The Athletic - Boston Bruins team of the decade: Few franchises could match this consistency

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
You're under-rating Espo. As much as I love Bergeron - Esposito is the first line centre. Even your example of Cashman - Espo - Middleton - is your first line. You can't leave Esposito off the team because he's a top 20 hockey player of all-time. All kinds of guys played longer shifts back then and there were all kinds of mediocre defensive schemes and d-men - but it's Espo that dismantled them.

You also forgot The Chief, Johnny Bucyk, whom would be captain of the team and possibly the first line RWer.

- off the top of my head I might go...
Marchand - Esposito - Middleton
Cashman - Bergeron - Bucyk
Lucic - Ratelle - Neely

Markwart - O'Reilly - J0nathan - Axelsson
then there's also M. Savard, Oates, Pederson, Samsonov, Sanderson, Murray, Donato, etc.

Orr - Bourque
Chara - Park
Kluzak - Seidenberg

I put oreilly on my team for heart... and willingness to fight... but I know he wouldnt play much on an alltime team. I put kasper there because he was called the greatest defense player by wayne gretzky which is pretty decent endorsement for me. Esposito by the time 1975 rolled around when I was 6-7 years old was a slow 35 goal scorer who was still a 'good' player but wasnt great. buyck suffers the same fate for me . I didnt watch these guys much in their prime other than the odd highlight that exosts amd unfortunately their highlights are no where near as spectacular as bobby orrs.

unfortunately I was barely out of diapers the last great year Esposito or buyck had

but... I certainly dont mind seeing other people make a list of their top 50... if they have the courage to put their necks on the line for critism. you did... tip of the hat

Im pretty sure some other L O f*****g L people wont but maybe they will surprise me and grow a sack and actually contribute something to the discussion???
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
Dear God, once again I'm glad I don't read his TL;DR posts. Esposito's years with the Bruins would be the among the most potent offensive seasons in the history of hockey if some guys named Gretzky and Lemieux didn't come along.

I read your post... you know there was a time when a bench press of 500 pounds made you the strongest man in the world… a 4 min mile was uniginable… the record for the 100 yard dash was probably owned by jesse owens…

today... a 500 pound bench press is fairly obtainable by a few hundred or more steroid freaks... and that 4 min mile really isnt the gold standard... and jesse owens time in the 100 yards wouldnt qualify him for the Olympic team anymore...

I always said a guy like babe ruth given access to todays training and science probably would have been able to compete against todays athletes but I have no proof.

when gordie howe played hockey he was considered the toughest biggest meanest player in the game... mr elbows... farm boy tough. hell, terry oreilly was on the cover of hockey digest as the toughest fighter in hockey when I was 10...

these guys were 6 feet and around 200 pounds... theyd be called small forwards in todays nhl

they say the game is faster than its ever been... slow players cant keep up anymore. would Esposito/howe/oreilly have had the speed to play in todays NHL? these guys all played in the days before coaching the trap... they werent told to stay in their lane... werent told to limit their shifts to 30-40 seconds... could they adapt to todays nhl… would they still be superstars?

we know in racing/strength competitions todays athletes blow away the past. humans have never been biggers/stronger/faster than they are now. maybe its the steroids I dont know... but the records are all falling and the standards are growing more and more extreme

I like to think the greats from past years could adapt to todays world with a level playing field but I have to show faith because the evidence says todays athletes are superior.

I watched old time hockey. I watched bobby hull skate up the ice unmolested and fire a slap shot from the blueline. I watched glen hall or terry Sawchuk waive a hand at the puck as it went by.

the game has changed.

in phil espositos day he was crushed in that slot.... just hammered with cross checks... props to that guy for standing his ground and collecting the garbage goals. no one ever did it better. but could Esposito beat the trap? was his passing skills up to todays standards necessary to beat a 5 man defensive employment? and how was his own defense? could he adapt to the demands of todays centers for defensive coverage and still get his offense in?

Esposito had strength and stamina. I heard him do an interview where he said he didnt even break a sweat in his first min of a shift. he said he wasnt sure he could ever succeed in 30-40 second shifts.

