1992-93 Washington Capitals Top 4 Defensemen (Historical Significance/Thoughts)

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Mid-30s Adam Oates, even though still a great playmaker, wasn't enough to win the Cup even with peak Bondra on the wings. Consider what the teams they would have to go through for the Cup had.

 

[brachyrynchos]

None of them got 20 after that season.
Iafrate had his slapshot which I think at that season's all star game's skill competition was the hardest on record.
Hatcher at that time was still using his reach and size to his advantage, jumping into the play.
Cote fit in with the Caps, and was pretty good, no flash or dazzle but scored 21, had 16 the following year.
Johansson rounded out the core, and like mentioned earlier he fell short of double digits.
Playoffs that year, Hatcher had 1 assist. Cote 1goal 1 assist. Iafrate had 6. Only Hunter(7) and Iafrate put the puck in the net, Elynuik and Khristich had 2 each.
One of those strange records that will be broken eventually, 3 dmen with 20 could happen in the right system.

 

[Hivemind]

One of those strange records that will be broken eventually, 3 dmen with 20 could happen in the right system.

I think you'll need to see another stylistic shift before we see 3+ defensemen with 20+ goals again. Too many teams running 4 forwards on the powerplay in the current NHL, which, ironically enough, is partially the result of the NHL copying the Adam Oates variation of the 1-3-1 powerplay from Washington. Further still, so much of the modern NHL offense comes from working around the crease that it's rare to see defensemen ripping shots off the rush or teeing it up for an undeflected goal from the point.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I don't think there's enough goals to go around these days...but if anyone could do it, it's Peter Laviolette...his use of defensemen on zone entries and support, plus the talent he has at his finger tips (and the defense factory that is David Poile), he has as good of a chance as anyone...but I just don't think there's enough goals to go around...but, he got Matt Carle some fringe Norris votes...Matt Carle!

 

[brachyrynchos]

I think you'll need to see another stylistic shift before we see 3+ defensemen with 20+ goals again. Too many teams running 4 forwards on the powerplay in the current NHL, which, ironically enough, is partially the result of the NHL copying the Adam Oates variation of the 1-3-1 powerplay from Washington. Further still, so much of the modern NHL offense comes from working around the crease that it's rare to see defensemen ripping shots off the rush or teeing it up for an undeflected goal from the point.

Yeah it would definitely take a change in how the game is played and how the dmen are utilized. I still think 3 with 20 will happen again, no time in the near future, but eventually.
Curious as to who's been the closest since '93.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

A. He mentioned the 98 run and their lack of talent.
B. I didn't realize players outside the top 20 routinely finished in the top 15 in scoring. top 10 in 2001-02.

Fair point on number 1.

On number 2, Oates was an incredible playmaker but I think he was too one dimensional to be considered a top 20 forward in the league once his numbers stopped being ridiculous in the early 90's. My opinion of course, and that's without jogging my memory by looking closely at the era. I'm happy to explore this further if it interests you.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

I don't think there's enough goals to go around these days...but if anyone could do it, it's Peter Laviolette...his use of defensemen on zone entries and support, plus the talent he has at his finger tips (and the defense factory that is David Poile), he has as good of a chance as anyone...but I just don't think there's enough goals to go around...but, he got Matt Carle some fringe Norris votes...Matt Carle!

What do you notice specifically about the way that Laviolette activates his D that is unique from other teams?

 

[Michael Farkas]

There's a few things that are staples to the Laviolette systems generally...they have three forwards that always attack with direct net arcs, so it pushes back the defense, pulls the center in deep and because they want to play below the hashmarks, it pulls at least one winger down towards the middle...as a result, the weak side defenseman always has a green light to pinch on the condition that if he misses the puck, he at least interferes (legally...wink) with the original zone exit man...all of his defensemen are allowed to sit inside the blueline for a longer time than is traditional...

They also have this hi-lo rush play that I tried to find an example of, but couldn't readily...where a forward would stop up high, draw a defenseman up, then depending on positioning and handedness, the late man that was used to pick up the puck with speed was one of the defenseman stacked on the same side as the original puck carrier...this almost always pulls two forwards to the defensemen carrying and then there's a seam that opens up across or to the net line...that's how Matt Carle got like 40 assists one year...late man stack, seam pass back through the middle, a team with shoot first centers puts them away (between Carter, Richards and, when used at center, Briere...they certainly had that).

A little different in Nashville because they have faster and more natural puck carriers...Subban, Josi, Ekholm and formerly, Girard...all capable puck carriers to whatever degree...so they don't need the hi-lo play as much, they can just carry it to compensate for their weak, non-puck carrying centers...

Josi: 18 points, 40 points | then Lavy...55 points, 61 points
Ekholm: 9 points | then Lavy...18 points, 35 points
Bartley: 6 points| then Lavy...10 points in 37 games
Subban hit a career high in goals last year, one short of his career high in points, despite getting less ice in Nashville than Montreal...
They had something in Samuel Girard too before moving him, 3 points in 5 games as a 19 year old d-man...he is tailor made for Laviolette...

Shea Weber isn't a good enough skater to be a puck carrier, he was unaffected...Ryan Ellis, also not a great skater, his point totals are probably more natural progression than Laviolette if I'm being honest - he goes 27 points in 80 games to 9 goals and 27 points in 58, then goes 10 goals and 32 points...skating and conditioning have improved and he had a career year last year, but as much as I want to hammer the point home, I think that's more him being better, not Lavy's system...

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Kolzig didn't get full time status until 97 AFTER Jim Carey. 92-93 they were running Beaupre & Hrivnak mostly. As a kid then I had high hopes for Hrivnak.

The Capitals went into the 97-98 season with Bill Ranford as their number 1 goalie, with Kolzig as the back-up. Ranford got injured during the first month and Kolzig seized the opportunity. By the time Ranford returned, Kozig had locked up the number 1 spot for the next decade.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

The 1992-93 Capitals defencemen scored more goals combined (94) than any other team's defence in NHL history. A fact I learned from a Score hockey card a year later. I don't think any team has broken the record.View attachment 134977

This is so incredibly awesome NHL man! I thought there was something significant! I'm glad I wasn't crazy!

 

[McGarnagle]

Mid-30s Adam Oates, even though still a great playmaker, wasn't enough to win the Cup even with peak Bondra on the wings. Consider what the teams they would have to go through for the Cup had.

The reason the 98 Caps made the finals is because the entire playoff bracket collapsed in the first round as the Flyers, Penguins, and Devils all choked to lesser teams in the first round. They got to go through 8 seed Ottawa and 6 seed Buffalo (which at that point was basically Hasek and nothing else) to get to the finals.

I'd also argue that they were lucky to even get through the first round since the Bruins had an OT goal waved off because Tim Taylor's toe was in the crease.

 

[The Panther]

The 1992-93 Capitals defencemen scored more goals combined (94) than any other team's defence in NHL history.

That is crazy.

(Random fun fact: In 1985-86, Paul Coffey alone scored 31 goals in the latter half of the season.)

 

[Jim MacDonald]

That is crazy.

(Random fun fact: In 1985-86, Paul Coffey alone scored 31 goals in the latter half of the season.)

Panther is that the same year Coff scored 48 or 49 total? (the most goals for a single season by a defenseman in NHL history?)

 

[The Panther]

Panther is that the same year Coff scored 48 or 49 total? (the most goals for a single season by a defenseman in NHL history?)

That's right. I guess he scored 17 in the first half, and then 31 in the second. In that latter half, he scored considerably more goals than both Gretzky and Lemieux.