Andy Bathgate (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #86)
Adjusted Stats
1952-1953 NYR 21 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.07 PPG
1953-1954 NYR 23 GP 3 goals 3 assists 6 points 0.26 PPG
1954-1955 NYR 82 GP 29 goals 29 assists 57 points 0.70 PPG
1955-1956 NYR 82 GP 27 goals 67 assists 94 points 1.14 PPG
1956-1957 NYR 82 GP 36 goals 67 assists 103 points 1.26 PPG
1957-1958 NYR 76 GP 39 goals 62 assists 100 points 1.32 PPG
1958-1959 NYR 82 GP 50 goals 60 assists 109 points 1.33 PPG
1959-1960 NYR 82 GP 32 goals 59 assists 90 points 1.10 PPG
1960-1961 NYR 82 GP 35 goals 58 assists 92 points 1.13 PPG
1961-1962 NYR 82 GP 34 goals 67 assists 101 points 1.23 PPG
1962-1963 NYR 82 GP 42 goals 56 assists 98 points 1.20 PPG
1963-1964 NYR/Tor* 83 GP 25 goals 75 assists 100 points 1.20 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 64 GP 20 goals 36 assists 56 points 0.88 PPG
1965-1966 Det 82 GP 18 goals 38 assists 56 points 0.68 PPG
1966-1967 Det 70 GP 10 goals 28 assists 37 points 0.53 PPG
1967-1968 Pit 82 GP 24 goals 48 assists 72 points 0.88 PPG
1970-1971 Pit 80 GP 16 goals 30 assists 46 points 0.57 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1955-1956 NYR 5 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.60 PPG
1956-1957 NYR 5 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.40 PPG
1957-1958 NYR 6 GP 5 goals 3 assists 7 points 1.21 PPG
1961-1962 NYR 6 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 14 GP 5 goals 4 assists 9 points 0.68 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 6 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.18 PPG
1965-1966 Det 12 GP 6 goals 3 assists 10 points 0.79 PPG
Career - 1237 GP, 440 goals, 785 assists, 1219 points, 0.99 PPG
Career-Highs - 50 goals (58-59); 75 assists (63-64); 109 points (58-59); 1.33 PPG (58-59)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 77 GP, 28 goals, 49 assists, 76 points, 0.99 PPG
Peak Avg. (56-64) - 81 GP, 37 goals, 63 assists, 99 points, 1.22 PPG, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 54 GP, 21 goals, 14 assists, 35 points, 0.65 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (57-58); 4 assists (63-64); 10 points (65-66); 1.21 PPG (57-58)
Accolades - MVP Award
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
For all of the Original Six stars on my Pyramid, one thing that struck me is how few New York Rangers there are. The Montreal Canadiens are certainly well-represented, as well they should be considering the ungodly amount of championships they have won. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings, both successful franchises before expansion in 1967, also have a good chunk of stars. And even the Bruins and Blackhawks have some of the best players of all-time representing them. But the New York Rangers have almost no one who starred for them from between 1935 and 1970. One of the rare exceptions is Andy Bathgate.
Bathgate is one of the best right-wingers of the pre-expansion era, but his career was constantly upstaged by two right-wingers who were stealing headlines ahead of him: Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard. Despite having the two greatest right-wingers playing at the same time as him, Bathgate managed to forge his own hall-of-fame worthy career, winning an MVP award in 1959 and a scoring title in 1962. His run from 1955 to 1964 is one of the greatest of any forward: he was one of the top five scorers in the league in each of the nine seasons, and averaged 99 adjusted points.
Bathgate's legend would be greater (perhaps more in line with, say, a Dickie Moore or a Bernie Geoffrion) if he had only been fortunate enough to play for more of a contender, as opposed to a New York Rangers team that was famously one of the doormats of the Original Six era (and continued without a Stanley Cup until 1994). He was the Ernie Banks of hockey: a superb player on a team with a massive championship drought. During Bathgate's run with the Rangers from '56 to '63, the team's record was a pedestrian 171-231-88, for a winning percentage of .439. That's Hartford Whalers territory.
If there was something noteworthy for Bathgate during his tenure with the Rangers (beyond his remarkably consistent production), it's the fact that it was Bathgate who was indirectly responsible for one of the great innovations in hockey history: the goalie mask. After missing a shot and being mockingly booed by the Montreal crowd, the normally-calm Bathgate was upset and fired a high slapshot at Habs' goalie Jacques Plante, whose face was busted open. Plante returned to the game with a mask on and the goaltending position was changed forever. It's interesting that it was this bit of viciousness that changed the game, because Bathgate was rarely dirty. For a big man, he hated cheap physical contact...like Mike Bossy twenty years later, he believed the ice rink was a canvas on which beautiful offensive plays should be painted. He wrote an article entitled "Atrocities on Ice" that pointed out the epidemic of spearing and slashing that was creeping into the game (Exhibit A in my argument that the old-timers claim that there "used to be respect in the game" is hogwash).
Mercifully, Bathgate was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the middle of the 1963-1964 campaign, in which he was having yet another top-five campaign. He chipped in 9 playoff points in 14 games, including a great Cup finals series in which he scored a critical breakaway against Terry Sawchuk, as the Leafs won their third consecutive championship and Bathgate got his one and only Cup ring. Bathgate would play five more seasons (eventually ending up on the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins as their initial star attraction), but he didn't come close to producing the numbers he did during his run with New York.
We'll remember his as one of the most unsuccessful successful careers in hockey history...not quite at the Marcel Dionne level of tragedy since he did get his name on the Cup, but as a predecessor to the Hawerchuks, Stastnys and Sundins of the world, one of the first marquee names on a perenially mediocre team. He was unlucky to be on the Rangers and unlucky to be in the shadow of Howe and Richard. Bathgate perservered anyway and emerged through the adversity as a universally-respected right-winger whose career still stands up as one of the best of the Original Six era.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
BUT WHAT ABOUT?
Now that the Pyramid (which you can view here: http://hockeypyramid.blogspot.com/2011/01/greatest-players-of-all-time-definitive.html) stands completed (although always shifting...some players will move up or down depending on how the rest of their careers pan out), there comes the question of why certain people were left off. As I already explained, Dino Ciccarelli was my cutoff point...if I felt your career wasn't as good as his, you were off the list. Here are some of the players who I debated including, but didn't quite make it, divided into three categories:
Bubble Guys Who Probably Won't Ever Make It:
Claude Lemieux - Three Stanley Cup rings and known as one of the most clutch playoff performers of all-time, but the regular season numbers just aren't quite there. If you let him in, now you're opening the door for the Johan Franzens of the world. Would I want his career over Ciccarelli's? Yes. But at some point, you need to look beyond the fact that Lemieux was fortunate to play with some very good teams.
Clark Gillies - Often derided as one of the worst players in the hall-of-fame, Gillies actually had a decent peak as a left-winger. He was twice named the league's best left-winger, and of course was a key part of the Islander team that won four straight championships. But the stretch of excellence wasn't nearly long enough.
Wendel Clark - Described by a friend of mine who's a Leaf fan as "the Jarome Iginla of his day". Umm, no. Good player, galvanized the city...but check the numbers, and his lack of credentials.
Lanny McDonald - A beloved player, a great ambassador for the game, he scored 500 career goals (before adjustment...in real terms, it'd be around 420) and finally won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames. But McDonald wasn't a key contributor on that team, even though his leadership was valuable. Great ambassador, but just falls short.
Keith Tkachuk - In the mid-90s, seem destined to be putting together a great career as a power-foward LW. But disinterest kicked in, then weight gain, and by the end he wasn't nearly as productive as his potential would have suggested. Doesn't quite make it.
Curtis Joseph - The toughest call...he almost made the Pyramid. Perenially one of the five to ten best goaltenders in the league, but was never named to a year-end all-star team. Also may have been the greatest 1st-round goaltender in the history of the playoffs, and the worst 2nd-round one.
Bernie Nicholls - Had two amazing seasons in 1988-1989 and 1989-1990. Yet the fact that he was traded right after the 1989 season tells you all you need to know. Aside from that, his gaudy numbers are mostly a product of playing in the 1980s. One of the most forgettable 70-goal scorers of all-time.
Bernie Federko - Essentially what I said about Nicholls, except for the 70-goal scoring part.
Mike Richter - Wrestled the title of preeminent "big game" goalie away from Patrick Roy briefly around 1994, when he won a Stanley Cup and then stoned Canada in the World Cup in 1996. Still, the peak was a little too short to earn Pyramid honours.
John Vanbiesbrouck - Like Richter, wracked up a ton of wins and even a Vezina trophy. But he seemed to choke come playoff time, aside from his great 1996 run with the Panthers. Can't quite give him a nod.
Rod Langway - One of the best defensive-defenseman of all-time, a punishing hitter who for three years in the mid-1980s won two Norris trophies and was considered the league's best D-man. Still, considering he was defensively-minded and there aren't a lot of numbers to go on, some team success would have been nice. In the end, Langway comes up just short.
John LeClair - Essentially the same career trajectory as Tkachuk, although at least LeClair got a Stanley Cup ring.
Doug Bentley - A good stretch that occurred mostly during World War II when the league was watered-down. Never won a Stanley Cup in the Original Six either, which hurts his case.
Lorne Chabot - One of the better goaltenders of his era, but it was an ultra low-scoring era, so points deducted.
Chuck Gardiner - Made three year-end all-star teams, but far too brief a career, and as with Chabot, played in a completely low-scoring era.
Markus Naslund - Spent three years in the early 2000s as arguably one of the best forwards in the league, and even took home a scoring title. But the crappy start and finish to his careers, and the fact that he never made it past the second round, keep him off the list.
Joe Mullen - Almost a carbon-copy of Ciccarelli's career trajectory, only with one first-team all-star appearance and three Stanley Cup rings. So why isn't he in? The final numbers are just a tad too mediocre, and given that he played for sixteen seasons, his career totals don't quite justify inclusion. Tough call, though...one of the closest to making it.
Paul Henderson - Put it this way: if Brenden Morrow had scored "the goldennnn goallll!" instead of Sidney Crosby, would that make Morrow a hall-of-famer? I think not. And Henderson wasn't even as good as Brenden Morrow. Brutal career numbers, very little team success in the NHL, was fortunate to score an iconic goal. Give it up Cherry, Henderson's out!
Players Who Were Dominant In an Era That's Too Old for me to Judge:
George Hainsworth
Georges Vezina
Clint Benedict
Newsy Lalonde
Joe Malone
Cy Denneny
Babe Dye
King Clancy
Players Who May Make the Pyramid Next Time:
Roberto Luongo - Has had the mantle of "next great goalie" handed to him for seemingly the past six or seven years without doing anything to earn it. Has never won a Vezina trophy or been past the second round of the playoffs (granted, for the first few years of his career he was saddled with awful teams). I could see the Canucks winning a Cup soon, though, and if they do, Luongo earns a spot on the Pyramid.
Marc-Andre Fleury - Has won a Stanley Cup, been one of the winningest regular-season and playoff goaltenders of the past few seasons, yet seems perenially underrated. He's still remarkably young, and could end up surprising many by finishing his career very high on the all-time wins list. I see him making the list soon.
The Sedin Twins - Certainly not Pyramid-worthy until about two seasons ago, when their games both took off. Henrik won the scoring title in 09-10, Daniel is leading in 10-11, and the Canucks are one of the best teams in hockey. If they can only add some playoff production to their resume, they could make it in a few years. And if they continue to produce at these levels for another four or five seasons, they're on for sure.
Mike Richards - One of the most complete two-way forwards in the game, and one of the winningest also. All that's missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup ring. The production isn't mind-blowing, but you get 75-80 points, great leadership and amazing defence. 'Nuff said.
Jonathan Toews - Pretty much a lock to make the Pyramid in a few more years, especially with a Stanley Cup ring, Conn Smythe and Olympic gold (in which he led Canada in scoring) on his resume. As with Richards, the production is more in the 75-80 range, but that's nothing to sneeze at when you're talking about one of the premium two-way forwards in the league. The heir apparent to Steve Yzerman.
Patrick Kane - More one-dimensional than Toews or Richards, but he does have that Cup ring, as well as electrifying scoring touch. Will probably make the list in a few more years, so long as he takes it easy on cab drivers.
Steven Stamkos - Already off to an incredible start to his career. We may be watching a special goal-scorer developing.
