Best 1-2 Defencemen on a Team

8LX7psQ

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With SJ acquiring Erik Karlsson and also having Brent Burns, and Vlasic for that matter where do they rank all time in terms of 1-2 punch? Some Detroit teams come to mind. Who else can compare? '07 Ducks? Thoughts?
 

Michael Farkas

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I think it's easy (relatively) to top the Karlsson-Burns 1-2 punch...as Burns isn't a special player. It gets a lot more interesting when you factor in Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He has been one of the league's best shutdown players for most of his career...

I think a more interesting question (though it's not my thread) is what's a better 1-2-3 punch than Karlsson-Burns-Vlasic? Karlsson is a historically good offensive defenseman, Burns is a roving offensive defenseman with really good point totals and Vlasic is the conversation for league's best shutdown man and is a #1 in his own right...
 

Tuna Tatarrrrrr

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Robinson-Savard (Habs)

Bourque-Blake or Bourque-Foote (Avs)

Bourque-Park (Bruins)

Pronger-Niedermayer (Ducks)

Stevens-Niedermayer (Devils)
 
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brachyrynchos

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In terms of impact to a team, the trade for Langway and a rookie Scott Stevens played a major part in Washington making the playoffs for the first time, (Caps never missed postseason with either/both if them).
Howe-McCrimmon were stellar for the Flyers, those guys were stingy, smart, and had some great chemistry.
 

streitz

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big_three_c.jpg
 

mrhockey193195

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It depends on your definition. If time together is irrelevant, then Orr and Park for the 10-odd games they were both on the ice for the Bruins wins this hands down. Assuming time together *is* relevant, then we need to draw the line somewhere (e.g., does Bourque/Blake count?).

Stevens and Niedermayer were solid, but their peaks never overlapped. Ditto for Lidstrom-Chelios, though at least Chelios was still a top-15 defensemen up until 2002...so maybe they win this one. Robinson-Savard would be the other pair that immediately comes to mind.

On a separate note, Bourque/Blake/Foote might be the second best 1-2-3 after Robinson/Savard/Lapointe, even though it was short-lived.

EDIT: I completely forgot about Pronger & MacInnis. Hell, they won back-to-back Norris Trophies (Al in 99, Chris in 00). I might take those two over Robinson/Savard or Lidstrom/Chelios, but it's close.
 

8LX7psQ

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I think it's easy (relatively) to top the Karlsson-Burns 1-2 punch...as Burns isn't a special player. It gets a lot more interesting when you factor in Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He has been one of the league's best shutdown players for most of his career...

I think a more interesting question (though it's not my thread) is what's a better 1-2-3 punch than Karlsson-Burns-Vlasic? Karlsson is a historically good offensive defenseman, Burns is a roving offensive defenseman with really good point totals and Vlasic is the conversation for league's best shutdown man and is a #1 in his own right...

Run with it. I love reading the history threads, you guys know your stuff. It's just fun to read.
 
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Ziggy Stardust

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I feel like Weber and Suter deserve a mention here

The fact they didn't accomplish as much as the other discussed duos and trios might be a reason for that as neither won a Norris or helped their teams win a Cup.

In addition to Stevens and Niedermayer, the Devils also had Rafalski. That trio delivered two Cups in New Jersey, and Rafalski also won another in Detroit with Lidstrom.

Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson on the Penguins was also quite the trio that wasn't long lasting, but Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson were Pittsburgh's top two dmen when they captured their second consecutive Cup.
 
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The Panther

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It's kinda hard to argue against Robinson / Savard.

Honorable mentions go to:
Lidstrom / Konstantinov (four or five seasons?)
Pronger / MacInnis
Langway / Stevens

But Robinson / Savard had it all. Here's what they did in five seasons from 1974 to 1979:
Robinson +350
Savard +312
- Five 1st-place finishes in a row
- Four Stanley Cups in a row

Oh, and both won Conn Smythes (though Savard's was before Robinson).
 

VanIslander

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Shore - Hitchman
Nice. The four-time Hart winner and the Hart trophy runner-up who won two cups and captained the Bruins for years.

BUT... better: Shore-Cleghorn was for a whole season. Cleghorn was coming off of his 2nd Hart trophy finalist season and captained the Bruins for Eddie Shore's rookie season, where Eddie led in defensemen scoring and the league in penalties, the season before his first of seven Hart trophy finalist nominations.

But wait, even better!!!!!

The winner of this thread (given they were peak performing together) is...

Eddie Shore - Dit Clapper :bb:

In 1938-39 they were both of the 1st team NHL all-star defensemen and won the Stanley Cup together on the Bruins blueline that year.


(Clapper would go on to two Hart trophy finalist seasons after Shore retires.)

Here is a photo of lucky goalie Tiny Thompson between the two defensive legends.

 
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VanIslander

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I think a more interesting question (though it's not my thread) is what's a better 1-2-3 punch than Karlsson-Burns-Vlasic?
Shore-Cleghorn-Hitchman.

And all three HHOFers scored playoff goals in the 1927 Stanley Cup Finals run that came up short against the dynasty Ottawa team.
 
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Normand Lacombe

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Dallas had a great top 4 of Hatcher, Zubov, Sydor and Mativichuk in the late 90's. Excellent combination of toughness in Hatcher, offense with Sydor and Zubov, and overall skill with Zubov. Matvichuk was a good, stay at home defenseman. Don't forget Ludwig blocking shots with his goalie sized shin pads.
 
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VanIslander

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If you are looking at top-4 or 6 then...

Montreal defensemen who played more than half the season in their dynasty last Stanley Cup championship season of 1978-79 (and at least half the playoff games):

Larry Robinson
Serge Savard
Guy Lapointe
Rod Langway
Brian Engblom
Rick Chartraw
 

Tuna Tatarrrrrr

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I think it's easy (relatively) to top the Karlsson-Burns 1-2 punch...as Burns isn't a special player. It gets a lot more interesting when you factor in Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He has been one of the league's best shutdown players for most of his career...

I think a more interesting question (though it's not my thread) is what's a better 1-2-3 punch than Karlsson-Burns-Vlasic? Karlsson is a historically good offensive defenseman, Burns is a roving offensive defenseman with really good point totals and Vlasic is the conversation for league's best shutdown man and is a #1 in his own right...
Robinson-Savard-Lapointe and Bourque-Blake-Foote were a better 1-2-3 punch.
 
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double5son10

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From 72-73 when Robinson joins the team through the end of the dynasty in 78-79, the Big Three are 1,2,3 in +/-
Savard +402 (4 Top 5 Norris finishes 4, 5, 5, 5; one 2nd Team All-Star, two "3rd Team AS")
Robinson +385 (3 Top 5 Norris finishes 1, 2, 3; two 1st Team All-Stars, one 2nd Team All-Star)
Lapointe +317 (6 Top 5 Norris finishes 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5; one 1st Team, three 2nd Team All-Stars, one "3rd Team AS")

Orr if healthy is assuredly the leader in EVERYTHING and Park and Potvin are individually superior players, but AS A UNIT the Big Three's dominance is simply unparalleled. 5 Stanley Cups in 7 seasons and they lead the league in fewest goals allowed in each of those seasons. And I feel today we tend to look at the pairing of Robinson-Savard and overlook Lapointe. Pointu is 3rd in defenseman scoring behind Potvin and Park during that time and is 2nd in goals.

In playoff scoring during that period:
Park 72 pts.
Robinson 64 pts.
Potvin 58 pts.
Lapointe 58 pts.
Savard 56 pts.

Along w/ Dryden they were the backbone of the best defensive team post-expansion and maybe ever.
 

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