AAA 2013 preliminary round: Boston vs. London

[seventieslord]

BOSTON CUBS

Head Coach: Vladimir Yurzinov
Asst Coach: Terry O'Reilly

Evgeny Mishakov - (A) George Geehttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=55596013&postcount=9 - Bill Fletthttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=73721999&postcount=143
Kristian Huselius - Vyacheslav Anisin - Donald Audette
Johan Franzen - (A) Jussi Jokinen - Scott Walker
Vic Lynn - Skinner Poulinhttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=74982669&postcount=248 - Jimmy Herberts

Pekka Marjamaki - Joe Cooper
Al Dewsbury - Igor Romishevsky
(C) Don Sweeney - Bill Juzda

Eddie Johnston
Roman Turek

- spares -
Dave Creighton (ctr)
Hannu Virta (def)
Mathieu Dandenault (def/rw)


- PP1 -
Franzen - Gee - Audette
Marjamaki - Walker

- PP2 -
Huselius - Anisin - Flett / Herberts
Dewsbury / Sweeney - Romishevsky

- spot duty PP forwards -
Jokinen - Poulin - Mishakov

- PK1 -
Mishakov - Walker
Dewsbury - Juzda / Cooper

- PK2 -
Lynn - Jokinen
Sweeney - Romishevsky / Cooper

- spot duty PK forwards -
Gee - Flett - Poulin


VS.

London Lions​

Bryan Murray

Captain: Dale McCourt
Assistants: Murray Henderson and David Legwand

Ivan Boldirev - Robert Lang - Ray Sheppard
Paul Ysebaert - Dale McCourt - Joe Murphy
Pelle Eklund - David Legwand - Eddie Kullman
Brad May - Chris Gratton - Ronnie Stern
Viktor Kozlov - Radek Dvorak

Murray Henderson - Tom Poti
Dana Murzyn - Philippe Boucher
Colin White - Jason Woolley
Dick Tärnström - Alex Motter

Mike Palmateer
Darren Puppa​

Click to read more...

 

[BubbaBoot]

Hobs has a team I like, woulda been nice to go up against him but it seems he may have left HFBoards in a snit.....too bad. I hope he returns because this looks like a good battle.

This playoff will be delayed for a little while anyways as I have to leave shortly because my family is having a long-delayed, (waiting for my nephew to come back on leave from the USN), memorial for my stepfather, who'd passed a couple of months ago.

 

[seventieslord]

Hobs has a team I like, woulda been nice to go up against him but it seems he may have left HFBoards in a snit.....too bad. I hope he returns because this looks like a good battle.

This playoff will be delayed for a little while anyways as I have to leave shortly because my family is having a long-delayed, (waiting for my nephew to come back on leave from the USN), memorial for my stepfather, who'd passed a couple of months ago.

To quote a very wise man, take care of yourself... and your family.

Hope you're back soon. Hobnobs has "quit" the board only to come back not too much later, and that was before we were friends... he'll be back.

 

[BubbaBoot]

To quote a very wise man, take care of yourself... and your family.

Hope you're back soon. Hobnobs has "quit" the board only to come back not too much later, and that was before we were friends... he'll be back.

Just busy, I'll have something later.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Seems most guys lineup their players position to position, (LW v LW, CTR v CTR, etc...), where I like to think of it as a game situation and have them go head-to-head, (LW v RW, etc....)

OFFENSE

!st LINE:

Evgeny Mishakov - (A) George Geehttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=55596013&postcount=9 - Bill Fletthttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=73721999&postcount=143

vs.

Ray Sheppard - Robert Lang - Ivan Boldirev
----
Sort of a gritty 1st line with some decent skill, speed and responsible in every zone on the ice
vs
some serious firepower, (especially on the PP), fairly slow and little else.

2x Stanley Cups / 8x Soviet Champion / 4x GOLD World Championships / 2x GOLD Olympics
vs
1x GOLD Championships / 1x GOLD Olympics / 2x BRONZE World Championships / 2x BRONZE Olympics

2x NHL All-Star games / 1x Merited Soviet Sports Master / Calder Cup runner-up
vs
1x Czech Player of the Year / 2x NHL All-Star games / 1x NHL 1st team All-Rookie Team

623 goals (NHL/WHA/Soviet) / mostly at EV strength
vs
979 goals (NHL) / just under 1/3 total on the PP

My guys might be smaller but they are faster, tougher, are character guys and have a winning pedigree
vs
London's guys who are talented gunslingers but bounced around a bit.

