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- Apr 4, 2014
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Just looking at the papers from that time, Gordie Howe had a sprained right shoulder against Toronto November 3rd 1954 which was considered to not be too serious after further examination (by the medical standards of the time I guess I should point out as Dr. Milton Kosley reported "no bones are broken, and his injury appears to be torn ligaments in the right shoulder" so that is some quick therapy lol) and only expected to keep him out for a week to ten days. He suffered the injury tripping while forechecking Hugh Bolton, and finished the game as "it didn't hurt then, but it started hurting after the game" and overnight the shoulder stiffened up after the team's chartered flight to Boston.
Detroit wasn't as hot or as high in the standings early that year compared to years before, though Ted Lindsay among others pointed not only to Gordie Howe missing time, but the Wings shipping off Prystai as a big reason for it.
Howe's stats before his injury are 4 goals and 9 points in 10 games. Seem low, but Howe seemed to generally be a slow starter anyway in years before (11-12 points usually but only 7 in 1951-1952), so not sure how much to read into that.
There's little talk on the injury or any lingering effects after Howe returning however, and the Wings did of course win their last (for a while) cup in 1955.
In the four seasons before 1954-1955, Gordie scored an average of 43 goals and 87 points in a 70 game season. In the four seasons after, he scored an average of 37/38 goals and 82/83 points. Given that the former timeframe saw Howe in his early twenties and the latter in his late twenties, and Lindsay himself entering his thirties, the small difference makes sense no? Most star forwards have their highest scoring years in their early twenties. Gordie may be exceptional in longevity, but is he exceptional in this case of when his best years would be?
The issue I'll always have with looking at scoring placements can be summed up with the early and latter part of the fifties. Which group looks stronger to you?
1950-1951 to 1953-1954
1955-1956 to 1958-1959
The question really is, how would early twenties Gordie look against that latter fifties peer group? Or how would Gordie's dominance look if guys like Beliveau, Bathgate, Moore were in their primes in the early fifties.
To add, this is probably the clearest indication we'll have of why Gordie Howe saw a dip in 1954-1955 (from the Montreal Gazette, February 23 1955)
Even the best and most consistent slump sometimes
Detroit wasn't as hot or as high in the standings early that year compared to years before, though Ted Lindsay among others pointed not only to Gordie Howe missing time, but the Wings shipping off Prystai as a big reason for it.
Howe's stats before his injury are 4 goals and 9 points in 10 games. Seem low, but Howe seemed to generally be a slow starter anyway in years before (11-12 points usually but only 7 in 1951-1952), so not sure how much to read into that.
There's little talk on the injury or any lingering effects after Howe returning however, and the Wings did of course win their last (for a while) cup in 1955.
In the four seasons before 1954-1955, Gordie scored an average of 43 goals and 87 points in a 70 game season. In the four seasons after, he scored an average of 37/38 goals and 82/83 points. Given that the former timeframe saw Howe in his early twenties and the latter in his late twenties, and Lindsay himself entering his thirties, the small difference makes sense no? Most star forwards have their highest scoring years in their early twenties. Gordie may be exceptional in longevity, but is he exceptional in this case of when his best years would be?
The issue I'll always have with looking at scoring placements can be summed up with the early and latter part of the fifties. Which group looks stronger to you?
1950-1951 to 1953-1954
1955-1956 to 1958-1959
The question really is, how would early twenties Gordie look against that latter fifties peer group? Or how would Gordie's dominance look if guys like Beliveau, Bathgate, Moore were in their primes in the early fifties.
To add, this is probably the clearest indication we'll have of why Gordie Howe saw a dip in 1954-1955 (from the Montreal Gazette, February 23 1955)
Even the best and most consistent slump sometimes
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