ATD 2023 Assassination Thread - Rene Lecavalier Division

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@The Macho King @VanIslander @RustyRazor @Habsfan18 @Transplanted Caper

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[Habsfan18]

Head Coach: Hap Day
Captain: Bob Gainey
Assistant Captain: Larry Robinson
Assistant Captain: Stan Mikita

Sweeney Schriner-Stan Mikita-Bernie Geoffrion
Roy Conacher-Peter Forsberg-Larry Aurie
Bob Gainey-Dave Keon-Dirk Graham
Zach Parise-Mats Sundin-Tim Kerr
Blair Russel, Milan Novy

Larry Robinson-Serge Savard
Guy Lapointe-Vladimir Konstantinov
Gus Mortson-Kevin Hatcher
Moose Vasko

Johnny Bower
Roy Worters

PP1:

Schriner - Mikita - Forsberg
Geoffrion - Lapointe

PP2:

Conacher - Sundin - Kerr
Hatcher - Robinson

PK1:

Gainey - Keon
Robinson - Savard

PK2:

Graham - Aurie
Lapointe - Konstantinov​

 

[VanIslander]

Chesapeake Icebreakers

coach Viktor Tikhonov

"The [NHL] scouts are interested in whether I have thought up something new. Yes - I have - you can be sure of that!"

Toe Blake - Steve Yzerman (C) - Sergei Makarov
Johnny Bucyk (A) - Joe Thornton - Yvan Cournoyer
George Hay - Jacques Lemaire - Glenn Anderson
Brian Propp - Dave Poulin - Ed Litzenberger
Auston Matthews, Bill Mosienko

Denis Potvin (A) - Emile Bouchard
Lionel Conacher - Larry Murphy
Alex Ragulin - Vladimir Lutchenko
Adam Foote

Martin Brodeur
Rogie Vachon

PK1: Poulin - Propp - Conacher - Bouchard - Brodeur
PK2: Yzerman - Makarov - Ragulin - Potvin - Brodeur
PP1: Blake - Yzerman - Anderson - Potvin - Murphy
PP2: Hay - Thornton - Makarov - Lemaire - Lutchenko

 

[The Macho King]

RICHMOND RENEGADES

Coach: Pat Burns
Assistant Coach: Roger Neilson
Captain: Mario Lemieux
Assistant: Joe Sakic
Assistant: Chris Pronger

Woody Dumart - Mario Lemieux - Jari Kurri
Dean Prentice - Joe Sakic - Alexander Maltsev
Johnny Gottselig - Jean Ratelle - Cecil Dillon
Wayne Cashman - Pit Lepine - Claude Lemieux
Spare: Vincent Lecavalier

Chris Pronger - Jacques Laperriere
Mark Howe - Art Coulter
Mike Grant - Lionel Hitchman
Spare: Ryan McDonagh

Georges Vezina
Roberto Luongo

PP1:
Maltsev
Kurri - Mario - Sakic
Pronger

PP2:
Prentice
Mario - Ratelle - Dillon
Howe

PK1
Dumart - Lepine
Coulter - Laperriere

PK2
Gottselig - Dillon
Pronger - Hitchman​

 

[RustyRazor]

Portland Stags Roster

Coach: Dick Irvin
Captain: Harvey Pulford
Alternates: Zdeno Chara, Maurice Richard, Jonathan Toews

Bert Olmstead - Elmer Lach - Maurice Richard (A)
Alex Delvecchio (A) - Steven Stamkos - Gordie Drillon
Smokey Harris - Jonathan Toews - Bernie Morris
Rusty Crawford - Václav Nedomanský - Jimmy Ward

Zdeno Chara (A) - Drew Doughty
Harvey Pulford (C) - Harry Cameron
Hap Day - Joe Hall

Patrick Roy
Marc-Andre Fleury

Spares: Eddie Oatman (RW/D), Joe Pavelski (F), Bobby Rowe (D/RW)

PP1
Drillon
Stamkos - Nedomanský - Richard
Cameron

PP2
Harris
Hall - Morris - Delvecchio
Chara

PK1
Pulford - Chara
Crawford - Toews

PK2
Doughty - Day
Ward - Delvecchio

 

[Moose Head]

Head Coach: Hap Day
Captain: Bob Gainey
Assistant Captain: Larry Robinson
Assistant Captain: Stan Mikita