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON at even strength. Far tougher and annoying, will take advantage of mistakes and breakdowns London's 1st line, that may be prone to do with pressure....I would possibly play my 3rd line against them, maybe my 4th if Murzyn or White are on the ice.

*

2nd LINE

Kristian Huselius - Vyacheslav Anisinhttp://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=74134815&postcount=182 - Donald Audette

vs.

Joe Murphy - Dale McCourt - Paul Ysebaert
----
- offensively skilled Swede / Russian / Canadian line
vs
offensively skilled Ontario native / Detroit Red Wings alumnae

speedy head case trouble sniper / smallish but durable, fast complimentary skilled playmaker / smallish, skilled, streaky character winger
vs
former 1st overall pick, steady and gritty 2-way winger / another 1st overall pick, very talented but sort of burnt out and disappointed player on some bad teams, took off and ended his career 8 yrs later as a scoring stud in Switzerland / the fast, efficient most defensive conscious on either 2nd line but with some decent offensive skills

2x SEL Champion / 8x Soviet Champion / 1x Yugoslav Champion / 3x GOLD World Championships / 3x BRONZE World Championships/
vs
1x Stanley Cup

1x NHL All-Star Game / 1x QMJHL 1st Team All-Star / 1x AHL 1st Team All-Star / 1x SEL 1st Team All-Star / 1x SEL Gold Helmet / 1x NHL All-Rookie Team / 3rd place Calder Trophy / 1x SEL Leading scorer / 1x Soviet Leading scorer
vs
1x Memorial Cup MVP / 1x Junior Player of the Year / 1x World Jr Championships All-Star and leading scorer / AHL 1st Team All-Star and MVP / 1x CCHA 2nd Team All-Star and Tourney MVP

621 goals (NHL & Soviet) / appx .61 pts / game average
vs
577 goals (NHL) appx .74 pts / game average (due to McCourt's .90 average spike, with over 1/3 of them on the PP)

ADVANTAGE - fairly even but a slight edge to LONDON if McCourt and Murphy can take advantage of Huselius and Anisin's noted sometimes lack of defensive backchecking.

*

3rd LINE

Johan Franzen - (A) Jussi Jokinen - Scott Walker

vs.

Eddie Kullman - David Legwand - Pelle Eklund
----
Hardworking checking line with a little bit of offensive creativity skill
vs
Hardworking checking line with a little bit better of an offensive creativity skill

1x Stanley Cup / 1x GOLD World Championships / 2x SM-Liiga Championships / 1x SILVER World Championships / 1x SILVER Olympics / 2x BRONZE World Championships / 3x BRONZE World Jr Championships
vs
1x SEL Championship / 1x GOLD World Championship / 3x SILVER World Championship / 1x BRONZE Olympics / 1x BRONZE World Jr Championships [all London championships are by Eklund]

1x OHL 2nd Team All-Star / 1 SEL best plus-minus / 1x top 3 player World Championships
vs
1x SEL All-Star / 2x SEL MVP / 1x Canadian Jrs All-Star Team

ADVANTAGE - EVEN / Two very good 3rd line units. Eklund is the offensive wild card here but will be brutaliz.....errrr, neutralized by Walker's tactics. Kulman was a strong offensive guy in the minors but was more a two way guy in his brief NHL career.

*

4th LINE

Vic Lynn - Skinner Poulin - Jimmy Herberts

vs.

Ronnie Stern - Chris Gratton - Brad May
----
Two very traditional nasty, hard checking, crash n' burn 4th lines. One pre-expansion, the other post-expansion.

Nasty, scrappy, small, speedy, dirty pests with some decent enough offensive and defensive skills
vs
Nasty, scrappy, big, dirty goons with decent offensive and defensive skills

5x Stanley Cups (and 1 runner-up)/ 2x PCHA Championships / 4x SSHA Championships / 1x WHL Championship
vs
1x Stanley Cup / 1x GOLD World Championship / 2x GOLD World Jr Championship / 1x SILVER World Championship

3x NHL All-Star Games / 1x SSHA 1st Team All-Star /1x WCSHL 2nd Team All-Star / 2x 7th Hart Trophy Voting
vs
OHL 1st Team All-Rookie Team

ADVANTAGE - BOSTON. Fighting goes to London but how much fighting is there in the playoffs? The Cubs have better offensive skill, better hacking and drawing penalties and know how to win in the playoffs. Fireworks will happen everytime these guys are on the ice....the matchups between the wings will be very interesting.

