God Bless Canada
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When he could stay healthy, Dave Poulin was definitely a perennial top 5 defensive forward, up there with guys like Carbo, Tik and Otto. Staying healthy was the problem - he never played more than 70 games from 1987-88 through 1991-92. He might have started as a figure skater when he was a kid, but you'd be surprised how many hockey players took figure skating at some point. He was very tough to play against. Jiri Holik was a fine player, but in terms of defensive presence (which is what I look for from a fourth liner) I want Poulin.
Ron Hextall once took ballet to improve his flexibility. I don't think anybody ever referred to Hextall as a ballet dancer.
It's one thing for the KLM Line to be able to put up points against Gainey in the Canada Cup. It's another thing to do it against Gainey AND Provost in a best-of-seven. Anything can happen in a best-of-one. The 1981 Canada Cup is proof of that. But in a seven-game series? That's much more impressive. Gainey and Provost are likely the two best for their role in this draft. Murphy2 has both of them. Gainey-Provost-Sutter won't outscore the KLM. But if the KLM line can average a goal a game, that would be impressive. The other element facing the KLM line is they will be in tough against any Edmonton line. Makarov wilted facing a lot less than Brian Sutter in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In a best-of-seven division final, I'll take Fleury over Kovalchuk in a heartbeat. Fleury led the playoffs in scoring in the first round three straight years. He was not a reason that Calgary lost in the first round all those times. A Messier-Fleury tandem will be deadly in this series, and they will form Calgary's best line. Kovalchuk hasn't been in the playoffs before, but remember this: he was pointless in Atlanta's final three games last year, when they so desperately needed offence. Of course, Anderson-Tkachuk matchup would be almost as favourable for Edmonton as the Fleury-Kovalchuk matchup is for Calgary. I would take Messier over Kennedy, but it definitely wouldn't be an easy decision.
Brian Sutter isn't on the Sittler line because he was a dominant goal scorer. He's on that line to hit people, to create room for Sittler and MacDonald and to finish the chances that they create. I'm not a big stats guy, but Brian Sutter did have three straight years with at least 35 goals and 225 PIMs, and he had three more 30-goal seasons. He's a great combination of grit, goals and guile. Tiger Williams was a great bookend for the Sittler-MacDonald duo in Toronto. Sutter will be even better.
Ron Hextall once took ballet to improve his flexibility. I don't think anybody ever referred to Hextall as a ballet dancer.
It's one thing for the KLM Line to be able to put up points against Gainey in the Canada Cup. It's another thing to do it against Gainey AND Provost in a best-of-seven. Anything can happen in a best-of-one. The 1981 Canada Cup is proof of that. But in a seven-game series? That's much more impressive. Gainey and Provost are likely the two best for their role in this draft. Murphy2 has both of them. Gainey-Provost-Sutter won't outscore the KLM. But if the KLM line can average a goal a game, that would be impressive. The other element facing the KLM line is they will be in tough against any Edmonton line. Makarov wilted facing a lot less than Brian Sutter in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In a best-of-seven division final, I'll take Fleury over Kovalchuk in a heartbeat. Fleury led the playoffs in scoring in the first round three straight years. He was not a reason that Calgary lost in the first round all those times. A Messier-Fleury tandem will be deadly in this series, and they will form Calgary's best line. Kovalchuk hasn't been in the playoffs before, but remember this: he was pointless in Atlanta's final three games last year, when they so desperately needed offence. Of course, Anderson-Tkachuk matchup would be almost as favourable for Edmonton as the Fleury-Kovalchuk matchup is for Calgary. I would take Messier over Kennedy, but it definitely wouldn't be an easy decision.
Brian Sutter isn't on the Sittler line because he was a dominant goal scorer. He's on that line to hit people, to create room for Sittler and MacDonald and to finish the chances that they create. I'm not a big stats guy, but Brian Sutter did have three straight years with at least 35 goals and 225 PIMs, and he had three more 30-goal seasons. He's a great combination of grit, goals and guile. Tiger Williams was a great bookend for the Sittler-MacDonald duo in Toronto. Sutter will be even better.