Bubble Guys Who Probably Won't Ever Make It:
Claude Lemieux - Three Stanley Cup rings and known as one of the most clutch playoff performers of all-time, but the regular season numbers just aren't quite there. If you let him in, now you're opening the door for the Johan Franzens of the world. Would I want his career over Ciccarelli's? Yes. But at some point, you need to look beyond the fact that Lemieux was fortunate to play with some very good teams.
Clark Gillies - Often derided as one of the worst players in the hall-of-fame, Gillies actually had a decent peak as a left-winger. He was twice named the league's best left-winger, and of course was a key part of the Islander team that won four straight championships. But the stretch of excellence wasn't nearly long enough.
Wendel Clark - Described by a friend of mine who's a Leaf fan as "the Jarome Iginla of his day". Umm, no. Good player, galvanized the city...but check the numbers, and his lack of credentials.
Lanny McDonald - A beloved player, a great ambassador for the game, he scored 500 career goals (before adjustment...in real terms, it'd be around 420) and finally won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames. But McDonald wasn't a key contributor on that team, even though his leadership was valuable. Great ambassador, but just falls short.
Keith Tkachuk - In the mid-90s, seem destined to be putting together a great career as a power-foward LW. But disinterest kicked in, then weight gain, and by the end he wasn't nearly as productive as his potential would have suggested. Doesn't quite make it.
Curtis Joseph - The toughest call...he almost made the Pyramid. Perenially one of the five to ten best goaltenders in the league, but was never named to a year-end all-star team. Also may have been the greatest 1st-round goaltender in the history of the playoffs, and the worst 2nd-round one.
Bernie Nicholls - Had two amazing seasons in 1988-1989 and 1989-1990. Yet the fact that he was traded right after the 1989 season tells you all you need to know. Aside from that, his gaudy numbers are mostly a product of playing in the 1980s. One of the most forgettable 70-goal scorers of all-time.
Bernie Federko - Essentially what I said about Nicholls, except for the 70-goal scoring part.
Mike Richter - Wrestled the title of preeminent "big game" goalie away from Patrick Roy briefly around 1994, when he won a Stanley Cup and then stoned Canada in the World Cup in 1996. Still, the peak was a little too short to earn Pyramid honours.
John Vanbiesbrouck - Like Richter, wracked up a ton of wins and even a Vezina trophy. But he seemed to choke come playoff time, aside from his great 1996 run with the Panthers. Can't quite give him a nod.
Rod Langway - One of the best defensive-defenseman of all-time, a punishing hitter who for three years in the mid-1980s won two Norris trophies and was considered the league's best D-man. Still, considering he was defensively-minded and there aren't a lot of numbers to go on, some team success would have been nice. In the end, Langway comes up just short.
John LeClair - Essentially the same career trajectory as Tkachuk, although at least LeClair got a Stanley Cup ring.
Doug Bentley - A good stretch that occurred mostly during World War II when the league was watered-down. Never won a Stanley Cup in the Original Six either, which hurts his case.
Lorne Chabot - One of the better goaltenders of his era, but it was an ultra low-scoring era, so points deducted.
Chuck Gardiner - Made three year-end all-star teams, but far too brief a career, and as with Chabot, played in a completely low-scoring era.
Markus Naslund - Spent three years in the early 2000s as arguably one of the best forwards in the league, and even took home a scoring title. But the crappy start and finish to his careers, and the fact that he never made it past the second round, keep him off the list.
Joe Mullen - Almost a carbon-copy of Ciccarelli's career trajectory, only with one first-team all-star appearance and three Stanley Cup rings. So why isn't he in? The final numbers are just a tad too mediocre, and given that he played for sixteen seasons, his career totals don't quite justify inclusion. Tough call, though...one of the closest to making it.
Paul Henderson - Put it this way: if Brenden Morrow had scored "the goldennnn goallll!" instead of Sidney Crosby, would that make Morrow a hall-of-famer? I think not. And Henderson wasn't even as good as Brenden Morrow. Brutal career numbers, very little team success in the NHL, was fortunate to score an iconic goal. Give it up Cherry, Henderson's out!
Players Who Were Dominant In an Era That's Too Old for me to Judge:
George Hainsworth
Georges Vezina
Clint Benedict
Newsy Lalonde
Joe Malone
Cy Denneny
Babe Dye
King Clancy
Players Who May Make the Pyramid Next Time:
Roberto Luongo - Has had the mantle of "next great goalie" handed to him for seemingly the past six or seven years without doing anything to earn it. Has never won a Vezina trophy or been past the second round of the playoffs (granted, for the first few years of his career he was saddled with awful teams). I could see the Canucks winning a Cup soon, though, and if they do, Luongo earns a spot on the Pyramid.
Marc-Andre Fleury - Has won a Stanley Cup, been one of the winningest regular-season and playoff goaltenders of the past few seasons, yet seems perenially underrated. He's still remarkably young, and could end up surprising many by finishing his career very high on the all-time wins list. I see him making the list soon.
The Sedin Twins - Certainly not Pyramid-worthy until about two seasons ago, when their games both took off. Henrik won the scoring title in 09-10, Daniel is leading in 10-11, and the Canucks are one of the best teams in hockey. If they can only add some playoff production to their resume, they could make it in a few years. And if they continue to produce at these levels for another four or five seasons, they're on for sure.
Mike Richards - One of the most complete two-way forwards in the game, and one of the winningest also. All that's missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup ring. The production isn't mind-blowing, but you get 75-80 points, great leadership and amazing defence. 'Nuff said.
Jonathan Toews - Pretty much a lock to make the Pyramid in a few more years, especially with a Stanley Cup ring, Conn Smythe and Olympic gold (in which he led Canada in scoring) on his resume. As with Richards, the production is more in the 75-80 range, but that's nothing to sneeze at when you're talking about one of the premium two-way forwards in the league. The heir apparent to Steve Yzerman.
Patrick Kane - More one-dimensional than Toews or Richards, but he does have that Cup ring, as well as electrifying scoring touch. Will probably make the list in a few more years, so long as he takes it easy on cab drivers.
Steven Stamkos - Already off to an incredible start to his career. We may be watching a special goal-scorer developing.
#125 - Mike Vernon
Mike Vernon (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #125)
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Cgy 2 GP, 0-2-0, .000 win%, 103 min, 9 GA, 5.25 GAA
1983-1984 Cgy 1 GP, 0-1-0, .000 win%, 11 min, 3 GA, 17.01 GAA
1985-1986 Cgy 18 GP, 9-3-3, .700 win%, 944 min, 41 GA, 2.62 GAA
1986-1987 Cgy 55 GP, 31-22-1, .583 win%, 3031 min, 153 GA, 3.03 GAA
1987-1988 Cgy 66 GP, 40-16-7, .690 win%, 3654 min, 178 GA, 2.93 GAA
1988-1989 Cgy* 53 GP, 38-6-5, .827 win%, 3011 min, 110 GA, 2.18 GAA
1989-1990 Cgy 48 GP, 24-14-9, .606 win%, 2865 min, 125 GA, 2.62 GAA
1990-1991 Cgy 55 GP, 32-19-3, .620 win%, 3199 min, 157 GA, 2.94 GAA
1991-1992 Cgy 65 GP, 25-31-9, .454 win%, 3731 min, 197 GA, 3.16 GAA
1992-1993 Cgy 62 GP, 28-25-9, .524 win%, 3643 min, 168 GA, 2.77 GAA
1993-1994 Cgy 47 GP, 25-17-5, .585 win%, 2731 min, 121 GA, 2.67 GAA
1994-1995 Det 51 GP, 32-10-7, .724 win%, 3087 min, 134 GA, 2.60 GAA
1995-1996 Det 32 GP, 21-7-2, .733 win%, 1855 min, 68 GA, 2.21 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 33 GP, 13-11-8, .531 win%, 1952 min, 83 GA, 2.56 GAA
1997-1998 SJ 62 GP, 30-22-8, .567 win%, 3564 min, 170 GA, 2.86 GAA
1998-1999 SJ 49 GP, 16-22-10, .438 win%, 2831 min, 125 GA, 2.65 GAA
1999-2000 SJ/Fla 49 GP, 24-18-3, .567 win%, 2791 min, 129 GA, 2.77 GAA
2000-2001 Cgy 41 GP, 12-23-5, .363 win%, 2246 min, 135 GA, 3.61 GAA
2001-2002 Cgy 18 GP, 2-9-1, .208 win%, 825 min, 45 GA, 3.24 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1985-1986 Cgy 21 GP, 12-9, .571 win%, 1229 min, 52 GA, 2.53 GAA
1986-1987 Cgy 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 263 min, 14 GA, 3.27 GAA
1987-1988 Cgy 9 GP, 4-4, .500 win%, 515 min, 26 GA, 2.98 GAA
1988-1989 Cgy* 22 GP, 16-5, .762 win%, 1381 min, 45 GA, 1.94 GAA
1989-1990 Cgy 6 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 342 min, 16 GA, 2.82 GAA
1990-1991 Cgy 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 427 min, 18 GA, 2.52 GAA
1992-1993 Cgy 4 GP, 1-1, .500 win%, 150 min, 12 GA, 4.93 GAA
1993-1994 Cgy 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 466 min, 23 GA, 2.91 GAA
1994-1995 Det 18 GP, 12-6, .667 win%, 1063 min, 36 GA, 2.04 GAA
1995-1996 Det 4 GP, 2-2, .500 win%, 243 min, 11 GA, 2.60 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 20 GP, 16-4, .800 win%, 1229 min, 38 GA, 1.85 GAA
1997-1998 SJ 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 348 min, 16 GA, 2.69 GAA
1998-1999 SJ 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 321 min, 14 GA, 2.67 GAA
1999-2000 Fla 4 GP, 0-4, .000 win%, 237 min, 14 GA, 3.66 GAA
Career - 807 GP, 402-278-95, .580 win%, 46074 min, 2151 GA, 2.80 GAA
Career-Highs - 66 GP (87-88); 40 wins (87-88); .827 win% (88-89); 3654 min (87-88); 2.18 GAA (88-89)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 49 GP, 25-15-6, .580 win%, 2814 min, 131 GA, 2.80 GAA
Peak Avg. (87-95) - 56 GP, 31-17-7, .622 win%, 3240 min, 149 GA, 2.76 GAA, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 138 GP, 77-56, .579 win%, 8214 min, 335 GA, 2.45 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (twice); .800 win% (96-97); 1.85 GAA (96-97)
Accolades - Jennings Trophy, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It's funny that Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood were the goaltending tandem for the Red Wings in the mid-1990s, and that they are ranked right beside each other on my Pyramid, because essentially Osgood's career is Vernon's shifted ten years later. Go ahead, look for yourself. The similarities are there, both in the rhythm of their careers and in the ways in which they were viewed.
Both played for teams that were stacked and suffered from the "well anyone could win with those teams" syndrome (lest we forget, the 1989 Flames team is one of the greatest ever assembled...they're just not often discussed because they came after the Oilers dynasty). Both earned second all-star team honours during a season in which their teams went apeshit and tore through the league (the '89 Flames in Vernon's case, the '96 Red Wings in Osgood's). Despite winning a Stanley Cup early in their careers, both Vernon and Osgood were criticized for subsequent early playoff exits. And both battled through towards the end of their careers to earn the respect of fans with postseason runs that made people think "Hey, maybe this old dude wasn't such a bad goalie after all".
If you want to earn a free pint from a drunk who knows hockey but not in the encyclopedic sense, bet him that he won't be able to guess the Conn Smythe winner for the Red Wings' 1997 Cup (their first of the modern era). They get only one guess. He won't guess Yzerman, because he'll know that since you've made the bet, it can't be the obvious one. Fedorov? Nope. Shanahan? No. Lidstrom? No. That's right...it was Mike Vernon, the beleaguered goaltender who wasn't even the team's #1 option heading into the playoffs. Mike Vernon, who just two years earlier had been criticized for his playoff performance as the Red Wings were swept in the Stanley Cup final by a less-talented Devils' squad, with Martin Brodeur soundly outplaying him. Vernon made up for all of his past shortcomings in the postseason by going 16-4 with a sparkling .927 save percentage.
Again, the comparisons to Osgood are hard to ignore. Both goaltenders have won two Stanley Cups as a starter, one in which they were integral, another in which they were merely passable. And both played well in leading their team to the Cup finals in a losing cause...in Vernon's case, he led the Flames to the 1986 Cup finals as a rookie, matching up with his longtime rival Patrick Roy in the first of what was to be many classic head-to-head duels (Vernon bested Roy in 1989, then again in 1997 as the Red Wings defeated their rivals the Avalanche). Of course, the most famous Roy/Vernon battle was this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5D7iHruPFI. You had to love those Wings/Avs games.
