tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I got sucked in by an old thread, but your comment is uneducated.
Well of course it is. I don’t know much about hockey, and just come on here to make stuff up.
I got sucked in by an old thread, but your comment is uneducated.
Better career? Who would I take in a Game 7 if my life depended on it and both players were at their best? Toss up, but I lean Trottier
I have no dog in this (thread-bumped) fight, and I think at this point Crosby clearly wins in overall career value and probably in peak/prime as well, but I just wanted to throw in that I sometimes feel Bryan Trottier's offensive peak -- esp. in 1978-79 -- gets overlooked.
We all know he was a great two-way player, playmaker, etc. But how about 1978-79, when Trottier scored 134 points in 76 games (that's 145 points per 82 games), went +76, and beat peak Lafleur and Dionne in scoring? It's a pretty heady offensive level.
I have no dog in this (thread-bumped) fight, and I think at this point Crosby clearly wins in overall career value and probably in peak/prime as well, but I just wanted to throw in that I sometimes feel Bryan Trottier's offensive peak -- esp. in 1978-79 -- gets overlooked.
We all know he was a great two-way player, playmaker, etc. But how about 1978-79, when Trottier scored 134 points in 76 games (that's 145 points per 82 games), went +76, and beat peak Lafleur and Dionne in scoring? It's a pretty heady offensive level.
I have no dog in this (thread-bumped) fight, and I think at this point Crosby clearly wins in overall career value and probably in peak/prime as well, but I just wanted to throw in that I sometimes feel Bryan Trottier's offensive peak -- esp. in 1978-79 -- gets overlooked.
We all know he was a great two-way player, playmaker, etc. But how about 1978-79, when Trottier scored 134 points in 76 games (that's 145 points per 82 games), went +76, and beat peak Lafleur and Dionne in scoring? It's a pretty heady offensive level.
IMO the trio of Trottier, Potvin, Bossy all tend to be viewed through the lens of 1980-84 because the playoff heroics are what capture the popular imagination. In a weird backhanded way, that takes attention off their careers before 1980 which in all three cases includes their peak or near-peak seasons.
That trio won 3 Calder Trophies, a goals title, two assists titles, a points title, three Norrises, six 1ASs, three 2ASs, a Hart Trophy, and two other seasons as Hart finalists before 1980. Those achievements alone would put them among the great franchise-defining trios, even if they hadn't followed it up with a 4-Cup dynasty and a whole bunch of other awards.
I'm sure most folks who spend a lot of time on the History board are aware of this, but generally it seems to be completely overlooked.
I always felt bad for Billy Smith in these discussions. The fourth most important player on that dynasty, his Conn Smythe and Vezina tend to get downplayed by only talking about the first three.
Same with Clarke Gillies and Butch Goring. Those teams were absolutely stacked.
TBF the Vezina wasn't voted on back then.I always felt bad for Billy Smith in these discussions. The fourth most important player on that dynasty, his Conn Smythe and Vezina tend to get downplayed by only talking about the first three.
Same with Clarke Gillies and Butch Goring. Those teams were absolutely stacked.
TBF the Vezina wasn't voted on back then.
TBF the Vezina wasn't voted on back then.
Well of course it is. I don’t know much about hockey, and just come on here to make stuff up.
I've referred to Trottier and Potvin as "Yzermans" to friends over the years because of what you're describing. People mainly remember their later Stanley Cup winning period rather than their actual peaks.
It's funny as I have often wondered how Potvin would be treated if his regular season peak lined up exactly with his playoff peak as that scenario seems to have really helped the legacy of Lafleur for some reason.
Potvin just got shafted all around when it comes to hardwareIt's funny as I have often wondered how Potvin would be treated if his regular season peak lined up exactly with his playoff peak as that scenario seems to have really helped the legacy of Lafleur for some reason.
There's a difference between being "shafted" and being unlucky. Which do you think applies to Potvin?Potvin just got shafted all around when it comes to hardware
There's a difference between being "shafted" and being unlucky. Which do you think applies to Potvin?
I think there's a general consensus that Jaromir Jagr is one of the most unlucky forwards ever in terms of his MVP status in the NHL -- he ended up with one Hart Trophy, despite being maybe a top-5 productive forward of all time and winning 5 scoring titles. But I can't really say he was "shafted" (except in 2006). He was just unlucky.
He probably got shafted on that Randy Carlyle Norris