Jeff Brown and Phil Housley in the 97-98 playoffs (weird numbers...)

[MXD]

While working on the list of HHOF'ers on the different Stanley Cup winners/finalists, I came across the Caps team of 1998, who made it to finals inspite being - a really average team, just above the middle of the pack.

Weird stuff galore! Their best offensive producer was Joe Juneau (nothing against the guy as a player, but shouldn't be an offensive leader on a Cup Finalist), their 3rd best scorer was Andrei Nikolishin (above average defensively with great ability on faceoffs, but not much else -- a great 3rd C, if anything, during his good years), and then, those lines :

Phil Housley : 18 gms - 0 goals - 4 assists - 4 points
Jeff Brown : 2 gms - 0 goals - 2 assists - 2 points

First question : What's the point of playing Housley 18 games if he only contributes 4 meager points? It's not like the guy was done -- he added two straight 50 points seasons afterwards, and was in his early 30ies in 1998? Then again -- how a guy like Housley can end up scoring ONLY four points? The Caps had Gonchar (which might have meant Housley getting less quality PP time?), but still... Not sure I'd prefer Gonchar coming up from his worst offensive season ever (70+ games, 5 goals, 21 points) to Housley. Anybody has a clue?

Second question : I don't think a team trades a quality defensemen like Sylvain Coté for 2 games of Jeff Brown in the playoffs. Was is injury - bout with flesh-eating disease came during the playoffs? Again, I suppose that no GM would trade Cote for a guy having a bout with flesh-eating disease, but I kinda lost interest in hockey at that time, so I'm wondering...

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[MS]

Brown was injured, had post-concussion syndrome IIRC which eventually forced him to retire.

Housley was at a really low ebb of his career - didn't fit in on a Ron Wilson coached team, saw his icetime cut and was more of a bit player for the Caps. And that team was just awful offensively and a poor fit for him. Was rejuvinated following his move to Calgary the next year.

 

[ContrarianGoaltender]

The ice time stats are available on NHL.com. It looks like the Caps used both Gonchar and Housley heavily on the power play (5:07 minutes per game for Gonchar, 4:55 per game for Housley). Housley averaged only 7:11 per game at even strength and obviously didn't kill penalties, so he was pretty much a power play specialist.

I don't know if Housley was really playing that badly, as Gonchar was the only guy on the team that was on the ice for more Caps power play goals. Housley just wasn't getting on the scoresheet very often. Although based on his ice time and the team's performance, it looks like the Caps power play did just as well without Housley as it did with him in the '98 playoffs.

 

[seventieslord]

there are a couple other good examples of offensive specialist-type defensemen getting to the finals but putting up weak numbers: Vladimir Malakhov in 2000, and Bryan Campbell last year.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

there are a couple other good examples of offensive specialist-type defensemen getting to the finals but putting up weak numbers: Vladimir Malakhov in 2000, and Bryan Campbell last year.

oleg tverdovsky in '03. sandis ozolinsh was no longer a huge offensive factor by that year either, though he was certainly a more important player to his team than tverdovsky.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

My guess is that Housley was still effective at carrying the puck out of his zone and making an effective 1st pass. As weak as he is perceived defensively, he was probably still better than their 7th best guy, hence he got to play.

 

[SealsFan]

certainly an oddball collection of players and numbers...

 

[jkrx]

Housley was playing because, as someone else mentioned, he was good at carrying and passing the puck. The problem were that the team was terrible at scoring. I also believe Bondra was playing with an injury during the playoffs and wasnt the most effective sniper who could convert Housleys passes into goals.

 

[begbeee]

I remember that times very well, at the time, there were not many Slovaks in NHL, not even in SCF (thank you, Hossa & Kopecky ).

Actually, Bondra was centered by Nikolishin, line was: Zednik - Nikolishin - Bondra.

 

[Big Phil]

I remember that times very well, at the time, there were not many Slovaks in NHL, not even in SCF (thank you, Hossa & Kopecky ).

Actually, Bondra was centered by Nikolishin, line was: Zednik - Nikolishin - Bondra.

Had the Caps won in 1998, there would have been the first Slovak to have his name on the Cup if that tells you something.

1998 was a weird playoff year, especially in the East. The West had Colorado upset, which is fine because Detroit and Dallas made the semis, but the East was a weird year kind of like 2010. Washington never in their lifetime makes the final any other time (in fact they didn't) if the top teams aren't out in the first round. Jersey got upset. Pittsburgh got upset. Philly was still a strong team and got knocked out by Buffalo. All of those teams were better than Washington.

The final 4 in the east were: Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo and Washington. Not any great teams. Like I said it was a lot like 2010 with Philly. I'll bet you the Flyers will never reach the final again if they have to play either one of Pittsburgh or Philly along the way. Hence, they did neither.

As for Housley, he did what he always did. He disappeared in the postseason. He was waived at the end of that year by the Caps and was an afterthought really around the NHL (he wasn't even mentioned to be on the USA Olympic team in 1998).

All in all a weird team in the Caps. Oates was their star, and Kolzig made a name for himself that spring but it did not surprise me that Detroit desposed of them in a sweep

 

[jkrx]

Had the Caps won in 1998, there would have been the first Slovak to have his name on the Cup if that tells you something.

