Foster Hewitt Semifinals: Vancouver Millionaires vs. Kentucky Thoroughblades

[Sturminator]

Vancouver Millionares Hockey Club

Head Coach: Glen Sather
Captain: Wayne Gretzky
Assistant: Lionel Conacher
Assistant: Charlie Conacher
Home Rink: Denman Arena (1911)

'Baldy' Northcott - Wayne Gretzky (C) - Charlie Conacher (A)
Sweeney Schriner - Milan Novy - Bill Guerin
John Madden - Ralph Backstrom - Jerry Toppazzini
Red Berenson - Jason Arnott - Alexei Kovalev

Lionel Conacher (A) - Eric Desjardins
Gus Mortson - Sergei Zubov
George McNamara - Keith Magnuson

Terry Sawchuk
Curtis Joseph

Spares: Ron Greschner D, Herb Cain LW, Alexei Zhitnik D, Jeff Carter C/RW

1st unit PP: Zubov - Desjardins - Schriner - Gretzky - C.Conacher
2nd unit PP: L.Conacher - Zubov - Northcott - Novy - Kovalev

1st unit PK: Madden - Toppazzini - L. Conacher - Mortson
2nd unit PK: Berenson - Backstrom - Desjardins - Magnuson
Alternate: Gretzky - Guerin

Coaching staff Notes:
* Schriner gets looks with Gretzky and Conacher when trailing late in close games
* Eric Desjardins and Lionel Conacher is a shutdown pairing used in last minute/2 minutes​

Vs.​

Kentucky Thoroughblades

General Manager: Velociraptor
Home Venue: Rupp Arena

Head Coach: Bob Johnson
Assistant Coach: Jaroslav Pitner
Captain: Joe Sakic
Assistant Captains: Sid Abel, Frantíšek Pospišil

Daniel Sedin - Joe Sakic - Ziggy Palffy
Valeri Kharlamov - Sid Abel - Eddie Oatman
Don Marcotte - Ken Mosdell - Bengt-Ake Gustafsson
Percy Galbraith - Doug Weight - Eddie Wiseman

Jack Stewart - Frantíšek Pospišil
Kevin Hatcher - Jack Crawford
Ted Harris - Phil Housley

Ed Belfour
Ed Giacomin

Spares:
Brian Engblom, D
John Ogrodnick, LW
Patrik Sundstrom, C/LW

Special Teams

Powerplay:

First Unit
Valeri Kharlamov - Sid Abel - Ziggy Palffy
Joe Sakic - Phil Housley

Second Unit
Daniel Sedin - Doug Weight - Eddie Wiseman
Kevin Hatcher - Phil Housley

Penalty Kill:

First Unit
Ken Mosdell - Don Marcotte
Jack Stewart - Jack Crawford

Second Unit
Joe Sakic - Percy Galbraith
Frantíšek Pospišil - Ted Harris
​

Click to read more...

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

It's on! Good luck Velo. I think I will actually get active and do match-up comparison's later on, but I will start by saying for the love of god, don't let Sedin anywhere near our bottom pair on D.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Im just going to post how I think we're going to defeat the Blades instead of going line by line, pair by pair - because Velo seems M.I.A:

1)Vancouver has an infinitely better top line. I love Joey Sakic, god bless him but he can't hold the Great One's jock offensively lets be honest about it. Sakic is always dangerous, however. Sedin and Palffy? If you put them together they still wouldn't equal the great Charlie Conacher, both literally and metaphorically. We've also protected Gretz really well with the Conacher brothers, Northcott willing to scrap away in scrums, and Gus Mortson. Also, I've seen three kittens in a friends basement that looked tougher than Sedin, Sakic, and Palffy. Gameplan will be to pound these three into oblivion.

2)Sawchuk is a clear, and key advantage over Belfour. I've already made note how much I respect The Eagle as a goalie come playoff time - but we're talking about an all-time great hockey player in Sawchuk here, who's pure talent as a puckstopper is arguably only surpassed by Dominik Hasek.

3)Coaching

4)Neither of these teams have top-heavy defence cores, both are by committee. I will concede an edge on the top pair for Kentucky, but at the same time our second pair is infinitely better - and just as a whole I would say Vancouver has the better top four on defence.

5)I think Kharlamov and Abel are going to have to have the series' of their lives. Luckily, we have the phalanx to stop them with a pure shutdown line of Madden-Backstrom-Toppazzini on home ice. The Blades have a pretty balanced top 6 - Im comfortable either going power on power or getting the third line out against either of them - doesn't matter.

 

[Johnny Engine]

My primary question I have for my voting is how Kentucky plans to approach Gretzky. Kentucky's best defensive line won't score much, and that's a big drag for anyone who plays the kind of minutes Gretzky is capable of playing.
Basically, how do you get away from a situation where 21+ minutes of the game involves Mosdell chasing guys around?

Sedin and Palffy? If you put them together they still wouldn't equal the great Charlie Conacher, both literally and metaphorically.

Are we making penis jokes again?

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

My primary question I have for my voting is how Kentucky plans to approach Gretzky. Kentucky's best defensive line won't score much, and that's a big drag for anyone who plays the kind of minutes Gretzky is capable of playing.
Basically, how do you get away from a situation where 21+ minutes of the game involves Mosdell chasing guys around?



Are we making penis jokes again?

Sakic and Abel were both good two-way players (especially Sakic), so I don't think they would get blown away if head to head with Gretzky... but their wingers really aren't going to provide much defensive support at all.

 

[Sturminator]

Sakic and Abel were both good two-way players (especially Sakic), so I don't think they would get blown away if head to head with Gretzky... but their wingers really aren't going to provide much defensive support at all.

Wasn't Eddie Oatman actually a strong two-way player?

 

[jarek]

Wasn't Eddie Oatman actually a strong two-way player?

Not really. There is some evidence to support him being a small plus defensively, but that's about it, unless someone dug up something else since 70s did the bio.

 

[Velociraptor]

Was in Toronto all week, I'll do my best to try and make some arguments tomorrow.

 

[Velociraptor]

Sorry I couldn't debate with you this time around, m_b. You've built a solid roster around Wayne.

Our strong, balanced defensive corps will do the best to limit Gretzky's damage with physicality and strong play in our own-end.

Best of luck to you, sir.

 

[Sturminator]

Vancouver wins in 6
- Three stars: Gretzky, Sakic, Sawchuk

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Would have been a fun one to watch in reality, Velo. Knew this wouldn't be a quick series - good job on putting that squad together.

 

[Velociraptor]

Would have been a fun one to watch in reality, Velo. Knew this wouldn't be a quick series - good job on putting that squad together.

Good luck in the divisional final!