Atd#7-ML Round 1: Springfield vs. Vancouver
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VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
The league's number one seed and 2nd best powerplay units
PP1: Real Cloutier, Tumba Johansson, Ziggy Palffy, Pekka Rautakallio, Yuri Liapkin
PP2: Simon Gagne, Jason Allison, Ab McDonald, Lee Fogolin Jr., Pekka Rautakallio
PK1: Reggie Fleming, Rob Niedermayer, Normand Rochefort, Lee Fogolin Sr.
PK2: Mikael Renberg, Ron Sutter, Bryan Marchment, Lee Fogolin Jr.
vs.
The league's number eight seed and 1st best powerplay units
PP: Ilya Kovalchuk, Saku Koivu, Pavol Demitra, Ron Stackhouse, Alex Smith
PP: Dave Christian, Pit Lepine, Rene Robert, Yevgeny Paladiev, Kent Douglas
PK: Steve Konowalchuk, Keith Acton, Jay Wells, Dennis Kearns
PK: Dave Christian, Laurie Boschman, Alex Smith, Kent Douglas
PP1: Real Cloutier, Tumba Johansson, Ziggy Palffy, Pekka Rautakallio, Yuri Liapkin
PP2: Simon Gagne, Jason Allison, Ab McDonald, Lee Fogolin Jr., Pekka Rautakallio
PK1: Reggie Fleming, Rob Niedermayer, Normand Rochefort, Lee Fogolin Sr.
PK2: Mikael Renberg, Ron Sutter, Bryan Marchment, Lee Fogolin Jr.
vs.
The league's number eight seed and 1st best powerplay units
PP: Ilya Kovalchuk, Saku Koivu, Pavol Demitra, Ron Stackhouse, Alex Smith
PP: Dave Christian, Pit Lepine, Rene Robert, Yevgeny Paladiev, Kent Douglas
PK: Steve Konowalchuk, Keith Acton, Jay Wells, Dennis Kearns
PK: Dave Christian, Laurie Boschman, Alex Smith, Kent Douglas
First, good luck Springfield, you guys have built a fabulous team.
Second, even though we finished 8th, I think the addition of Schultz could really change the momentum in some games for us. Our anchors to victory will have to be placed by our top PP unit, the all Euro line. We're also confident that even if Rochefort and Fogolin find some way to contain the Top Guns, we have a second line that would easily be the top unit on almost any team. Goaltending for us may be a bit more difficult, but coach Vigneault will not hesitate to put our more then capable second and third stringers in, if Theo starts to struggle.
On the defensive side, we feel we have 2 pretty solid shutdown forward lines, as well as some defensive guys in Wells and Smith.
Second, even though we finished 8th, I think the addition of Schultz could really change the momentum in some games for us. Our anchors to victory will have to be placed by our top PP unit, the all Euro line. We're also confident that even if Rochefort and Fogolin find some way to contain the Top Guns, we have a second line that would easily be the top unit on almost any team. Goaltending for us may be a bit more difficult, but coach Vigneault will not hesitate to put our more then capable second and third stringers in, if Theo starts to struggle.
On the defensive side, we feel we have 2 pretty solid shutdown forward lines, as well as some defensive guys in Wells and Smith.
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VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Hockey Outsider
Registered User
- Jan 16, 2005
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- An interesting battle between two high-risk, high-reward goalies. Hutton was primarily a lacrosse goalie and has no NHL experience but was great in the faster, higher-scoring lacrosse environment. Theodore obviously had one MVP year and another great year but lacks consistency and longevity. Springfield's Hebert is a solid, consistent and underrated. He's actually the safest and most proven goalie in the series but in his prime he's not as good as Theodore, Crha or even Carey.
- Both teams have exciting, skilled players on the top two lines. Springfield has a bit more grit with Deadmarsh, Renberg and Johansson.
- Vancouver's bottom two lines are tougher and grittier, and probably a bit better defensively. However, they're more penalty-prone which isn't good in a series against a team with such a great powerplay.
- Both teams have solid bluelines. Vancouver's is a bit better defensively and Springfield has two great rushers in Liapkin and Rautakallio.
Springfield is the more consistent/proven team, but Vancouver wins if they stay disciplined and Theodore, Crha or Carey play up to their full potential.
(Hey, Springfield, what state is your team in?
)
- Both teams have exciting, skilled players on the top two lines. Springfield has a bit more grit with Deadmarsh, Renberg and Johansson.
- Vancouver's bottom two lines are tougher and grittier, and probably a bit better defensively. However, they're more penalty-prone which isn't good in a series against a team with such a great powerplay.
- Both teams have solid bluelines. Vancouver's is a bit better defensively and Springfield has two great rushers in Liapkin and Rautakallio.
Springfield is the more consistent/proven team, but Vancouver wins if they stay disciplined and Theodore, Crha or Carey play up to their full potential.
(Hey, Springfield, what state is your team in?
