O6 ATD divisional semi-final: Pittsburgh Hornets vs. New Haven Eagles

[VanIslander]

The Gordie Howe Division:​

Pittsburgh Hornets

coach Toe Blake

Bert Olmstead - Jean Beliveau (C) - Guy Lafleur
Ted Lindsay (A) - Newsy Lalonde - Tony Amonte
Johnny Gottselig - Elmer Lach - Claude Provost
Sid Smith - Patrice Bergeron - Ed Westfall

Ching Johnson - Earl Seibert
Sprague Cleghorn (A) - Tim Horton
Ken Reardon - Butch Bouchard

Patrick Roy


vs.

New Haven Eagles

coach Hap Day

Aurele Joliat - Bill Cowley - Gordie Howe (C)
Woody Dumart - Milt Schmidt - Bernie Geoffrion
Herbie Lewis - Marty Barry - Patrick Kane
Bob Pulford - Pavel Datsyuk - Larry Aurie

Red Kelly (A) - Larry Robinson
Zdeno Chara (A) - Red Horner
Babe Pratt - Ott Heller

Glenn Hall

​

Click to read more...

 

[VanIslander]

Pittsburgh Hornets:

PP1: Lindsay - Beliveau - Lafleur - Cleghorn - Seibert
PP2: Olmstead - Lalonde - Gottselig - Reardon- ?

PK1: Lach - Provost - C. Johnson - Horton
PK2: Bergeron - Westfall - Cleghorn - Seibert

vs.

New Haven Eagles:

PP1: Joliat - Cowley - Howe - Kelly - Robinson
PP2: Lewis - Schmidt - Geoffrion - Kane - Chara

PK1: Datsyuk - Pulford - Kelly - Robinson
PK2: Barry - Lewis - Chara - Heller

 

[VanIslander]

The poll will be open for 10 days so there's no need to rush to judgment. Ask questions, make comments. take some time to think about it.

 

[VanIslander]

More info here, from the roster post: Click on the underlined names for links to pick info (and further bio links underlined in the linked pick info posts):

New Haven Eagles

Hap Day
A defensive-minded coach who won 5 cups in 10 years

Aurele Joliat - Bill Cowley - Gordie Howe (C)
Tough wingers between an elite passer, Joliat backchecking, Howe forechecking
Woody Dumart - Milt Schmidt - Bernie Geoffrion
Two-thirds of the Kraut Line with Boom Boom added for elite finishing skills
Herbie Lewis - Marty Barry - Patrick Kane
Real-life cup-winning linemates with a modern clutch, passing winger
Bob Pulford - Pavel Datsyuk - Larry Aurie
A shutdown line, with the ability to score in transition after turnovers

Red Kelly (A) - Larry Robinson
Mobile Red willing to join the rush and stalwart Big Bird the first one back
Zdeno Chara (A) - Red Horner
The big guy and the nasty one to match-up against Le gros Bill by the crease
Babe Pratt - Ott Heller
Real-life duo won the cup together with their chemistry

Glenn Hall
Mr. Goalie was athletic, creative and quick at passing to forwards
​

 

[ImporterExporter]

I think the Pirates have a clear advantage down the middle at C, especially the top line and 3rd line. LW is about even in my estimation, top to bottom, although Lindsay is the best LW in this matchup.

From a scoring standpoint the Eagles have a strong advantage at RW, up and down the lines, but the Pirates counter with strong defensive play in the bottom 6 with Provost and Westfall.

The Eagles have a good advantage on the top pairing but I think the Pirates are deeper 3 through 6.

I think Chara is probably a little better when you factor in he loses less of his career than Cleghorn does by the rules here, but the gap isn't huge. The big gap is between Horton and Horner, where the former has a large advantage, in an all time manner, at least IMO.

And then the bottom pairing should favor the Pirates as well, not only because I think Reardon-Bouchard are superior to Pratt-Heller but they also played together extensively in real life.

