Best defensive pairing ever?

[Tavaresmagicalplay*]

What in your mind is the best defensive pairing in NHL history? By that I mean most dominant. I haven't watched hockey as long as some of the people on this board but I've made it pretty obvious, Pronger Niedermayer is the best pairing I've ever seen. They took an average group of forwards(though I'll admit they chipped in goals at the perfect time and were an underrated hardnosed group) and a defense with next to no depth to the cup playing close to or sometimes more than 30 minutes a go at the same level for all 30 minutes. Two very different dmen who complimented eachother perfectly.

A few other notable pairings-

Stevens-Niedermayer
Orr-Park
MacInnis-Pronger

and to add on top of that some of the pairings montreal has had in the past have been pretty formiddable. My question is who is the greatest defense pairing in nhl history in your mind?

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[MXD]

Robinson/Savard was better than all the pairings you named.

Well, except for the somewhat "theoretical" Orr/Park.

 

[vivianmb]

not the best ever, but potvin/persson was an awesome combination that anchored the isles cup dynasty. and stefan persson is probably one of the most underrated player ever.

 

[Tavaresmagicalplay*]

Robinson/Savard was better than all the pairings you named.

Well, except for the somewhat "theoretical" Orr/Park.

So with that said let me also add another thing. Where would you rank the Pronger Niedermayer pairing? Would you say it was more dominant than Niedermayer and Stevens, since Pronger and Niedermayer were both in their primes at the same time as opposed to Stevens and Niedermayer?

 

[MXD]

So with that said let me also add another thing. Where would you rank the Pronger Niedermayer pairing? Would you say it was more dominant than Niedermayer and Stevens, since Pronger and Niedermayer were both in their primes at the same time as opposed to Stevens and Niedermayer?

Above, obviously.

Then again, Nieds and Prongs didn't play that long together.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

Rod Langway-Brian Engblom were very dominant in their day.

 

[Cermi]

Orr-anyone

 

[lextune]

Orr and Park only played 10 games together.....made for a cool picture though:

 

[John Flyers Fan]

So with that said let me also add another thing. Where would you rank the Pronger Niedermayer pairing? Would you say it was more dominant than Niedermayer and Stevens, since Pronger and Niedermayer were both in their primes at the same time as opposed to Stevens and Niedermayer?

Neither pair really played all that much together. Pronger and Neidermayer usually didn't play together so that they could have one of them on the ice for 50+ minutes a game.

With the Devils it was usually Niedermayer - Daneyko and Stevens - Rafalski.

 

[Tavaresmagicalplay*]

Neither pair really played all that much together. Pronger and Neidermayer usually didn't play together so that they could have one of them on the ice for 50+ minutes a game.

With the Devils it was usually Niedermayer - Daneyko and Stevens - Rafalski.

I guess so but Niedermayer-Pronger actually played together quite a bit. They were seperated everynow and then but in the playoffs they were on the ice together all the time.

 

[eastcoaster]

Allan Stanley and Tim Horton played together for about a decade. Both are in the Hall of Fame and the Leafs won four Stanley Cups during that time. Maybe not the best pair ever but I don't think there were two HOFers who played together for as long as they did. Certainly worth consideration.

 

[RabbinsDuck]

I'm curious how many times the Norris winner and the runner-up were on the same team -- as Lidstrom and Chelios were in 2002.

 

[MXD]

Allan Stanley and Tim Horton played together for about a decade. Both are in the Hall of Fame and the Leafs won four Stanley Cups during that time. Maybe not the best pair ever but I don't think there were two HOFers who played together for as long as they did. Certainly worth consideration.

Well, Robinson and Savard... Not AS long. But certainly did more and were better.

 

[Big Phil]

If I want to win the pair I take would be Robinson and Savard in a nanosecond. FOr what it's worth Savard is very underrated around here. Not many d-man would be described as playing "errorless" defense. But that was Savard. For about 7 years they paired off and the result was absolute dominance especially if you like to use the +/- stat.

Another poster mention Horton and Stanley. That's a pretty good one that had long shelf life but they fall just a bit short of Savard/Robinson.

I'm trying to remember here, did Harvey and Johnson play much together? That would be up there if they did.

And my memory serves me that Pronovost and Kelly did NOT play much together but I could be wrong. Anyways, that would be quite a pairing

 

[Wetcoaster]

If I want to win the pair I take would be Robinson and Savard in a nanosecond. FOr what it's worth Savard is very underrated around here. Not many d-man would be described as playing "errorless" defense. But that was Savard. For about 7 years they paired off and the result was absolute dominance especially if you like to use the +/- stat.

Another poster mention Horton and Stanley. That's a pretty good one that had long shelf life but they fall just a bit short of Savard/Robinson.

I'm trying to remember here, did Harvey and Johnson play much together? That would be up there if they did.

And my memory serves me that Pronovost and Kelly did NOT play much together but I could be wrong. Anyways, that would be quite a pairing

Kelly was partnered up with Bill Quackenbush for his first couple of years before Quackenbush was traded to the Bruins before the 1949-50 season. Then he played with Bob Goldham for the next few years after Goldham was traded from Chicago in 1950. IIRC they played together for about five seasons.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

I'm trying to remember here, did Harvey and Johnson play much together? That would be up there if they did.

It was primarily Harvey-Talbot and Johnson-St. Laurent I believe.

I think Howe-McCrimmon, Coffey-Lowe and Lidstrom-Murphy deserve mention.

Usually, the best pairings are a Norris calibre d-man with a guy who the star d-man never has to worry about.

 

[JT Dutch*]

... In the 2001 playoffs, Rob Blake usually played alongside Ray Bourque. That was the best pairing I ever saw, given the fact that their time together was so short.

 

[Blades of Glory]

Howe-McCrimmon deserves consideration just by virtue is that they actually played together for quite a few years, and dominated too. Not just a quick-fix pairing that wasn't usually together, like the rare times when two stars like Pronger and MacInnis or Niedermayer and Stevens played together at even-strength.

Lidstrom-Chelios from 2002 deserves a mention, considering they were every-night defense partners that finished 1-2 in Norris Voting, with Lidstrom winning by a very small margin. It was pretty much a one season thing, though.

 

[SealsFan]

Orr and Park lined up against the Kansas City Scouts.

I shudder to think of what the final score was...

 

[revolverjgw]

Orr and Park lined up against the Kansas City Scouts.

I shudder to think of what the final score was...

According to hockey-reference, the Scouts lost to Boston twice that season, 5-2 and 4-2. They also had a win and a tie. They did surprisingly well against the Bruins, actually

 

[Telos]

Orr-anyone

This is what I came here to say

 

[Dreakmur]

Sprague Cleghorn - Eddie Gerard

Sprague Cleghorn - Eddie Shore

 

[Leafs Forever]

Sprague Cleghorn - Eddie Gerard

Sprague Cleghorn - Eddie Shore

They played together? I shudder at the thought of the destruction...

 

[GillJustin]

hey good article

 

[Preisst*]

Allan Stanley and Tim Horton played together for about a decade. Both are in the Hall of Fame and the Leafs won four Stanley Cups during that time. Maybe not the best pair ever but I don't think there were two HOFers who played together for as long as they did. Certainly worth consideration.

Bobby Baun and Carl Brewer from that same team. The Bruise Brothers. Not sure if any team has had a stronger foursome than Stanley, Horton, Baun and Brewer.