Sweeney Schriner-Stan Mikita-Bernie Geoffrion
Roy Conacher-Peter Forsberg-Larry Aurie
Bob Gainey-Dave Keon-Dirk Graham
Zach Parise-Mats Sundin-Tim Kerr
Blair Russel, Milan Novy

Larry Robinson-Serge Savard
Guy Lapointe-Vladimir Konstantinov
Gus Mortson-Kevin Hatcher
Moose Vasko

Johnny Bower
Roy Worters

PP1:

Schriner - Mikita - Forsberg
Geoffrion - Lapointe

PP2:

Conacher - Sundin - Kerr
Hatcher - Robinson

PK1:

Gainey - Keon
Robinson - Savard

PK2:

Graham - Aurie
Konstantinov - Hatcher​

Lapointe was better defensively than K Hatcher. I’d make that change on the 2nd PK

 

[BraveCanadian]

Lapointe was better defensively than K Hatcher. I’d make that change on the 2nd PK

For sure. My take on Guy was that he was a bit of a special teams specialist

 

[Habsfan18]

Lapointe was better defensively than K Hatcher. I’d make that change on the 2nd PK

For sure. My take on Guy was that he was a bit of a special teams specialist

Thanks guys, we’ll make that change.

At first I thought since we already had Robinson playing both special teams I wasn’t sure about Lapointe doing the same since they will both play big roles at even strength as well. I wondered about overuse. But Lapointe is probably too valuable to sit off for Hatcher and he did play the PK on the dynasty Habs, so sliding into that PK2 slot makes sense for sure.

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

Chesapeake Icebreakers

coach Viktor Tikhonov

"The [NHL] scouts are interested in whether I have thought up something new. Yes - I have - you can be sure of that!"

Toe Blake - Steve Yzerman (C) - Sergei Makarov
Johnny Bucyk (A) - Joe Thornton - Yvan Cournoyer
George Hay - Jacques Lemaire - Glenn Anderson
Brian Propp - Dave Poulin - Ed Litzenberger
Auston Matthews, Bill Mosienko

Denis Potvin (A) - Emile Bouchard
Lionel Conacher - Larry Murphy
Alex Ragulin - Vladimir Lutchenko
Adam Foote

Martin Brodeur
Rogie Vachon

PK1: Poulin - Propp - Conacher - Bouchard - Brodeur
PK2: Yzerman - Makarov - Ragulin - Potvin - Brodeur
PP1: Blake - Yzerman - Anderson - Potvin - Murphy
PP2: Hay - Thornton - Makarov - Lemaire - Lutchenko

Prairie Scouting Service review of Chesapeake Icebreakers

Like:
Potvin minutes-managed by having him on PK2
Depth-players Adam Foote and Bill Mosienko might be best in Division
Most players will be able to deal with the strong whip-hand of Tikhonov

Not so sure about:
Auston Matthews role
What happens if an LW gets injured?
Placement of Ragulin and Lutchenko

Line #1: T. Blake-Yzerman-Makarov. Makarov is the most significant Lecavalier Division Forward NOT named Mario or Maurice- and Tikhonov will surely know how to game-plan around ensuring his impact.
Line #2: Bucyk-J. Thornton-Cournoyer. The parts fit... but I'm curious about the Joe Thornton role in a Tikhonov system. Center is expected to have the first Forward responsibility on D, right? Yzerman is up to it, Lemaire is up to it, Poulin is up to it-- Thornton? Tough to say.
Line #3: G. Hay-Lemaire-G. Anderson. Should be able to play Tikhonov hockey just fine.
Line #4: Propp-Poulin-Litzenberger. Well- since you teased a 7D look, I think I'd like to know which Forward sits (if any)- OR are you going to limit it to 6D in the Regular Season(?) Here, I'll also add that I'm sure Mosienko will give your RWers a break from the grind- and that's to the good.

D-pairing #1: D. Potvin-Emile Bouchard. Best D in the Division, NOT best RD in the Division. Still (as can be shown in @overpass thread on identifying D-partners), we are probably correct in saying that the Senior Partner drives the valuation of Defense-pairings more. Potvin should be great in the Regular Season, and be fully ready come Playoff Time.
D-pairing #2: L. Conacher-L, Murphy. On a "player-valuation" basis, among the best in the Conference. [Slam-dunk top-3, at least.] They both seem a little angled towards offense- but I guess that's not a big worry when your Goaltender is Brodeur.
D-paring #3: Ragulin-Lutchenko. Reviewing the @Theokritos post in "Some Soviet Defensemen," Lutchenko-Ragulin was a real-life pairing in the Late 60s/early 70s- Lutchenko on the left and Ragulin on the right. Easy fix. Nice ancillary feature is that both are bilateral- so either can spell another up-and-down the parings, and also carve a slot for Adam Foote, when desired.

