Hewitt Division Consolation Round: Borussia Red Bull 04 vs Miami Screaming Eagles

[Theokritos]

EHC Borussia Red Bull 04

Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant Coach: Roger Neilson

Reg Noble - Sidney Crosby (C) - Brett Hull
Kevin Stevens - Mats Sundin (A) - Bobby Rousseau
Woody Dumart - Hooley Smith - Bobby Bauer
Wendel Clark - Kris Draper - Ace Bailey
Gaye Stewart, Harry Westwick

Borje Salming - Pierre Pilote (A)
Ching Johnson - Dan Boyle
Sandis Ozolinsh - Adam Foote
Kris Letang

Ed Belfour
Rogie Vachon

PP:
Smith-Crosby-Hull
Rousseau - Pilote

Stevens-Sundin-Bauer
Ozolinsh-Boyle

ex. Noble, Salming

PK:
Draper-Bailey
Johnson-Foote

Dumart-Smith
Salming-Pilote

ex. Rousseau, Sundin


Estimated ice time and usage


Forwards

Player | ES | PP | PK | Total
R. Noble | 15 | 2 | | 17
S. Crosby | 15 | 4 | | 19
B. Hull | 15 | 4 | | 19
K. Stevens | 11 | 3 | | 14
M. Sundin | 14 | 3 | | 17
B. Rousseau| 11 | 4 | | 15
W. Dumart | 14 | | 3 | 17
H. Smith | 14 | 2 | 3 | 19
B. Bauer | 14 | 3 | | 17
W. Clark | 6 | | | 6
K. Draper | 3 | | 4 | 8
A. Bailey | 6 | | 4 | 10
TOTAL | 138 | 25 | 14 | 177

Sundin will take shifts for Draper on the 4th line occasionally.


Defense

Player | ES | PP | PK | Total
P. Pilote | 18 | 4 | 3 | 25
B. Salming | 20 | | 3 | 23
C. Johnson | 18 | | 4 | 22
D. Boyle | 16 | 3 | | 19
A. Foote | 12 | | 4 | 16
S. Ozolinsh | 8 | 3 | | 11
TOTAL | 92 | 10 | 14 | 116

Salming and Johnson will take shifts for Ozolinsh on the 3rd pairing occasionally.

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[Theokritos]

The Miami Screaming Eagles

Head Coach:Cecil Hart
Captain: Alf Smith
Assistant Captains: Ott Heller, Ed Litzenberger

Bobby Hull - Elmer Lach - Theo Fleury
Alexander Ovechkin - Dale Hawerchuk - Alf Smith
Rick Martin - Igor Larionov - Bill Guerin
Brad Marchand - Red Sullivan - Ed Litzenberger


Marcel Pronovost - Mark Howe
Allan Stanley- Ott Heller
Lloyd Cook-Brian Rafalski

Henrik Lundqvist
Tim Thomas

Spares
Forward: Ray Getliffe, Keith Primeau, Trevor Linden
Defense: Stefan Persson

PP1
Dale Hawerchuk – Theo Fleury
Alexander Ovechkin - Bobby Hull
Brian Rafalski

PP2
Elmer Lach – Bill Guerin
Ed Litzenberger- Rick Martin
Mark Howe

PK1
Red Sullivan– Theo Fleury
Allan Stanley – Ott Heller

PK2
Elmer Lach– Brad Marchand
Marcel Pronovost – Mark Howe​

 

[seventieslord]

where are you guys? You are both gritty in the corners and I wanted to see this battle.

 

[jarek]

I suppose it was to be expected. People who miss the actual playoffs really have very little incentive to continue to participate fully. Myself included, to be honest (doesn't help that Iceman hasn't said anything).

 

[seventieslord]

I suppose it was to be expected. People who miss the actual playoffs really have very little incentive to continue to participate fully. Myself included, to be honest (doesn't help that Iceman hasn't said anything).

come on, have some pride! make the voters regret voting you in 5th.

 

[jarek]

come on, have some pride! make the voters regret voting you in 5th.

The *only* way that could possibly happen is if we had something along the lines of the playoff champion facing off against the consolation champion at the end.

Admittedly, I am somewhat intrigued by this.

 

[seventieslord]

The *only* way that could possibly happen is if we had something along the lines of the playoff champion facing off against the consolation champion at the end.

...which makes about as much sense as the Rochester Americans vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins.

 

[jarek]

...which makes about as much sense as the Rochester Americans vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Do you have any other carrots to offer?

I cannot possibly make the voters regret voting me 5th if I have no means with which to do so.

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

What about a loser's bracket? Whoever loses their playoff matchup gets sent to the loser's bracket. In the end, the winner of the playoffs gets pitted against the winner of the loser's bracket. This takes away the "Americans vs Penguins" problem.

 

[jarek]

What about a loser's bracket? Whoever loses their playoff matchup gets sent to the loser's bracket. In the end, the winner of the playoffs gets pitted against the winner of the loser's bracket. This takes away the "Americans vs Penguins" problem.

