seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Basically equal.
Take a look at the HOH top-100 list. Broda came out at 60th, two spots ahead of Benedict. 26 hfboards members hammered out this list last year. 11 of the 26 are currently in this ATD, and 19 of them have been in a recent draft. So don't be surprised if many voters considered the goaltending equal.
Besides, if you look at their resumes side by side, and take everything into consideration including all-star teams, Vezinas, finishing on the leaderboard in wins, GAA, and shutouts, hart voting, playoff numbers and stanley cups it would soon make you wonder exactly why Broda finished ahead of Benedict at all.
Don't be silly.
My team had the best player in beliveau, the best goalie in Broda, the best defenceman in Horton best coach in Imlach. All on my team but we lost IN 5
Indeed you did.
A testament to our depth, and your lack of it.
First of all, your first line wouldn't see a lot of our first line. They'd see our third line. Secondly, your first line couldn't shut down a drug ring run by six year olds. Thirdly, the line is not "not well thought out". Having that type of speed going down both wings all game is difficult for a defense corps to cope with.
Lastly, you're talking about a line with a top-20 player, a top-70 player, and a top-130 player. Yours had a top-10 guy with two top-250 guys. Whether you think it's well thought out or not, the skill level on our first line is significantly higher.
Don't forget Joliat. He is probably the toughest player on the line.
Legends of Hockey says "He was also a feisty adversary who frustrated his larger opponents" and "earned the respect of many of the toughest players in the NHL because of his fearless refusal to back down in on-ice confrontations"
You call this line tough? Naslund was determined, in a Koivu kind of way, but he's not tough and he's not intense enough that anyone would buy his ability to "light a fire under Mogilny". We have the best player here at every position. Ullman is a top-100 player. Phillips was a charter member of the HHOF. Cleghorn was a better goalscorer in his day than Mogilny was in his, plus he was tough.
It's funny that you think this line would skate circles around Ullman, "The Hardest Working Man In Hockey", Phillips, who countless sources cite as arguably the best player of his time, a great stickhandler, a dazzling skater, and the best backchecker of his time, and Cleghorn, who, according to sources, was possibly the best stickhandler of his time.
So, one player with a defensive conscience makes this a line with defensive ability? I don't think so. It's been said many times, but Davidson should be on a 4th line. And Vaive was a brutal two-way player, noted for poor backchecking and lacklustre efforts when he wasn't in the mood to play.
As for our line.... you're kidding, right? This is a REAL LIFE line, one that was very successful. This line went up against all the top lines in the league and OUTSCORED them. They allowed fewer even strength goals than Gainey's line did at the same time. They gave Buffalo the best PK unit in the league while they were together. And in the six years that Ramsay, Gare, Luce, Perreault, Robert, and Martin were together the French Connection outscored them by just 41 even strength goals, roughly two per season per player. It's arguable that this line was nearly as talented as the French Connection but just didn't benefit from more PP time. (They were +507 in those six seasons, all against top lines)
Reid and Barnes are two of the worst players selected in the whole draft. They should be in the MLD.
Nevin and Oliver are decent players but they don't hold a candle to our fourth line.
Harry P. Watson - Jack Adams - Bobby Schmautz
C Doug Weight RW/D Ron Stewart
It is an energy line - like almost every successful team has on their fourth line. What's more, this one can put in a lot of goals, too.
Schamutz never won a cup?? OMG LOL WHAT A LOOSER!!!!11!!!!! Come on, dude. You can do better than that. He was an outstanding playoff performer in his prime and plays with exactly the energy and grit that you need on the fourth line.
Adams was a goal scorer AND he was tough. He was one of the toughest, surliest, most cantankerous coaches in league history; what makes you think he wasn't like that as a player? If you read anything about our players, you'd have seen that he was "a nuisance to opposing teams" and "was tough and he got into fights on a regular basis." and "He was known as a great digger and a fiery leader", and "he was lauded for his guts, brains, and leadership skills". Sounds like an outstanding 4th liner to me.
Watson was a great player, a HHOFer in real life. On our team, thanks to all the skill in front of him, he is just a role player. A checker who can score. You talk like it's bad that he can do both, as though he'll get lost out there, trying to decide which of the two to do. Get real! His profiles read, "He was quite aggressive and could fight", and "opposition usually avoided him", "he was a steadying influence", "had the strength of a prize fighter", and "checked the opposition's top scorers".
In a true ATD matchup where all aspects of the players are considered relatively, Joliat could take on anyone, just like he could in his time. You talk about his size like it's a bad thing. I think it's pretty remarkable that he did what he did - Hart trophy, 4 All-Star Teams, Two Cups - despite his size. This is a top-70 player you're talking about, gimme a break.
...So Gorman is unstable now? The guy was a positive influence on every team he joined, and his players credited him with getting performances out of them than they didn't think possible. Who cares what happens after he's gone? This is one season.
While you were responding? That's convenient! Is there a setting I can change to make the board do that for me?
