du temps d'arrrêt à sa disponibilité afin de secouer les puces de ses troupiers. Rien n'y fit. Le rouleau compresseur ne s'est pas arrêté.

L'indiscipline de Weise

À 1:24, Namestnikov avait commencé le bal en profitant d'une relance ultrarapide des visiteurs pendant que les hôtes procédaient à un changement de joueurs.

Dale Weise a par la suite écopé d'une double pénalité mineure coûteuse, la seconde pour conduite antisportive. L'entraîneur n'a pas apprécié et Weise a été cloué au banc pour le reste de la période.

Pacioretty a créé l'égalité en infériorité, à 4:24, en faisant mal paraître Bishop à l'aide d'un long tir sur réception.

Mais le Lightning a rappliqué avec la vitesse de l'éclair, à 4:57. Stralman a envoyé Drouin en échappée de la ligne bleue adverse et le jeune Québécois a mystifié Price.

Kucherov a doublé l'avance des siens avant la fin, à 18:07, en complétant la stratégie de Palat et de Namestnikov.

Sursaut d'énergie

Sûrement piqué au vif par les huées du public à l'issue de l'engagement, le CH est revenu fort.
Le défenseur Petry a fait 3-2 dès la 29e seconde du dernier vingt, à la suite de la mise au jeu remportée par Lars Eller en territoire ennemi.

Mais Namestnikov est venu refroidir les ardeurs de tout le monde en déjouant Price du côté du bloqueur, à 6:13.

Les visiteurs ont repris l'initiative jusqu'à ce que Subban ne ravive l'espoir pendant une attaque massive à 16:10.

On a alors assisté à une fin de match enlevante. Alex Galchenyuk a frappé la barre horizontale au moment où on avait retiré Price du filet.

Stralman a clôturé le débat en envoyant le disque dans le filet abandonné à 57 secondes de la fin.

Player of the day : Chris Kontos #player #day #hockey #icehockey

Christopher T. Kontos (born December 10, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario) is a former National Hockey League forward who is best known for his surprising 9 goals in 11 playoff games while he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings and his shocking franchise opening night 4 goal performance (with the Tampa Bay Lightning) against that season's Vezina Trophy winner Ed Belfour.
During the 1981–82 OHL season he scored 42 goals, and after the season was drafted with the 15th selection in the first round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. He split his time in both the NHL and minor leagues in his first two seasons.

He was member of the Tulsa Oilers (CHL) team that suspended operations on February 16, 1984, playing only road games for final six weeks of 1983-84 season. Despite this adversity, the team went on to win the league's championship.^[1] Kontos spent the first half of 1985–86 playing in Finland before returning to finish the year in the AHL. On January 21, 1987, Kontos was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Ron Duguay, finishing his tenure with the Rangers with 38 points in 78 games. He would score 25 points in 67 games with the Penguins over two seasons before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings on February 5, 1988.

He played only six regular season games for the Kings in 87–88 tallying 12 points (another career highlight was a 6 point game against Chicago where Kontos had 1 goal and 5 assists), and scored a goal in his first NHL playoffs. The following year, after returning from playing in Switzerland he scored three points in seven games, and his 9 playoff goals would help the Kings advance to the second round. He played only 11 games (6 regular season, 5 playoff) with Los Angeles after the 1988–89 playoff run, and decided to join the Canadian National Team in 1991–92.

When the Tampa Bay Lightning started play in 1992–93, Kontos signed on as a free agent. His surprising 4 goal-performance led the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7–3 shocker of the Chicago Blackhawks on October 7, 1992. He scored 27 goals in 66 games, second only to Brian Bradley. His Lightning record 4 goals in one game has since been tied by Martin St. Louis in 2014. He would return to the National Team in 93–94, help Canada win a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics losing to Sweden in a heartbreaking shoot out after overtime. Kontos continued to play in Sweden for(Skellefteå AIK 94-95), the IHL and Germany before retiring in 1998.

 

 

Awards :

He won the 1983-84 CHL Championship (Adams Cup) as a member of the Tulsa Oilers ^[2] team coached by Tom Webster.

 

 

Stats :