I propose a team coached today to play trapping hockey would eat a team from the early 1970s for breakfest. I propose the way hockey is played now would crush the way hockey was played then

I propose the goalies today are much more difficult to beat {but then again todays sticks are so much better and the shooting is so much better}

old times say in hockey then each team had a few guys that could shoot the puck... today EVERYONE can shoot the puck. The training kids go through today to learn fundamentals is 1000 times more intense then it ever was for Esposito and his generation of pond hockey players.

you wont read this... so you wont get your education improved. its ok, a lot of people prefer to stay ignorant. it helps them be happier. I do wish you happiness. but I will stand by my decesion and defend it with a well reasoned argument

im not afraid or hurt if anyone L O f&&&&&g Laughs at me. Honestly, I dont think they are capable of better so I give them a little participation ribbon but I always hope for more and encourage more so id like to see their attempt to do better here.
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
Either I'm missing something about Teddy Donato's rather mundane career, or one of these names doesn't belong here. In my mind, the only thing Teddy Donato is known for is kicking his skates up at a guy who was going to beat him senseless.

have to agree with you on the teddy donato thing... I was not a huge fan of his being on a yearly team to be honest let alone best of the half century. honest little player who got pushed around a bit on the check and never had the offensive skill to be much better than a 40 point guy. cant remember him getting any support for the selke trophy or ever being given a leadership letter on his chest... or winning a fight... or... really anything at all

he would have kicked my ass on the ice im sure... but if I was ranking the top 300 forwards in his best season im not sure he would place higher than 150... just a very average guy who I always hoped we would improve on for next year
 

Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,206
17,561
Connecticut
would you rather have the slow skating slot scoring Esposito over Bergeron between marchand and pastranak?

is Esposito the correct center to play between the prototypical power forward cam neely and a monster winger like lucic?

or do we dress him on our checking line in between middleton/Cashman?

I like the chemistry of the three lines I choose but I CANT LEAVE ESPOSITO OFF THE TEAM BECAUSE I WANT HIS AMAZING ELITE PP ABILITY... I might question his effectiveness transitioning to todays nhl of 30-50 second shifts and high pace hockey. Esposito was well known for taking min-90 second shifts and taking advantage of the very poor defensive schemes employed by teams of his era. by the time scotty bowman was starting to coach defense hockey in the mid 1970's Esposito became a very average player very quickly

no doubt in the early wild 1970's he was a god

anyhow... its always good to criticize someone elses choices... but its always fun for me to see a bunch of L O ****ing L comments without any thing of substance to contribute.

are people here too worried that some smarty mouth will hurt their own feelings with the snappy comebacks?

I like my choices for my team even though I admit I probably made a mistake not putting joe thornton over adam oates between neely/lucic... open invitation to anyone else wanting to offer their own choices if they think mine are s**t

No one said your choices were crap. They were very good.

Just seems an oddity to call Phil Esposito a role player.

Really, the guy won two Hart Trophies while Orr & Clark were in their primes. 6 time Art Ross Trophy winner.

6th all-time in goals, 10th in points. MVP of the biggest tournament ever (Summit Series).
 
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Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,206
17,561
Connecticut
You're under-rating Espo. As much as I love Bergeron - Esposito is the first line centre. Even your example of Cashman - Espo - Middleton - is your first line. You can't leave Esposito off the team because he's a top 20 hockey player of all-time. All kinds of guys played longer shifts back then and there were all kinds of mediocre defensive schemes and d-men - but it's Espo that dismantled them.

You also forgot The Chief, Johnny Bucyk, whom would be captain of the team and possibly the first line RWer.

- off the top of my head I might go...
Marchand - Esposito - Middleton
Cashman - Bergeron - Bucyk
Lucic - Ratelle - Neely

Markwart - O'Reilly - J0nathan - Axelsson
then there's also M. Savard, Oates, Pederson, Samsonov, Sanderson, Murray, Donato, etc.

Orr - Bourque
Chara - Park
Kluzak - Seidenberg

Small matter but, Bucyk was a left winger. Never played the right side.
 
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Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,206
17,561
Connecticut
I read your post... you know there was a time when a bench press of 500 pounds made you the strongest man in the world… a 4 min mile was uniginable… the record for the 100 yard dash was probably owned by jesse owens…

today... a 500 pound bench press is fairly obtainable by a few hundred or more steroid freaks... and that 4 min mile really isnt the gold standard... and jesse owens time in the 100 yards wouldnt qualify him for the Olympic team anymore...

