This is very intresting. Both teams feature some of my all-time favorites. Clearly there is an advantage in goal for Inglewood but I think Ivan is the better coach. Inglewood has great depth on defense and a pretty good to great all around offense while the wings at first look seem to have a better shutdown forward line-up.
Hope you will argue this to the end because I am very divided in this match up.
I'm going to thank you for your kind comments on our team, but I think we actually have the better shutdown forward group. Our entire first line is three good two-way players, culminating in Tikkanen and his three Selke runners up. He is one of the best pests to ever play, but even beyond being a pest he's a great defensive player. Darragh was one of if not the major defensive conscience on the Ottawa Senators prior to Frank Nighbor getting there from 1910-1915. Delvecchio was also known as an excellent defender in his day.
On our second line, neither Sedin is bad defensively. Both have received Selke votes in the past, with Daniel's being more consistent. They're capable of at least holding their own. Kerr is obviously sub standard defensively.
Our third line is not a good defensive third line by any stretch. I've never seen anything about Hyland's defensive game, Nilsson is obviously not effective defensively, and I've never seen anything about Patrick either.
However, our 4th line is an extremely effective checking defensive shutdown line as well. Madden's credentials are known and he's also a very good faceoff man. Reggie Fleming, beyond his reputation as a tough guy, is actually a really good defensive forward and used to play defense every once in a while for them. Sutter adds some grit to that line along with being solid defensively, and also is another guy to take faceoffs.
As far as his team, Larmer is the best defensive forward on his first line. Mahovlich is defensively responsible at least (however I wouldn't necessarily call him a plus because he will be certainly more concentrated on his offensive game), but I've never seen anything written about Barry.
Goyette is obviously a good defensive presence. Gagne is in that same class of the Sedins defensively. I've never seen much about Nedomansky's defensive skill so I'm assuming he's probably not much of a plus to speak of.
Bauer as far as I know isn't much of a defensive presence. Dumart was the one used extensively as the defensive forward on the Kraut line. Hlinka I haven't seen anything of defensively yet either in my searches, but I thought I had seen some things before. Wilson I feel pretty confident was a solid two-way player.
Pandolfo is a decent defensive presence, but I have to admit I think he was partially made by my Madden. They played extensively together and Madden was certainly the better of the two. Conroy was certainly solid with two Selke noms, and Lever was a good two-way guy who particularly was good at killing PKs.
Overall, I think we certainly have the better high end talent defensively which will help us shut down his better forwards. Between Madden and Tikkanen we feel we certainly have the two best defensive forwards in this series. This to go along with Fleming, Sutter, Delvecchio, and Darragh being legitimate pluses defensively compared to his Conroy, Goyette, Pandolfo being his top three. We think our forwards are an advantage for us defensively.