*Closed* 16 years of Champions Bracket [R1] - 6. ANAHEIM 2007 vs 11. BOSTON 2011

[Tufted Titmouse]

Pick which team you think would win in a 7 game series.

Look at Tim Thomas stats I thought this one would be Anaheim easily, but it's actually a lot closer than I expected.

Playoff stats

ANAHEIM 2007						BOSTON 2011
Player	GP	G	A	PTS		Player	GP	G	A	PTS
Ryan Getzlaf	21​	7​	10​	17​		David Krejci	25​	12​	11​	23​
Corey Perry	21​	6​	9​	15​		Patrice Bergeron	23​	6​	14​	20​
Teemu Selänne*	21​	5​	10​	15​		Brad Marchand	25​	11​	8​	19​
Chris Pronger*	19​	3​	12​	15​		Nathan Horton	21​	8​	9​	17​
Andy McDonald	21​	10​	4​	14​		Michael Ryder	25​	8​	9​	17​
Travis Moen	21​	7​	5​	12​		Mark Recchi*	25​	5​	9​	14​
Samuel Pahlsson	21​	3​	9​	12​		Chris Kelly	25​	5​	8​	13​
Scott Niedermayer*	21​	3​	8​	11​		Milan Lucic	25​	5​	7​	12​
Rob Niedermayer	21​	5​	5​	10​		Rich Peverley	25​	4​	8​	12​
Francois Beauchemin	20​	4​	4​	8​		Dennis Seidenberg	25​	1​	10​	11​
Dustin Penner	21​	3​	5​	8​		Tomas Kaberle	25​	0​	11​	11​
Chris Kunitz	13​	1​	5​	6​		Andrew Ference	25​	4​	6​	10​
Todd Marchant	11​	0​	3​	3​		Johnny Boychuk	25​	3​	6​	9​
Ric Jackman	7​	1​	1​	2​		Zdeno Chara	24​	2​	7​	9​
Sean O'Donnell	21​	0​	2​	2​		Tyler Seguin	13​	3​	4​	7​
Kent Huskins	21​	0​	1​	1​		Daniel Paille	25​	3​	3​	6​
Brad May	18​	0​	1​	1​		Gregory Campbell	25​	1​	3​	4​
Ilya Bryzgalov	5​	0​	0​	0​		Adam McQuaid	23​	0​	4​	4​
Ryan Carter	4​	0​	0​	0​		Shawn Thornton	18​	0​	1​	1​
Joe DiPenta	16​	0​	0​	0​		Shane Hnidy	3​	0​	0​	0​
Jean-Sebastien Giguere	18​	0​	0​	0​		Tim Thomas	25​	0​	0​	0​
Mark Hartigan	1​	0​	0​	0​
Drew Miller	3​	0​	0​	0​
Joe Motzko	3​	0​	0​	0​
George Parros	5​	0​	0​	0​
Aaron Rome	1​	0​	0​	0​
Ryan Shannon	11​	0​	0​	0​
Shawn Thornton	15​	0​	0​	0​
Player	GP	SV%	GAA	Gs_above_avg_po		Player	GP	SV%	GAA	Gs_above_avg_po
Jean-Sebastien Giguere	18​	0.922​	1.97​	1.6​		Tim Thomas	25​	0.94​	1.98​	20.7​
Ilya Bryzgalov	5​	0.922​	2.25​	0.4​

Full bracket - teams seeded by regular season win%.

Looks like the winner of this round will face the juggernaught 2008 Detroit Red Wings team.

Click to read more...

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bruins in 7.

Goalies and D groups are even, the Bruins team had better scoring depth for the edge. Ryder/Kelly/Seguin(or Peverley) is a mismatch of a 3rd line and Thornton/Campbell/Paille being able to take a shift against any line is key.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Ducks pretty easily.

 

[banks]

Anaheim. But I'll admit that I followed that cup run closely, and didn't follow the Bruins in 2011.

The Pronger-Niedermayer pairing was the best I've ever seen. It felt like they played 45 minutes per game.