)
jeez, you make it sound like he never played hockey before
Hutton backstopped the Silver Seven to 5 Stanley Cups, and is in the HHOF. He was a great lacrosse player too (played pro football as well), but that doesn't make him any less of a hockey player.
raleh
Registered User
I don't care what era we're talking about...Hutton has 5 more championships than Theodore will ever have. When the chips are down, we know he's going to be at his best. The same can't be said about Theo.
HO, I think you might be underrating the defensive ability of our third line. Simon Gagne is one of the best two way players in the league today. He wasn't picked to play in the 2002 Olympics because of how well he played on the offensive side of the rink. If you watch the behind the scenes video of them making the team you can hear Quinn and Hitch arguing for him because of how responsible he is offensively. Rob Niedermayer is the kind of guy who steps up his game in the playoffs. Call me crazy, but I think he was only a shade behind Pahlsson in this year's playoffs and Pahlsson went in the main draft and nobody questioned it. He's got size, skill, and speed. He's also not afraid to throw a late hit or two. Ab McDonald is the kind of player who could have played on any of our top two lines. He played on the Scooter line for Chicago so he can definitely score, but he was just as good defensively. He was known as a great two way player in one of the most defensive eras hockey has ever seen. The only third liner out there that I would rather have in an ice-o-topes jersey is Metro Prystai, but he's the best checking centre in the draft.
I think our two way line is getting underrated because of how well they can score. Gagne and McDonald could play on most team's first or second lines, and because of that people will probably underrate their defense.
Also, I think that the chemistry our second line has shown in the past gives us a huge advantage given how close the talent is in this draft.
Our fourth line will just be a ***** to play against. Reggie Flemming was a hard nosed player who finished all of his checks. The Sutters are Sutters.
HO, I think you might be underrating the defensive ability of our third line. Simon Gagne is one of the best two way players in the league today. He wasn't picked to play in the 2002 Olympics because of how well he played on the offensive side of the rink. If you watch the behind the scenes video of them making the team you can hear Quinn and Hitch arguing for him because of how responsible he is offensively. Rob Niedermayer is the kind of guy who steps up his game in the playoffs. Call me crazy, but I think he was only a shade behind Pahlsson in this year's playoffs and Pahlsson went in the main draft and nobody questioned it. He's got size, skill, and speed. He's also not afraid to throw a late hit or two
. Ab McDonald is the kind of player who could have played on any of our top two lines. He played on the Scooter line for Chicago so he can definitely score, but he was just as good defensively. He was known as a great two way player in one of the most defensive eras hockey has ever seen. The only third liner out there that I would rather have in an ice-o-topes jersey is Metro Prystai, but he's the best checking centre in the draft. I think our two way line is getting underrated because of how well they can score. Gagne and McDonald could play on most team's first or second lines, and because of that people will probably underrate their defense.
Also, I think that the chemistry our second line has shown in the past gives us a huge advantage given how close the talent is in this draft.
Our fourth line will just be a ***** to play against. Reggie Flemming was a hard nosed player who finished all of his checks. The Sutters are Sutters.
I feel our squad has the distinct offensive advantage in this series. While both teams have very good scoring lines, I feel our 3rd line and defense are significantly better offensively, while giving up nothing defensively.
Our first line should be potent. Tumba may be the best pure offensive player in the draft, and Real Cloutier's elite playmaking abilities should benefit him greatly. Renberg's size, strength, and top-notch two-way play should be the perfect compliment for the two of them.
Our second line has proven chemestry, and was a dominant force when together. The Palffy-Allison-Deadmarsh combo scored over half the Kings points in the 2002 playoffs.
Our third line is made of three players who are known not only for their defensive play, but also for their ability to score. Ab McDonald was a member of the famed Scooter Line in chicago, and recorded five 20 goal seasons while being a key checking forward throughout his career. Simon Gagne was selected to team Canada as a 21 year old specifically because he was so good defensively (His +2 on Philly this past year is nothing short of a miracle). However, in recent years, he's become one of the premier goal scorers in the league, with two consecutive top-10 finishes, and a career high of 47. Rob Niedermayer has been a key contributer on 3 trips to the finals, finally winning it this past season. He's a big man with great speed and defensive instincts, and the ability to get rough with the opposing team while staying out of the box. He's no offensive superstar, but he's been a consistant contributer his whole career.
On defense, Liapkin and Rautakallio are two of the best puck-moving defensemen in the league, if not the two best. Both are very solid defensively as well, especially Liapkin who was one of the steadiest Soviet blueliners of his day (and league MVP in this draft to boot).
I feel the size and down-low strength of Tumba, Renberg, Allison, and Deadmarsh on our top two lines should cause a number of problems for a fairly small Vancouver top-4, and result in quite a few PP's for Springfield.