I always said a guy like babe ruth given access to todays training and science probably would have been able to compete against todays athletes but I have no proof.

when gordie howe played hockey he was considered the toughest biggest meanest player in the game... mr elbows... farm boy tough. hell, terry oreilly was on the cover of hockey digest as the toughest fighter in hockey when I was 10...

these guys were 6 feet and around 200 pounds... theyd be called small forwards in todays nhl

they say the game is faster than its ever been... slow players cant keep up anymore. would Esposito/howe/oreilly have had the speed to play in todays NHL? these guys all played in the days before coaching the trap... they werent told to stay in their lane... werent told to limit their shifts to 30-40 seconds... could they adapt to todays nhl… would they still be superstars?

we know in racing/strength competitions todays athletes blow away the past. humans have never been biggers/stronger/faster than they are now. maybe its the steroids I dont know... but the records are all falling and the standards are growing more and more extreme

I like to think the greats from past years could adapt to todays world with a level playing field but I have to show faith because the evidence says todays athletes are superior.

I watched old time hockey. I watched bobby hull skate up the ice unmolested and fire a slap shot from the blueline. I watched glen hall or terry Sawchuk waive a hand at the puck as it went by.

the game has changed.

in phil espositos day he was crushed in that slot.... just hammered with cross checks... props to that guy for standing his ground and collecting the garbage goals. no one ever did it better. but could Esposito beat the trap? was his passing skills up to todays standards necessary to beat a 5 man defensive employment? and how was his own defense? could he adapt to the demands of todays centers for defensive coverage and still get his offense in?

Esposito had strength and stamina. I heard him do an interview where he said he didnt even break a sweat in his first min of a shift. he said he wasnt sure he could ever succeed in 30-40 second shifts.

I propose a team coached today to play trapping hockey would eat a team from the early 1970s for breakfest. I propose the way hockey is played now would crush the way hockey was played then

I propose the goalies today are much more difficult to beat {but then again todays sticks are so much better and the shooting is so much better}

old times say in hockey then each team had a few guys that could shoot the puck... today EVERYONE can shoot the puck. The training kids go through today to learn fundamentals is 1000 times more intense then it ever was for Esposito and his generation of pond hockey players.

you wont read this... so you wont get your education improved. its ok, a lot of people prefer to stay ignorant. it helps them be happier. I do wish you happiness. but I will stand by my decesion and defend it with a well reasoned argument

im not afraid or hurt if anyone L O f&&&&&g Laughs at me. Honestly, I dont think they are capable of better so I give them a little participation ribbon but I always hope for more and encourage more so id like to see their attempt to do better here.

So is it your opinion that Bobby Orr, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Doug Harvey, etc. would not be stars in today's NHL?
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
So is it your opinion that Bobby Orr, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Doug Harvey, etc. would not be stars in today's NHL?

no my opinion is that guys from the past given the same advantages of guys of today likely would be able to excel

but I also said that in pure strength/speed events at the Olympics we can see proof that todays atheletes are much faster/stronger and better trained then yesterdays athletes were. the standards have gone up significantly

if you pluck bobby orr or gordie howe out of the time stream and put them in direct competition against todays athletes I doubt they would stand out {might be above average}

greatness is greatness and I measure history by how they dominated their peers. I cant measure one era against another era because the variables are too great

I might argue a guy like erik karlsson playing in 1970 when his coach allowed him to roam the ice at will... might put up results very similar to orr. I might argue that a guy like orr playing in todays nhl when the coaches hold dmen far more accountable might put up results similar to karlsson.

orr dominated his era more than karlsson dominates his own era so I would say orr was a more special great player but im not sure who would win a race on their skates... im not sure who has better puck skills... im not sure who would see the ice better in todays schemes... im not sure who can handle the rule changes in the game and play a better team style defense

if orr was plucked from history and forced to play in todays nhl… im not sure he would be better than karlsson… but orr impressed me more in 1971 than karlsson does in 2018. orr was the greater player because in his era he was the more dominant player

I guess I think espositos game fit the style of 1970 much more than it fits the style of 2018. theres no denying he had a 6-7 year stretch of monster seasons... right up to the 74-75 season when philly/boston were dominating the nhl with smash mouth hockey he was amazing

he lost a step of speed and the game changed with the flying Frenchman becoming the dominant team... and espo still has that 1 skill that cant be taken away. he remains a horse. he remains able to get into that slot and score. he remains the best pp forward ive ever seen. he stayed a ppg player until he was nearly 40 years old but he was a second line forward on those ranger teams for the most part... he was no longer considered an all star. age is part of that, but a changing game made him seem rather slow and a bit ineffective to me

I wish I could see the greats of the past play more... but I just go by the record book and see todays athletes are faster/stronger and better trained
 

b in vancouver

Registered User
Jul 28, 2005
7,840
5,693
Small matter but, Bucyk was a left winger. Never played the right side.

