BenchBrawl
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2010
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Coach: Toe Blake
Toe Blake (A) - Wayne Gretzky (C) - Sergei Makarov
Frank Mahovlich - Bryan Trottier (A) - Andy Bathgate
Patrick Elias - Milt Schmidt - Corey Perry
Gary Roberts - Anze Kopitar - Punch Broadbent
Chris Pronger - Mark Howe
Jan Suchy - Bill Quackenbush
Moose Johnson - Sergei Gonchar
Glenn Hall
Pekka Rinne
PP1: Gretzky
Makarov - Trottier - Bathgate
Pronger
PP2: Schmidt
Mahovlich - Blake - Bathgate
Howe
PK1: Trottier - Elias
Pronger - Quackenbush
PK2: Kopitar - Broadbent
Howe - Johnson
Gretzky-Makarov are so good that I don't think their style really matters; they are too smart not to find a way to break the defenses apart. Toe Blake is OK to complement them. Maybe you already responded as to why you didn't pick Dickie Moore, but I could sorta see the point, although personally I would have gone with Moore anyway, because I suspect he was better than Blake even in the intangibles department. I could be wrong.
I know Bathgate had a powerful shot, but we need to settle his so-called playmaking bias, that might have been superficially created by him playing the PP point. Is Bathgate "sniper" enough to play the Bossy role, stylistically speaking? Not a fan of Mahovlich to complement them, I would rather see a player who brings a bit of intangibles to support Trottier. That said it's a very skilled 2nd line, can't take that away from it. Aesthetically, I'm not inspired by this 2nd line, even tho I see the individual value of its components.
Milt Schmidt is magnificent, and I hadn't realized this to the fullest extent until I picked him and made a bio for him last year. He was truly a Mark Messier, a true Boston legend, an ambassador. He is an elite 3rd liner. Elias and Perry are alright there. They both bring their own intangibles.
4th line is solid, Kopitar-Broadbent are a great combo.
I'm among the biggest Pronger supporters, but he is no #1D at this level. Basically, I like the Pronger-Howe pairing, but they are relatively very week in terms of value.
Suchy-Quackenbush is a nice fit, although do we know if Suchy played on the left side?
Moose-Gonchar is a classic defense-offense complementarity, and in terms of value they are solid for a bottom pair.
But overall, your blueline is a major weakness, because while it is reasonably deep, it really lacks BOTH a strong #1D and a strong #2D.
Glenn Hall is a top goalie, Rinne is an OK backup.
Special teams: 1st PP unit is great IMO, and your PK is alright. Why draft Gonchar if not playing him on the PP? I'd put him over Howe, who was more of an ES force IIRC.
Leadership: Please give an "A" to Milt Schmidt, easily. It's a solid leadership group regardless.
Overall, an interesting Gretzky team. The Gretzky-Makarov combo is unusual (many top line duos are this year, it's rather strange and fascinating). The center line is incredible, and Trottier and Schmidt are nightmares to play against, and then you have Gretzky. Your team will live or die on your center line. Your blueline is a major weakness. Goalie is a strength.
Toe Blake is a top coach, not sure how the team really fits with him, but I guess any team can fit with him. Trottier being on the 1st PK wave is not something I think Blake would have done tho, wasn't he notorious for only playing role players on the Pk (hence Henri Richard seldom played PK)? Anyway, not the end of the world.
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