Again, as with Osgood, I say this: Mike Vernon wasn't a goaltender who made your jaw drop at his excellence. He wasn't as remarkably acrobatic as Curtis Joseph or as positionally sound as Roberto Luongo, nor was he a workhorse like those two. Like Osgood and some of the other goaltenders on this Pyramid, he was lucky to play for some excellent teams. But as his 77-56 career postseason record attests, despite his shortcomings, Vernon came through when it mattered. He won, and in the end, that's what a goaltender's job is.
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Cgy 2 GP, 0-2-0, .000 win%, 103 min, 9 GA, 5.25 GAA
1983-1984 Cgy 1 GP, 0-1-0, .000 win%, 11 min, 3 GA, 17.01 GAA
1985-1986 Cgy 18 GP, 9-3-3, .700 win%, 944 min, 41 GA, 2.62 GAA
1986-1987 Cgy 55 GP, 31-22-1, .583 win%, 3031 min, 153 GA, 3.03 GAA
1987-1988 Cgy 66 GP, 40-16-7, .690 win%, 3654 min, 178 GA, 2.93 GAA
1988-1989 Cgy* 53 GP, 38-6-5, .827 win%, 3011 min, 110 GA, 2.18 GAA
1989-1990 Cgy 48 GP, 24-14-9, .606 win%, 2865 min, 125 GA, 2.62 GAA
1990-1991 Cgy 55 GP, 32-19-3, .620 win%, 3199 min, 157 GA, 2.94 GAA
1991-1992 Cgy 65 GP, 25-31-9, .454 win%, 3731 min, 197 GA, 3.16 GAA
1992-1993 Cgy 62 GP, 28-25-9, .524 win%, 3643 min, 168 GA, 2.77 GAA
1993-1994 Cgy 47 GP, 25-17-5, .585 win%, 2731 min, 121 GA, 2.67 GAA
1994-1995 Det 51 GP, 32-10-7, .724 win%, 3087 min, 134 GA, 2.60 GAA
1995-1996 Det 32 GP, 21-7-2, .733 win%, 1855 min, 68 GA, 2.21 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 33 GP, 13-11-8, .531 win%, 1952 min, 83 GA, 2.56 GAA
1997-1998 SJ 62 GP, 30-22-8, .567 win%, 3564 min, 170 GA, 2.86 GAA
1998-1999 SJ 49 GP, 16-22-10, .438 win%, 2831 min, 125 GA, 2.65 GAA
1999-2000 SJ/Fla 49 GP, 24-18-3, .567 win%, 2791 min, 129 GA, 2.77 GAA
2000-2001 Cgy 41 GP, 12-23-5, .363 win%, 2246 min, 135 GA, 3.61 GAA
2001-2002 Cgy 18 GP, 2-9-1, .208 win%, 825 min, 45 GA, 3.24 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1985-1986 Cgy 21 GP, 12-9, .571 win%, 1229 min, 52 GA, 2.53 GAA
1986-1987 Cgy 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 263 min, 14 GA, 3.27 GAA
1987-1988 Cgy 9 GP, 4-4, .500 win%, 515 min, 26 GA, 2.98 GAA
1988-1989 Cgy* 22 GP, 16-5, .762 win%, 1381 min, 45 GA, 1.94 GAA
1989-1990 Cgy 6 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 342 min, 16 GA, 2.82 GAA
1990-1991 Cgy 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 427 min, 18 GA, 2.52 GAA
1992-1993 Cgy 4 GP, 1-1, .500 win%, 150 min, 12 GA, 4.93 GAA
1993-1994 Cgy 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 466 min, 23 GA, 2.91 GAA
1994-1995 Det 18 GP, 12-6, .667 win%, 1063 min, 36 GA, 2.04 GAA
1995-1996 Det 4 GP, 2-2, .500 win%, 243 min, 11 GA, 2.60 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 20 GP, 16-4, .800 win%, 1229 min, 38 GA, 1.85 GAA
1997-1998 SJ 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 348 min, 16 GA, 2.69 GAA
1998-1999 SJ 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 321 min, 14 GA, 2.67 GAA
1999-2000 Fla 4 GP, 0-4, .000 win%, 237 min, 14 GA, 3.66 GAA
Career - 807 GP, 402-278-95, .580 win%, 46074 min, 2151 GA, 2.80 GAA
Career-Highs - 66 GP (87-88); 40 wins (87-88); .827 win% (88-89); 3654 min (87-88); 2.18 GAA (88-89)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 49 GP, 25-15-6, .580 win%, 2814 min, 131 GA, 2.80 GAA
Peak Avg. (87-95) - 56 GP, 31-17-7, .622 win%, 3240 min, 149 GA, 2.76 GAA, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 138 GP, 77-56, .579 win%, 8214 min, 335 GA, 2.45 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (twice); .800 win% (96-97); 1.85 GAA (96-97)
Accolades - Jennings Trophy, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It's funny that Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood were the goaltending tandem for the Red Wings in the mid-1990s, and that they are ranked right beside each other on my Pyramid, because essentially Osgood's career is Vernon's shifted ten years later. Go ahead, look for yourself. The similarities are there, both in the rhythm of their careers and in the ways in which they were viewed.
Both played for teams that were stacked and suffered from the "well anyone could win with those teams" syndrome (lest we forget, the 1989 Flames team is one of the greatest ever assembled...they're just not often discussed because they came after the Oilers dynasty). Both earned second all-star team honours during a season in which their teams went apeshit and tore through the league (the '89 Flames in Vernon's case, the '96 Red Wings in Osgood's). Despite winning a Stanley Cup early in their careers, both Vernon and Osgood were criticized for subsequent early playoff exits. And both battled through towards the end of their careers to earn the respect of fans with postseason runs that made people think "Hey, maybe this old dude wasn't such a bad goalie after all".
If you want to earn a free pint from a drunk who knows hockey but not in the encyclopedic sense, bet him that he won't be able to guess the Conn Smythe winner for the Red Wings' 1997 Cup (their first of the modern era). They get only one guess. He won't guess Yzerman, because he'll know that since you've made the bet, it can't be the obvious one. Fedorov? Nope. Shanahan? No. Lidstrom? No. That's right...it was Mike Vernon, the beleaguered goaltender who wasn't even the team's #1 option heading into the playoffs. Mike Vernon, who just two years earlier had been criticized for his playoff performance as the Red Wings were swept in the Stanley Cup final by a less-talented Devils' squad, with Martin Brodeur soundly outplaying him. Vernon made up for all of his past shortcomings in the postseason by going 16-4 with a sparkling .927 save percentage.
Again, the comparisons to Osgood are hard to ignore. Both goaltenders have won two Stanley Cups as a starter, one in which they were integral, another in which they were merely passable. And both played well in leading their team to the Cup finals in a losing cause...in Vernon's case, he led the Flames to the 1986 Cup finals as a rookie, matching up with his longtime rival Patrick Roy in the first of what was to be many classic head-to-head duels (Vernon bested Roy in 1989, then again in 1997 as the Red Wings defeated their rivals the Avalanche). Of course, the most famous Roy/Vernon battle was this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5D7iHruPFI. You had to love those Wings/Avs games.
Again, as with Osgood, I say this: Mike Vernon wasn't a goaltender who made your jaw drop at his excellence. He wasn't as remarkably acrobatic as Curtis Joseph or as positionally sound as Roberto Luongo, nor was he a workhorse like those two. Like Osgood and some of the other goaltenders on this Pyramid, he was lucky to play for some excellent teams. But as his 77-56 career postseason record attests, despite his shortcomings, Vernon came through when it mattered. He won, and in the end, that's what a goaltender's job is.
#124 - Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #124)
Adjusted Stats
1993-1994 Det 40 GP, 22-8-5, .700 win%, 2153 min, 97 GA, 2.71 GAA
1994-1995 Det 32 GP, 24-9-0, .727 win%, 1857 min, 72 GA, 2.33 GAA
1995-1996 Det 50 GP, 39-6-5, .830 win%, 2933 min, 104 GA, 2.12 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 47 GP, 23-13-9, .611 win%, 2769 min, 112 GA, 2.42 GAA
1997-1998 Det* 64 GP, 33-20-11, .602 win%, 3807 min, 163 GA, 2.57 GAA
1998-1999 Det 63 GP, 34-25-4, .571 win%, 3691 min, 174 GA, 2.83 GAA
1999-2000 Det 53 GP, 30-14-8, .654 win%, 3148 min, 141 GA, 2.69 GAA
2000-2001 Det 52 GP, 25-19-4, .563 win%, 2834 min, 142 GA, 3.00 GAA
2001-2002 NYI 66 GP, 32-25-6, .556 win%, 3743 min, 183 GA, 2.93 GAA
2002-2003 NYI/Stl 46 GP, 21-17-6, .545 win%, 2525 min, 144 GA, 3.41 GAA
2003-2004 Stl 67 GP, 31-25-8, .547 win%, 3861 min, 172 GA, 2.68 GAA
2005-2006 Det 32 GP, 20-6-5, .726 win%, 1846 min, 86 GA, 2.81 GAA
2006-2007 Det 21 GP, 11-3-6, .700 win%, 1161 min, 49 GA, 2.54 GAA
2007-2008 Det* 43 GP, 27-9-4, .725 win%, 2409 min, 95 GA, 2.37 GAA
2008-2009 Det 46 GP, 26-9-8, .698 win%, 2663 min, 148 GA, 3.33 GAA
2009-2010 Det 23 GP, 7-9-4, .450 win%, 1252 min, 69 GA, 3.31 GAA
2010-2011 Det 11 GP, 5-3-2, .600 win%, 629 min, 33 GA, 3.11 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1993-1994 Det 6 GP, 3-2, .600 win%, 307 min, 12 GA, 2.30 GAA
1994-1995 Det 2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 68 min, 2 GA, 1.56 GAA
1995-1996 Det 15 GP, 8-7, .533 win%, 936 min, 32 GA, 2.02 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 47 min, 2 GA, 2.68 GAA
1997-1998 Det* 22 GP, 16-6, .727 win%, 1361 min, 53 GA, 2.35 GAA
1998-1999 Det 6 GP, 4-2, .667 win%, 358 min, 15 GA, 2.58 GAA
1999-2000 Det 9 GP, 5-4, .556 win%, 547 min, 22 GA, 2.38 GAA
2000-2001 Det 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 365 min, 18 GA, 2.89 GAA
2001-2002 NYI 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 392 min, 20 GA, 3.09 GAA
2002-2003 Stl 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 417 min, 20 GA, 2.92 GAA
2003-2004 Stl 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 287 min, 15 GA, 3.20 GAA
2007-2008 Det* 19 GP, 14-4, .778 win%, 1160 min, 31 GA, 1.63 GAA
2008-2009 Det 23 GP, 15-8, .652 win%, 1406 min, 48 GA, 2.06 GAA
Career - 756 GP, 410-220-95, .631 win%, 43281 min, 1984 GA, 2.75 GAA
Career-Highs - 67 GP (03-04); 39 wins (95-96); .830 win% (95-96), 3861 min (03-04); 2.12 GAA (95-96)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 44 GP, 24-13-6, .631 win%, 2546 min, 117 GA, 2.75 GAA
Peak Avg. (95-03) - 55 GP, 30-17-7, .617 win%, 3181 min, 145 GA, 2.74 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 129 GP, 74-49, .602 win%, 7651 min, 290 GA, 2.27 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (97-98); .778 win% (07-08); 1.63 GAA (07-08)
Accolades - 2 Jennings Trophies
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion
Chris Osgood never quite got the respect he deserved, and it's likely he never will. He was the backstop for a Detroit Red Wings team that had such top-to-bottom organizational excellence and such a sound defensive system that it seemed inevitable that they would be one of the best teams in the league even if their goaltending was average. When the Red Wings won a Stanley Cup or 60 games in the regular season, it was in spite of Osgood. When they lost early in the first or second round, it was his fault. For a goaltender lucky enough to be in one of the best situations in hockey, Osgood also was in one of the unluckiest in terms of getting individual accolades.
Like the man right behind him on the Pyramid (Mike Vernon), there's no way I would make a case for Osgood being one of the twenty best goaltenders to ever play the game, even though he's one of only sixteen goaltenders to make my hall-of-fame list. It would be a difficult argument trying to prove that Osgood was a better goaltender than Roberto Luongo, Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph, Henrik Lundqvist, Miikka Kiprusoff, and probably about another seven or eight goalies who have passed through the league in the last twenty or so years. But Osgood has had one of the best careers, by virtue of playing for Detroit.
