Red Fisher Conference Semifinals - Minn Fighting Saints vs Vancouver Millionaires

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Minnesota Fighting Saints

GMs: Nalyd Psycho & Mike Farkas
Coach: Pete Green
Captain: Hooley Smith
Alternate Captains: Doug Harvey, Keith Magnuson

#4 Reg Noble-#6 Frank Nighbor-#7 R. J. "Hooley" Smith
#5 Baldy Northcott-#8 Vyacheslav Starshinov-#26 Martin St Louis
#17 Jiri Holik-#20 Pete Mahovlich-#19 John McKenzie
#9 Zach Parise-#13 Ken Linseman-#71 Mike Foligno

#2 Doug Harvey-#14 Fern Flaman
#26 Dave Burrows-#16 Ted Green
#29 Reijo Ruotsalainen-#3 Keith Magnuson

#31 Billy Smith
#1 Roberto Luongo

#10 Albert "Dubbie" Kerr-#11 Allen Cameron-#17 Billy Taylor-#44 Chris Phillips

PP1: Starshinov-Nighbor-Smith-Harvey-Ruotsalainen
PP2: Northcott-Mahovlich-St Louis-Noble-Green

PK1: Nighbor-Smith-Harvey-Flaman
PK2: Mahovlich-St Louis-Burrows-Magnuson

VS

Vancouver Millionares​

Head coach: Punch Imlach
Ast. coach: Barry Trotz
Captain: Zdeno Chara
Assistant: Ted Lindsay
Assistant: Ed Westfall
Assistant: Eddie Gerard

Ted Lindsay-Denis Savard-Jack Darragh
Vincent Damphousse-Marty Barry-Alexander Maltsev
Craig Ramsay-Rusty Crawford-Ed Westfall
Louis Berlinquette-Murray Oliver-Todd Bertuzzi

Zdeno Chara-Marcel Pronovost
Eddie Gerard-Teppo Numminen
Barclay Plager-Andrei Markov


Tony Esposito
Rogie Vachon​

Spares: Ed Van Impe D, Jason Allison C, Lorne Carr RW

PP #1 - Lindsay-Savard-Maltsev-Markov-Chara
PP #2 - Barry-Damphousse-Bertuzzi-Gerard-Pronovost

PK #1 - Ramsay-Oliver-Chara-Gerard
PK #2 - Crawford-Westfall-Pronovost-Plager​

Click to read more...

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Both teams got to where they are after defeating two opponents who didn't offer any arguments in the playoffs. Hopefully this series will be more active.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Both teams got to where they are after defeating two opponents who didn't offer any arguments in the playoffs. Hopefully this series will be more active.

Nalyd isn't the most boisterous GM around either. If he speaks up I will post more arguements, but if it's silent like the other ones I most likely won't.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

I'll try to get a write up tomorrow or Thursday, but yeah, I just don't find debating on the internet rewarding any more.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

I better sneak some arguments in here to have a fighting chance.

It looks like the match ups among the top players goes advantage Minnesota, especially on home ice. The Lindsay line should be neutralized by Harvey and the Nighbor line up front (I expect Pete Green to smother Lindsay and Savard every time they step over the boards with these units. However, that should free up Barry and Maltsev to get things going against any d pair without Doug Harvey and any line other than #1 for the Saints. You can't expect much production in this series from Nighbor-Smith-Noble, not with the checking duties they will be handed and the type of defenceman they will be facing. That leaves a lot of pressure on the Starshinov line, who I see getting getting almost completely shutdown by Van's checking line and either Zdeno Chara or Eddie Gerard's pair.

In a tight-checking, often grueling series I would expect the Millionares to beat the Saints to a pulp at every opportunity (mainly Chara, Lindsay, Plager, Bertuzzi, Ramsay and Westfall).

Smith and Esposito is a non factor IMO, this series will be decided by which group of skaters wants it more.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

I think that underrates the offensive of our first line since they played their entire careers matching up against offensive stars, therefore, the punishment of their offence for being defensively responsible is already reflected in their real world stats.

And the St. Louis line is better offensively than the Barry line. St. Louis might be the best offensive player in this match-up. He is the only multi-time scoring champion in the series. (And if you plan on trying to put the Barry line against Minnesota's bottom 6, you'll find them not only defensively adept, but also liable to beat Vinnie, Barry and Maltsev to a pulp.)

I don't know if I'd give any sort of physical advantage to Vancouver. But I do expect blood on the ice more often than not in this series.

The big difference is coaching. Green knows how to let creative players be creative when they maintain their defensive responsibilities. Something Nighbor and Harvey excel at. While Imlach is very rigid and demands compliance to his strategies, which, while he is an excellent tactician, plays into the versatility and creativity of the Minnesota line-up.

 

[Dreakmur]

And the St. Louis line is better offensively than the Barry line. St. Louis might be the best offensive player in this match-up. He is the only multi-time scoring champion in the series. (And if you plan on trying to put the Barry line against Minnesota's bottom 6, you'll find them not only defensively adept, but also liable to beat Vinnie, Barry and Maltsev to a pulp.)