 

[Hobnobs]

I dont have much to disagree with here. I think this is a pretty fair assement although no one seem to have noticed that my whole top-6 is a red wings alumni

 

[jkrx]

ADVANTAGE - BOSTON. Fighting goes to London but how much fighting is there in the playoffs? The Cubs have better offensive skill, better hacking and drawing penalties and know how to win in the playoffs. Fireworks will happen everytime these guys are on the ice....the matchups between the wings will be very interesting.

Fighting was a part of playoffs for a while and these guys were usually a part of it, specially May. Fighting in the playoffs peaked when divisional rivalries were infused with divisional playoffs. Sometimes you would have fights during pre-game most notorious were of course the old Norris division.

Tough times and Lions 4th line are built to handle that it seems. Herberts on the Cubs can handle it too but not sure about the other two. Lynn was more of an agitator but weren't really that great when it boiled over.

What I would be afraid of is that it boils over when either team has there best defensemen on the ice.

Sorry for commenting on this but I'm not taking sides here. Good luck to you both!

 

[BubbaBoot]

Fighting was a part of playoffs for a while and these guys were usually a part of it, specially May. Fighting in the playoffs peaked when divisional rivalries were infused with divisional playoffs. Sometimes you would have fights during pre-game most notorious were of course the old Norris division.

Tough times and Lions 4th line are built to handle that it seems. Herberts on the Cubs can handle it too but not sure about the other two. Lynn was more of an agitator but weren't really that great when it boiled over.

What I would be afraid of is that it boils over when either team has there best defensemen on the ice.

Sorry for commenting on this but I'm not taking sides here. Good luck to you both!

No, it's valid, I have no problem. I spotted it also. From the late 60's into the early 80's(?) there were some serious wars, (Bruins v Canadiens for example), but it's died down tremendously. Nowadays the agitators and the sneaky, behind the play stuff rules.

This is what I've always questioned.....how do we project the style of play given the circumstances? How does a 70's / 80's fighter go up against a contemporary player or a more two way O6 player? Always hard to judge.

 

[seventieslord]

No, it's valid, I have no problem. I spotted it also. From the late 60's into the early 80's(?) there were some serious wars, (Bruins v Canadiens for example), but it's died down tremendously. Nowadays the agitators and the sneaky, behind the play stuff rules.

This is what I've always questioned.....how do we project the style of play given the circumstances? How does a 70's / 80's fighter go up against a contemporary player or a more two way O6 player? Always hard to judge.

However we handle that, I think it certainly adds to the importance of getting a fighter who can really play hockey versus one who can only fight.

 

[BubbaBoot]

However we handle that, I think it certainly adds to the importance of getting a fighter who can really play hockey versus one who can only fight.

To their credit, i admit they aren't pure goons and are actually fairly decent players. I hate May for the pure fact that he was a Sabre...he scored a killer of a playoff goal that smoked the B's, embarrassing Ray Bourque in the process.

 

[Hobnobs]

To their credit, i admit they aren't pure goons and are actually fairly decent players. I hate May for the pure fact that he was a Sabre...he scored a killer of a playoff goal that smoked the B's, embarrassing Ray Bourque in the process.

Thats basically the only goal he's scored in the playoofs, tho since u team from boston maybe u should be worried? Lions win in game 7 OT on a goal by May?

 

[seventieslord]

Thats basically the only goal he's scored in the playoofs, tho since u team from boston maybe u should be worried? Lions win in game 7 OT on a goal by May?

If you win in 7, I'm going to assume that's how it happened.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Uh-oh….I planted the seed…..

Let's just say he gets decapitated by Cooper, Juzda or Dewsbury instead?

 

[BubbaBoot]

Defense pairings are by their regular (or assumed) natural positions.

