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Best One-Two Center Punch

Probably have to go with Gretzky and Messier, but depending on what a person values I could maybe conceive of cases for Beliveau and Richard or Crosby and Malkin. Not that it matters as it wouldn't answer the thread but I could also do with seeing Apps and Kennedy at least listed as an option. Perhaps Maltsev and Petrov among Soviet tandems.

I say the same thing.

Gretzky - Messier are #1 though.
 
The WORST one-two center punch among successful (Stanley Cup) teams has to be one of the New Jersey teams. Probably it's:

Gomez
Arnott

They are light years away from HHOFers.

And among all time great team, the 1976-1977 Habs ? No center in the league top 20 scorer that year, both those team had dept, wingers, defense, goaltending, etc... Not really a both of there 1-2 center among the conversation for the league top 10 best centers.
 
Def Gretzky Messier. 2 all time greats there. When you're done with the Gretzky line, you can't relax as you have the Messier line to contend with.
 
And among all time great team, the 1976-1977 Habs ? No center in the league top 20 scorer that year, both those team had dept, wingers, defense, goaltending, etc... Not really a both of there 1-2 center among the conversation for the league top 10 best centers.
Jacques Lemaire? ... Bowman lists him as one of the greatest players of all time. He is a highly respected two-way player. He scored 139 playoff points in 145 playoff games, an important part of EIGHT (8) Stanley Cup championships. In 1976-77 he had 19 playoff points in 14 playoff games, second to only Lafleur.

Doug Risebrough had a career year in points and six game winners, but yeah, he was a defensive center first and foremost for all four Stanley Cup teams of that last Habs dynasty.
 
Lemaire is a good center and part of what was probably the best defensive team ever and top 5 centers in point production during is short career.

The previous year did they had Peter Mahovlich playing center ?
 
Interesting that Dave Keon - Red Kelly was on the list.

I would think that Dave Keon - Norm Ullman would make a better choice.

Ullman was a very underrated player IMO.

Keon-Kelly won four Stanley Cups together while Keon-Ullman has nothing to show for their time together. Leafs had abysmal playoff record during their time together. So team accomplisments during their time together greatly favor Keon-Kelly duo over Keon-Ullman.
 

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