Best powerplay line of all time?

[tazzy19]

My vote would have to for Team Canada during the 1987 Canada Cup:

Messier
Gretzky
Lemieux
Bourque
Coffey

This line up is ridiculously amazing IMO. None better, ever, according to me. Questions, comments, and cries of outrage are all welcome...

Click to read more...

 

[King Forsberg]

I don't think it can get any better than that.

 

[begbeee]

I would say the best unit was in Montreal when NHL changed the rule about powerplays.
I dont know the names exactly.

I mean: Wow, you are so good that you changed the game rules?! Unit from CC87 came nowhere close to that...

Discuss.

EDIT: Oh, I got it...
Up until the 1956–57 season, a penalized player had to serve his full two-minute term regardless of how many goals were scored by the opposing team. The rule was changed because the Montreal Canadiens had such a powerhouse power-play unit that they frequently scored two or more goals during a power play, with a unit that featured Hall of Famers Jean Beliveau, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Bert Olmsted, and Dickie Moore, among others. Three of those players finished among the top four in league scoring during the 1955-56 season, and a fourth finished seventh (Beliveau led the league in goals and points, Richard tied for second in goals and finished third in points, Olmstead led the league in assists and finished fourth in points, and Geoffrion finished fifth in goals and seventh in points).

 

[Canadiens1958]

1950's Canadiens Powerplay

I would say the best unit was in Montreal when NHL changed the rule about powerplays.
I dont know the names exactly.

I mean: Wow, you are so good that you changed the game rules?! Unit from CC87 came nowhere close to that...

Discuss.

EDIT: Oh, I got it...
Up until the 1956–57 season, a penalized player had to serve his full two-minute term regardless of how many goals were scored by the opposing team. The rule was changed because the Montreal Canadiens had such a powerhouse power-play unit that they frequently scored two or more goals during a power play, with a unit that featured Hall of Famers Jean Beliveau, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Bert Olmsted, and Dickie Moore, among others. Three of those players finished among the top four in league scoring during the 1955-56 season, and a fourth finished seventh (Beliveau led the league in goals and points, Richard tied for second in goals and finished third in points, Olmstead led the league in assists and finished fourth in points, and Geoffrion finished fifth in goals and seventh in points).

The game that had the biggest influence changing the two minute penalty rule happened Nov.5,1955:

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19550035

a 2 - 0 Boston lead was converted to a 3 - 2 Canadiens lead by a Jean Beliveau hat trick in 44 seconds, during one single penalty.

This was the only time to my knowldege that the Canadiens scored three goals during one, two minute power play. During the 1954-55 and 1955-56 season the Canadiens managed two goals during a PP about 8 times per season.

The core Canadiens PP during the 1955-60 era was Doug Harvey and Bernie Geoffrion at the points with Jean Beliveau between either Bert Olmstead / Dickie Moore on LW and Maurice Richard on RW.

 

[redbull]

My vote would have to for Team Canada during the 1987 Canada Cup:

Messier
Gretzky
Lemieux
Bourque
Coffey

This line up is ridiculously amazing IMO. None better, ever, according to me. Questions, comments, and cries of outrage are all welcome...

If you're just putting names down and looking at overall player skill-set then of course those players on the ice at the same time would very likely be extremely dangerous, in a short tournament and probably over the long haul.

But I like begbee's approach....

I would say the best unit was in Montreal when NHL changed the rule about powerplays.
I dont know the names exactly.

I mean: Wow, you are so good that you changed the game rules?! Unit from CC87 came nowhere close to that...

Discuss.

EDIT: Oh, I got it...
Up until the 1956–57 season, a penalized player had to serve his full two-minute term regardless of how many goals were scored by the opposing team. The rule was changed because the Montreal Canadiens had such a powerhouse power-play unit that they frequently scored two or more goals during a power play, with a unit that featured Hall of Famers Jean Beliveau, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Bert Olmsted, and Dickie Moore, among others. Three of those players finished among the top four in league scoring during the 1955-56 season, and a fourth finished seventh (Beliveau led the league in goals and points, Richard tied for second in goals and finished third in points, Olmstead led the league in assists and finished fourth in points, and Geoffrion finished fifth in goals and seventh in points).

....agreed. good find.
I knew there was a MTL team that led to that rule change, didn't know it was as far back at the '50s!

Rule-changing definitely overrides a group of elite NHL names in a short tournament IMO.

I'm also reminded of the NHL changing the 4on4 rule for off-setting penalties mainly because of the Oilers. Throwing Gretzky/Kurri/Coffey/whomever and then Messier/Anderson was also considered "unfair" to the opposition.

Legend has it the Oilers would PURPOSEFULLY take off-setting penalties because they knew how dangerous they were with more open ice.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The game that had the biggest influence changing the two minute penalty rule happened Nov.5,1955:

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19550035

a 2 - 0 Boston lead was converted to a 3 - 2 Canadiens lead by a Jean Beliveau hat trick in 44 seconds, during one single penalty.

Penalties - BOS - Laycoe 0:16



Incidentally, it was only 8 months earlier that Laycoe high-sticked Maurice Richard, which led to the infamous riot.

 

[JaymzB]

The game that had the biggest influence changing the two minute penalty rule happened Nov.5,1955:

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19550035

a 2 - 0 Boston lead was converted to a 3 - 2 Canadiens lead by a Jean Beliveau hat trick in 44 seconds, during one single penalty.

This was the only time to my knowldege that the Canadiens scored three goals during one, two minute power play. During the 1954-55 and 1955-56 season the Canadiens managed two goals during a PP about 8 times per season.

The core Canadiens PP during the 1955-60 era was Doug Harvey and Bernie Geoffrion at the points with Jean Beliveau between either Bert Olmstead / Dickie Moore on LW and Maurice Richard on RW.

Really hard to put together a better powerplay than that, even All-Star or International type situations:

-Olmstead became a HoF member by being excellent at doing the dirty work like mucking in the corners (among other things). Important if your team loses possession down low.
-Geoffrion probably had the best/hardest shot in the league at that time (since Hull hadn’t arrived yet).
-Richard is described by some as the most dangerous player from the blueline in. Whether this is hyperbole, the fact remains that he will go into the area’s you need to score from.
-Harvey is described as one of the best “first pass†defensemen in league history. As well, one of the most patient players ever. Very important attributes when setting up a powerplay.
-Finally, Beliveau (at this point prior to all his nagging injuries) is the best player in the league in 55-56. He is bigger/faster/stronger than just about every other player. There is no weakness to his game, and this particular season, he proved he could play rough when necessary (3rd in the league in PIM’s).

Yeah, hard to find any PP better than that….

 

[Merya]

The Green Unit. Altho they seemed to play powerplay everytime they were on the ice.

 

[Reds4Life]

The Green Unit. Altho they seemed to play powerplay everytime they were on the ice.

I agree, I have never seen better PP.

 

[begbeee]

The Green Unit. Altho they seemed to play powerplay everytime they were on the ice.

I also thought about them, but on this forum is so much disrespect to non-nhlers, you now we really couldnt compare different competitions and similar trash talk...

 

[SidGenoMario]

Any of the Pens teams of the 90's with Lemieux, Jagr & Francis.

 

[Up the Irons]

Gretz, Lemieux, Bossy or Brett Hull
Orr, Fetisov.

 

[Eisen]

The Green Unit was someting else for me. Most likely up there.
Not better individually than the the 87 Canada squad but as far as team play goes, I never saw a more effective and aesthetically pleasing PP than them.