Osgood and Vernon's careers have been like the hockey equivalent of Andy Pettitte's in baseball. In fact, the similarities are eerie between Osgood and Pettitte. Both were recognized as runner-up for the best at their position early in their careers, in the mid-1990s (in Pettitte's case, it was as Cy Young runner-up to Pat Hentgen...in Osgood's case, it was as Vezina runner-up in 1996 to, get this, Jim Carey). Both then won championships but didn't earn much respect because of the view that "anyone could win a boatload of games on the Yankees/Red Wings". Both went to other teams and proved that they weren't solely dependent on playing for excellent squads (it's forgotten that Osgood took a doormat Islander team to the playoffs, then had an excellent first full year with the St. Louis Blues). And then both returned to their original teams and eventually started earning fan respect with playoff performances that defied their age.
Look, Billy Smith is ranked a good fifty spots higher than Osgood, and his regular-season numbers are just as underwhelming. One of the main reasons Osgood may be underrated is that although he is associated with the Red Wings' Stanley Cup wins, he was only the main goaltender for two, while Mike Vernon was the Cup winner (and Conn Smythe winner) in 1997 and Dominik Hasek was the go-to goalie in 2002. The feeling is that, since the Red Wings could win Cups with any goaltender, the fact that Osgood won two is somewhat less impressive. Whereas Fuhr and Smith are immediately identified with their teams, Osgood wasn't always "the man" for the Red Wings.
But the thing is, in every year that the Red Wings have won the Cup, their goaltending has been excellent, whether it's Vernon, Osgood or Hasek. That's why I think Osgood finally started getting his due in the back-to-back runs the Red Wings made in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, when the Wings won the Cup, Osgood took over for an enigmatic Dominik Hasek and had a sparkling 1.63 adjusted-GAA and .930 save percentage in the playoffs. The following season, he had a dreadful 3.33 adjusted-GAA in the regular season, but won 15 games and had a .926 save percentage in the playoffs as the Red Wings came within one win of yet another Cup. Osgood clearly showed that, like Fuhr and Smith, he didn't need to be at his best for a great team in the middle of January, but was perfectly capable of stepping up when needed in the postseason.
With over 400 wins now and two Stanley Cups, it will be hard to keep Osgood out of the hall-of-fame. Many won't want him there, and will point to the fact that he was almost never considered one of the league's top five (or even top ten) goaltenders from season to season. I point to his 74-49 career playoff record and his postseason save percentage, which is eleven points higher than his regular season mark and getting into the area of a Martin Brodeur. Did Osgood benefit from playing for an excellent team? Yes. But it's fair to say that he helped them more than a little when the chips were down.
Adjusted Stats
1993-1994 Det 40 GP, 22-8-5, .700 win%, 2153 min, 97 GA, 2.71 GAA
1994-1995 Det 32 GP, 24-9-0, .727 win%, 1857 min, 72 GA, 2.33 GAA
1995-1996 Det 50 GP, 39-6-5, .830 win%, 2933 min, 104 GA, 2.12 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 47 GP, 23-13-9, .611 win%, 2769 min, 112 GA, 2.42 GAA
1997-1998 Det* 64 GP, 33-20-11, .602 win%, 3807 min, 163 GA, 2.57 GAA
1998-1999 Det 63 GP, 34-25-4, .571 win%, 3691 min, 174 GA, 2.83 GAA
1999-2000 Det 53 GP, 30-14-8, .654 win%, 3148 min, 141 GA, 2.69 GAA
2000-2001 Det 52 GP, 25-19-4, .563 win%, 2834 min, 142 GA, 3.00 GAA
2001-2002 NYI 66 GP, 32-25-6, .556 win%, 3743 min, 183 GA, 2.93 GAA
2002-2003 NYI/Stl 46 GP, 21-17-6, .545 win%, 2525 min, 144 GA, 3.41 GAA
2003-2004 Stl 67 GP, 31-25-8, .547 win%, 3861 min, 172 GA, 2.68 GAA
2005-2006 Det 32 GP, 20-6-5, .726 win%, 1846 min, 86 GA, 2.81 GAA
2006-2007 Det 21 GP, 11-3-6, .700 win%, 1161 min, 49 GA, 2.54 GAA
2007-2008 Det* 43 GP, 27-9-4, .725 win%, 2409 min, 95 GA, 2.37 GAA
2008-2009 Det 46 GP, 26-9-8, .698 win%, 2663 min, 148 GA, 3.33 GAA
2009-2010 Det 23 GP, 7-9-4, .450 win%, 1252 min, 69 GA, 3.31 GAA
2010-2011 Det 11 GP, 5-3-2, .600 win%, 629 min, 33 GA, 3.11 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1993-1994 Det 6 GP, 3-2, .600 win%, 307 min, 12 GA, 2.30 GAA
1994-1995 Det 2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 68 min, 2 GA, 1.56 GAA
1995-1996 Det 15 GP, 8-7, .533 win%, 936 min, 32 GA, 2.02 GAA
1996-1997 Det* 2 GP, 0-0, --- win%, 47 min, 2 GA, 2.68 GAA
1997-1998 Det* 22 GP, 16-6, .727 win%, 1361 min, 53 GA, 2.35 GAA
1998-1999 Det 6 GP, 4-2, .667 win%, 358 min, 15 GA, 2.58 GAA
1999-2000 Det 9 GP, 5-4, .556 win%, 547 min, 22 GA, 2.38 GAA
2000-2001 Det 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 365 min, 18 GA, 2.89 GAA
2001-2002 NYI 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 392 min, 20 GA, 3.09 GAA
2002-2003 Stl 7 GP, 3-4, .429 win%, 417 min, 20 GA, 2.92 GAA
2003-2004 Stl 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 287 min, 15 GA, 3.20 GAA
2007-2008 Det* 19 GP, 14-4, .778 win%, 1160 min, 31 GA, 1.63 GAA
2008-2009 Det 23 GP, 15-8, .652 win%, 1406 min, 48 GA, 2.06 GAA
Career - 756 GP, 410-220-95, .631 win%, 43281 min, 1984 GA, 2.75 GAA
Career-Highs - 67 GP (03-04); 39 wins (95-96); .830 win% (95-96), 3861 min (03-04); 2.12 GAA (95-96)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 44 GP, 24-13-6, .631 win%, 2546 min, 117 GA, 2.75 GAA
Peak Avg. (95-03) - 55 GP, 30-17-7, .617 win%, 3181 min, 145 GA, 2.74 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 129 GP, 74-49, .602 win%, 7651 min, 290 GA, 2.27 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 16 wins (97-98); .778 win% (07-08); 1.63 GAA (07-08)
Accolades - 2 Jennings Trophies
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion
Chris Osgood never quite got the respect he deserved, and it's likely he never will. He was the backstop for a Detroit Red Wings team that had such top-to-bottom organizational excellence and such a sound defensive system that it seemed inevitable that they would be one of the best teams in the league even if their goaltending was average. When the Red Wings won a Stanley Cup or 60 games in the regular season, it was in spite of Osgood. When they lost early in the first or second round, it was his fault. For a goaltender lucky enough to be in one of the best situations in hockey, Osgood also was in one of the unluckiest in terms of getting individual accolades.
Like the man right behind him on the Pyramid (Mike Vernon), there's no way I would make a case for Osgood being one of the twenty best goaltenders to ever play the game, even though he's one of only sixteen goaltenders to make my hall-of-fame list. It would be a difficult argument trying to prove that Osgood was a better goaltender than Roberto Luongo, Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph, Henrik Lundqvist, Miikka Kiprusoff, and probably about another seven or eight goalies who have passed through the league in the last twenty or so years. But Osgood has had one of the best careers, by virtue of playing for Detroit.
Osgood and Vernon's careers have been like the hockey equivalent of Andy Pettitte's in baseball. In fact, the similarities are eerie between Osgood and Pettitte. Both were recognized as runner-up for the best at their position early in their careers, in the mid-1990s (in Pettitte's case, it was as Cy Young runner-up to Pat Hentgen...in Osgood's case, it was as Vezina runner-up in 1996 to, get this, Jim Carey). Both then won championships but didn't earn much respect because of the view that "anyone could win a boatload of games on the Yankees/Red Wings". Both went to other teams and proved that they weren't solely dependent on playing for excellent squads (it's forgotten that Osgood took a doormat Islander team to the playoffs, then had an excellent first full year with the St. Louis Blues). And then both returned to their original teams and eventually started earning fan respect with playoff performances that defied their age.
Look, Billy Smith is ranked a good fifty spots higher than Osgood, and his regular-season numbers are just as underwhelming. One of the main reasons Osgood may be underrated is that although he is associated with the Red Wings' Stanley Cup wins, he was only the main goaltender for two, while Mike Vernon was the Cup winner (and Conn Smythe winner) in 1997 and Dominik Hasek was the go-to goalie in 2002. The feeling is that, since the Red Wings could win Cups with any goaltender, the fact that Osgood won two is somewhat less impressive. Whereas Fuhr and Smith are immediately identified with their teams, Osgood wasn't always "the man" for the Red Wings.
But the thing is, in every year that the Red Wings have won the Cup, their goaltending has been excellent, whether it's Vernon, Osgood or Hasek. That's why I think Osgood finally started getting his due in the back-to-back runs the Red Wings made in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, when the Wings won the Cup, Osgood took over for an enigmatic Dominik Hasek and had a sparkling 1.63 adjusted-GAA and .930 save percentage in the playoffs. The following season, he had a dreadful 3.33 adjusted-GAA in the regular season, but won 15 games and had a .926 save percentage in the playoffs as the Red Wings came within one win of yet another Cup. Osgood clearly showed that, like Fuhr and Smith, he didn't need to be at his best for a great team in the middle of January, but was perfectly capable of stepping up when needed in the postseason.
With over 400 wins now and two Stanley Cups, it will be hard to keep Osgood out of the hall-of-fame. Many won't want him there, and will point to the fact that he was almost never considered one of the league's top five (or even top ten) goaltenders from season to season. I point to his 74-49 career playoff record and his postseason save percentage, which is eleven points higher than his regular season mark and getting into the area of a Martin Brodeur. Did Osgood benefit from playing for an excellent team? Yes. But it's fair to say that he helped them more than a little when the chips were down.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
#116 - Serge Savard
Serge Savard (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #116)
Adjusted Stats
1966-1967 Mtl 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1967-1968 Mtl* 74 GP 2 goals 16 assists 18 points 0.25 PPG
1968-1969 Mtl* 80 GP 9 goals 26 assists 35 points 0.43 PPG
1969-1970 Mtl 69 GP 14 goals 22 assists 35 points 0.51 PPG
1970-1971 Mtl* 39 GP 5 goals 10 assists 16 points 0.40 PPG (no Stanley Cup ring for Savard)
1971-1972 Mtl 24 GP 1 goal 8 assists 9 points 0.39 PPG
1972-1973 Mtl* 78 GP 7 goals 32 assists 38 points 0.49 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 70 GP 4 goals 14 assists 18 points 0.26 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 82 GP 18 goals 37 assists 55 points 0.67 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 73 GP 7 goals 36 assists 43 points 0.60 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 80 GP 9 goals 31 assists 40 points 0.50 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 79 GP 8 goals 33 assists 40 points 0.51 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 82 GP 6 goals 23 assists 30 points 0.36 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 47 GP 4 goals 7 assists 12 points 0.25 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 79 GP 3 goals 11 assists 14 points 0.18 PPG
1981-1982 Wpg 48 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.11 PPG
1982-1983 Wpg 78 GP 3 goals 13 assists 16 points 0.21 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1967-1968 Mtl* 6 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.33 PPG
1968-1969 Mtl* 14 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.71 PPG
1971-1972 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1972-1973 Mtl* 17 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.57 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.33 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 11 GP 1 goal 6 assists 7 points 0.67 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 3 goals 6 assists 9 points 0.67 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.57 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 1 goal 7 assists 8 points 0.52 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 16 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.51 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1981-1982 Wpg 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1982-1983 Wpg 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
Career - 1084 GP, 102 goals, 323 assists, 424 points, 0.39 PPG
Career-Highs - 18 goals (74-75); 37 assists (74-75); 55 points (74-75); 0.67 PPG (74-75)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 68 GP, 6 goals, 20 assists, 27 points, 0.39 PPG
Peak Avg. (72-80) - 74 GP, 8 goals, 27 assists, 35 points, 0.47 PPG, 5 Cups
Playoff Career - 130 GP, 19 goals, 45 assists, 64 points, 0.49 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 4 goals (68-69); 7 assists (77-78); 10 points (68-69); 0.71 PPG (68-69)
Accolades - Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
7-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with Scott Stevens and Tim Horton, Serge Savard makes the Pyramid for reasons that have nothing to do with his offensive numbers. They are among the worst of anyone on my hall-of-fame list, but they are irrelevant, because Serge Savard's job was to shut down the opposition, retain the puck, and move it up-ice so that the other wizards on the Canadiens could pot a goal. At that, few were better.
