Pre-WWII Draft Semi-Finals - Regina Pats vs. Portage Lakes Hockey Club

[BenchBrawl]

Coach: Art Ross
Assistant: Frank Patrick

Sweeney Schriner - Newsy Lalonde - Eddie Oatman (C)
Jack Walker (A) - Nels Stewart - Ace Bailey
Tommy Anderson - Tommy Dunderdale - Atty Howard
Goldie Prodger(s) - Jack Adams - Billy Boucher

Babe Siebert - Hod Stuart (A)
Jack Campbell - Ott Heller
Lloyd Cook - Bert Corbeau

Georges Vezina
Billy Nicholson

Spares: Tom Hooper - Herb Cain

PP1: Schriner-Stewart-Lalonde-Campbell-Cook
PP2: Adams-Dunderdale-Howard-Siebert-Stuart
PK1: Walker-Bailey-Siebert-Heller
PK2: - Oatman-Prodger(s)-Stuart-Corbeau


Vs.


Portage Lakes Hockey Club

Coach: Tommy Gorman

Cy Denneny - Frank Nighbor (A) - Didier Pitre
Smokey Harris - Dan Bain - Bernie Morris
Murray Murdoch - Billy Burch - Larry Aurie
Rusty Crawford - Harry Trihey - Art Farrell
Butch Keeling, Cecil Blachford

Moose Johnson - Dit Clapper (C)
Hap Day - Lester Patrick (A)
Clem Loughlin - Red Dutton
Bucko McDonald

Tiny Thompson
Tom Paton

PP1:

Denneny - Bain - Pitre - Johnson - Clapper

PP2:

Burch - Trihey - Morris - Loughlin - Patrick

PK1:

Nighbor - Murdoch - Johnson - Clapper

PK2:

Crawford - Aurie - Day - Dutton

​

@seventieslord
@Habsfan18

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[seventieslord]

I really like Regina's star power here. Portage Lakes has a lot of steady eddies but I don't know if they have enough stars. Despite having the best player in the series (and a top-2 player in this draft).

Regina has a surprising number of players who were perceived as the best or most valuable player in hockey at one time or another: Lalonde goes without saying, Stewart won two Harts, Vezina has a case (but not an airtight one), Anderson and Siebert both came up with unlikely Harts, Stuart was seen as the top player for a year or two, and Campbell seems to have been the top choice for the superstar of hockey for at least a season.

On the other side, you've got Nighbor, no doubt, and Bain would have to count. Burch came up with an unlikely Hart similar to Siebert/Anderson. But that's it.

I'm not saying it's definitive proof of the respective qualities of our teams. But it's one indicator, at least. In a long series you need players with that star quality who can make a game-changing play.

@TheDevilMadeMe made an excellent post a long time ago explaining why star power is important. It was detailed and in point form. I wish I could find it, but it was too long ago. In any case, since then I've always been partial to having a player who can drive a line, and not a fan of the whole "let's add up all our VsX scores" approach. I'll take a line that's 100+60+60 over a 75+75+75 anytime, because there's just one puck and if you've got the 100+60+60 line, sometimes that puck is on the stick of the 100 guy.

 

[seventieslord]

Some easy things to compare:

- Regina's surely got better goaltending. Vezina's the best goalie in this thing, and Thompson is just ok.

- Ross is a more qualified coach, though Gorman is good too. Both our coaches have had books written about them. Ross' record is just so much more extensive. I will say this about Gorman, he made the most of his limited playoff opportunities. Less than half as many total NHL games coached, and he still came out with the same 2 cups Ross did. It could be said that Ross was outcoached occasionally in the playoffs, particularly in those times when Boston lost out to a lesser team. Too set in his ways? Who can say. But just in case, Frank Patrick's out-of-the-box thinking should help ensure that doesn't happen this time.

 

[BenchBrawl]

@seventieslord
@Habsfan18

I'll give until Tuesday then open voting, if that's alright with you.

 

[Habsfan18]

Hoping to find the time to comment on this tonight or tomorrow. If not, feel free to just move on with the votes.

 

[Habsfan18]

Congrats on the series win @seventieslord! Well deserved. I apologize for not having any time for this. Just too busy. We’ve had a lot going on in our personal lives over the past number of months and my heart just hasn’t been in it.

Good luck in the final!