ATD10-ML Round 1: #3 Melville Millionaires vs. #6 Newfoundland Fog Devils

[VanIslander]

3-Game First Round Playoff Series

Sir Montagu Allan division:


Newfoundland Fog Devils

Coach: Frank Patrick

Ed Sandford - Mike Rogers - Andy Hebenton
Ron Murphy - Bruce Macgregor - Bill Boucher
Dan Maloney - Charlie Burns (C) - Mark Napier
Danny Lewicki - Dennis Maruk - Pavol Demitra
Robbie Ftorek

Larry Hillman (A) - Kimmo Timonen
Lou Fontinato - Jack Evans (A)
Murray Henderson - Howie Young
Vitezslv Duris - Bob Armstrong

Jim Henry
Giles Meloche


at


Melville Millionaires

Coaches: Tom Johnson, Dwight McMillan

Ryan Smyth (A) - Brad Richards - Zigmund Palffy
Dennis Hextall - Pierre Larouche - Keith Crowder
Jay Pandolfo - George Gee - Doug Brown
Johnny Wensink - Mike Richards (A) - Rob Niedermayer
Herb Carnegie

George Owen (C) - Garry Galley
Ed Jovanovski - Andrei Markov
Kjell Samuelsson - Sylvain Lefebvre
Sylvain Cote

Kirk McLean
Evgeni Nabokov​

Click to read more...

 

[VanIslander]

Discussion and analysis until the end of Wednesday.

Let's refrain from jumping to conclusions about who we think will win and stick to specific advantages and disadvantages. (First impressions and second impressions can be very different. And these playoff threads are further opportunity to talk about the players themselves, about the history of the game).

Thursday is Voting Day.

 

[God Bless Canada]

I always wanted to play a pappy team, because I think the world of the guy, and he's been around a long, long team. He's a virtual encyclopedia of the game, because he's been around so long. He doesn't blow statistical smoke to make an argument.

And I've always wanted to face sturm, because he's the only guy who'll go word-for-word with me in an analysis. We may not have the most posts in an ATD thread, but we win the Golden Babble Award for saying the most.

Anyways...

I wish that these guys could have had come in together from the start, and had time to prepare, and consult, because they would have had a dynamite team, a probable championship favourite. On the other hand, I'm glad these guys didn't have a chance to prepare and consult, because they would have had a chance to prepare, and I would have had them as "the one team I have to beat to win the conference," instead of Regina or Peterborough.

It's tough when you have to come in during the third round, after every team has their building blocks in place. We had Owen, Palffy and maybe Richards, when pappy and sturm entered the draft. We had the draft MVP, an explosive winger, and a money-in-the-bank centre, by the time they made their first pick.

sturm, I know you're not a big fan of line matching, and neither am I. But I hope you'll make an exception for Charlie Burns. I know I would. Thrilled to see the love that Burns is getting in this MLD. A Murphy and GBC find from MLD 7.

B. Richards/Burns would be an excellent match-up - an excellent clutch offensive player against the best defensive player in the draft. But then that leaves an open match-up for Larouche's line. If they match-up Burns against Larouche's line, then that'll leave an open match-up for Brad Richards' line.

I think we have an edge in every facet - top-end talent, depth, offensive ability, defensive ability, team toughness, coaching, goaltending. The latter might be the only one that's disputable. Both McLean and Henry are excellent No. 1s. Frank Patrick might be better than Tom Johnson, but I think the Johnson-Dwight tandem gives us the advantage. (For those not aware, Dwight McMillan is soon to become the winningest active coach in pro, collegiate and junior hockey. Anywhere).

I think pappy and sturm built an excellent team given the circumstances. But the circumstances may be too much to overcome.

 

[raleh]

Pappy and Sturm, eh? This is the kind of matchup that makes these things really fun. Sturm is one of the few guys I've actually been scared of playing. Anyone who can put a team together the way you guys did in the conditions you had should be applauded. However, as GBC mentioned, I don't think it was enough.

