Is this the best combination of Defensive 6D + 2 goalies in team history?

[eco's bones]

Ronnie Harris was the 5th dman, a fire hydrant on skates, one tough sob

Harris showed up I think the year after the Rangers went to the finals against the Bruins. He was a tough SOB. Low to the ice and could hit like a truck. He really belted Esposito one time and Phil was out of the lineup for a while. Harris didn't often fight was really, really good when he did. He never put up much offense but sometimes played right wing and if I remember rightly he scored a few playoff goals for us including one in OT against the Canadiens.

 

[alkurtz]

Ronnie Harris was the 5th dman, a fire hydrant on skates, one tough sob

Think that Harris joined the team in 73, the year after they made it to the Cup finals. I have fond memories of him. He could also, and did, play wing.

 

[Vickers8]

Harris showed up I think the year after the Rangers went to the finals against the Bruins. He was a tough SOB. Low to the ice and could hit like a truck. He really belted Esposito one time and Phil was out of the lineup for a while. Harris didn't often fight was really, really good when he did. He never put up much offense but sometimes played right wing and if I remember rightly he scored a few playoff goals for us including one in OT against the Canadiens.

Look it up, Ron played center against the Canadiens in the playoffs, that year he scored an ot winner and ended the playoffs with 3 goals that year...

 

[Vickers8]

Think that Harris joined the team in 73, the year after they made it to the Cup finals. I have fond memories of him. He could also, and did, play wing.

He was a great fighter, he was built like a Sherman Tank, and he was incredibly strong, he punched out Bobby Hull, when he was with the Wings, and a boatload of Flyers in his Ranger tour

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Greschner had more offense. He was a gifted stickhandler with better creative instincts. He wasn't a particularly great skater--and particularly in the area of speed. He had very good size and the ability to deke other players and I remember him often splitting defenses and getting in on the goalie (it wasn't because he was fast but because he was so good with the puck)--he was a good player in his own end. McDonagh is a stud defensively and a much better all around skater. His two way game continues to get better. I'd hesitate to say Ryan is even in his prime yet at 24 years of age. I'd also say that a player like Greschner would have a harder time playing in the NHL today than McDonagh would have back when Greschner was playing.

You cant compare eras. Greschner played his best against the Dynasty Habs and Isles and powerhouses like Boston and Philly.

Mcdonagh is very good and has a Ceiling between Gary Suter and Chris Chelios, but right now its all potential as far as his two-way game.

Greschner was big and could move the puck. He was a great shooter as well. The prototypical PP QB.

 

[alkurtz]

Harris was acquired from Atlanta in Nov 72 so did not play in the run to the finals in 72. Think we traded Curt Bennett for him. I do remember a later playoff game in Montreal where the Rangers scored a last minute goal to tie it up and won quickly in OT. Harris scored one of the goals but I don't recall which.

 

[Crease]

Harris was acquired from Atlanta in Nov 72 so did not play in the run to the finals in 72. Think we traded Curt Bennett for him. I do remember a later playoff game in Montreal where the Rangers scored a last minute goal to tie it up and won quickly in OT. Harris scored one of the goals but I don't recall which.

Yep, for Bennett near the beginning of the 1972-73 season.

The game you're thinking of was April 16 1974. First Round Game 5. MacGregor tied up with 16 seconds to go, from Park and Stemkowski. Harris won it four minutes into OT, again from Stemkowski.

 

[Vickers8]

Harris was acquired from Atlanta in Nov 72 so did not play in the run to the finals in 72. Think we traded Curt Bennett for him. I do remember a later playoff game in Montreal where the Rangers scored a last minute goal to tie it up and won quickly in OT. Harris scored one of the goals but I don't recall which.

Ron scored that goal off a faceoff, he was the center

 

[Cake or Death]

Yeah, I've got the 94 blueline, just too many hall of famers. I think John Moore is a better #6 than Lidster/Karpovtsev, but Wells is better than Klein, Lowe is better than Girardi, Zubov is better than Stralman, and Leetch is better than McDonagh.

That leaves Beuk and Stralman, I always thought Beuk was a little overrated but I think NYR fans overrate Stralman as well.

I think your comparison works a lot better if you don't do Stralman twice and actually include Staal

 

[chosen]

Different game, different roles.

You could argue that Leetch's career lasted as long as it did because of the play of Beukeboom.

On their own? Yes they are better than Beukeboom... but Beukeboom was the perfect partner for Leetch in that style game (very different from today' game).

You could argue that, but it would make no sense whatsoever, unless you have some way of quantifying that.

 

[Cake or Death]

Well, a natural place to start the comparison would be the 1994 team I guess.

Both Leetch and Zubov in 1994 were better than any defenseman on the 2014 team. Then add Beukeboom, Karpotsev, Lowe, and Wells.

Leetch
Zubov
McDonagh
Staal
Beukeboom
Girardi
Stralman
Karpotsev

Klein, Moore, Lowe and Wells are hard to sort out.