I typed awfully quickly - but of course. Thanks. (I do mean that ) I actually got caught up thinking I never had a centre on my 4th line, had to slide Markwart in there, and forgot. Could probably drop Looch to the 4th and replace him with either Cashman or Bucyk and... honest question - whom would you have as your other right winger with Middleton and Neely?
Also couldn't decide on whom to go with as my 6th d-man so a little shout-out to Seids.
 

Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,206
17,561
Connecticut
I typed awfully quickly - but of course. Thanks. (I do mean that ) I actually got caught up thinking I never had a centre on my 4th line, had to slide Markwart in there, and forgot. Could probably drop Looch to the 4th and replace him with either Cashman or Bucyk and... honest question - whom would you have as your other right winger with Middleton and Neely?
Also couldn't decide on whom to go with as my 6th d-man so a little shout-out to Seids.

Other RW probably Ken Hodge or Glenn Murray, but I think Eddie Westfall was a better player overall. Kind of a RW Bergeron. Used to shadow Bobby Hull back in the 60's.
 

Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,206
17,561
Connecticut
no my opinion is that guys from the past given the same advantages of guys of today likely would be able to excel

but I also said that in pure strength/speed events at the Olympics we can see proof that todays atheletes are much faster/stronger and better trained then yesterdays athletes were. the standards have gone up significantly

if you pluck bobby orr or gordie howe out of the time stream and put them in direct competition against todays athletes I doubt they would stand out {might be above average}

greatness is greatness and I measure history by how they dominated their peers. I cant measure one era against another era because the variables are too great

I might argue a guy like erik karlsson playing in 1970 when his coach allowed him to roam the ice at will... might put up results very similar to orr. I might argue that a guy like orr playing in todays nhl when the coaches hold dmen far more accountable might put up results similar to karlsson.

orr dominated his era more than karlsson dominates his own era so I would say orr was a more special great player but im not sure who would win a race on their skates... im not sure who has better puck skills... im not sure who would see the ice better in todays schemes... im not sure who can handle the rule changes in the game and play a better team style defense

if orr was plucked from history and forced to play in todays nhl… im not sure he would be better than karlsson… but orr impressed me more in 1971 than karlsson does in 2018. orr was the greater player because in his era he was the more dominant player

I guess I think espositos game fit the style of 1970 much more than it fits the style of 2018. theres no denying he had a 6-7 year stretch of monster seasons... right up to the 74-75 season when philly/boston were dominating the nhl with smash mouth hockey he was amazing

he lost a step of speed and the game changed with the flying Frenchman becoming the dominant team... and espo still has that 1 skill that cant be taken away. he remains a horse. he remains able to get into that slot and score. he remains the best pp forward ive ever seen. he stayed a ppg player until he was nearly 40 years old but he was a second line forward on those ranger teams for the most part... he was no longer considered an all star. age is part of that, but a changing game made him seem rather slow and a bit ineffective to me

I wish I could see the greats of the past play more... but I just go by the record book and see todays athletes are faster/stronger and better trained

That's fair.

But there really is no comparison between Orr and Karlsson. Any era, any coach, any equipment, any teammates, any rules.
 

b in vancouver

Registered User
Jul 28, 2005
7,840
5,693
Yeah, it's not Iginla's fault per se that Chiarelli gave him that contract. Chia took a big gamble and lost.

One thing I've always wondered was how realistic the talk of Seidenberg coming back for the ECF was. I remember the rumors were swirling among the beat writers that he was starting to skate and close to coming back. It doesn't feel realistic, but man, that would've been something.