Yeah, this is a good idea. Also gives teams from the winners bracket an extra playoff series if they do end up losing. A lot more work for the voters though.

 

[seventieslord]

sounds like a logistical nightmare, even if the idea of putting round 1 losers with the 8 already out is enticing.

I also wonder how much enthusiasm there would be. It seems like guys don't want to fight for anything except the big prize.

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

sounds like a logistical nightmare, even if the idea of putting round 1 losers with the 8 already out is enticing.

I also wonder how much enthusiasm there would be. It seems like guys don't want to fight for anything except the big prize.

Im pretty sure the level of enthusiasm would be higher than it is now. As you said, it seems people only care about the big prize. Right now, people in the consolation rounds are not participating very much, if at all. With the loser's bracket idea, this gives those people a chance to winning the big prize. In the first round, the highest seeded consolation team goes up against the lowest seeded one like what is currently being done. In the second round, the playoff losers face off against the winners of the consolation round, with the highest ranked playoff team facing the lower ranked consolation winner. And then continue until the finals, where you get the winner of the loser's bracket (who could either have been a consolation team or a team that lost in the conference finals) up against the playoff winner.

This gives those that missed the playoffs, lost in the first round or secound round or whatever greater incentive to participate. Also, as a side effect, you could also see higher voter turnout as if people are still in the race, then theyll be more likely to vote. And you also get rid of the "division of death" problem.

The only problem I can see with this idea is as you said, logistics.

 

[rmartin65]

My lack of participation thus far has nothing to do with being in the Consolation Round, but rather a busy week at work and at home. Honestly, I don't mind being in the Consolation Round; it is what it is, I truly believe that not every team should be in the playoffs. This year, the group has decided I am among that group of teams.

As for the matchup-

It looks like a classic case of offense versus defense, doesn't it? I contest that my team's offense is more impressive (comparatively) than EHC's defense.

Offense:

Line 1: Hull/Lach/Fleury vs. Noble/Crosby/Hull

Clearly an advantage to Miami, whose VsX7 is 276.4 to EHC's 189.8 + whatever we consider Noble. Bobby Hull (Miami) is the most dangerous offensive weapon in the series, boasting the number one VsX7 Goals with 70.2... while EHC's Hull is their best goal scorer with 56.3. All 3 of Miami's forwards can take and dish out physical abuse, which is a claim that EHC cannot make.


Line 2 Ovechkin/Hawerchuk/Smith vs Stevens/Sundin/Rousseau

Again, another clear advantage to Miami. 175.2 (without Alf Smith, who led his league in points once and had several other high finishes) to 224.6 (all 3) for EHC. Alf Smith would have to register below a 50 for EHC to come out ahead... and that is just not happening. Alf Smith is likely closer to the mid 70s, putting Miami around a 250. And once again, Miami has the most dangerous goal scorer in the series in Ovechkin.

Line 3 Martin/Larionov/Guerin vs Dumart/Smith/Bauer

This is a hard comparison to make, as it pits a 2B line against a more traditional defensive line. Personally, I would be fascinated to watch the chess match at center ice between Larionov and Smith. This line matchup is probably a wash based on preference.

Line 4 Marchand/Sullivan/Litzenberger vs Clark/Draper/Bailey
Miami has the better squad, in my opinion. Clark is an oft-injured loose cannon, Draper is a 0 offensively (though a heck of a defensive player), though Bailey is a nice 4th liner here. In contrast, all 3 Miami players are pluses defensively while still being threats to fill the net.

In summation, Miami clearly takes the comparisons of offense.

Defense
1st Pairing Pronovost/Howe vs Salming/Pilote
Clear advantage EHC. Both of EHCs defensemen rank higher than Miami's.

2nd Pairing Stanley/Heller vs Johnson/Boyle

EHC has the best player out of the 4 (Johnson), but Stanley and Heller are both better than Boyle, in my opinion. Both pairings seem to fit from a stylistic standpoint. I would say this is a wash, maybe a slight advantage to EHC because of Johnson

3rd Pairing Cook/Rafalski vs Ozolinsh/Foote
Again, pretty close. Foote is probably better in his role than Cook, but Rafalski is better than Ozolinsh.

Goalie Lundqvist vs. Belfour

Advantage to EHC. While I think that Lundqvist is underrated, I wont even try to say that he is better than Belfour.

Coaching: Advantage to Miami. Hart fits Miami like a glove- A high-octane, attacking club. Hart won 2 Cups, while Quinn came up empty handed every time he made the playoffs. Hart's teams had a winning percentage of 59, while Quinn's registered 55.6.

In Summation:

Like I said at the top, it is a pretty classic offense vs. defense match-up. I think that Miami's advantage on offense far outstrips EHC's advantage on defense, especially if we look at each team's PP- any PP with Hull and Ovechkin on it will be a goalie's nightmare.

 

[895]

To be honest with you since the playoffs have started and I'm in the consolation round, I can't muster the effort to defend my team.

I concede this matchup.