Lundqvist is better than Richter. Talbot is probably better than Healy but you hope that doesn't matter.

Following the OP's statement of "defensively as a whole," I personally don't see Leetch or Zubov defensively ahead of either of Staal or McDonagh. Offensively, yes, Leetch and Zubov are way ahead of the pack, but defensively Staal and McDonagh are, for my money, the top two guys. Two-way I give this to 94, defensively I easily give this to the current group. Also, in looking at rules, if guys like Wells and Lowe were dealing with today's much stricter rules on holding and hooking, I'm not real sold that either of them are even skilled enough to be NHL caliber players in 94.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Following the OP's statement of "defensively as a whole," I personally don't see Leetch or Zubov defensively ahead of either of Staal or McDonagh. Offensively, yes, Leetch and Zubov are way ahead of the pack, but defensively Staal and McDonagh are, for my money, the top two guys. Two-way I give this to 94, defensively I easily give this to the current group. Also, in looking at rules, if guys like Wells and Lowe were dealing with today's much stricter rules on holding and hooking, I'm not real sold that either of them are even skilled enough to be NHL caliber players in 94.

I think you're severely underrating Lowe, even at his advanced age in '94. Very steady player.

 

[Tawnos]

I think you're severely underrating Lowe, even at his advanced age in '94. Very steady player.

I sometimes wonder about that. You and I are about the same age (about 30), which means we were both in our formative years as far as understanding of the game goes. Was he really still that good or are we somewhat blinded by a more team-biased look at the game than we have now?

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I sometimes wonder about that. You and I are about the same age (about 30), which means we were both in our formative years as far as understanding of the game goes. Was he really still that good or are we somewhat blinded by a more team-biased look at the game than we have now?

I might've been young, but Im pretty certain that Lowe was closer to steady than a guy that couldnt play in the NHL if it wasnt for clutching and grabbing.

 

[Cake or Death]

I might've been young, but Im pretty certain that Lowe was closer to steady than a guy that couldnt play in the NHL if it wasnt for clutching and grabbing.

Yeah, I was probably being a tad harsh. But there seems also to be a bit of romanticizing the other way too where it almost feels like a touch of the 80s Lowe is being carried into the 94 Lowe. If you saw Lowe in the 80s with Edmonton, he was a great defensive defenseman who put some real serious regular season and playoff miles on. By 94 he was serviceable and, as you said, steady, but he was also somewhat a much slower and much more run down shell of his 1980s self. No knock on the guy, Edmonton played a ton of playoff games and that is especially harsh on the stay home d-men who are in the heart of the trenches in a time when playoff hockey was pretty nasty business.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Yeah, I was probably being a tad harsh. But there seems also to be a bit of romanticizing the other way too where it almost feels like a touch of the 80s Lowe is being carried into the 94 Lowe. If you saw Lowe in the 80s with Edmonton, he was a great defensive defenseman who put some real serious regular season and playoff miles on. By 94 he was serviceable and, as you said, steady, but he was also somewhat a much slower and much more run down shell of his 1980s self. No knock on the guy, Edmonton played a ton of playoff games and that is especially harsh on the stay home d-men who are in the heart of the trenches in a time when playoff hockey was pretty nasty business.

Yea I understand.

At the same time half that Rangers team was a broken down version of the 80's Oilers.

 

[Cake or Death]

Yea I understand.

At the same time half that Rangers team was a broken down version of the 80's Oilers.

True enough, but I'm sure we'd agree they were pivotal role players that truly knew what it took to win. My mind at the moment, though, is more fixated on today's loss to Boston

 

[eco's bones]

I think some people tend to overrate Karpovtsev. He had size and a great shot--his turning radius to the left was not great. He struggled with that. He also took a bit more time than any of our other D setting up when he was shooting. Not a guy who could walk the blueline. I remember him more as a bottom pairing guy than a top 4.

 

[Crease]

I think some people tend to overrate Karpovtsev. He had size and a great shot--his turning radius to the left was not great. He struggled with that. He also took a bit more time than any of our other D setting up when he was shooting. Not a guy who could walk the blueline. I remember him more as a bottom pairing guy than a top 4.

How do you remember things like that

 

[True Blue]

Very hard to compare eras. The '04 team had Leetch and Zubov. Both players who have backed a power play better than virtually any other Rangers player that I recall. But skill was not all. That team also had Beuk, who was as intimidating a defenseman as it gets. That team also had Wells on defense, who was also an extremely physical crease clearer. Lowe, even at advanced age, was still as smart as it gets.

 

[eco's bones]

How do you remember things like that

My ongoing critique of everything Rangers related.

And anyway I used to play defense a bit. But I remember Potsy's skating issues being commented on by others as well. Leetch, Beukeboom, Zubov and Lowe were always ahead of him in the pecking order though. Karpovtsev had some maneuverability issues.

 

[tailgunner]

.




Lundqvist is better than Richter. Talbot is probably better than Healy but you hope that doesn't matter.

yeah I don't think so