Newsy Lalonde- Beyond the Clichés- Intermezzo
As a follower of the BlackHawks, I've had a chance to look at the "First-to-Worst" phenomenon up close. [2016-17 Best Record in Conference, 2017-18 Worst Record in Division.] Well, how about (almost) "First-to-Worst-to-First?" It happened with the 1913-14, 1914-15, 1915-16 Canadiens.
In the first campaign, Montreal and Toronto finished with the same record, jointly atop the NHA. It's to be noted that Lalonde missed about a third of the season- and I don't think it's too controversial to say that of there had been just a little more of his presence, there wouldn't have even been a tie atop the standings. [As it stood, there was a two-game playoff for the NHA Championship, which the Torontos won on goal-differential.*]
The next year, the Canadiens sunk all the way down to last place- trailing all in goals scored.
Then, in 1915-16, Montreal was back on top of the NHA, leading all in goals scored, repulsing all with fewest goals against, and cementing their status further by winning the second Cup awarded post-Challenge-Era. The difference? The year before, Newsy Lalonde held out. His playing age would have been 27. Upon returning to the Canadiens, he Player-Coached them to the top of the Known Hockey World.
If we were impressed with the "With-or-Without-You" analysis of Frank Nighbor, what's there to say about this illustration of value-to-team?!
*Montreal allowed six goals in the opening game. Quite without trying, I seem to keep finding these Tony Esposito-esque blots on the résumé of (the overrated) Georges Vezina. We'll pick this up later, I guess.