I think we've got advantages in every aspect and we've got one of the very few players that can take over a game in the MLD in George Owen.

Not sure if either Pappy or Sturm will be around much, but I think everyone appreciates you guys swooping in and making sure this team was picked. Again, given the situation, it's a hell of a team.

 

[pappyline]

Actually Sturm made the first 3 picks plus one more & then dropped out & I made the rest of the picks. If not for Sturm we wouldn't have qualified. I really wasn't too focused on it & made some stupid picks. Why I picked Larry Hillman when Shymr & Ley were available, I do not know. But to tell you the truth, I think the Fog Devils are pretty good. Unfortunately, I have been away at a family function & really haven't had a chance to hype this team.

Coming up against knowledgeable guys like GBC & Raleh also make things very tough. These guys know their stuff. Just got back tonight & not sure how much time I will have to comment.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

To tell you the truth, I think the Fog Devils are pretty good.

I think they're pretty good too. I had the Devils and Millionares right beside each other in my rankings, so it will be a tough call for me. The Fog Devils have alot of very capable offensive players, probably more so than the Millionares.

 

[Spitfire11]

Hillman sticks out like a sore thumb but the rest of the team is solid, I would of had the Fog Devils near the top of the division, love the forward lines. Melville also has a very good team. I don't like Brad Richards as a 1st line centre though, and surprised Larouche was picked on a GBC team, he's like the centre version of Richer. He makes a nice line with Hextall/Crowder though.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Hillman sticks out like a sore thumb but the rest of the team is solid, I would of had the Fog Devils near the top of the division, love the forward lines. Melville also has a very good team. I don't like Brad Richards as a 1st line centre though, and surprised Larouche was picked on a GBC team, he's like the centre version of Richer. He makes a nice line with Hextall/Crowder though.

After we picked Bronco Horvath in MLD 8, all bets should have been off for who we pick in the MLD. (Although there's a certain undrafted criminal who will never, ever be on any of my teams). But we slotted Horvath on a line with Balon and Balfour.

Hextall and Crowder aren't the best second line wingers in the draft, but they're the guys who fit in best with Larouche. Having Larouche on the second line, with guys who can open up room for him, should make him more effective than Richer, who's on the first line, and playing with just the one grinder on his line.

Richards is definitely good enough to play on a top line. I'd take him ahead of Mike Rogers in a heartbeat. As far as a two-way playmaking centre to play with Palffy, Richards is one of the best in the draft. His playoff record is as good as anyone's in the draft. It might be the best. When playing with a goal-scorer like Palffy - especially at the MLD level - you don't need a world class playmaker. Just a good two-way guy who can get him the puck. That's Brad Richards, who has a Conn Smythe and three top-10 finishes in assists.

I don't think playoff performance is as big of a deal in the MLD as the ATD. Guys aren't facing elite checkers or elite defensive defencemen in this thing. But a playoff record like Richards, or Steve Payne, really stands out in the MLD.

A couple other strengths for the Mills:
*Versatility up front. Outside of Palffy and Larouche, every one of our forwards is either very good defensively, or physical. We have 10 forwards capable of killing penalties.
*Depth down the middle. I think it's one of our biggest strengths. A two-way playmaking centre in B. Richards. A goal-scoring offensive centre in Larouche. And a pair of two-way centres in Gee and Mike Richards who can contribute offensively, defensively and physically. (Mike Richards won't be in the MLD for long).

We also have the draft MVP in George Owen. He can log big minutes, and he's a force offensively. That's a big edge for us to have a player of that caliber.

 

[pappyline]

After we picked Bronco Horvath in MLD 8, all bets should have been off for who we pick in the MLD. (Although there's a certain undrafted criminal who will never, ever be on any of my teams). But we slotted Horvath on a line with Balon and Balfour.