Goaltending- Brodeur. Second to Roy in the Lecavalier- and next best Goalie in-Division is Vézina... so now we're getting to a level of difference that might actually count for a couple of games in the Regular Season.

Reviewing Special Teams- is Makarov on PP2 a minutes managing thing? Presence of Propp on PK1 suggests that it's Litzenberger who's most likely to sit in a 7D look- right? He appears to be your only clear multi-positional Forward- so I'm not so sure about that... No Bucyk on the Power Play is worth a double-take. Don't think I'd play it that way--

Good squad- but pray for the health of your LWers, or consider an add-drop to help you if someone on that side of the ice goes down.

 

[VanIslander]

Thanks for the review!

To reply:

A 7th d man strategy is more common in the playoffs, hence Foote is expected to see some ice time in some postseason games (depending on opponents faced), in addition to injury relief.

Litzenberger has played LW too, so can cover for injuries there (dressing Foote those games), and/or Hay or Propp can handle more minutes.

Litzenberger is the 12th forward that would sit when a 7th D is dressed. Propp & Poulin together were the top pk duo on the NHL's most effective penalty-killing teams over multiple seasons. They are money together shorthanded.

I knew Lutchenko played both sides but with Ragulin was LD? K. Will adjust, as coach would figure out (i'm just the GM trying to guess what a coach would do): Lutchenko - Ragulin. Done.

Matthews is a two-time Hart finalist extra skater stop-gap measure who would be paired with a Makarov, Bucyk or "The Western Wizard" George Hay, along with passing dmen. Lemaire is the first option to move into a top-6 role at center if needed, giving Matthews limited depth minutes, often on offensive face-offs, if and when needed. Litzenberger was an elite faceoff artist, so he is more likely to play center and Mosienko or Foote be dressed, though Matthews has the talent and size to handle some ice time in a few games.

The Thornton line is great at passing yet designed a bit differently than the others: Jumbo Joe is a supreme passer so getting the puck to the Road Runner is priority #1. The line can cycle the puck and feed an advancing Potvin, Conacher, Lutchenko. Thornton is average at best defensively unlike Yzerman, Lemaire, Poulin, yet he is responsible enough to be in decent position when Bucyk and the d, or puck-savvy Brodeur feeds him to begin the transition game. (It has been said that Tikhonov adapted play to the talents of his players, getting the best out of each of them).

The Icebreakers were built with the litmus test: "Can he play well under a Bowman/Tikhonov: demanding, hated, but respected and followed"? This team has Bowman-fav Murphy (heavy use in cups in Pittsburgh, Detroit), Yzerman, Cournoyer - who captained all 4 of Bowman's dynasty Habs teams - Lemaire (who centered Bowman's top line consistently - heck, nobody has more playoff points in the 1970s than Lemaire!), ... and the team has long-term captains and champions Toe Blake, Butch Bouchard, multiple-team captain Conacher,. ... Bucyk the first player-voted captain of the Bruins, though he stepped down to alternate captain voluntarily to focus on hockey and avoid media responsibility, an 'A' but still identified as a key team leader in Bruins' Stanley Cups... Litzenberger captained Chicago to a cup victory... Poulin captaining the hard-working Flyers to two Stanley Cup Finals in his five years wearing the letter. Altogether, 10 (TEN) Icebreakers were captains renowned for hard work and success; and the team has three Soviets.

As for special teams, Makarov on pp2 is partially about managing ice time yet more about getting net-crashing Anderson to do his thing.

I hear you about Bucyk needing pp time, so he will replace Hay on pp2. Thanks for that.

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

Maltsev
Kurri - Mario - Sakic
Pronger

PP2:
Prentice
Mario - Ratelle - Dillon
Howe​

Just stopped by to ask if you were sure about that one.

 

[The Macho King]

Just stopped by to ask if you were sure about that one.

The idea was he primarily functions as a distributor for Kurri and Sakic on PP1, but acts primarily as a shooter on PP2.