In net, I feel we have the far more reliable set of keepers. While Vancouver has two Vezina winners, niether of them were able to stay anywhere close to that level on a consistant basis. Crha was also inconsistant, as he was in the minors after a season and a half with a GAA over 7. For our squad, Hutton was the #1 goaltender on one of hockeys first true dyansties, and won the Stanley Cup multiple times. Guy Hebert as our backup is probably the most sure-thing as far as goaltenders in this series, and we know exactly what we're going to get if we're forced to put him in. Froese in the 3rd spot was not only a star when he got to start in the NHL (2nd allstar team), but was also a great backup, mentoring the likes of Ron Hextall and John Vanbiesbrouck in his later years.
With a seasoned second line, a father-son defense pair, and a set of twins on our 4th line, I think we have fantastic chemestry on this squad. I feel all the pieces fit very well. Up front we have a great mix of offsensive skill (Palffy, Tumba and Cloutier are some of the best in the draft), physical play, spped, size, and strong defensive zone presence. On defense we've paired our two star offensive guys with two big, solid stay-at-home defensive types. This squad has 21 Stanley Cups, 1 AVCO Cup, 10 World Championships, 4 Canada/World Cups, and 2 Olympic Gold's in it's trophy case.
So this is my case for Springfield.
Our first line should be potent. Tumba may be the best pure offensive player in the draft, and Real Cloutier's elite playmaking abilities should benefit him greatly. Renberg's size, strength, and top-notch two-way play should be the perfect compliment for the two of them.
Our second line has proven chemestry, and was a dominant force when together. The Palffy-Allison-Deadmarsh combo scored over half the Kings points in the 2002 playoffs.
Our third line is made of three players who are known not only for their defensive play, but also for their ability to score. Ab McDonald was a member of the famed Scooter Line in chicago, and recorded five 20 goal seasons while being a key checking forward throughout his career. Simon Gagne was selected to team Canada as a 21 year old specifically because he was so good defensively (His +2 on Philly this past year is nothing short of a miracle). However, in recent years, he's become one of the premier goal scorers in the league, with two consecutive top-10 finishes, and a career high of 47. Rob Niedermayer has been a key contributer on 3 trips to the finals, finally winning it this past season. He's a big man with great speed and defensive instincts, and the ability to get rough with the opposing team while staying out of the box. He's no offensive superstar, but he's been a consistant contributer his whole career.
On defense, Liapkin and Rautakallio are two of the best puck-moving defensemen in the league, if not the two best. Both are very solid defensively as well, especially Liapkin who was one of the steadiest Soviet blueliners of his day (and league MVP in this draft to boot).
I feel the size and down-low strength of Tumba, Renberg, Allison, and Deadmarsh on our top two lines should cause a number of problems for a fairly small Vancouver top-4, and result in quite a few PP's for Springfield.
In net, I feel we have the far more reliable set of keepers. While Vancouver has two Vezina winners, niether of them were able to stay anywhere close to that level on a consistant basis. Crha was also inconsistant, as he was in the minors after a season and a half with a GAA over 7. For our squad, Hutton was the #1 goaltender on one of hockeys first true dyansties, and won the Stanley Cup multiple times. Guy Hebert as our backup is probably the most sure-thing as far as goaltenders in this series, and we know exactly what we're going to get if we're forced to put him in. Froese in the 3rd spot was not only a star when he got to start in the NHL (2nd allstar team), but was also a great backup, mentoring the likes of Ron Hextall and John Vanbiesbrouck in his later years.
With a seasoned second line, a father-son defense pair, and a set of twins on our 4th line, I think we have fantastic chemestry on this squad. I feel all the pieces fit very well. Up front we have a great mix of offsensive skill (Palffy, Tumba and Cloutier are some of the best in the draft), physical play, spped, size, and strong defensive zone presence. On defense we've paired our two star offensive guys with two big, solid stay-at-home defensive types. This squad has 21 Stanley Cups, 1 AVCO Cup, 10 World Championships, 4 Canada/World Cups, and 2 Olympic Gold's in it's trophy case.
So this is my case for Springfield.
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raleh
Registered User
-
(Hey, Springfield, what state is your team in?
If you look out from our home rink, Duff Stadium, you can see the four States that border Springfield. Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_(The_Simpsons)
BM67
Registered User
The Vancouver Giants were game but couldn't find the touch to be giant killers themsleves. They forced all 3 road games to OT, but couldn't get a win, as the Springfield Ice-o-Topes moved on after only 5 games.
raleh
Registered User
I thought we had an edge, but definitely expected it go more than 5 games. As I said earlier, the Giants were the team I would have expected to face in the final, and it's a shame to see them out so early.
Wow, that's a disappointment. I wasn't sure we'd WIN, but I was definitely expecting it to go at least 6, likely 7 games....
Whatever, congrats Springfield, you were the better team.
Whatever, congrats Springfield, you were the better team.
Also just wanted to say thanks to kruezer for being my co-GM.
And I'll say it, Springfield will go all the way.
And I'll say it, Springfield will go all the way.
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