Hextall and Crowder aren't the best second line wingers in the draft, but they're the guys who fit in best with Larouche. Having Larouche on the second line, with guys who can open up room for him, should make him more effective than Richer, who's on the first line, and playing with just the one grinder on his line.

Richards is definitely good enough to play on a top line. I'd take him ahead of Mike Rogers in a heartbeat. As far as a two-way playmaking centre to play with Palffy, Richards is one of the best in the draft. His playoff record is as good as anyone's in the draft. It might be the best. When playing with a goal-scorer like Palffy - especially at the MLD level - you don't need a world class playmaker. Just a good two-way guy who can get him the puck. That's Brad Richards, who has a Conn Smythe and three top-10 finishes in assists.

I don't think playoff performance is as big of a deal in the MLD as the ATD. Guys aren't facing elite checkers or elite defensive defencemen in this thing. But a playoff record like Richards, or Steve Payne, really stands out in the MLD.

A couple other strengths for the Mills:
*Versatility up front. Outside of Palffy and Larouche, every one of our forwards is either very good defensively, or physical. We have 10 forwards capable of killing penalties.
*Depth down the middle. I think it's one of our biggest strengths. A two-way playmaking centre in B. Richards. A goal-scoring offensive centre in Larouche. And a pair of two-way centres in Gee and Mike Richards who can contribute offensively, defensively and physically. (Mike Richards won't be in the MLD for long).

We also have the draft MVP in George Owen. He can log big minutes, and he's a force offensively. That's a big edge for us to have a player of that caliber.

I would disagree. I think Rogers is a better playmaking centre than Richards. Had a nice career in the WHA. Then came into the NHL & finished 5 & 7th in points. Richards has never finished higher than 9th. Down centre, I like Rogers, Macgregor, Burns, Maruk & Ftorek a lot better than anything melville can throw out there. As far as 2 way players, Sanford, hebenton, murphy,macgregor, Boucher, maloney, burns are as good or better than any team in the draft.

On D, maybe Owens is the best offensive threat but with Hillman, fontinato, Evans, Young etc, I have maybe the the toughest hard hitting group in the draft. Larouche better keep his head up.

 

[VanIslander]

Thursday is Voting Day.

Keep those votes coming in!

the absolute DEADLINE for voting is Friday at noon eastern

PM me the winner of the series, in how many games, and the three stars of the series

 

[VanIslander]

Melville Millionaires defeat the Newfoundland Fog Devils in straight games

Dennis Hextall might have had half his father's talent and only benefited from NHL expansion for a brief unimpressive peak, but the little guy has love in the ATD community as the series third star, the winning team's top playoff performing forward.

Ed Sandford might have won no cups and he certainly isn't gonna win one here as the second star of the series playing on the losing team, but the 5-time NHL all-star winger was widely respected and the class of the rosters in this series in at least two ATD community member opinions.

George Owen was lucky to be a rookie on the Stanley Cup winning Bruins, and was a supporting cast member when Weiland, Clapper and Thompson led Boston in an impressive 1930 regular season, but then Owen came into his own the following two seasons when the team didn't shine so much, and he retired the season after that. Yet, for some reason he's both the regular season top vote getter among the ATD community as well as the first round playoff top vote getter, apparently thriving in the playoffs well beyond his actual previous experience. Good on him.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Thanks for the series, pappy and sturm. You guys did the best you could given the circumstances.

No offence when I say this, but I'm glad we swept you guys. But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been a sweep if this was a best-of-seven.

I look forward to one day playing pappy or sturm in the ATD, when both GMs will be at their best.

 

[pappyline]

Thanks for the series, pappy and sturm. You guys did the best you could given the circumstances.

No offence when I say this, but I'm glad we swept you guys. But I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been a sweep if this was a best-of-seven.

I look forward to one day playing pappy or sturm in the ATD, when both GMs will be at their best.

Congrats GBC & Raleh. Not surprised I lost to you guys. surprised it was a sweep though. LOL, I didn't even realize it was only a best of 5. I picked other series to go 7 games.