DEFENSE

1st PAIR:
Pekka Marjamaki - Joe Cooper

vs

Murray Henderson - Tom Poti
----
Good sized PMD with some speed and a booming slapshot / Big & tough stay-at-home defensemen known for his body checking and mean streak.
vs
Solid, hard working, 2-way defenseman with some offensive skill and good instincts / Big but lithe, PMD and occasional shut-down guy with a heavy shot from the point

IIHF HoF / Finnish HoF / Finnish Player of Year / 3x SM-Liiga & SM-Sarja All-Star Teams / 5x SM-Liiga & SM-Sarja Championships / 1x SM-Sarja Defenseman Of Year / 1x World Championships Best Defenseman / 1x World Championships All-Star Team / 1x CAHL 1st Team All-Star / 1x EAHL All-Star Team / Manitoba Hockey HoF
vs
1x NCAA EAST 1st Team All-American / 1x Hockey East Championship / NHL All-Rookie Team / 1x SILVER Olympics / 1x SILVER World Jr Championships

471 SM-Liiga and SM-Sarja games (125 goals /225 pts / 493 PIMs) (postseason - 50 gms / 14 goals / 30 pts) / 101 World Championship and Olympic games (17 goals /31 pts / 59 PIMs) - 420 pre & post WW2 era NHL games (30 goals / 96 pts / 442 PIMs)(postseason - 35 gms / 3 goals / 8 pts / 58 PIMs)
vs
1229 combined NHL games (93 combined NHL goals / 413 combined NHL points / 891 combined NHL PIMs)(postseason - combined 92 gms / 4 goals / 24 pts / 52 PIMs)

ADVANTAGE: Slight edge to BOSTON because of the hardware - 2 solid first pairings. Offense and defense spread out fairly well. Marjamaki has the hardware but a big fish in a small pond? Henderson was an overachiever who made himself a good, solid character guy who wore the "A" in Boston. Cooper was solid but known to occasionally be out of position going for the big hit and a hot temper while Poti had occasional brain cramps and was fragile late in his career. Henderson and Cooper played against each other, haven't found any reports as to what transpired between them. Poti is a lefty playing the right side.

*

2nd PAIR:
Al Dewsbury - Igor Romishevsky

vs

Dana Murzyn - Philippe Boucher
----
Big, strong and mean 2-way defenseman from the late 40's to early 50's NHL / workhorse Soviet PMD known for his daring and skill
vs
Big, strong and mean 2-way, character post-expansion d-man / Big and agile PMD

1x Soviet/Russia Ice Hockey HoF / 1x Stanley Cup / 5x GOLD World Championships / 2x GOLD Olympics / 9x Soviet Championships / 1x NHL All-Star Game / 1x AHL 2nd Team All-Star / 2x 2nd Team Soviet All-Star / 1x 3rd Team Soviet All-Star
vs
1x Stanley Cup / 1x QHJHL Defenseman of Year / 2x 2nd Team QMJHL All-Star / 1x CHL Rokkie of Year / 1x NHL All-STar Game / 1x NHL All-Rookie Team / 1x NCAA East 1st Team All-Star / 1x Hockey East Championship / 1x SILVER Olympics / 1x SILVER World Jr Championships

426 Soviet games (126 goals) 129 International games (15 goals) / 347 NHL games (30 goals / 108 pts / 365 PIMs -- 4x top 10 pts in a season by NHL defennsmen), 289 AHL games ( 50 goals / 184 pts / 555 PIMs) 14 NHL postseason games (1 goal / 6 pts / 18 PIMs)
vs
1572 combined NHL games (163 goals / 627 pts / 1288 PIMs / +103) 116 combined NHL postseason games (6 goals / 33 pts / 68 PIMs / +6)

ADVANTAGE: Slight edge to BOSTON again because of the hardware. The London pair have a decent amount of combined NHL post season games but their numbers but their numbers are lower than their regular season and just 1 CUP between them and that was Boucher battling injuries and used as a spare part, averaging the 2nd lowest mins/game for the Penguins and playing only 9 of the 24 games. Poti has never gotten past the 2nd round. Romishevsky, (a teammate of Mishakov's) has multiple championships and is ranked 15th among Soviet defensemen in games played. Dewsbury has a Cup and won a GOLD medal at the World Championships at the age of 35 vs the Soviets in 1959. Murzyn will make opponents keep their heads up and will defend his mates at the drop of a hat, as will Dewsbury, who led the WC's in PIMs that year.