The contract was fine. That was the year oil prices crashed, tanking the Canadian dollar and stagnating The Cap. Nobody really saw that coming - so it's hard for me to blame Chia too much for that. Bruins and Hawks got killed the most from that as they had the best deepest teams.
Traded Seguin but with Iggy's bonus-laden contract Chia was able to have Iginla, Eriksson and R. Smith for the same price as Seguin's sweetheart of a deal.
Also while there's been other series losses that have bothered me - that exit against The Caps in the first round is one that stings because right up until it ended I never for a second thought they'd lose that series as they were simply the better team and probably better than the '11 and '13 teams.
Thought that Iginla contract was definitely a risk worth taking.
 

Therick67

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
12,473
7,049
South of Boston
I put oreilly on my team for heart... and willingness to fight... but I know he wouldnt play much on an alltime team. I put kasper there because he was called the greatest defense player by wayne gretzky which is pretty decent endorsement for me. Esposito by the time 1975 rolled around when I was 6-7 years old was a slow 35 goal scorer who was still a 'good' player but wasnt great. buyck suffers the same fate for me . I didnt watch these guys much in their prime other than the odd highlight that exosts amd unfortunately their highlights are no where near as spectacular as bobby orrs.

unfortunately I was barely out of diapers the last great year Esposito or buyck had

but... I certainly dont mind seeing other people make a list of their top 50... if they have the courage to put their necks on the line for critism. you did... tip of the hat

Im pretty sure some other L O f*****g L people wont but maybe they will surprise me and grow a sack and actually contribute something to the discussion???

Terry O'reilly could play, scored some big goals and absolutely belongs on any Bruins all-time team. In 77 he finished, 5th I believe in Hart trophy voting.

I hate when people think all's he did was fight. Easily my favorite Bruin of all time..
 

Donnie Shulzhoffer

Rocket Surgery
Sep 9, 2008
15,601
11,004
Foxboro, MA
Terry O'reilly could play, scored some big goals and absolutely belongs on any Bruins all-time team. In 77 he finished, 5th I believe in Hart trophy voting.

I hate when people think all's he did was fight. Easily my favorite Bruin of all time..
Then you must be beside yourself with the same poster calling Esposito a role player.
 

KillerMillerTime

Registered User
Jun 30, 2019
6,775
5,355
no my opinion is that guys from the past given the same advantages of guys of today likely would be able to excel

but I also said that in pure strength/speed events at the Olympics we can see proof that todays atheletes are much faster/stronger and better trained then yesterdays athletes were. the standards have gone up significantly

if you pluck bobby orr or gordie howe out of the time stream and put them in direct competition against todays athletes I doubt they would stand out {might be above average}

greatness is greatness and I measure history by how they dominated their peers. I cant measure one era against another era because the variables are too great

I might argue a guy like erik karlsson playing in 1970 when his coach allowed him to roam the ice at will... might put up results very similar to orr. I might argue that a guy like orr playing in todays nhl when the coaches hold dmen far more accountable might put up results similar to karlsson.

orr dominated his era more than karlsson dominates his own era so I would say orr was a more special great player but im not sure who would win a race on their skates... im not sure who has better puck skills... im not sure who would see the ice better in todays schemes... im not sure who can handle the rule changes in the game and play a better team style defense

if orr was plucked from history and forced to play in todays nhl… im not sure he would be better than karlsson… but orr impressed me more in 1971 than karlsson does in 2018. orr was the greater player because in his era he was the more dominant player

I guess I think espositos game fit the style of 1970 much more than it fits the style of 2018. theres no denying he had a 6-7 year stretch of monster seasons... right up to the 74-75 season when philly/boston were dominating the nhl with smash mouth hockey he was amazing

he lost a step of speed and the game changed with the flying Frenchman becoming the dominant team... and espo still has that 1 skill that cant be taken away. he remains a horse. he remains able to get into that slot and score. he remains the best pp forward ive ever seen. he stayed a ppg player until he was nearly 40 years old but he was a second line forward on those ranger teams for the most part... he was no longer considered an all star. age is part of that, but a changing game made him seem rather slow and a bit ineffective to me

I wish I could see the greats of the past play more... but I just go by the record book and see todays athletes are faster/stronger and better trained

At 18/19 years of age Orr was 2nd Team All-Star
in a SIX TEAM LEAGUE. He was facing teams
LOADED with HOF and excelled. Orr played in
an era where the top 6F and top 4D logged
much more TOI. IMO, Orr today would spend more
time matched against 3/4 lines or 5th/6th D than
when he played. In fact back in Orr's rookie year
and later there weren't 4th lines or 6th Dmen.
 