 

[JaegerDice]

Ducks win, even with Thomas going nuclear in the net. A banged up 2011 Canucks team took these Bruins to 7, a healthy ducks team would probably beat them in 5 or 6.

The 2013 Bruins team was better than the one that actually won the cup.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'll take the Bruins here. They are the rare team that would not be bullied or even bothered by the 2007 Ducks. Anaheim has the stellar defensive pair, but the Bruins are better at both C and G. And I think Boston has slightly better scoring depth, which becomes really meaningful in a series where the top stars are getting manhandled by the likes of Pronger and Chara.

IMO, the scoring depth and goaltending superiority tilts the balance in a 7-game series. This would be an absolute classic if it could happen in real life.

 

[irishsetter13]

Ducks easily. Everyone always forgets how dominant the Ducks 3rd line (Pahlsson, Moen and R. Niedermayer) was during this run. Each player scored at least 10 points and Pahlsson was a +10 going against opponents top lines every single night.

Moen, R. Niedermayer and Pahlsson outscored Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley 5 to 2 in the series not counting Powerplays. That trio could shutdown anyone they wanted that season.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

If we're assuming Horton is out of the series I think the Ducks have a pretty solid edge. I wouldn't be surprised if May or Penner just straight up run Thomas.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Ducks easily. Everyone always forgets how dominant the Ducks 3rd line (Pahlsson, Moen and R. Niedermayer) was during this run. Each player scored at least 10 points and Pahlsson was a +10 going against opponents top lines every single night.

Moen, R. Niedermayer and Pahlsson outscored Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley 5 to 2 in the series not counting Powerplays. That trio could shutdown anyone they wanted that season.

The Bruins 3rd line scored 42 points and were +25 in the 2011 playoffs

 

[LightningStorm]

Would be a very nasty and physical series between 2 teams who backed down to no one. I'd pick the Ducks in 6-7 games, as they had a little more gamebreaking ability on offense along with their shutdown 3rd line and the superstar pair of Pronger and Niedermayer, giving them 2 elite defenders vs the one the Bruins had in Chara. Thomas would always give the Bruins a chance here though.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

The Bruins 3rd line scored 42 points and were +25 in the 2011 playoffs

Ducks 3rd line scored 32 in 63 games +23... playing 4 less games.... and i think the Anaheim trio played more mins on a nightly basis. I cant speak for the Bruins 3rd line as i dont remember them exactly... but the anaheim trio was jumping onto the ice everytime the other teams top line was out. That line prob didnt have the offensive upside of the bruins trio.... but man they blanketed the other teams top lines.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Ducks for sure, Pronger-Niedermayer was an insanely overpowered top pairing

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I'll take the Bruins here. They are the rare team that would not be bullied or even bothered by the 2007 Ducks. Anaheim has the stellar defensive pair, but the Bruins are better at both C and G. And I think Boston has slightly better scoring depth, which becomes really meaningful in a series where the top stars are getting manhandled by the likes of Pronger and Chara.

IMO, the scoring depth and goaltending superiority tilts the balance in a 7-game series. This would be an absolute classic if it could happen in real life.

That's a good point. Imagine a prime Looch and Chara vs that Ducks team? What a war.

The Bruins 3rd line scored 42 points and were +25 in the 2011 playoffs

I remember Rich Pevs being quite the story. I hated the trade but he was a good performer if I am not mistaken.

I think this is the closest of all the round 1 matchups. Very tough call. I went Anaheim but it's really hard to justify when I look back on Tim Thomas' insane performances that year. He went super saiyan more than a few times.

Oddly enough, I barely remember Selanne being on the Ducks that year. I mostly remember that top pairing, and the two kids coming into their own.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

That's a good point. Imagine a prime Looch and Chara vs that Ducks team? What a war.


I remember Rich Pevs being quite the story. I hated the trade but he was a good performer if I am not mistaken.

I think this is the closest of all the round 1 matchups. Very tough call. I went Anaheim but it's really hard to justify when I look back on Tim Thomas' insane performances that year. He went super saiyan more than a few times.