His career +/- is an excellent +36 per 82 games played, although that is hardly surprising considering that Savard spent almost his entire career with a Canadiens team that won Stanley Cups more often than it didn't. Savard wasn't some mere passenger on the team though...he was the defensive glue that allowed more offensive experimentation from Lapointe in the early part of the decade and Robinson in the later half. It's been said time and again (on this blog and elsewhere) that the late-1970s Canadiens were the most defensively-sound team ever assembled, and since that led to an unprecedent run of success, doesn't it stand to reason that we should recognize those who contributed to that defence? That is why Robinson, Lemaire, Lapointe, Gainey and Savard are all no-brainer hall-of-famers. Who cares that in the case of Gainey and Savard, there offensive numbers aren't eye-popping.
With that said, Serge Savard did have it within him to be more of a puck-moving defenceman than he let on, even if he would never be mistaken for Bobby Orr. Contrary to popular belief, the "Savardian spinorama" was actually named for Serge, not Denis (although Denis later demonstrated it many times himself). He became the first defenceman in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe award in 1969, leading the Canadiens to a championship with 10 points in 14 games and sterling defensive play. And his career PPG in the playoffs is about 25% higher than it is in the regular season. This is a man who, like so many of the Habs, stepped it up when it mattered most.
Does Serge Savard deserve to be ranked higher on the Pyramid than Borje Salming, his contemporary? I debated this for a while. Salming has more year-end all-star accolades and was undeniably more talented. Given that their careers coincided in the 1970s, it's clear that those watching at the time thought that Salming deserved recognition for his regular-season work and was the better player. But due to the fates, Salming was saddled with a mediocre Maple Leafs team, while Savard was one of the key leaders (and eventually captain) of one of the greatest teams assembled.
Is this luck, or do we have to factor this stuff in? I lean toward the Bill Simmons "secret" of winning, and there's no doubt that Serge Savard knew it. As captain or alternate-captain, he knew what it took to maintain a team's identity and work ethic. Certainly the Canadiens were an ultra-talented group. But they also got the most out of their third and fourth-liners, and that's why they were so successful. It was players like Savard and Gainey who always knuckled down and shut down the opposition, and I have a lot of admiration for players like that.
Look at Serge Savard's subsequent career as general manager of the Canadiens. He assembled two more Stanley Cup winners, the 1986 and 1993 squads, teams that are generally viewed as among the less-talented to win in the modern era, groups that were just "lucky" in that odd off-year of the dynasty-caliber Oilers and Penguins. Certainly it helps that they had Patrick Roy standing on his head. But when you look at the character players that Savard assembled, the Carbonneaus, the Keanes, the Mullers, you realize that it was no fluke. As a GM, as a captain, and as a player, Savard demonstrated that he innately could recognize (and contained himself) that intagible quality that separates merely good players from those who can truly be called champions.
Adjusted Stats
1966-1967 Mtl 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1967-1968 Mtl* 74 GP 2 goals 16 assists 18 points 0.25 PPG
1968-1969 Mtl* 80 GP 9 goals 26 assists 35 points 0.43 PPG
1969-1970 Mtl 69 GP 14 goals 22 assists 35 points 0.51 PPG
1970-1971 Mtl* 39 GP 5 goals 10 assists 16 points 0.40 PPG (no Stanley Cup ring for Savard)
1971-1972 Mtl 24 GP 1 goal 8 assists 9 points 0.39 PPG
1972-1973 Mtl* 78 GP 7 goals 32 assists 38 points 0.49 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 70 GP 4 goals 14 assists 18 points 0.26 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 82 GP 18 goals 37 assists 55 points 0.67 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 73 GP 7 goals 36 assists 43 points 0.60 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 80 GP 9 goals 31 assists 40 points 0.50 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 79 GP 8 goals 33 assists 40 points 0.51 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 82 GP 6 goals 23 assists 30 points 0.36 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 47 GP 4 goals 7 assists 12 points 0.25 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 79 GP 3 goals 11 assists 14 points 0.18 PPG
1981-1982 Wpg 48 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.11 PPG
1982-1983 Wpg 78 GP 3 goals 13 assists 16 points 0.21 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1967-1968 Mtl* 6 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.33 PPG
1968-1969 Mtl* 14 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.71 PPG
1971-1972 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1972-1973 Mtl* 17 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.57 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.33 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 11 GP 1 goal 6 assists 7 points 0.67 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 3 goals 6 assists 9 points 0.67 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.57 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 1 goal 7 assists 8 points 0.52 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 16 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.51 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1981-1982 Wpg 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1982-1983 Wpg 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
Career - 1084 GP, 102 goals, 323 assists, 424 points, 0.39 PPG
Career-Highs - 18 goals (74-75); 37 assists (74-75); 55 points (74-75); 0.67 PPG (74-75)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 68 GP, 6 goals, 20 assists, 27 points, 0.39 PPG
Peak Avg. (72-80) - 74 GP, 8 goals, 27 assists, 35 points, 0.47 PPG, 5 Cups
Playoff Career - 130 GP, 19 goals, 45 assists, 64 points, 0.49 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 4 goals (68-69); 7 assists (77-78); 10 points (68-69); 0.71 PPG (68-69)
Accolades - Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
7-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with Scott Stevens and Tim Horton, Serge Savard makes the Pyramid for reasons that have nothing to do with his offensive numbers. They are among the worst of anyone on my hall-of-fame list, but they are irrelevant, because Serge Savard's job was to shut down the opposition, retain the puck, and move it up-ice so that the other wizards on the Canadiens could pot a goal. At that, few were better.
His career +/- is an excellent +36 per 82 games played, although that is hardly surprising considering that Savard spent almost his entire career with a Canadiens team that won Stanley Cups more often than it didn't. Savard wasn't some mere passenger on the team though...he was the defensive glue that allowed more offensive experimentation from Lapointe in the early part of the decade and Robinson in the later half. It's been said time and again (on this blog and elsewhere) that the late-1970s Canadiens were the most defensively-sound team ever assembled, and since that led to an unprecedent run of success, doesn't it stand to reason that we should recognize those who contributed to that defence? That is why Robinson, Lemaire, Lapointe, Gainey and Savard are all no-brainer hall-of-famers. Who cares that in the case of Gainey and Savard, there offensive numbers aren't eye-popping.
With that said, Serge Savard did have it within him to be more of a puck-moving defenceman than he let on, even if he would never be mistaken for Bobby Orr. Contrary to popular belief, the "Savardian spinorama" was actually named for Serge, not Denis (although Denis later demonstrated it many times himself). He became the first defenceman in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe award in 1969, leading the Canadiens to a championship with 10 points in 14 games and sterling defensive play. And his career PPG in the playoffs is about 25% higher than it is in the regular season. This is a man who, like so many of the Habs, stepped it up when it mattered most.
Does Serge Savard deserve to be ranked higher on the Pyramid than Borje Salming, his contemporary? I debated this for a while. Salming has more year-end all-star accolades and was undeniably more talented. Given that their careers coincided in the 1970s, it's clear that those watching at the time thought that Salming deserved recognition for his regular-season work and was the better player. But due to the fates, Salming was saddled with a mediocre Maple Leafs team, while Savard was one of the key leaders (and eventually captain) of one of the greatest teams assembled.
Is this luck, or do we have to factor this stuff in? I lean toward the Bill Simmons "secret" of winning, and there's no doubt that Serge Savard knew it. As captain or alternate-captain, he knew what it took to maintain a team's identity and work ethic. Certainly the Canadiens were an ultra-talented group. But they also got the most out of their third and fourth-liners, and that's why they were so successful. It was players like Savard and Gainey who always knuckled down and shut down the opposition, and I have a lot of admiration for players like that.
Look at Serge Savard's subsequent career as general manager of the Canadiens. He assembled two more Stanley Cup winners, the 1986 and 1993 squads, teams that are generally viewed as among the less-talented to win in the modern era, groups that were just "lucky" in that odd off-year of the dynasty-caliber Oilers and Penguins. Certainly it helps that they had Patrick Roy standing on his head. But when you look at the character players that Savard assembled, the Carbonneaus, the Keanes, the Mullers, you realize that it was no fluke. As a GM, as a captain, and as a player, Savard demonstrated that he innately could recognize (and contained himself) that intagible quality that separates merely good players from those who can truly be called champions.
#121 - Borje Salming
Borje Salming (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #121)
Adjusted Stats
1973-1974 Tor 80 GP 5 goals 34 assists 39 points 0.49 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 62 GP 11 goals 23 assists 34 points 0.55 PPG
1975-1976 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 38 assists 53 points 0.66 PPG
1976-1977 Tor 78 GP 11 goals 63 assists 74 points 0.95 PPG
1977-1978 Tor 82 GP 15 goals 57 assists 73 points 0.89 PPG
1978-1979 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 50 assists 66 points 0.82 PPG
1979-1980 Tor 76 GP 17 goals 47 assists 64 points 0.84 PPG
1980-1981 Tor 74 GP 4 goals 50 assists 54 points 0.73 PPG
1981-1982 Tor 71 GP 9 goals 35 assists 44 points 0.62 PPG
1982-1983 Tor 71 GP 6 goals 31 assists 37 points 0.52 PPG
1983-1984 Tor 70 GP 4 goals 30 assists 34 points 0.49 PPG
1984-1985 Tor 75 GP 5 goals 27 assists 32 points 0.42 PPG
1985-1986 Tor 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 17 points 0.42 PPG
1986-1987 Tor 57 GP 3 goals 14 assists 17 points 0.30 PPG
1987-1988 Tor 68 GP 2 goals 20 assists 22 points 0.33 PPG
1988-1989 Tor 65 GP 3 goals 14 assists 17 points 0.26 PPG
1989-1990 Det 50 GP 2 goals 15 assists 16 points 0.32 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1973-1974 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.24 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 7 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 0.52 PPG
1975-1976 Tor 10 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.68 PPG
1976-1977 Tor 9 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.88 PPG
1977-1978 Tor 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.65 PPG
1978-1979 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.15 PPG
1979-1980 Tor 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.57 PPG
1980-1981 Tor 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.47 PPG
1982-1983 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.98 PPG
1985-1986 Tor 10 GP 1 goal 5 assists 6 points 0.61 PPG
1986-1987 Tor 13 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.21 PPG
1987-1988 Tor 6 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
Career - 1181 GP, 133 goals, 560 assists, 693 points, 0.59 PPG
Career-Highs - 17 goals (79-80); 63 assists (76-77); 74 points (76-77); 0.95 PPG (76-77)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 69 GP, 8 goals, 33 assists, 41 points, 0.59 PPG
Peak Avg. (75-83) - 77 GP, 12 goals, 46 assists, 58 points, 0.75 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 81 GP, 12 goals, 32 assists, 44 points, 0.54 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (76-77); 5 assists (76-77); 8 points (76-77); 0.98 PPG (82-83)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 5-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Before there was Nicklas Lidstrom, there was Borje Salming. No, Salming never won a Stanley Cup or a Norris trophy, things that Lidstrom has done so many times that it's become routine. But Salming paved the way for not just Swedish defencemen, but European players everywhere in the North American game. Before Salming's impact, there had been European-born players who had thrived (like Stan Mikita), but rarely someone who had actually grown up oversees and had their junior training anywhere but in Canada.
It's worth noting the prejudices that Salming had to overcome. He arrived in hockey-mad Toronto when they were a team in transition. The Original Six days were over, and Toronto struggled to keep up with the dynasty Canadiens and the solid teams that the Bruins and Flyers had assembled. Without Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming, the Leafs of the 1970s would have been the laughingstock they turned into in the 1980s. Instead, they were perenially average but sometimes surprised come playoff time, winning a playoff round or two where they had no business doing so. Salming's excellent two-way play and visionary passing eventually earned him the respect of the Toronto fanbase, as demonstrated by the fact they gave him a standing ovation when he played for Sweden in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Unfortunately, moronic owner Harold Ballard remained convinced that European players couldn't thrive in the NHL and went out of his way to make things difficult for Salming. If Salming had been fortunate enough to play for the Canadiens or Bruins during the prime years of his career instead of for a mediocre organization with an unappreciative owner, we'd be talking about him in the top 100, no question.