*

3rd PAIR:
(C) Don Sweeney - Bill Juzda

vs

Colin White - Jason Woolley
----
an undersized, thinking man's player who hits harder than his size, with some okay offensive skills when called upon and the long time, stay-at-home partner of arguably one of the top 10 defenseman to ever play the game / an O6, short, rock solid cannonball known internationally for his body checking but with some okay offensive skills when called upon
vs
a big,tough, stay-at-home character guy on a defensive oriented team / a scrappy but slow character guy and a PP point specialist

1x GOLD World Championships / 2x Stanley Cups / 2x NHL All-Star Games / 1x AHL 2nd Team All-Star / 1x Manitoba Hockey HoF / 1x ECAC Championship / 1x ECAC 1st Team All-Star / 1x NCAA EAST 2nd Team All-Star / 1x New Brunswick Sports HoF
vs
2x Stanley Cups / 1x Memorial Cup / 2x QMJHL Championships / 1x NHL All Rookie Team / 1x CCHA All Rookie Team / 1x CCHA Championship / 1x CCHA 1st Team All-Star / 1x NCAA WEST 1st Team All-Star / 1x NHL Most points in playoffs by defenseman / 1x SILVER Olympics

Combined 1538 NHL games (66 goals / 341 pts / 1079 PIMs / [Sweeney]+112) 150 combined NHL post-season (9 goals / 22 pts / 121 PIMs)
vs
Combined 1515 NHL games (81 goals / 443 pts / 1299 PIMs / +139) 193 combined NHL post-season games (14 goals / 64 pts / 169 PIMs)

ADVANTAGE: EVEN - one might give a slight advantage to London because of their playoff assists totals.....but one might say it's because they're in the contemporary game and secondary assists are given out like candy at Halloween. While Juzda never wore a letter that I know of, the other 3 players each wore the "A" for very long stretches for their predominate teams they played on. Juzda is another player, whom upon researching I'd have loved to have seen play. Wooley is another lefty playing on the right side. Sweeney is a lefty who played on the right side for a large part of his career. I have named him captain as he's a smarty form Harvard, he wore the "A" for 7 yrs with Boston and is currently an assistant GM for Boston....and I need someone level-headed on this team to deal with on-ice officials.

 

[BubbaBoot]

GOALTENDERS

Eddie Johnston
Roman Turek

vs

Mike Palmateer
Darren Puppa

2x Stanley Cups /1x GOLD World Championships / 1x GOLD World JR Championships / 1 BRONZE World Championships / 2x BRONZE World JR Championships / 2x World Championships All Star Team / 1x NHL 2nd All-Star Team/ 1x EHL Championship / 1x EPHL Championship / Summit Series roster / 1x EHL All Star Team / 1x EPHL All Star Team / 1x WHL All Star Team / 4x Top 8 NHL All Star Team voting / 1x Czech Player of Year / 1x Best GK World Championships / 1x Czech ExtraLiga Player of Year / 2x Jennings Trophy / 1x Vezina Runner-up
vs
1x Memorial Cup / OHL 1st Team All Star / 1x NHL All Star Game / 1x NHL 2nd Team All Star

920 combined NHL games (393-373-123 / 59 combined shutouts / 3.25 & 2.31 GAA / [Turek] .907) / Czech 278 games / 2.55 / .933 / 17 SOs / International(20-9-1 / 1.95 / 3 SOs)
vs
785 combined NHL games (328-299-106 / 36 combined shutouts / 3.53 & 3.03 / [Puppa] .897)

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON - Johnston was a #1 for years on some bad teams but played admirably and later became a backup/split with HoFer Cheevers. He was essentially the #1 GK for the Bruins 1972 Cup win, leading the playoffs in GAA, much like he had in the EHL, EPHL and WHL playoffs years before. Turek starred in his native Czech homeland, came to North America and was a back up to Belfour's Stanley Cup win. Later a #1 before heading back to his homeland. Palmateer started out strong and then flamed our early while Puppa was essentially a backup for all except maybe 2 years.