1998 was a weird playoff year, especially in the East. The West had Colorado upset, which is fine because Detroit and Dallas made the semis, but the East was a weird year kind of like 2010. Washington never in their lifetime makes the final any other time (in fact they didn't) if the top teams aren't out in the first round. Jersey got upset. Pittsburgh got upset. Philly was still a strong team and got knocked out by Buffalo. All of those teams were better than Washington.

The final 4 in the east were: Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo and Washington. Not any great teams. Like I said it was a lot like 2010 with Philly. I'll bet you the Flyers will never reach the final again if they have to play either one of Pittsburgh or Philly along the way. Hence, they did neither.

As for Housley, he did what he always did. He disappeared in the postseason. He was waived at the end of that year by the Caps and was an afterthought really around the NHL (he wasn't even mentioned to be on the USA Olympic team in 1998).

All in all a weird team in the Caps. Oates was their star, and Kolzig made a name for himself that spring but it did not surprise me that Detroit desposed of them in a sweep

I don't even think the Caps were suprised.

 

[Arthur*]

That was a strange year for hockey, but it always creates so many "what could have been" questions, especially since I'm a Bruins fan and that first round series turned when PJ Axelsson had an overtime goal waved off because Tim Taylor's skate was in the crease. Washington ended up winning the game and took the series in 6 on another OT goal. Byron Dafoe was playing well, that team still had Bourque and good young talent, and the rest of the top seeds in the east lost, so it could've been us.

Another hypothetical is what if Esa Tikkanen didn't miss the wide-open net in game 1 which would've sealed the victory for Washington...that could've been a completely different series, instead it ended up a sweep. Detroit was the better team easily, but you never know how things would've been different, like Glen Wesley in that 1990 triple OT finals game.

As for Jeff Brown, I feel like I should make a joke involving Kolzig's wife, but I'll refrain.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

That was a strange year for hockey, but it always creates so many "what could have been" questions, especially since I'm a Bruins fan and that first round series turned when PJ Axelsson had an overtime goal waved off because Tim Taylor's skate was in the crease. Washington ended up winning the game and took the series in 6 on another OT goal. Byron Dafoe was playing well, that team still had Bourque and good young talent, and the rest of the top seeds in the east lost, so it could've been us.

Another hypothetical is what if Esa Tikkanen didn't miss the wide-open net in game 1 which would've sealed the victory for Washington...that could've been a completely different series, instead it ended up a sweep. Detroit was the better team easily, but you never know how things would've been different, like Glen Wesley in that 1990 triple OT finals game.

As for Jeff Brown, I feel like I should make a joke involving Kolzig's wife, but I'll refrain.

it was a different detroit team, but after the canes took game one in OT, the wings swept the next four games, and i'm not seeing a whole lot of difference between those canes and the '98 caps.

 

[Sadekuuro]

Another hypothetical is what if Esa Tikkanen didn't miss the wide-open net in game 1 which would've sealed the victory for Washington...that could've been a completely different series, instead it ended up a sweep. Detroit was the better team easily, but you never know how things would've been different, like Glen Wesley in that 1990 triple OT finals game.

That was Game 2, the only game in the series of which I have a vivid memory (IIRC, also the only game in which the Caps scored more than one goal). Doug Brown scored a great goal to tie that game after Tikkanen blew it.

 

[Big Phil]

That was a strange year for hockey, but it always creates so many "what could have been" questions, especially since I'm a Bruins fan and that first round series turned when PJ Axelsson had an overtime goal waved off because Tim Taylor's skate was in the crease. Washington ended up winning the game and took the series in 6 on another OT goal. Byron Dafoe was playing well, that team still had Bourque and good young talent, and the rest of the top seeds in the east lost, so it could've been us.

I'm not sure I have ever seen a coach angrier in NHL history than Pat Burns after that goal was called off. Terry Crisp in 1990 (after the Flames controversial no goal) is an honourable mention.

I think the Bruins might have been a better fit against Detroit personally. Bourque was still there, Allison was actually pretty good then

Another hypothetical is what if Esa Tikkanen didn't miss the wide-open net in game 1 which would've sealed the victory for Washington...that could've been a completely different series, instead it ended up a sweep. Detroit was the better team easily, but you never know how things would've been different, like Glen Wesley in that 1990 triple OT finals game.

Totally agree. The series would have been tied going back to Washington if Tikkannen buries that goal. Weird coming from a player who was always good in the postseason. If he scores that goal the Caps are up two goals and Detroit doesn't come back. Either way the Wings still win the Cup, but still.....

As for Jeff Brown, I feel like I should make a joke involving Kolzig's wife, but I'll refrain.

????

 

[Arthur*]

I'm not sure I have ever seen a coach angrier in NHL history than Pat Burns after that goal was called off. Terry Crisp in 1990 (after the Flames controversial no goal) is an honourable mention.

I think the Bruins might have been a better fit against Detroit personally. Bourque was still there, Allison was actually pretty good then



Totally agree. The series would have been tied going back to Washington if Tikkannen buries that goal. Weird coming from a player who was always good in the postseason. If he scores that goal the Caps are up two goals and Detroit doesn't come back. Either way the Wings still win the Cup, but still.....



????

You don't remember the rumors of Brown and Kirk McLean's wife ruining the clubhouse in Vancouver?