Saturday Silliness: Best "Ninja Turtles" Top-4 D

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Johnny Engine

Moderator
Jul 29, 2009
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OK, we're going to get silly here.

What, you ask, is a "Ninja Turtles" top four?

Well the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are known for, along with being everything promised in their name, their for distinct, specific roles and personalities. You have Leonardo, the self assured take charge leader. Raphael, the angry and aggressive hothead. Donatello, the calm and unassuming tactictian. And Michelangelo, the mercurial and fun loving free spirit.

So the question is, who's had the best group of four defensemen who align with these archetypes? Thinking about the teams I've personally followed, the 2008 Red Wings had Lidstrom as their do-everything leader, Kronwall as their scary open ice physical threat, Stuart as their quietly dependable option, and Rafalski as their offensively creative puckhandler. That's a pretty good example, and an even better team.

The 1993 Leafs were lead in most situations by Macoun, their hothead was Todd Gill, their steadying influence was Sylvain Lefevbre, and their freelancer was Dave Ellett. Not nearly as strong as those Wings, but I think we're starting to get it?

The 2003 Leafs had something like this for a dozen games after the trade deadline when they brought in a Donatello (Wesley) to round out their Leonardo (Svehla), Raphael (McCabe) and Michelangelo (Kaberle). They lost in the first round and haven't been as good since.

I sometimes think about how the Avalanche could have had the best example of all had their best Raphael (Blake) overlapped with their best Michelangelo (Ozolins). Bourque and Foote are as good examples of a Leonardo and a Donatello as you're going to find respectively. Didn't happen though.

Similarly, I was thinking about the Canucks from 15 years ago and then remembered that Mitchell and Hamhuis missed each other, and also that I was conflating Ehrhoff and a young Edler into one offensive defenseman. Oh well.

There are some all time great top 4s that don't work for this. The late 70s Habs resist categorization, and the 2000s Devils only work if you claim Niedermayer was their leader, which would be wrong.

Is there a better one than the 2008 Wings? I'm not saying this is the best way to build a defense, it's just aesthetically satisfying when you see it, and now I want some examples.
 
I sometimes think about how the Avalanche could have had the best example of all had their best Raphael (Blake) overlapped with their best Michelangelo (Ozolins). Bourque and Foote are as good examples of a Leonardo and a Donatello as you're going to find respectively. Didn't happen though.

Foote has got to be Raphael, no?

“Donatello, the calm and unassuming tactictian”, you said: is that Adam Foote?!

Fun thread at any rate, I might return when I’ve gotten drunk.
 
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Foote has got to be Raphael, no?

“Donatello, the calm and unassuming tactictian”, you said: is that Adam Foote?!

Fun thread at any rate, I might return when I’ve gotten drunk.
I think any pure stay at home defenseman could wear the purple bandana for these purposes, as opposed to a guy like Rob Blake, who's a risk taker in every aspect. But that's all the more reason to find a more perfect example.

I'm flexible on whether one wants to consider playstyle, demeanor, physicality, etc when choosing the best fit here.

And yes, please get rip-roaring drunk and get into this important topic.
 
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@Leonardo87

The thread you have been waiting for your entire life is finally here.

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If you'll forgive a slight detour to flthe actual Renaissance masters,

Camil Desroches, director of Forum events who was associated with the Canadiens since the 30s, liked to compare Maurice Richard to Michelangelo, Beliveau to Leonardo, and Lafleur to Raphael.

Here's an example in a 1986 Montreal Gazette article on Michel Goulet.

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But if we're looking at the Turtles, maybe Richard is Raphael and Lafleur is Michelangelo.

Fun topic. If I'm looking back at the Sens teams of the past 25 years that came close, none of them quite managed to stick that balance in the top 4. There was always a guy who didn't quite bring enough of anything to the table.
 
If you'll forgive a slight detour to flthe actual Renaissance masters,

Camil Desroches, director of Forum events who was associated with the Canadiens since the 30s, liked to compare Maurice Richard to Michelangelo, Beliveau to Leonardo, and Lafleur to Raphael.

Here's an example in a 1986 Montreal Gazette article on Michel Goulet.

View attachment 997523
View attachment 997525
The big takeaway for me here is that Ninja Turtles creators seem to have flipped the personalities of Michelangelo and Raphael. The characterization of Leonardo is a bit moot as they weren't necessarily a group in the same way. But as Habs franchise legends go, Beliveau the leader, Lafleur the free spirit, Richard the referee-puncher, amd Harvey the steady rock, does for the premise of this thread without being a top-4 D group.
 
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Fun topic. If I'm looking back at the Sens teams of the past 25 years that came close, none of them quite managed to stick that balance in the top 4. There was always a guy who didn't quite bring enough of anything to the table.
Sort of like how the Leafs recently had Muzzin (ice general) Rielly (free spirit) Brodie (thinking man's defender) and Holl (owned a pair of skates).

A lot of the time where the really good top 4s break this pattern is where the #1 guy is the best option for a non-Leonardo role - like how Stevens is the fieriest Devil. Or for you, any Karlsson team is unlikely to have another even wilder rover, because, why would you need that?
 
Knowing nothing about Ninja Turtles..

1. the self assured take charge leader
2. the angry and aggressive hothead
3. the calm and unassuming tactictian
4. the mercurial and fun loving free spirit.
I get this and I love the historical exercise.

A team or two to come...

My first reaction was 1930s-1940's Leafs... Day, Reardon, Thomson, Barilko.

But Day was just before the others... and lol Reardon was a Hab (one's memory is quirky).

It'll take attention and research but it's a fun thing to do on the weekend when waiting for someone.
 
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Knowing nothing about Ninja Turtles..


I get this and I love the historical exercise.

A team or two to come...

My first reaction was 1930s-1940's Leafs... Day, Reardon, Thomson, Barilko.

But Day was just before the others... and lol Reardon was a Hab (one's memory is quirky).

It'll take attention and research but it's a fun thing to do on the weekend when waiting for someone.
You're probably thinking of Mortson when you say Reardon, right?
 
I said Reardon and said he is a Hab but he was the exemplar of that characteristic of that era.
So, I said it wasn't a great list.

Gus was less dynamic but more of a fit.

Looking for a most apt squad.
 
1. the self assured take charge leader
PULFORD
2. the angry and aggressive hothead
SMITH
3. the calm and unassuming tactictian
MCGEE
4. the mercurial and fun loving free spirit.
T.SMITH

NOT all defensemen but - given the era - point, rover, center were not static.
 
understanding it as the level-headed guy who sets the tone, the quiet cerebral one, the clown and/or party animal, and the maniac, here are some randoms

leonardo: johansson
donatello: cote
michelangelo: hatcher
raphael: iafrate

l: aucoin
d: ohlund
m: jovanovski
r: mccabe

l: regehr
d: lydman
m: morris
r: gauthier

l: stevens
d: rafalski
m: niedermayer
r: daneyko

l: howe
d: mccrimmon
m: crossman
r: marsh

l: robinson
d: green
m: ludwig
r: chelios
 

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