 

[Hobnobs]

GOALTENDERS

Eddie Johnston
Roman Turek

vs

Mike Palmateer
Darren Puppa

2x Stanley Cups /1x GOLD World Championships / 1x GOLD World JR Championships / 1 BRONZE World Championships / 2x BRONZE World JR Championships / 2x World Championships All Star Team / 1x NHL 2nd All-Star Team/ 1x EHL Championship / 1x EPHL Championship / Summit Series roster / 1x EHL All Star Team / 1x EPHL All Star Team / 1x WHL All Star Team / 4x Top 8 NHL All Star Team voting / 1x Czech Player of Year / 1x Best GK World Championships / 1x Czech ExtraLiga Player of Year / 2x Jennings Trophy / 1x Vezina Runner-up
vs
1x Memorial Cup / OHL 1st Team All Star / 1x NHL All Star Game / 1x NHL 2nd Team All Star

920 combined NHL games (393-373-123 / 59 combined shutouts / 3.25 & 2.31 GAA / [Turek] .907) / Czech 278 games / 2.55 / .933 / 17 SOs / International(20-9-1 / 1.95 / 3 SOs)
vs
785 combined NHL games (328-299-106 / 36 combined shutouts / 3.53 & 3.03 / [Puppa] .897)

ADVANTAGE: BOSTON - Johnston was a #1 for years on some bad teams but played admirably and later became a backup/split with HoFer Cheevers. He was essentially the #1 GK for the Bruins 1972 Cup win, leading the playoffs in GAA, much like he had in the EHL, EPHL and WHL playoffs years before. Turek starred in his native Czech homeland, came to North America and was a back up to Belfour's Stanley Cup win. Later a #1 before heading back to his homeland. Palmateer started out strong and then flamed our early while Puppa was essentially a backup for all except maybe 2 years.

Puppa was essentially robbed of a vezina tho.

 

[seventieslord]

This isn't really important, but... I can't find any pictures of woolley wearing an A. White I can, but 80% of the time he isn't.

 

[seventieslord]

I laughed at the idea of puppa being a backup... But then I investigated. First, in 90, 94 and 96 he was top 10 in minutes, so clearly a starter. Then you also forgot 95, when he was the runaway leader for his team in the lockout year.

Other than that, he has three seasons in 89, 91 and 92, where if you look at the surface he appears to have been a backup, but if you check his team's, he actually led them (narrowly) in minutes, making him a "1A", as they're often called.

So although your assertion was a bit unfair, in reality we are talking about a guy with four seasons as a bonafide NHL #1 goalie.

 

[Hobnobs]

This isn't really important, but... I can't find any pictures of woolley wearing an A. White I can, but 80% of the time he isn't.

They arent wearing A's here either...

 

[seventieslord]

They arent wearing A's here either...

I know... I was just responding to what bubba said.

 

[Hobnobs]

I know... I was just responding to what bubba said.

Woolley got the A prior to the 00 season.

 

[BubbaBoot]

This isn't really important, but... I can't find any pictures of woolley wearing an A. White I can, but 80% of the time he isn't.

Wooley wore the "A"for Buffalo between 1999 to 2003.

 

[BubbaBoot]

I laughed at the idea of puppa being a backup... But then I investigated. First, in 90, 94 and 96 he was top 10 in minutes, so clearly a starter. Then you also forgot 95, when he was the runaway leader for his team in the lockout year.

Other than that, he has three seasons in 89, 91 and 92, where if you look at the surface he appears to have been a backup, but if you check his team's, he actually led them (narrowly) in minutes, making him a "1A", as they're often called.

So although your assertion was a bit unfair, in reality we are talking about a guy with four seasons as a bonafide NHL #1 goalie.

My mistake, I was rushing out to my night job and really flubbed the stats I was reading. Puppa was 3rd / 10th / 10th in mins. played in his career and given the circumstances I'd even consider using him #1 over Palmateer.

 

[seventieslord]

My mistake, I was rushing out to my night job and really flubbed the stats I was reading. Puppa was 3rd / 10th / 10th in mins. played in his career and given the circumstances I'd even consider using him #1 over Palmateer.

I wouldn't go that far.

 

[jkrx]

I laughed at the idea of puppa being a backup... But then I investigated. First, in 90, 94 and 96 he was top 10 in minutes, so clearly a starter. Then you also forgot 95, when he was the runaway leader for his team in the lockout year.

Other than that, he has three seasons in 89, 91 and 92, where if you look at the surface he appears to have been a backup, but if you check his team's, he actually led them (narrowly) in minutes, making him a "1A", as they're often called.

So although your assertion was a bit unfair, in reality we are talking about a guy with four seasons as a bonafide NHL #1 goalie.

Just so there is no confusion. In 89, Puppa broke his arm in January, he was the starter up until then. In '91 his back and groin problems started and the season after that he fractured his arm. So let's not pretend that he suddenly became a back-up after his vezina finalist year.