His accomplishments as they are still stand up. While he never won the Norris, Salming was considered one of the league's four best defencemen six times (all in a row, from the period of 1974 to 1980). This is all the more impressive when you consider that that stretch coincided with the run of the greatest hockey team of all-time, the late-1970s Habs, as well as excellent teams like the Islanders, Bruins and Flyers whom Salming had to face on a regular basis. Furthermore, he was earning all-star honours going up against fellow Pyramid defencemen Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson, Brad Park, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and, oh yeah, Bobby Orr in 1974 and 1975. It's arguably the time when the NHL was deepest at defence, and yet Salming was consistently considered one of the best.
That stretch is what makes Salming's legend. His career +/- averages out to a decent +13 per 82 games played (all the more impressive when you consider the truly awful Maple Leaf teams Salming toiled on throughout the 1980s). But if you isolate his six-year stretch from 1974 to 1980, Salming's impact becomes clear. During that run, Salming averaged 61 adjusted points and a +25...and as mentioned before, it's not like he and the Maple Leafs were running into creampuffs.
Salming doesn't rank higher on the Pyramid not only because of his lack of team success (like Sundin, that could be forgiven given that he was cursed with playing for the Maple Leafs), but rather because after his first eight or nine seasons, Salming's impact and production dropped off considerably. He never made another all-star team, and sank into the 25-30 point range. Part of this may have been due to Salming's admitted cocaine use. In 1986, he was almost suspended for the entire season after admitting to regularly using cocaine in a newspaper interview, but the suspension was reduced to eight games. It wasn't exactly shocking news: Salming looked like a cross between Rutger Hauer and Peter Weller from Robocop. There wasn't a lot of meat on his face to say the least.
Salming ended his career with the Red Wings, but he is of course remembered as a Maple Leaf. He's the best defencemen they've had since the post-expansion era, and quite possibly their best offensive-defencemen ever. Stanley Cup glory and Norris recognition never came to Salming. Instead, he is revered in Sweden, and quite possibly by all Europeans, for showing the North American audience that a European defencemen could not only survive in the NHL, but thrive.
Adjusted Stats
1973-1974 Tor 80 GP 5 goals 34 assists 39 points 0.49 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 62 GP 11 goals 23 assists 34 points 0.55 PPG
1975-1976 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 38 assists 53 points 0.66 PPG
1976-1977 Tor 78 GP 11 goals 63 assists 74 points 0.95 PPG
1977-1978 Tor 82 GP 15 goals 57 assists 73 points 0.89 PPG
1978-1979 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 50 assists 66 points 0.82 PPG
1979-1980 Tor 76 GP 17 goals 47 assists 64 points 0.84 PPG
1980-1981 Tor 74 GP 4 goals 50 assists 54 points 0.73 PPG
1981-1982 Tor 71 GP 9 goals 35 assists 44 points 0.62 PPG
1982-1983 Tor 71 GP 6 goals 31 assists 37 points 0.52 PPG
1983-1984 Tor 70 GP 4 goals 30 assists 34 points 0.49 PPG
1984-1985 Tor 75 GP 5 goals 27 assists 32 points 0.42 PPG
1985-1986 Tor 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 17 points 0.42 PPG
1986-1987 Tor 57 GP 3 goals 14 assists 17 points 0.30 PPG
1987-1988 Tor 68 GP 2 goals 20 assists 22 points 0.33 PPG
1988-1989 Tor 65 GP 3 goals 14 assists 17 points 0.26 PPG
1989-1990 Det 50 GP 2 goals 15 assists 16 points 0.32 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1973-1974 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.24 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 7 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 0.52 PPG
1975-1976 Tor 10 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.68 PPG
1976-1977 Tor 9 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.88 PPG
1977-1978 Tor 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.65 PPG
1978-1979 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.15 PPG
1979-1980 Tor 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.57 PPG
1980-1981 Tor 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.47 PPG
1982-1983 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.98 PPG
1985-1986 Tor 10 GP 1 goal 5 assists 6 points 0.61 PPG
1986-1987 Tor 13 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.21 PPG
1987-1988 Tor 6 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
Career - 1181 GP, 133 goals, 560 assists, 693 points, 0.59 PPG
Career-Highs - 17 goals (79-80); 63 assists (76-77); 74 points (76-77); 0.95 PPG (76-77)
Avg. (17 seasons) - 69 GP, 8 goals, 33 assists, 41 points, 0.59 PPG
Peak Avg. (75-83) - 77 GP, 12 goals, 46 assists, 58 points, 0.75 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 81 GP, 12 goals, 32 assists, 44 points, 0.54 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (76-77); 5 assists (76-77); 8 points (76-77); 0.98 PPG (82-83)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 5-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Before there was Nicklas Lidstrom, there was Borje Salming. No, Salming never won a Stanley Cup or a Norris trophy, things that Lidstrom has done so many times that it's become routine. But Salming paved the way for not just Swedish defencemen, but European players everywhere in the North American game. Before Salming's impact, there had been European-born players who had thrived (like Stan Mikita), but rarely someone who had actually grown up oversees and had their junior training anywhere but in Canada.
It's worth noting the prejudices that Salming had to overcome. He arrived in hockey-mad Toronto when they were a team in transition. The Original Six days were over, and Toronto struggled to keep up with the dynasty Canadiens and the solid teams that the Bruins and Flyers had assembled. Without Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming, the Leafs of the 1970s would have been the laughingstock they turned into in the 1980s. Instead, they were perenially average but sometimes surprised come playoff time, winning a playoff round or two where they had no business doing so. Salming's excellent two-way play and visionary passing eventually earned him the respect of the Toronto fanbase, as demonstrated by the fact they gave him a standing ovation when he played for Sweden in the 1976 Canada Cup.
Unfortunately, moronic owner Harold Ballard remained convinced that European players couldn't thrive in the NHL and went out of his way to make things difficult for Salming. If Salming had been fortunate enough to play for the Canadiens or Bruins during the prime years of his career instead of for a mediocre organization with an unappreciative owner, we'd be talking about him in the top 100, no question.
His accomplishments as they are still stand up. While he never won the Norris, Salming was considered one of the league's four best defencemen six times (all in a row, from the period of 1974 to 1980). This is all the more impressive when you consider that that stretch coincided with the run of the greatest hockey team of all-time, the late-1970s Habs, as well as excellent teams like the Islanders, Bruins and Flyers whom Salming had to face on a regular basis. Furthermore, he was earning all-star honours going up against fellow Pyramid defencemen Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson, Brad Park, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and, oh yeah, Bobby Orr in 1974 and 1975. It's arguably the time when the NHL was deepest at defence, and yet Salming was consistently considered one of the best.
That stretch is what makes Salming's legend. His career +/- averages out to a decent +13 per 82 games played (all the more impressive when you consider the truly awful Maple Leaf teams Salming toiled on throughout the 1980s). But if you isolate his six-year stretch from 1974 to 1980, Salming's impact becomes clear. During that run, Salming averaged 61 adjusted points and a +25...and as mentioned before, it's not like he and the Maple Leafs were running into creampuffs.
Salming doesn't rank higher on the Pyramid not only because of his lack of team success (like Sundin, that could be forgiven given that he was cursed with playing for the Maple Leafs), but rather because after his first eight or nine seasons, Salming's impact and production dropped off considerably. He never made another all-star team, and sank into the 25-30 point range. Part of this may have been due to Salming's admitted cocaine use. In 1986, he was almost suspended for the entire season after admitting to regularly using cocaine in a newspaper interview, but the suspension was reduced to eight games. It wasn't exactly shocking news: Salming looked like a cross between Rutger Hauer and Peter Weller from Robocop. There wasn't a lot of meat on his face to say the least.
Salming ended his career with the Red Wings, but he is of course remembered as a Maple Leaf. He's the best defencemen they've had since the post-expansion era, and quite possibly their best offensive-defencemen ever. Stanley Cup glory and Norris recognition never came to Salming. Instead, he is revered in Sweden, and quite possibly by all Europeans, for showing the North American audience that a European defencemen could not only survive in the NHL, but thrive.
#122 - Dave Keon
Dave Keon (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #122)
Adjusted Stats
1960-1961 Tor 82 GP 24 goals 30 assists 54 points 0.66 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 75 GP 31 goals 42 assists 73 points 0.97 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 80 GP 34 goals 34 assists 68 points 0.85 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 82 GP 30 goals 48 assists 78 points 0.95 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 76 GP 26 goals 36 assists 63 points 0.82 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 81 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.79 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 77 GP 23 goals 40 assists 63 points 0.81 PPG
1967-1968 Tor 74 GP 13 goals 45 assists 59 points 0.79 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 81 GP 30 goals 38 assists 68 points 0.84 PPG
1969-1970 Tor 78 GP 37 goals 34 assists 71 points 0.91 PPG
1970-1971 Tor 80 GP 39 goals 39 assists 79 points 0.99 PPG
1971-1972 Tor 76 GP 19 goals 32 assists 51 points 0.67 PPG
1972-1973 Tor 80 GP 37 goals 36 assists 72 points 0.90 PPG
1973-1974 Tor 78 GP 25 goals 28 assists 54 points 0.69 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 40 assists 54 points 0.68 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd 78 GP 9 goals 47 assists 56 points 0.71 PPG
1980-1981 Hfd 82 GP 11 goals 28 assists 39 points 0.47 PPG
1981-1982 Hfd 80 GP 6 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.19 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1960-1961 Tor 5 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.45 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 12 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 0.66 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 10 GP 7 goals 5 assists 12 points 1.19 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 14 GP 7 goals 2 assists 9 points 0.68 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.73 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.53 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.99 PPG
1970-1971 Tor 6 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.77 PPG
1971-1972 Tor 5 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.93 PPG
1973-1974 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.73 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 7 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.65 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.28 PPG
Career - 1420 GP, 437 goals, 642 assists, 1081 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 39 goals (70-71); 48 assists (63-64); 79 points (70-71); 0.99 PPG (70-71)
Avg. (18 seasons) - 79 GP, 24 goals, 36 assists, 60 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (63-71) - 79 GP, 28 goals, 40 assists, 68 points, 0.87 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 92 GP, 32 goals, 36 assists, 68 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (62-63); 5 assists (74-75); 12 points (62-63); 1.19 PPG (62-63)
Accolades - 2 Lady Byngs, Calder, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 2-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
Dave Keon's offensive numbers wouldn't appear to make him deserving of a spot on the Pyramid. Here is a center who never topped 80 points or a point-a-game. Remarkably durable, Keon played in 18 seasons without ever missing more than eight games in a season, yet he was consistently, unspectacularly in the 60-70 point range. Is this a case of a Maple Leaf legend being overrated?
In Keon's case, no. We all know that Bob Gainey was a superb defensive forward, but Keon doesn't quite get his due amongst today's generation of hockey fans. He was his era's defensive specialist, but he still managed to pot 30 goals and 70 points every season. Those who saw the Maple Leafs during the 1960s speak fondly of Mahovlich, of course, and Tim Horton, but it is Keon who is often referred to as the team's best player, a speedster with a deadly backhand who was always pitted against the opposition's best centre, and usually stifled them.
Here's a good indication of Keon's two-way value: in 1967 (the last year the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, in case you didn't know), Keon won the Conn Smythe award despite having a mere eight points in twelve playoff games. That is the lowest point total of any non-goaltender to win the Conn Smythe. Why did Keon deserve it? Because he shut down the great Jean Beliveau in the Cup finals, leading an aging Toronto team to hockey's pinnacle for one last time.
As the Leafs got more mediocre, Keon's play remained consistent. He made the second all-star team in 1971 after potting career highs in goals and points. Unfortunately for Keon, he followed that up with a lackluster 1972 season that may have cost him the final spot on the Team Canada roster for the '72 Summit Series. Even though he bounced back, Keon began to grow progressively more sour with Maple Leafs' management, specifically their notoriously cantankerous owner Harold Ballard. He left the NHL to play in the WHA for four seasons, before eventually returning for a retirement stint with the Hartford Whalers.
