Who should have won the cup? (any given year)

[pappyline]

Yeah, those Leafs and Habs team barely had enough players to fill out a lineup card most nights during the 60s.

Yes leafs & Habs had good teams those years but clutch goaltending won their cups. Dryden, bower, sawchuk etc. No one can say the Leafs were better than Chicago in the 60's. At least not on paper & for sure not in the regular season.

 

[Lowetide]

Yes leafs & Habs had good teams those years but clutch goaltending won their cups. Dryden, bower, sawchuk etc. No one can say the Leafs were better than Chicago in the 60's. At least not on paper & for sure not in the regular season.

Respectfully disagree. Hawks didn't have the up and down depth of the other two, and in fact Detroit was a very good comp for those Hawks teams (just a hair below the other two).

The Hawks didn't finish first in the overall standings until 66-67, and it was the first time they'd finished first (1926-66 Hawks never won a division). The one Cup they won in the 60s featured a game that many who saw it say was the best they've ever seen. Glenn Hall was in goal for the Hawks in that game and they won it and the Cup later that spring.

Hawks were a funny team, with top end talent that was well clear of the rest of the league (Mikita, Hull, Pilote award winners) but lacking in the depth required to win it all. Hawks had the scooter line (Mikita, Mohns, Wharram) and the Hull line (Bill Hay and several wingers) but they didn't have the depth.

I'd also hazard a guess that the top two lines' ATOI for the Hawks towered over the other teams and they weren't as fresh. Either way, the Leafs and Habs were loaded top to bottom and both teams had better defense.

Hawks won a cup, went to the finals two other times before expansion. I don't see how Glenn Hall could be blamed for their record in that decade.

Is there a specific playoff series you're thinking of?

 

[pappyline]

Respectfully disagree. Hawks didn't have the up and down depth of the other two, and in fact Detroit was a very good comp for those Hawks teams (just a hair below the other two).

The Hawks didn't finish first in the overall standings until 66-67, and it was the first time they'd finished first (1926-66 Hawks never won a division). The one Cup they won in the 60s featured a game that many who saw it say was the best they've ever seen. Glenn Hall was in goal for the Hawks in that game and they won it and the Cup later that spring.

Hawks were a funny team, with top end talent that was well clear of the rest of the league (Mikita, Hull, Pilote award winners) but lacking in the depth required to win it all. Hawks had the scooter line (Mikita, Mohns, Wharram) and the Hull line (Bill Hay and several wingers) but they didn't have the depth.

I'd also hazard a guess that the top two lines' ATOI for the Hawks towered over the other teams and they weren't as fresh. Either way, the Leafs and Habs were loaded top to bottom and both teams had better defense.

Hawks won a cup, went to the finals two other times before expansion. I don't see how Glenn Hall could be blamed for their record in that decade.

Is there a specific playoff series you're thinking of?

thank you for your reply but I would disagree that both Leafs & Habs had much better defence. Chicago had Pilote (Norris & All star). Vasko (all star), Stapelton (all star). My feeling is that Hall great as he was could never pull off the clutch playoff win after 1961. Also most teams played with only 3 lines in those days with the 3rd line as a checking line and Chicago certainly had as much overall depth as the others. I watched the playoffs back in those years and saw the Leaf & Hab goalies come up big where Glen did not. I was a huge black Hawk fan than & can only tell you what I saw. A hot golie can win it for you & Hall never did it. Even worse was Tony esposito in 1971 who choked completely.