2019 OPPF 1st round: Hershey Bears vs. California Golden Seals

VanIslander

A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Sep 4, 2004
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Round 1 matchup (in standardized format):


Hershey Bears

coach Fred Shero

Luc Robitaille - Mario Lemieux - Jari Kurri
Michel Goulet - Joe Thornton - Bernie Geoffrion
Rick Martin - Dale Hawerchuk - Mark Recchi
Brent Sutter - Dave Keon - David Backes

Nicklas Lidstrom - Zdeno Chara
Scott Niedermayer - Brad Park
Doug Wilson - Gary Suter

Roy Worters
Pekka Rinne


vs.


California Golden Seals

coach Lester Patrick

Busher Jackson - Bobby Clarke - Bill Cook
Cy Denneny - Ron Francis - Ziggy Palffy
Tommy Phillips - Patrice Bergeron - Jamie Langenbrunner
Gary Roberts - Butch Goring - Shane Doan

Duncan Keith - Chris Pronger
Bill Quackenbush - Alexei Kasatonov
Kevin Lowe - Sergei Gonchar

Jacques Plante
Tom Barrasso


If you want line-up changes, make them in the posts.
 

VanIslander

A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Sep 4, 2004
35,134
6,428
Special teams would be listed here if both teams provide them.

Otherwise, do so in your post.

(Likewise, indicate captaincy in your posts. If both teams do, then the standardized line-up op will be so updated.)

Note: The GM is not the coach. Imagine what the coach would do.
 

ChiTownPhilly

Not Too Soft
Feb 23, 2010
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Interesting to view in "criss-cross" comparison:

Hershey LW [Robataille, Goulet, Martin, Brett Sutter] vs. California RD [Pronger, Kasatanov, Gonchar]- Pronger is the best player of the seven-- and he'll be playing half the game. Kasatanov no worse than the 4th best player here, and (I think) is probably better than that. Still think Pronger stands too head-and-shoulders above the others for me to conclude anything but... measurable edge California.

California LW [Jackson, Denneny, Phillips, Roberts] vs. Hershey RD [Chara, Park, Gary Suter]- I think Chara is stronger than any of the LWs here for California... and Park is luxury-casting in a 2nd defensive pairing role. Advantage Hershey- and it's not a small one.

Hershey RW [Kurri, Geoffrion, Recchi, Backes] vs, California LD [Keith, Quackenbush, Lowe]- I love Duncan Keith, and am personally grateful to him, as a fan. However, he's not a more valuable property than Geoffrion. Or Kurri. Advantage Hershey, again clearly.

California RW [Cook, Palffy, Langenbrunner, Doan] vs. Hershey LD [Lidström, Niedermayer, Wilson]- Cook is underrated, and undervalued, IMO. Better than Lidström he ain't, though. Niedermayer is a median Hall-of-Famer. Those forwards- it's an open question as to whether Palffy will ever get into the Hall. Manifest edge- Hershey.

Down-the-middle: Hershey Centers [Lemieux, Thornton, Hawerchuk, Keon] vs. California Centers [Clarke, Francis, Bergeron, Goring]. No secret here- I value Lemieux higher than about anybody- and value Clarke lower than about anybody. Still, I don't think even the wildest Clarke partisan can honestly argue that Clarke is within an area code of Lemieux. Most people think more of Thornton than I do- but it's hard to see that 2C comaprison to be anything worse than a wash. I'll give Thornton the edge- and he'll be helped by the fact that he certainly won't have to be THE man. Hawerchuk v. Bergeron- wow, two really different players. In context, I like Bergeron more. Lastly, again with the luxury-casting... Keon on line 4. It's Keon, it's the playoffs- and I'm sure Shero will give him minutes, independent of whatever the depth chart says. Advantage Hershey.

Goal: Plante vs, Worters/Rinne. Advantage California, and it's not a small one. The question of the series will be attached to Plante: gap-closer? equalizer? or difference-maker? Will Plante steal a game or two? Will Worters choke one away? If yes, this series could be competitive. If no, Hershey figures to have an opportunity to rest up before the next series.
 

vadim sharifijanov

Registered User
Oct 10, 2007
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to me this matchup boils down to, 1. will clarke, bergeron, goring, and francis manage to impede mario (can be taken off his game, but is still superhuman when off his game), thornton (bbq chicken), and hawerchuk, is there enough ability for kurri, geoffrion, and recchi on the RWs to carry the load?

and tbh there might be. those are three excellent offensive wingers who can create on their own.
 