Perhaps because Keon's tenure with the Maple Leafs ended so badly, he's rarely mentioned in the same revered breath as more modern Leaf staples like Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming and Doug Gilmour. It's a shame though, because Keon was the team's most complete forward during the 1960s, even if he wasn't as dynamic a scorer as Mahovlich. Keon eventually found it within him to forgive the Maple Leafs' organization and return to the Air Canada Centre during the celebration of the 1967 championship team's 40th anniversary. He was given one of the longest ovations during that ceremony...Maple Leaf fans may not get much right, but they knew that Keon should be welcomed back and finally treated with the respect his career had earned.
Adjusted Stats
1960-1961 Tor 82 GP 24 goals 30 assists 54 points 0.66 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 75 GP 31 goals 42 assists 73 points 0.97 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 80 GP 34 goals 34 assists 68 points 0.85 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 82 GP 30 goals 48 assists 78 points 0.95 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 76 GP 26 goals 36 assists 63 points 0.82 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 81 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.79 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 77 GP 23 goals 40 assists 63 points 0.81 PPG
1967-1968 Tor 74 GP 13 goals 45 assists 59 points 0.79 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 81 GP 30 goals 38 assists 68 points 0.84 PPG
1969-1970 Tor 78 GP 37 goals 34 assists 71 points 0.91 PPG
1970-1971 Tor 80 GP 39 goals 39 assists 79 points 0.99 PPG
1971-1972 Tor 76 GP 19 goals 32 assists 51 points 0.67 PPG
1972-1973 Tor 80 GP 37 goals 36 assists 72 points 0.90 PPG
1973-1974 Tor 78 GP 25 goals 28 assists 54 points 0.69 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 80 GP 15 goals 40 assists 54 points 0.68 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd 78 GP 9 goals 47 assists 56 points 0.71 PPG
1980-1981 Hfd 82 GP 11 goals 28 assists 39 points 0.47 PPG
1981-1982 Hfd 80 GP 6 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.19 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1960-1961 Tor 5 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.45 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 12 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 0.66 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 10 GP 7 goals 5 assists 12 points 1.19 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 14 GP 7 goals 2 assists 9 points 0.68 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.73 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.53 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.99 PPG
1970-1971 Tor 6 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.77 PPG
1971-1972 Tor 5 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.93 PPG
1973-1974 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.73 PPG
1974-1975 Tor 7 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.65 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.28 PPG
Career - 1420 GP, 437 goals, 642 assists, 1081 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 39 goals (70-71); 48 assists (63-64); 79 points (70-71); 0.99 PPG (70-71)
Avg. (18 seasons) - 79 GP, 24 goals, 36 assists, 60 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (63-71) - 79 GP, 28 goals, 40 assists, 68 points, 0.87 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 92 GP, 32 goals, 36 assists, 68 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (62-63); 5 assists (74-75); 12 points (62-63); 1.19 PPG (62-63)
Accolades - 2 Lady Byngs, Calder, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 2-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
Dave Keon's offensive numbers wouldn't appear to make him deserving of a spot on the Pyramid. Here is a center who never topped 80 points or a point-a-game. Remarkably durable, Keon played in 18 seasons without ever missing more than eight games in a season, yet he was consistently, unspectacularly in the 60-70 point range. Is this a case of a Maple Leaf legend being overrated?
In Keon's case, no. We all know that Bob Gainey was a superb defensive forward, but Keon doesn't quite get his due amongst today's generation of hockey fans. He was his era's defensive specialist, but he still managed to pot 30 goals and 70 points every season. Those who saw the Maple Leafs during the 1960s speak fondly of Mahovlich, of course, and Tim Horton, but it is Keon who is often referred to as the team's best player, a speedster with a deadly backhand who was always pitted against the opposition's best centre, and usually stifled them.
Here's a good indication of Keon's two-way value: in 1967 (the last year the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, in case you didn't know), Keon won the Conn Smythe award despite having a mere eight points in twelve playoff games. That is the lowest point total of any non-goaltender to win the Conn Smythe. Why did Keon deserve it? Because he shut down the great Jean Beliveau in the Cup finals, leading an aging Toronto team to hockey's pinnacle for one last time.
As the Leafs got more mediocre, Keon's play remained consistent. He made the second all-star team in 1971 after potting career highs in goals and points. Unfortunately for Keon, he followed that up with a lackluster 1972 season that may have cost him the final spot on the Team Canada roster for the '72 Summit Series. Even though he bounced back, Keon began to grow progressively more sour with Maple Leafs' management, specifically their notoriously cantankerous owner Harold Ballard. He left the NHL to play in the WHA for four seasons, before eventually returning for a retirement stint with the Hartford Whalers.
Perhaps because Keon's tenure with the Maple Leafs ended so badly, he's rarely mentioned in the same revered breath as more modern Leaf staples like Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming and Doug Gilmour. It's a shame though, because Keon was the team's most complete forward during the 1960s, even if he wasn't as dynamic a scorer as Mahovlich. Keon eventually found it within him to forgive the Maple Leafs' organization and return to the Air Canada Centre during the celebration of the 1967 championship team's 40th anniversary. He was given one of the longest ovations during that ceremony...Maple Leaf fans may not get much right, but they knew that Keon should be welcomed back and finally treated with the respect his career had earned.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
#118 - Sweeney Schriner
Sweeney Schriner (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #118)
Adjusted Stats
1934-1935 NYA 82 GP 38 goals 46 assists 84 points 1.02 PPG
1935-1936 NYA 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.33 PPG
1936-1937 NYA 82 GP 45 goals 53 assists 98 points 1.20 PPG
1937-1938 NYA 82 GP 44 goals 35 assists 79 points 0.96 PPG
1938-1939 NYA 82 GP 27 goals 64 assists 91 points 1.11 PPG
1939-1940 Tor 67 GP 23 goals 32 assists 55 points 0.82 PPG
1940-1941 Tor 82 GP 47 goals 27 assists 74 points 0.91 PPG
1941-1942 Tor* 80 GP 34 goals 27 assists 61 points 0.76 PPG
1942-1943 Tor 61 GP 27 goals 24 assists 50 points 0.83 PPG
1944-1945 Tor 43 GP 30 goals 21 assists 51 points 1.19 PPG
1945-1946 Tor 77 GP 20 goals 9 assists 29 points 0.37 PPG
Career - 820 GP, 381 goals, 401 assists, 781 points, 0.95 PPG
Career-Highs - 47 goals (40-41); 64 assists (38-39); 109 points (35-36); 1.33 PPG (35-36)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 36 assists, 71 points, 0.95 PPG
Peak Avg. (34-42) - 80 GP, 38 goals, 43 assists, 81 points, 1.02 PPG, 1 Cup
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
Another gem of the pre-WWII era, Sweeney Schriner was the best left-winger in the league in the mid-to-late 1930s, leading the league in scoring two years in a row for the (now non-existent) New York Americans. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about him, aside from pointing out his four years of 40+ adjusted goals, two Stanley Cup rings, and three appearances on year-end all-star teams.
Schriner retired from hockey at quite a young age in 1943, annoyed with what he perceived as growing individualism within the game (one wonders how he would have reacted to, say, Ilya Kovalchuk sixty years later). He returned in 1945 after playing a year with an Army/Navy team, and still clearly had a fair measure of skill, scoring 51 adjusted points in only 43 games. Perhaps if he hadn't missed a season and a half, Schriner's career totals would be even more impressive.
The postseason numbers are lacking, which is probably due to the fact that the New York Americans never got over the hump to win a championship while Schriner was their star. In a trade that gives an indication of how highly Schriner was viewed, he was traded to the Maple Leafs for five different players, including former star Busher Jackson. Schriner was never quite as productive with the Leafs, but he was a part of two Stanley Cup champions, adding well-deserved team success to his individual accolades.
Adjusted Stats
1934-1935 NYA 82 GP 38 goals 46 assists 84 points 1.02 PPG
1935-1936 NYA 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.33 PPG
1936-1937 NYA 82 GP 45 goals 53 assists 98 points 1.20 PPG
1937-1938 NYA 82 GP 44 goals 35 assists 79 points 0.96 PPG
1938-1939 NYA 82 GP 27 goals 64 assists 91 points 1.11 PPG
1939-1940 Tor 67 GP 23 goals 32 assists 55 points 0.82 PPG
1940-1941 Tor 82 GP 47 goals 27 assists 74 points 0.91 PPG
1941-1942 Tor* 80 GP 34 goals 27 assists 61 points 0.76 PPG
1942-1943 Tor 61 GP 27 goals 24 assists 50 points 0.83 PPG
1944-1945 Tor 43 GP 30 goals 21 assists 51 points 1.19 PPG
1945-1946 Tor 77 GP 20 goals 9 assists 29 points 0.37 PPG
Career - 820 GP, 381 goals, 401 assists, 781 points, 0.95 PPG
Career-Highs - 47 goals (40-41); 64 assists (38-39); 109 points (35-36); 1.33 PPG (35-36)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 36 assists, 71 points, 0.95 PPG
Peak Avg. (34-42) - 80 GP, 38 goals, 43 assists, 81 points, 1.02 PPG, 1 Cup
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
Another gem of the pre-WWII era, Sweeney Schriner was the best left-winger in the league in the mid-to-late 1930s, leading the league in scoring two years in a row for the (now non-existent) New York Americans. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about him, aside from pointing out his four years of 40+ adjusted goals, two Stanley Cup rings, and three appearances on year-end all-star teams.
Schriner retired from hockey at quite a young age in 1943, annoyed with what he perceived as growing individualism within the game (one wonders how he would have reacted to, say, Ilya Kovalchuk sixty years later). He returned in 1945 after playing a year with an Army/Navy team, and still clearly had a fair measure of skill, scoring 51 adjusted points in only 43 games. Perhaps if he hadn't missed a season and a half, Schriner's career totals would be even more impressive.
The postseason numbers are lacking, which is probably due to the fact that the New York Americans never got over the hump to win a championship while Schriner was their star. In a trade that gives an indication of how highly Schriner was viewed, he was traded to the Maple Leafs for five different players, including former star Busher Jackson. Schriner was never quite as productive with the Leafs, but he was a part of two Stanley Cup champions, adding well-deserved team success to his individual accolades.
Monday, March 14, 2011
#117 - Steve Shutt
Steve Shutt (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #117)
Adjusted Stats
1972-1973 Mtl* 53 GP 8 goals 8 assists 16 points 0.30 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 74 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.48 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 79 GP 28 goals 32 assists 60 points 0.76 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 82 GP 42 goals 31 assists 73 points 0.89 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 82 GP 57 goals 43 assists 100 points 1.22 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 82 GP 47 goals 35 assists 82 points 1.00 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 74 GP 33 goals 36 assists 69 points 0.94 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 79 GP 42 goals 38 assists 80 points 1.01 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 79 GP 29 goals 31 assists 60 points 0.76 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 58 GP 24 goals 19 assists 43 points 0.74 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 80 GP 29 goals 18 assists 46 points 0.58 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 65 GP 11 goals 18 assists 30 points 0.46 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl/LA 71 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.49 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1972-1973 Mtl* 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 1.30 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 9 GP 1 goal 5 assists 6 points 0.71 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 7 goals 8 assists 15 points 1.12 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 7 goals 9 assists 16 points 1.13 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 9 goals 8 assists 17 points 1.10 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 11 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.91 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 10 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 0.77 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.71 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.26 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 11 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 0.73 PPG
1984-1985 LA 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
Career - 958 GP, 380 goals, 349 assists, 729 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 57 goals (76-77); 43 assists (76-77); 100 points (76-77); 1.22 PPG
Avg. (13 seasons) - 74 GP, 29 goals, 27 assists, 56 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 77 GP, 38 goals, 33 assists, 71 points, 0.92 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 99 GP, 46 goals, 45 assists, 91 points, 0.92 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 9 goals (77-78); 9 assists (76-77); 17 points (77-78); 1.30 PPG (73-74)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
5-time Stanley Cup Champion
Let's be honest: Steve Shutt probably benefited from his circumstances and surroundings more than almost any other player on the Pyramid...even more than a Jari Kurri or Johnny Bucyk. Shutt was a short, pudgy man with limited defensive abilities and a slow skating style, but he struck gold by being on the Montreal Canadiens right as Guy Lafleur was entering his prime, providing Lafleur and Lemaire with a premier finisher who was stealthy and potted goals at just the right time.
Talent wise, Shutt doesn't belong on the Pyramid. His final career numbers are middling because he only played for thirteen seasons, of which only five were particularly good. The adjusted averages of 29 goals and 56 points are quite lame, especially when one considers he only played for thirteen years (not that there was ever any question of him playing longer...his conditioning was so mediocre that it would have been sad to see a mid-30s Shutt lumbering around).
