Best playoff performance by a defenseman...

Blades of Glory

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Feb 12, 2006
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What do you think is the best overall playoff performance by a defenseman in modern NHL history? I'm only 23, so of the years I've watched, it's without a doubt, IMO, Brian Leetch's 1994.

Some of the older guys, what were some of the most legendary performances? I'm sure names like Orr, Robinson, and Potvin will come up.
 

tape-2-tape

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Nov 8, 2005
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#4 had his greatest playoff performance in 1971-72 and that playoff/Cup run speaks for it's self. :bow:


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brianscot

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Paul Coffey immediately comes to mind. In the Oilers cup winning year of 84-85:

Gp G A Pts Pm
18 12 25 37 44

The main thing that I remember about Potvin's playoffs was during 79-80, when after having an injury filled regular season, he came on and QB'd the team towards the cup.
 

dbbourn

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Aug 22, 2005
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Probably not the best but very memorable for Montreal and LA fans...

Eric Desjardins - 20GP 4G 10A 14P in 92/93, which includes a hat-trick after the "Marty McSorley Stick Incident."

XM radio was happy to remind us of this game not too long ago...

If you want to go by points alone I guess you can add Orr (24 pts in 1972), Coffey (37 pts in 1985), Potvin(25 pts in 1981), Borque(25 pts in 1991),
But I think the closest to Coffey's #'s would be:
Leetch (34 pts in 1994)

Could be wrong though...
 

SML

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The 94 playoffs by Brian Leetch were the best performance night after night that I've ever seen a defenseman put on. It was easily the best stretch of hockey of Leetch's career. I really don't think he ever reached that level again, and that's no slight on the rest fo a very good career. But I've never seen a guy dominate both ends of the ice that way. Granted, Orr was before my time, but Leetch was unreal in 94.
 

PACaptain

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Desjardins probably had the best single game performance during the finals against Los Angeles but let me throw in a non-statistical dominant performance, Scott Stevens in 2002 playoffs. He was a force to be reckoned with every time he was on the ice.
 

norrisnick

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Desjardins probably had the best single game performance during the finals against Los Angeles but let me throw in a non-statistical dominant performance, Scott Stevens in 2002 playoffs. He was a force to be reckoned with every time he was on the ice.

'00 you mean? Lidstrom had a nice one in '02 tho.
 

Ol' Jase

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Stevens in 2000 gets my vote.

HM: Leetch - 94, Dejardains(sp) - 93, Potvin - 81
 

God Bless Canada

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Tim Horton set a then-playoff scoring record for defencemen in 1962 with 16 points in 12 games. At a time when defencemen didn't jump up into the play. And you can be sure that Horton continued to provide his rock-solid defensive play.

Horton's skill is always underrated. People often associate the strength, the Horton bearhug, as well as the defensive play and the smarts. But the guy moved the puck very well, he had very good speed and he had a bullet of a shot from the point. He was the all-time leader in games played for defencemen for over two decades.
 

justsomeguy

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Looks like a good place to mention one of my childhood heros, Jean-Claude Tremblay. Orr aside, probably the best defenceman in postseason play in the 60s and early 70s.

In 1966 he led the Habs in postseaon scoring with 11 points in 10 game on the way to the Cup, all the while playing as sound a game defensively as anyone around. He was considered a prime candidate for the Conn Smythe but that was the year they started to give it to losing goaltenders as sort of a consolation prize.

In 1971, coming off a season that had him finish fourth in scoring on the Habs, ahead of folks like Richard, Lemaire and Pete Mahovlich, he got 17 points on the way to yet another Cup, potting the Cup-winner for good measure. Once again he lost out on the Smythe to a goaltender. Some university kid with 6 NHL games under his belt when playoffs began.

More than just an offensive defenceman, Tremblay was airtight defending his end. Great skater, puckhandler and able to hit a moving target from anywhere on the ice. And then there were the penalties he killed almost single-handed. One of the smartest players of his generation and one of the most underrated.
 

CanuckistanFlyerfan

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Bryan McCabe's performance in 2004 is up there. How many game winners did he orchestrate? Of course, they were all for the Flyers. :sarcasm:
 

Big Phil

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In order IMO.

Orr 1972
Leetch 1994
MacInnis 1989
Stevens 2000

Stevens believe it or not had only 11 points in that playoff. But as we all know he struck fear into everyone every second he was on the ice. His presence that year was just unbearable. This isnt just the Lindros hit I'm talking about, even before that. When they played the Leafs in the second round I cringed every time Stevens was on the ice just cause I knew no one would get by him. I remember him giving Domi a huge open ice hit and when Stevens did that I remember them being done. Tie was still possibly the most feared enforcer at the time and to me that showed the Leafs that Stevens would even nail their toughest guy.

I'd be lying if I siad I witnessed Horton's '62 playoff. But on stats alone, plus we all know the way Tim played, you'd have to have thought he'd have walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy that year if it was around.
 

GSK*

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84-85 palyoffs, 37 points in 18 games for Paul Coffey.


Stevens in 00, Leetch in 94, Desjardins 93, and everytime Savayd, Orr and Potvin was in playoffs :)
 

Christ

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Well, the majority of the damage came in one game, so I'm gonna assume it was only one game winner ;)

What is always lost from that playoff is that up until that game McCabe had done very well in the playoffs. Him and Leetch had been two of the principle contributers on the Leaf squad to the Leafs defeating the Senators and the two of them had been the leading scorers among defensemen in the playoffs...
 

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