Best starting line-up of all time?

KingGallagherXI

Registered User
Jul 10, 2009
3,890
19
Hi, I'm not a HoH guru but I was wondering which starting line ups were the best of all time (top 3 forwards, 2 defensemen and goalie).

I came up with all these Stanley Cup winning teams:

1954-1955
Geoffrion - Beliveau - Richard (not even sure if they played on the same line)
Harvey - Johnson
Plante

1971-1972
Bucyk - Esposito - Hodge
Orr - Smith
Cheevers

1976-1977
Shutt - Lemaire - Lafleur
Robinson - Lapointe
Dryden

1981-1982
Tonelli - Trottier - Bossy
Potvin - McEwen
Smith

1984-1985
Anderson - Gretzky - Kurri
Coffey - Huddy
Fuhr

1990-1991
Stevens - Lemieux - Recchi
Coffey - Murphy
Barrasso

1996-1997
Kozlov - Fedorov - Larionov
Konstantinov - Fetisov
Osgood

Which one of these were the best, or can you come up with better ones?
 

BigDucky

Registered User
May 30, 2008
181
4
Downriver, MI
1951-52 Detroit Red Wings

Lindsay-Abel-Howe
Kelly-Pronovost
Sawchuk

I'm actually not sure if Pronovost played with Kelly, but I don't know how to find out.
 

Trottier

Very Random
Feb 27, 2002
29,232
14
San Diego
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Actually NYI would be:

1981-1982
Gillies - Trottier - Bossy
Potvin - Morrow
Smith

Morrow was an exponentially superior dman to Mike McEwen, who was a third-pairing and PP specialist for NYI.
 

TheDevilMadeMe

Registered User
Aug 28, 2006
52,271
6,981
Brooklyn
1951-52 Detroit Red Wings

Lindsay-Abel-Howe
Kelly-Pronovost
Sawchuk

I'm actually not sure if Pronovost played with Kelly, but I don't know how to find out.

I don't think Pronovost played with Kelly. I think Kelly played with Black Jack Stewart, then Leo Reise. Either way, the early 50s Red Wings are probably the answer:

Ted Lindsay - Sid Abel - Gordie Howe
Red Kelly - Black Jack Stewart
Terry Sawchuk

The late 50s Habs had so much top end talent, but they spread it between two lines:

Bert Olmstead - Jean Beliveau - Bernard Geoffrion
Dickie Moore - Henri Richard - Maurice Richard

Also, I don't think Harvey and Johnson played together often, but I might be wrong.

The late 50s Canadien powerplay was ridiculously stacked though (so much so that the NHL actually had to change the rules):

Dickie Moore - Jean Beliveau - Maurice Richard
Doug Harvey - Bernard Geoffrion
 

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