KillerMillerTime

Registered User
Jun 30, 2019
6,775
5,355
I read your post... you know there was a time when a bench press of 500 pounds made you the strongest man in the world… a 4 min mile was uniginable… the record for the 100 yard dash was probably owned by jesse owens…

today... a 500 pound bench press is fairly obtainable by a few hundred or more steroid freaks... and that 4 min mile really isnt the gold standard... and jesse owens time in the 100 yards wouldnt qualify him for the Olympic team anymore...

I always said a guy like babe ruth given access to todays training and science probably would have been able to compete against todays athletes but I have no proof.

when gordie howe played hockey he was considered the toughest biggest meanest player in the game... mr elbows... farm boy tough. hell, terry oreilly was on the cover of hockey digest as the toughest fighter in hockey when I was 10...

these guys were 6 feet and around 200 pounds... theyd be called small forwards in todays nhl

they say the game is faster than its ever been... slow players cant keep up anymore. would Esposito/howe/oreilly have had the speed to play in todays NHL? these guys all played in the days before coaching the trap... they werent told to stay in their lane... werent told to limit their shifts to 30-40 seconds... could they adapt to todays nhl… would they still be superstars?

we know in racing/strength competitions todays athletes blow away the past. humans have never been biggers/stronger/faster than they are now. maybe its the steroids I dont know... but the records are all falling and the standards are growing more and more extreme

I like to think the greats from past years could adapt to todays world with a level playing field but I have to show faith because the evidence says todays athletes are superior.

I watched old time hockey. I watched bobby hull skate up the ice unmolested and fire a slap shot from the blueline. I watched glen hall or terry Sawchuk waive a hand at the puck as it went by.

the game has changed.

in phil espositos day he was crushed in that slot.... just hammered with cross checks... props to that guy for standing his ground and collecting the garbage goals. no one ever did it better. but could Esposito beat the trap? was his passing skills up to todays standards necessary to beat a 5 man defensive employment? and how was his own defense? could he adapt to the demands of todays centers for defensive coverage and still get his offense in?

Esposito had strength and stamina. I heard him do an interview where he said he didnt even break a sweat in his first min of a shift. he said he wasnt sure he could ever succeed in 30-40 second shifts.

I propose a team coached today to play trapping hockey would eat a team from the early 1970s for breakfest. I propose the way hockey is played now would crush the way hockey was played then

I propose the goalies today are much more difficult to beat {but then again todays sticks are so much better and the shooting is so much better}

old times say in hockey then each team had a few guys that could shoot the puck... today EVERYONE can shoot the puck. The training kids go through today to learn fundamentals is 1000 times more intense then it ever was for Esposito and his generation of pond hockey players.

you wont read this... so you wont get your education improved. its ok, a lot of people prefer to stay ignorant. it helps them be happier. I do wish you happiness. but I will stand by my decesion and defend it with a well reasoned argument

im not afraid or hurt if anyone L O f&&&&&g Laughs at me. Honestly, I dont think they are capable of better so I give them a little participation ribbon but I always hope for more and encourage more so id like to see their attempt to do better here.

Bobby Orr was taller than Ray Bourque, Mark Howe and
same height as Karlsson. Orr would have been the best
Dman today. Better skater than all 3 who were tremendous themselves. Bourque and Howe incidentally
played with/against many of Orr's contemporaries and
some players from this era.
 
Last edited:

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
Terry O'reilly could play, scored some big goals and absolutely belongs on any Bruins all-time team. In 77 he finished, 5th I believe in Hart trophy voting.

I hate when people think all's he did was fight. Easily my favorite Bruin of all time..

I watched every second I could of oreilly... use his avatar... use his name... hes my favorte human on the planet other than my family

trust me when I say he wouldnt play much on an all-time past 50 year its no insult to oreilly. at rw he would need to beat out hall of famers cam neely/rick middleton and future hof david pastrnak for icetime

and for people that are being butthurt that I have Esposito slotted for pp specialist... remember I have barry person who is 4th all time in goals and points per game played... Patrice Bergeron who might just be the best 2 way center in the world playing this style of hockey... and I went with adam oates too mostly because I thought he would fit better with his wingers.