Oddly enough, I barely remember Selanne being on the Ducks that year. I mostly remember that top pairing, and the two kids coming into their own.

Yeah, Peverley was a key factor for sure in that run. Both in helping the 3rd line play at a 1st/2nd line level and jumping up to Krejci's wing in the Finals when Horton went down.

It really is a coin flip.

The Ducks have the better top pair, but 1-6 it's a dead heat.

Goalies are a wash, both have a history of red hot playoffs and both have a Smythe.

The only potential advantage I saw, and even it is slight, was I think the Bruins have slightly stronger scoring depth. Mostly being able to run out a 2nd line of Bergeron-Marchand-Recchi and the 4th line of Thornton-Paille-Campbell being able to (and doing so in the playoffs) take a regular shift against top 6 lines. Even then it's not a big enough edge to make a definitive call between the 2 teams.

And with Chara, Lucic, Boychuk, Thornton, McQuaid, Horton the Bruins aren't going to be pushed around or bullied by Anaheim.

 

[GMR]

The two most physical teams over the last 15 years. I'd give the Ducks the edge.

Anaheim. But I'll admit that I followed that cup run closely, and didn't follow the Bruins in 2011.

The Pronger-Niedermayer pairing was the best I've ever seen. It felt like they played 45 minutes per game.

They weren't paired together though. I believe Pronger played with O'Donnell and Niedermayer with Beauchemin.

 

[bsu]

I'd bet that Ducks team against anyone but I'm also a little biased. That team was very hard to play against.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I'd bet that Ducks team against anyone but I'm also a little biased. That team was very hard to play against.

If they win this round, they will have tough competition next round too - DET 2008.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Now THIS would have been a super interesting series. Old-time hockey.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

If they win this round, they will have tough competition next round too - DET 2008.

They played then in between season(07-08), 7 game series that prob could have gone either way.

And Anaheim played them in their cup run(4-2 Anaheim)

Not sure what the differences on Detroit rosters was from those 2 prior seasons to the cup year.

 

[HanSolo]

Ducks easily. Everyone always forgets how dominant the Ducks 3rd line (Pahlsson, Moen and R. Niedermayer) was during this run. Each player scored at least 10 points and Pahlsson was a +10 going against opponents top lines every single night.

Moen, R. Niedermayer and Pahlsson outscored Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley 5 to 2 in the series not counting Powerplays. That trio could shutdown anyone they wanted that season.

This.

That's a good point. Imagine a prime Looch and Chara vs that Ducks team? What a war.


I remember Rich Pevs being quite the story. I hated the trade but he was a good performer if I am not mistaken.

I think this is the closest of all the round 1 matchups. Very tough call. I went Anaheim but it's really hard to justify when I look back on Tim Thomas' insane performances that year. He went super saiyan more than a few times.

Oddly enough, I barely remember Selanne being on the Ducks that year. I mostly remember that top pairing, and the two kids coming into their own.

I mean playoffs I could understand despite him scoring the most important goal of the whole playoff run (Game 5 OT winner against Detroit) but the guy was four goals shy of tying for the Rocket Richard and had 94 points at 36 years old. Shouldn't have been that unmemorable.

 

[Paul4587]

Ducks quite easily IMO. They had a three headed monster on defense that Boston doesn’t come close to matching, the best shut down line in the league at the time, an emerging Getzlaf and Perry anchoring the second line and the McDonald Selanne duo who combined for 82 goals that season on the first line.

Forwards wise I think it’s a slight edge to Anaheim, the Ducks had an immensely better blueline and the Bruins were better in net although Jiggy was one of the most clutch playoff goalies I’ve ever seen and he was in his prime in 06-07.

 

[Master P]

That Ducks team would absolutely destroy Boston. Both physically and on the score board. Ducks in 4.

 

[McGarnagle]

It would go to game 7 and whoever wins the fight between Shawn Thornton and Shawn Thornton would have the emotional boost to win with a late goal.