Just a few thoughts and clarifications about my team:
Coaching: I certainly didn't pick Nolan because I thought that he could outcoach guys like Arbour. However, check out who my captain is. He just happens to be one of if not the best coaches in the history of the league. I picked Nolan because he's the kind of coach who will let the players have a huge say in what happens. We'll be using Blake in a lot more situations than merely being the left wing on the best line in the draft. In key situations where the team is down and we need a goal, I want Leach out there with Lach and Richard with Blake calling the shots from the bench. Nolan is one of the few coaches that wouldn't be too proud to let this kind of situation happen. I also think that if he can build a decent relationship with the Rocket and Cleghorn we'll see fewer penalties. The Rocket will respond better to a players' coach than one who rides him and works him up like Irvin or Imlach.
Speaking of not being too proud, now would probably be the time to tinker with the lines. Muller is going to move up and play LW with Turgeon and Leach. He'll add a physical dimension to the line and do the dirty work. He'll also make the line more defensively responsible. Kariya will move down to third line duties, Herbie Lewis will step into the centre role for that line. I hate to do this as it breaks up my favorite combination on my team of Lewis-Muller-Russel, but it evens out the lines a little bit. Selecting Muller and Lewis, two guys who could play LW or C enabled me to do this, and I can't say that I didn't see it coming.
I think that the issues with my team are far less glaring than the ones with Quebec. The size of their first line makes it so that I don't have to use Boivin and Harper to contain them. As Reck pointed out, they're too slow for the job. I plan on using them against the Thornton line, and as far as I'm concerned, they will shut that second line down very effectively. Lewis will be on the ice whenever Morenz is, simple as that, Cleghorn too.
The defence here in Montreal is definitely the best we've ever had. We're going to dress Brad Maxwell for every game, he'll share PP time with Cleghorn and Owen. The gap between these two teams in defence is more lopsided in Montreal's favour than the goaltending is for Quebec. I will admit that Smith is the better goalie, in fact I passed up on Cheevers in order to select Smith in the last draft, but I don't think the difference is huge. Plus the punch line can score on just about anybody.
We don't feel as if we have to play a certain style to win this series. If we have to grind it out, our team is double tough and can muck with the best of them with Muller, Shack, Tremblay, Boivin, Harper, and Van Impe. If you want high scoring games, we have Richard, Lach, Leach, Kariya, and Turgeon. On the backend we have Maxwell, Cleghorn and Owen. Any type of game you want to play, we'll beat you at it.
Yes les A's have more speed. That's a given; The Sabres had more speed than the Senators did too...see where that got them?