Marc Crawford

[JackSlater]

I checked Blood Feud, Dater for specifics on this, Eric-Lacroix-gate seems to have come to a head 4 games into 1998-99 the season after Crawford was fired for Hartley

They mention earlier that some of the Avs veterans felt Crawford was giving the kid gloves treatment to Eric on account of family connections, and Hartley basically shilled directly for Lacroix senior until the team leadership forced the issue.

Its possible Crawford may have been planning to put an end to that inconsistency with Lacroix but is there direct evidence for that?

My recollection from the time, so take that for what it's worth, is that Lacroix was treated with kid gloves by Crawford despite being a very marginal NHLer on a very good NHL team. I just don't see it being something that Crawford liked and I recall reading once or twice that Lacroix still thought that his son could get more or better time. I don't think it compares to the ego clash, the biggest factor, when it comes to why Lacroix wanted Crawford gone, but I would have to imagine that it was a source of agitation.

While I do think that Lacoix as a GM is well beyond Crawford as a coach, it's a very awkward situation to put a coach in.

 

[JianYang]

Roy definitely popularized the 3 minute goalie pull that we often see today, although it is more often happening with a two goal deficit. I am trying to remember when Crawford did it in Colorado. Maybe he did, I just can't remember it being pronounced at the time at least. Maybe it didn't work that well and that's why it isn't remembered?



I had forgotten that Sakic got a game suspension in 1998 for kneeing Draper. It was unintentional but it still kept him out of Game 1 of the Oilers series. I guess it all worked out though, Sakic came back and despite losing in Game 1 they won with him the next three games. The Avs had a 3-1 series lead and then blew it. I am not sure we can lay the blame on Brian Burke here although I'd like to. That was a choke job for Colorado.

I often wonder what would happen if Chris Simon had been on a line with Sakic or Forsberg. We saw the brief time he was on a line with Oates in Washington that he thrived with 29 goals. I know the idea is that he didn't have the skill to be on that line but he seemed to do well with Oates and he'd have given Sakic a lot of room.

The 90s were a different beast and the think tanks of that era were not ready for what would have been considered extreme.

This is not to say that crow did the unconventional goalie pull often, but he is the first I remember to do it, and Roy just happened to be on that team.

 

[sr edler]

Guy had a pretty annoying game face. Imagine this guy being your boss, screaming at you for things you did and things you didn't even do. Perhaps he screamed so much during the RS all the energy was lost in the playoffs.

 

[Crosby2010]

The 90s were a different beast and the think tanks of that era were not ready for what would have been considered extreme.

This is not to say that crow did the unconventional goalie pull often, but he is the first I remember to do it, and Roy just happened to be on that team.

It is funny how I don't remember that. You think even if it happened once it would have been talked about, especially if it was successful. But yes things were different at the time. Back in the 1990s you never tried for an empty netter unless you were across centre ice, or up two goals. Considering you could ice the puck it was not considered a smart play based on percentages. Which to this day is still not always the smart play to ice it and risk not getting it in the empty net. But I think that was just how things were then. There were different risks back then, and that wasn't one of them. Kind of like how NFL coaches used to never go for it on 4th down unless they were deep in the opposition zone, and even then they'd kick the field goal. Which I guess is still a smart play considering the Detroit Lions would have likely been in the Super Bowl had they just played smart and conservative.