And then you have to factor in the absolutely insane amount of physical play the Eagles will have to endure vs all 3 pairings, in particular from Ching Johnson, Cleghorn, Horton, Reardon and Bouchard.

In goal, the Pirates hold the advantage if you like playoff stats and resume. Even taking away his Colorado time, Roy has 2 Conn Smythe's and the bulk of his regular season successes and trophies/AS nods came in Montreal. Glenn Hall looses his Conn Smythe from St Louis and that was his peak performance in the postseason as a player. He is clearly ahead in regular season, but well behind as a postseason netminder. Call it an overall wash, but I like the goalie who excels in crunch time!

Toe Blake gives the Pirates a slight advantage behind the net.

Close series, but of course I like the Pirates in a deciding game 7

 

[VanIslander]

I think the Pirates have a clear advantage down the middle at C, especially the top line and 3rd line.

The teams are built differently. The Eagles drafted its 2nd line pivot early (Schmidt) and both superstar 1st line wingers, and its superstar 2nd line right winger, and later added a two-time hart trophy winning passer to provide elite passing on the 1st line. The Hornets drafted its 3rd line center relatively early, certainly much earlier than its 1st line left wing and 2nd line right wing, both of whom are much less starts than the entire Eagles top-6 forwards. Amonte especially is among the weakest offensive wingers in the draft and isn't going to produce a fraction of what the Eagles' Boom Boom will.

The Eagles have a good advantage on the top pairing but I think the Pirates are deeper 3 through 6. think Chara is probably a little better when you factor in he loses less of his career than Cleghorn does by the rules here, but the gap isn't huge.

First you say the Hornets have an advantage 3 thru 6 then say the Eagles 3 (Chara) is better, has a gap over the Hornets 3 (Cleghorn). So, it's top-3 blueliner advantage to the Eagles, Bottom-3 advantage to the Hornets? in your estimation.

And then you have to factor in the absolutely insane amount of physical play the Eagles will have to endure vs all 3 pairings, in particular from Ching Johnson, Cleghorn, Horton, Reardon and Bouchard.

There are at least two teams in this draft not built to handle gritty defensive play in their own zone, but the Eagles ain't one of them! Robinson and Chara can handle the physical play and Horner will give as good as he gets! Add to that the backchecking prowess and grit of Joliat (who knocked out Shore with a check in retaliation for Eddie's nastiness), the fact that Gordie Howe goes EVERYWHERE and will help out (Bowman is quoted in the bio as having said Howe is the best offensively and defensively and physically).

The real distinct character of the Hornets blueline is: Where's the passing?? Where's the rushing defensemen? In comparison, the Eagles have three balanced pairings of a stay-at-home dman and a puck-moving mobile guy. To not be able to get the puck out of your zone quickly (a tenet of Eagles' coach Day) is to invite the forecheck, with guys like Howe, Joliat, Dumart, Schmidt, Lewis, Barry and the Eagles fourth line rushing to check.

In goal, the Pirates hold the advantage if you like playoff stats and resume. Even taking away his Colorado time, Roy has 2 Conn Smythe's and the bulk of his regular season successes and trophies/AS nods came in Montreal. Glenn Hall looses his Conn Smythe from St Louis and that was his peak performance in the postseason as a player. He is clearly ahead in regular season, but well behind as a postseason netminder. Call it an overall wash, but I like the goalie who excels in crunch time!

Agreed. If one reads the linked bio of Hall's, one will see how praised Hall was for his play despite Chicago's weak defense in the 1960's. The Blackhawks won only one cup while Hall was there, playing during Habs and Leafs dynasties, but fingers are not pointed at Hall as a reason why the Hawks lost cups. I don't expect his play to be a relative disadvantage in this series either.

Note: By Pirates I assume you mean Hornets, the other Pittsburgh team you have GM'd in all-time drafts.

 

[VanIslander]

Vote TODAY!

 

[VanIslander]

It was close. The Eagles win in 7 games.