Rene Lecavalier Division 1st Round - Vancouver Millionaires vs Pittsburgh Bankers

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Vancouver Millionares​

Head coach: Mike Keenan
Assistant coach: Peter Laviolette

Joe Malone-Mark Messier(C)-Bobby Bauer
Sweeney Schriner-Joe Thornton(A)-Glenn Anderson
Jere Lehtinen-Brent Sutter-Owen Nolan
Ross Lonsberry-Joe Niuewendyk-Bobby Nystrom
Orland Kurtenbach
Lorne Carr

King Clancy(A)-'Hap' Day(A)
Mark Howe-Red Horner
Craig Hartsburg-Bucko McDonald
Robyn Regehr

''Gump'' Worsley
Eddie Giacomin

PP#1 - Malone-Thornton-Messier-Howe-Clancy
PP#2 -Schriner-Anderson-Nieuwendyk-Day-Horner

PK#1 - Lehtinen-Sutter-Day-Horner
PK#2 -Messier-Londsberry-Howe-McDonald

VS.

PITTSBURGH BANKERS

Coaches

Art Ross
Harry Sinden

Baldy Northcott - Elmer Lach - Guy LaFleur
Tommy Phillips - Duke Keats - Marian Hossa
Jack Adams - Tommy Dunderdale - Rene Robert
Patrick Marleau - Harry Westwick - Jack Marshall

J.C. Tremblay - Tom Johnson
Alexander Ragulin - Eduord Ivanov
Art Duncan - Lloyd Cook

Jacques Plante
Lorne Chabot

Spares:

D Mattais Ohlund
F Billy Burch
D Jack Laviolette

Power Play
Baldy Northcott-Elmer Lach-Marian Hossa
Guy LaFleur-JC Tremblay

Tommy Dunderdale-Duke Keats-Jack Adams
Art Duncan-Alexander Ragulin

Penalty Killing
Tommy Phillips-Harry Westwick
Tom Johnson-Alexander Ragulin

Marian Hossa-Jack Marshall
JC Tremblay-Eduord Ivanov​

Click to read more...

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

We're comfortable going power on power with the Messier line VS the big line for the Bankers, but Keenan will also want to get our checking line out against them plenty. Lach-Lafleur is a very potent offensive duo, we don't want our second line having anything to do with them during our home games.

The hard edge I see for Van in this series is in the top 4 on defence. Clancy hammers Tremblay, and if Johnson has any edge over Day (does he even?) it's offset by the proven chemistry Day and Clancy have together. Mark Howe is the best defenceman in the league that is slotted in on a second pair, Howe and Horner are far better than Ragulin and Ivanov as well. Not only that we are much more potent at moving the puck from the backend which is huge as we all know.

The obvious hard edge for Pittsburgh is in goal. Plante is firmly a top 5 goalie, IMO. Van only has low-end goaltending.

Is Plante over Worsley enough to make up for a huge mis-match on defence? Can Pittsburgh keep up with the scoring depth Van has up front?

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Vancouver wins in 5 games (winning the last 2 games in OT)

Stars:

1. Mark Messier
2. Jacques Plante
3. Guy Lafleur

King Clancy was a big part of Vancouver's victory, as well, and Joe Malone and Mark Howe contributed.