The Macho King

Back* to Back** World Champion
Jun 22, 2011
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to me this matchup boils down to, 1. will clarke, bergeron, goring, and francis manage to impede mario (can be taken off his game, but is still superhuman when off his game), thornton (bbq chicken), and hawerchuk, is there enough ability for kurri, geoffrion, and recchi on the RWs to carry the load?

and tbh there might be. those are three excellent offensive wingers who can create on their own.
I would feel better about California's chance if their defense was good enough to cover. It felt like an odd choice to go hard on two-way Cs but then end up with a Keith/Pronger top pairing (neither a #1 at this level, and Keith probably not even top pairing). The second pairing is similarly uninspiring. Plante in net can probably save him some, but I just feel like that Habs pick should have gone to Larry Robinson or someone like that who could force everyone to be slotted more appropriately.
 

vadim sharifijanov

Registered User
Oct 10, 2007
28,585
15,948
I would feel better about California's chance if their defense was good enough to cover. It felt like an odd choice to go hard on two-way Cs but then end up with a Keith/Pronger top pairing (neither a #1 at this level, and Keith probably not even top pairing). The second pairing is similarly uninspiring. Plante in net can probably save him some, but I just feel like that Habs pick should have gone to Larry Robinson or someone like that who could force everyone to be slotted more appropriately.

i think because it's the playoffs, pronger levels up to a legit #1. but i do wonder who on california is going to score with so many grinders at forward and no elite offensive guys on the backend.
 

VanIslander

A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Sep 4, 2004
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Worters as the starter?

Palffy in the top 6?

In a 12-team draft, this needs to be overcome.
 

ChiTownPhilly

Not Too Soft
Feb 23, 2010
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Just saw this thread. Had some personal stuff going on and forgot about the draft
For what little it's worth, I think you got jobbed.

If you divide the ice into five quintile-zones, and are outperforming your opponent in four of the five zones, then it would take a goaltender-theft-for-the-ages to make up that difference. I guess the voters thought that's the way it would play out.

Could Plante do this? Sure. I just don't think he could do this to Super Mario and two more waves of scorers, plus a proven playoff-beast like Keon, too.

If we think Plante could pull this off, then man- we sure did rate him too low in the 'Top-100' project. Well... come to think of it, we actually DID rate him too low-- but I don't think he's SO great that he could pull this one off.

Lemieux-led teams seldom seem to fare too well in this format, do they?:confused:
 
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The Macho King

Back* to Back** World Champion
Jun 22, 2011
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For what little it's worth, I think you got jobbed.

If you divide the ice into five quintile-zones, and are outperforming your opponent in four of the five zones, then it would take a goaltender-theft-for-the-ages to make up that difference. I guess the voters thought that's the way it would play out.

Could Plante do this? Sure. I just don't think he could do this to Super Mario and two more waves of scorers, plus a proven playoff-beast like Keon, too.

If we think Plante could pull this off, then man- we sure did rate him too low in the 'Top-100' project. Well... come to think of it, we actually DID rate him too low-- but I don't think he's SO great that he could pull this one off.

Lemieux-led teams seldom seem to fare too well in this format, do they?:confused:
I'm assuming this series went seven, but looking at his top 3 centers...

I mean, there's zero defense there. With Mario? I'll give it to you - you don't want him playing D. But second and third line Cs are both pretty close to black holes, and he's matched up with either the first or second best defensive set of centers in this. Add in the fact that his goaltending is by far the worst in the league - you're going to have to outscore your problems.

This is the perfect series for a goaltender to steal it, and Plante is a goaltender that can steal a series. I don't recall how I voted, but I don't think this is an egregious outcome.
 

VanIslander

A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Sep 4, 2004
35,134
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Lemieux and Lidstrom were the two highest rated players in the series, but it takes a TEAM to win or lose.

Keith-Pronger is a pretty awesome duo to face,... Clarke, Francis and Bergeron were bloody more clutch defensively than the Hershey Bears top-9 fowards (er, other than Kurri i guess)... and Plante better than Worters.
 

The Macho King

Back* to Back** World Champion
Jun 22, 2011
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Also what I noticed - with the exception of Boom Boom and Worters - Hershey's entire team is made up of modern players. I don't know if that was deliberate or not, but I even remember during the draft I found it odd.

Admittedly there are only ~9 teams you can pull non-modern players from (and it's not like Lidstrom or Chara are out of place here), but I remember I just found it odd.
 

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