4-2 at the Civic Center. Two nights later, the club extended their winning streak to two, as Hartford beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1, with goaltender Greg Millen making 29 saves for the win. Following a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks on January 23, the Whalers fired head coach Larry Kish, and replaced him with Larry Pleau. Kish led the Whalers to a 12-32-5 record in 49 games. Under Pleau, the Whalers won their first game, 5-2 against the Quebec Nordiques, ending their four-game losing streak, followed by a 2-2 tie against the Winnipeg Jets to finish the month of January. The Whalers finished the month with a 3-10-1 record in 14 games, and an overall record of 13-32-6, getting 32 points, and were now 22 points behind the fourth place Quebec Nordiques for the last playoff spot in the Adams Division. February Hartford started off February on a sour note, as they lost 12-3 against the Quebec Nordiques, setting a club record for goals allowed in a game. That loss was the first in a four-game losing streak. The Whalers snapped their losing streak with a 4-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the New York Islanders on the road. Hartford's Mark Johnson was the star of the game, as he recorded a hat trick. The Whalers won their next game, a 5-3 decision over the Toronto Maple Leafs to extend their winning streak to two. After a loss against the Los Angeles Kings by a 5-2 score, Hartford would defeat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1, posting a 3-1-0 record in their past four games. The team then lost their final five games of the month, including a loss by an 11-3 score to the New York Rangers on February 23. Hartford had another losing month, going 3-10-0 in 13 games, falling to 16-42-6 for the season, earning 38 points, and 28 points behind the Quebec Nordiques for the fourth and final playoff position in the Adams Division. March/April After dropping their first three games of March, the Whalers replaced head coach Larry Pleau with John Cunniff. Pleau coached the Whalers to a 4-13-1 record in 18 games. In his first game as the Whalers head coach, Cunniff lost to the Edmonton Oilers 9-4, a game in which Wayne Gretzky scored a hat trick and an assist for four points. In his next game against the New