St. Louis has snuck up the ranks here hasn't he? What makes him worse than Jarome Iginla? He might even be better!

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

St. Louis has snuck up the ranks here hasn't he? What makes him worse than Jarome Iginla? He might even be better!

He's definitely better offensively than Jarome at this point. Nalyd and Mike sure won the ATD lottery this season with St. Louis's second scoring title.

Jarome brings a rare skill set though as a power forward who can score, though.

 

[overpass]

He's definitely better offensively than Jarome at this point. Nalyd and Mike sure won the ATD lottery this season with St. Louis's second scoring title.

Jarome brings a rare skill set though as a power forward who can score, though.

Eh, all of St Louis's accomplishments have come in the weakest and highest scoring division. One of these days I'll investigate the effect that division and conference have had on the scoring stars of the last decade. From St Louis's basic splits, he has scored 1.02 points/game in division and 0.89 points/game out of division during his career.

 

[Dreakmur]

Eh, all of St Louis's accomplishments have come in the weakest and highest scoring division. One of these days I'll investigate the effect that division and conference have had on the scoring stars of the last decade. From St Louis's basic splits, he has scored 1.02 points/game in division and 0.89 points/game out of division during his career.

Then he scores 1.08 points/game in the play-offs, and 1.07 points per game in IIHF tournaments.

 

[Dreakmur]

He's definitely better offensively than Jarome at this point. Nalyd and Mike sure won the ATD lottery this season with St. Louis's second scoring title.

Jarome brings a rare skill set though as a power forward who can score, though.

Actually, St. Louis is definitely behind Iginla once you factor in team and line mates.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Eh, all of St Louis's accomplishments have come in the weakest and highest scoring division. One of these days I'll investigate the effect that division and conference have had on the scoring stars of the last decade. From St Louis's basic splits, he has scored 1.02 points/game in division and 0.89 points/game out of division during his career.

Actually, St. Louis is definitely behind Iginla once you factor in team and line mates.

I don't know. He definitely has a better team and linemate situation to put up points, but he's opened up something of a gap over Iginla in the raw stats in the regular season, and he's had a playoff edge over Iginla for awhile now.

This is just offense, obviously, Iginla's physical game is at a premium in the ATD.

 

[Dreakmur]

I don't know. He definitely has a better team and linemate situation to put up points, but he's opened up something of a gap over Iginla in the raw stats in the regular season, and he's had a playoff edge over Iginla for awhile now.

This is just offense, obviously, Iginla's physical game is at a premium in the ATD.

I think leading your team in scoring for like 15 years in a row is a pretty significant accomplishment.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

St.Louis and Maltsev are close, but Barry VS Starshinov? No contest.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

St.Louis and Maltsev are close, but Barry VS Starshinov? No contest.

I think you're probably right. But Damphousse vs Northcott is no contest in the other direction, right?

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

I think you're probably right. But Damphousse vs Northcott is no contest in the other direction, right?

Third wheel of each line, the importance of those two pales compared to Maltsev and Barry VS St.Louis and Starsh.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

St.Louis and Maltsev are close, but Barry VS Starshinov? No contest.

Is it? Starshinov is the best Soviet centre for a decade. And it's the decade where the Soviets went from best of a second tier Europe to equals of the NHL.

 

[EagleBelfour]

I find somewhat Baldy Northcott overrated, and always surprise of his mid-200 selection draft after draft. Vincent Damphousse is a reliable two-way left winger. I'd still take Northcott over Damphousse, but the difference is unsignificant compare to the big difference between Marty Barry and Vyacheslav Starshinov. However, the Millionaire put two of their top-3 offensive weapon on that 2nd line. For me, Ted Lindsay & Frank Nighbor are almost a wash. I like the feisty-ness and aggression that Lindsay brings over Nighbor, but overall both are in the same elite category. Denis Savard & Jack Darragh vs. Hooley Smith & Reg Noble is a huge advantage for the Fighting Saints, and the key for them if they wanna win against the Millionaire IMO.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Is it? Starshinov is the best Soviet centre for a decade. And it's the decade where the Soviets went from best of a second tier Europe to equals of the NHL.

Barry's VS2 numbers put him in the same tier as people like Perreault and Cowley, so unless you think Starshinov is in that ball park as well...

Hell, I had Starsh centering my third line last year and no one seemed to think he would be a difference maker. Great duo and stylistic fit with him and Marty St.Louis, but who in their right state of mind takes those two over Maltsev and Barry?

 

[EagleBelfour]

Is it? Starshinov is the best Soviet centre for a decade. And it's the decade where the Soviets went from best of a second tier Europe to equals of the NHL.

If one thing I have to give you, Martin St-Louis and Baldy Northcott are perfect wingers for Starshinov.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Minnesota wins in 7 games

Stars of the Series:

1st/2nd Stars (tie): Denis Savard and Doug Harvey
3rd Star (tie): Alexander Maltsev and Frank Nighbor