Gordie Howe's got a lot more help here than Cyclone Taylor. Northcott and Palffy might be the two weakest ES scorers in either top-6.
So you're going to use Cyclone Taylor and Vladimir Petrov to check Dave Keon and Jonathan Toews? Seems like an excellent way for you to eliminate your best two scoring threats for me.
I agree that most SC winners have good two-way play down the middle, which is exactly why I took Keon and Toews instead of some offensive centers.
Though, if I'm honest, I would have take Bill Cowley instead of Keon if I knew Toews would be available later.
Harry Howell is a nice defensive defenseman. I don't see Schoenfeld or St. Laurent handling any first unit well, let alone one that has Howe.
It's never easy.
There's no way that you're going to convince me that Prentice and Toews are better offensive players than Northcott/Palffy. Just isn't a reality. I watched Palffy play. His offensive acuity is far above either Prentice or Toews. If you're just going to throw the elite tab across the board on Toews then I can just start inflating my players arbitrarily. First off, Toews isn't elite defensively, not in the ATD. Bergeron is elite defensively. Datsyuk. Toews has 1 Selke and a handful of other finalist nods. Where's he been the last few years now that Chicago turned into a dumpster fire? (in part because they paid a player like Toews 10 million). Not anywhere in the running for Selke.
Back to Palffy:
One, he didn't get to play on a near dynasty like Toews. That impacts offensive statistics. Palffy played on a lot of very crappy teams and still was miles better an offensive threat than a Toews. I'm sorry if that's blunt, but it really is the hard truth.
Two, he played his career through one of the lowest scoring periods in hockey history and routinely put up 80+ point seasons. Didn't matter he was playing on largely garbage teams. Palffy is a perfect example of VsX being a nice generality but treating it as gospel leads you to generality.
Howe can't do everything himself. Period. He's downgraded SIGNIFICANTLY in terms of talent and offensive ability around him. I just don't see how anyone doesn't get there looking at Lindsay, Abel and let's not forget RED KELLY. Sorry but Drew Doughty isn't Red Kelly. They are night and day offensively speaking.
Not sure what you're talking about Petrov and Taylor checking Toews and Keon.
Taylor is significantly better than Toews all time
Northcott is a clear step above Prentice
Howe is miles better than Palffy obviously
Pitt wins 2-1 IMO
I think both lines are great fits. Both have elite offensive players (Howe and Taylor), both have very strong defensive players (Northcott and Toews) and I'll take Pallfy all day over Prentice.
Saskatoon's top line is simply more balanced. We don't have all of the offensive eggs in one basket so to speak.
I was simply pointing out that Howe is going to be checked mostly by above average to great defensive wingers, who were also extremely physical as well as running into all of Saskatoon's strongest dmen in terms of defensive awareness, physicality and ability.