complain complain complain with the choice of word I used to describe my idea... but dont offer your own idea. its so brave to just critize other people but its so expected to offer nothing of value yourself in your snotty little posts {and yes we know im talking to someone else and not therick67 with part of my reply here}

dont worry therick67... there isnt a bigger terry oreilly fan then me anywhere on this planet. that said, lets remember cam neely, rick middleton, and david pastrnak arent so bad

as for the posters that told me bobby orr was playing against a 6 team league... its true. orr dominated his era of hockey better than any other INDIVIDUAL ever. his coach basically said go out there and do whatever the hell you want orr. you are better than the other team

in todays nhl coaches say play a system... trap... limit your shifts to 30-40 seconds... take away passing lanes...

if orr tried to freestyle in todays game I think the level of skill everyone has learnt to play a team concept defense game would shut him down. so my question and observation remains... I am unsure orrs advantage of skill/decesion making would translate to success today

I use connor McDavid as an example. McDavid is called the fastest most skilled player ever... and yet his level of scoring is consistent with the other top 10 scorers in the league giver or take a 5% variance.

McDavid isnt dominating the league like other great individuals of the past did. teams are now greater than individuals due to the coaching and training and commitment to defense. there will always be some individual who is the best. orr would very possibly be the best individual if he got the same equipment and nourishment and training that todays athletes got. but the style of hockey doesnt allow individuals to standout anymore.
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
14,331
3,941
Edmonton Canada
Bobby Orr was taller than Ray Bourque, Mark Howe and
same height as Karlsson. Orr would have been the best
Dman today. Better skater than all 3 who were tremendous themselves. Bourque and Howe incidentally
played with/against many of Orr's contemporaries and
some of the older players from today.

we assume orr could play todays system and more than that... he would play todays system. I vote for bobby orr as the best player of all time. im not going to be too passionate to argue anything against orr. I am a believer he is the best player of all time

but... when the game changes you have to wonder how people translate

for example Leonardo da vinci made lots of scientific discoveries. we call him one of the smartest men that ever lived. if you put him in a competition against a very high level engineer in todays world and asked both men to build a working automobile or put a man on the moon... im not sure Leonardo da vinci would win.

we can assume Leonardo could spend a while reaching text books and would be able to understand todays technology but we arent 100% sure that is correct. certainly, he was not as smart as any of todays 10 000 smartest men based on his known knowledge at the time of his death. the smart people today know every Leonardo knew... but he knew very little of what todays people know.

taking anyone from the past and putting them into head to head competion with someone today doesnt work too well

the worlds strongest man 100 years ago isnt as strong as the strongest man today
the worlds fastest man isnt as fast
the worlds best hot dog eater didnt eat as many hot dogs

the world changes and usually the changes are improvements
 

KillerMillerTime

Registered User
Jun 30, 2019
6,775
5,355
we assume orr could play todays system and more than that... he would play todays system. I vote for bobby orr as the best player of all time. im not going to be too passionate to argue anything against orr. I am a believer he is the best player of all time

but... when the game changes you have to wonder how people translate

for example Leonardo da vinci made lots of scientific discoveries. we call him one of the smartest men that ever lived. if you put him in a competition against a very high level engineer in todays world and asked both men to build a working automobile or put a man on the moon... im not sure Leonardo da vinci would win.

we can assume Leonardo could spend a while reaching text books and would be able to understand todays technology but we arent 100% sure that is correct. certainly, he was not as smart as any of todays 10 000 smartest men based on his known knowledge at the time of his death. the smart people today know every Leonardo knew... but he knew very little of what todays people know.

taking anyone from the past and putting them into head to head competion with someone today doesnt work too well

the worlds strongest man 100 years ago isnt as strong as the strongest man today
the worlds fastest man isnt as fast
the worlds best hot dog eater didnt eat as many hot dogs

the world changes and usually the changes are improvements

There is a 25 year participation gap between
Orr and Karlsson. There is a 500 year gap for
da Vinci, come on man get a grip.
 
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PB37

Mr Selke
Oct 1, 2002
25,297
19,299
Maine
Is it possible to compare different eras and not compare eras?

We keep this up and Esposito will be a healthy scratch.

It's simply not possible to take one player from the 60's and try to compare them with today's players. It's not a simple math equation because we're dealing with the always fluctuating variables of humans.

I think the best way to determine greatness across eras is to compare just how dominate that player was against the peers of his time and to draw evaluations from THAT and not their skills, size, skating ability, etc etc.
 

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