But Shutt belongs here for the same reason that Serge Savard and Bob Gainey do: because I have a lot of time for someone who peaked during a run in which their team won four straight Championships. From 1975 to 1980, Shutt averaged 44 goals for the Habs as they were in the midst of their dynasty. Like so many of his teammates, Shutt reached his peak during the 1976-1977 season, scoring 60 goals (57 when adjusted) and earning first-team all-star honours at LW. Shutt was also particularly reliable come playoff time, stepping up his already-impressive scoring average and recording nearly a point a game over 99 playoff games.
Perhaps due to conditioning or possibly simply due to a lack of sustained motivation, both Shutt and Lafleur saw their production plummet after Lemaire retired in 1979. The Habs wouldn't win another Cup during Shutt's career, and sadly he ended as a Los Angeles King, not with the Montreal team that he had spent his entire career with. It's still a hall-of-fame career merely because Shutt was the premier finisher on one of the best teams ever assembled. And if I were in doubt, Shutt would make it onto my Pyramid simply because he's such a likeable personality: laidback, relaxed and always willing to joke about his own shortcomings as a player.
That's what it comes down to with Shutt: you can criticize the shortcomings in his game or claim that he was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time, but he would probably just shrug off those criticisms. And with five Stanley Cup rings, I would to.
Adjusted Stats
1972-1973 Mtl* 53 GP 8 goals 8 assists 16 points 0.30 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 74 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.48 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 79 GP 28 goals 32 assists 60 points 0.76 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 82 GP 42 goals 31 assists 73 points 0.89 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 82 GP 57 goals 43 assists 100 points 1.22 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 82 GP 47 goals 35 assists 82 points 1.00 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 74 GP 33 goals 36 assists 69 points 0.94 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 79 GP 42 goals 38 assists 80 points 1.01 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 79 GP 29 goals 31 assists 60 points 0.76 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 58 GP 24 goals 19 assists 43 points 0.74 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 80 GP 29 goals 18 assists 46 points 0.58 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 65 GP 11 goals 18 assists 30 points 0.46 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl/LA 71 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.49 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1972-1973 Mtl* 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 1.30 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 9 GP 1 goal 5 assists 6 points 0.71 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 7 goals 8 assists 15 points 1.12 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 7 goals 9 assists 16 points 1.13 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 9 goals 8 assists 17 points 1.10 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 11 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.91 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 10 GP 5 goals 3 assists 8 points 0.77 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.71 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.26 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 11 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 0.73 PPG
1984-1985 LA 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
Career - 958 GP, 380 goals, 349 assists, 729 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 57 goals (76-77); 43 assists (76-77); 100 points (76-77); 1.22 PPG
Avg. (13 seasons) - 74 GP, 29 goals, 27 assists, 56 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 77 GP, 38 goals, 33 assists, 71 points, 0.92 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 99 GP, 46 goals, 45 assists, 91 points, 0.92 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 9 goals (77-78); 9 assists (76-77); 17 points (77-78); 1.30 PPG (73-74)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
5-time Stanley Cup Champion
Let's be honest: Steve Shutt probably benefited from his circumstances and surroundings more than almost any other player on the Pyramid...even more than a Jari Kurri or Johnny Bucyk. Shutt was a short, pudgy man with limited defensive abilities and a slow skating style, but he struck gold by being on the Montreal Canadiens right as Guy Lafleur was entering his prime, providing Lafleur and Lemaire with a premier finisher who was stealthy and potted goals at just the right time.
Talent wise, Shutt doesn't belong on the Pyramid. His final career numbers are middling because he only played for thirteen seasons, of which only five were particularly good. The adjusted averages of 29 goals and 56 points are quite lame, especially when one considers he only played for thirteen years (not that there was ever any question of him playing longer...his conditioning was so mediocre that it would have been sad to see a mid-30s Shutt lumbering around).
But Shutt belongs here for the same reason that Serge Savard and Bob Gainey do: because I have a lot of time for someone who peaked during a run in which their team won four straight Championships. From 1975 to 1980, Shutt averaged 44 goals for the Habs as they were in the midst of their dynasty. Like so many of his teammates, Shutt reached his peak during the 1976-1977 season, scoring 60 goals (57 when adjusted) and earning first-team all-star honours at LW. Shutt was also particularly reliable come playoff time, stepping up his already-impressive scoring average and recording nearly a point a game over 99 playoff games.
Perhaps due to conditioning or possibly simply due to a lack of sustained motivation, both Shutt and Lafleur saw their production plummet after Lemaire retired in 1979. The Habs wouldn't win another Cup during Shutt's career, and sadly he ended as a Los Angeles King, not with the Montreal team that he had spent his entire career with. It's still a hall-of-fame career merely because Shutt was the premier finisher on one of the best teams ever assembled. And if I were in doubt, Shutt would make it onto my Pyramid simply because he's such a likeable personality: laidback, relaxed and always willing to joke about his own shortcomings as a player.
That's what it comes down to with Shutt: you can criticize the shortcomings in his game or claim that he was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time, but he would probably just shrug off those criticisms. And with five Stanley Cup rings, I would to.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
#115 - Bob Gainey
Bob Gainey (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #115)
Adjusted Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 69 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.15 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 80 GP 14 goals 12 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 82 GP 13 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.38 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 68 GP 14 goals 15 assists 30 points 0.44 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 81 GP 18 goals 16 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 66 GP 13 goals 17 assists 30 points 0.45 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 80 GP 19 goals 20 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 81 GP 16 goals 19 assists 35 points 0.44 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 82 GP 10 goals 15 assists 24 points 0.30 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 79 GP 14 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.39 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 81 GP 15 goals 11 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 48 GP 7 goals 7 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 80 GP 9 goals 9 assists 19 points 0.23 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 50 GP 8 goals 6 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 11 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.50 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.30 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 4 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.31 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 2 goals 7 assists 9 points 0.58 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 16 GP 5 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.91 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 10 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.17 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 5 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.16 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 15 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.36 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 12 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.25 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 20 GP 4 goals 4 assists 9 points 0.43 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 17 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.21 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.13 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 16 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
Career - 1191 GP, 205 goals, 226 assists, 431 points, 0.36 PPG
Career-Highs - 19 goals (80-81); 20 assists (80-81); 39 points (80-81); 0.48 PPG (80-81)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 74 GP, 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points, 0.36 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 78 GP, 15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points, 0.42 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 182 GP, 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points, 0.36 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (78-79); 9 assists (78-79); 15 points (78-79); 0.91 PPG (78-79)
Accolades - 4 Selke Trophies, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - None
5-time Stanley Cup Champion
There really was no point in typing out Bob Gainey's statistics, because more than any other player on the Pyramid (even Scott Stevens and Tim Horton), the statistics with Gainey are meaningless. This is a left-winger who never scored more than 20 goals or cracked 40 points. By what possible means should he be considered one of the greats to play the game? Well, for the simple reason that if they invent a trophy for you (in this case, the Selke trophy as best defensive forward), it means you made an impact.
It's well known that Gainey was the preeminent shutdown forward of his generation, and the winner of the first four Selke trophies to be handed out. What's interesting is that, despite playing his entire career for the Montreal Canadiens, one of the winningest organizations in hockey, his career +/- is a solid but not mind-blowing +14 per 82 games played. One has to consider though that Gainey played on Montreal's third and fourth line and thus got less playing time...his role wasn't to score, it was to shutdown the opponents on those rare occasions where the Canadiens' lead was precarious. And few did it better.
Is Gainey something of a Robert Horry-esque beneficiary of playing for excellent teams throughout his career? Yes, but he also contributed immensely to those teams, both on the ice with his solid two-way play, and off, where he was a quiet leader admired and respected by all who played with him. He won five Stanley Cups, and although he was never one of the three or four best players on those teams, he was in his own way indispensable. Think of the 1985-1986 team which, much like the 92-93 Habs, didn't really have much firepower but instead relied on winning close games, shutting down opponents, and getting timely goaltending from Patrick Roy. Gainey was the identity of that team.
To be sure, the Habs of the late 1970s had one of the most stacked defensive groups ever: Robinson, Dryden, Lemaire, Savard, Lapointe. Of all of them, Gainey may have been the best at pure defence. It's no accident that he was named to two Canada Cup teams, in 1976 and in 1982...and the Russians claim that Gainey was the biggest thorn in their side of all the players they had to deal with. That's high praise when you consider how stacked those teams were.
Although Gainey's offensive numbers are laughably low, it should be noted that when he was required to, Gainey could step it up. He didn't score a lot because that wasn't his role on the Canadiens. But in one playoff, 1979, Gainey delivered offensively, scoring 15 points in 16 games and winning the Conn Smythe trophy as the Habs won their fourth Cup in a row (and final one of the late-1970s dynasty). Gainey, like Robert Horry in basketball, did what was necessary for his team to win. He got it. I suppose you could snipe and claim that Gainey wasn't noticeably superior to, say, Mike Peca or John Madden in the modern era (and Madden by the way also has three Stanley Cups to his name). Perhaps that's true. But Gainey earns a spot on the Pyramid because he was the first prototype of the defensively sound forward. Five Stanley Cups, four Selkes and a Conn Smythe is just too much to ignore...with Gainey, it's those accomplishments that matter more than mere numbers.
Adjusted Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 69 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.15 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 80 GP 14 goals 12 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 82 GP 13 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.38 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 68 GP 14 goals 15 assists 30 points 0.44 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 81 GP 18 goals 16 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 66 GP 13 goals 17 assists 30 points 0.45 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 80 GP 19 goals 20 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 81 GP 16 goals 19 assists 35 points 0.44 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 82 GP 10 goals 15 assists 24 points 0.30 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 79 GP 14 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.39 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 81 GP 15 goals 11 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 48 GP 7 goals 7 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 80 GP 9 goals 9 assists 19 points 0.23 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 50 GP 8 goals 6 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 11 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.50 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.30 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 4 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.31 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 2 goals 7 assists 9 points 0.58 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 16 GP 5 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.91 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 10 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.17 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 5 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.16 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 15 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.36 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 12 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.25 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 20 GP 4 goals 4 assists 9 points 0.43 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 17 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.21 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.13 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 16 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
Career - 1191 GP, 205 goals, 226 assists, 431 points, 0.36 PPG
Career-Highs - 19 goals (80-81); 20 assists (80-81); 39 points (80-81); 0.48 PPG (80-81)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 74 GP, 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points, 0.36 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 78 GP, 15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points, 0.42 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 182 GP, 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points, 0.36 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (78-79); 9 assists (78-79); 15 points (78-79); 0.91 PPG (78-79)
Accolades - 4 Selke Trophies, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - None
5-time Stanley Cup Champion
There really was no point in typing out Bob Gainey's statistics, because more than any other player on the Pyramid (even Scott Stevens and Tim Horton), the statistics with Gainey are meaningless. This is a left-winger who never scored more than 20 goals or cracked 40 points. By what possible means should he be considered one of the greats to play the game? Well, for the simple reason that if they invent a trophy for you (in this case, the Selke trophy as best defensive forward), it means you made an impact.
It's well known that Gainey was the preeminent shutdown forward of his generation, and the winner of the first four Selke trophies to be handed out. What's interesting is that, despite playing his entire career for the Montreal Canadiens, one of the winningest organizations in hockey, his career +/- is a solid but not mind-blowing +14 per 82 games played. One has to consider though that Gainey played on Montreal's third and fourth line and thus got less playing time...his role wasn't to score, it was to shutdown the opponents on those rare occasions where the Canadiens' lead was precarious. And few did it better.
Is Gainey something of a Robert Horry-esque beneficiary of playing for excellent teams throughout his career? Yes, but he also contributed immensely to those teams, both on the ice with his solid two-way play, and off, where he was a quiet leader admired and respected by all who played with him. He won five Stanley Cups, and although he was never one of the three or four best players on those teams, he was in his own way indispensable. Think of the 1985-1986 team which, much like the 92-93 Habs, didn't really have much firepower but instead relied on winning close games, shutting down opponents, and getting timely goaltending from Patrick Roy. Gainey was the identity of that team.
To be sure, the Habs of the late 1970s had one of the most stacked defensive groups ever: Robinson, Dryden, Lemaire, Savard, Lapointe. Of all of them, Gainey may have been the best at pure defence. It's no accident that he was named to two Canada Cup teams, in 1976 and in 1982...and the Russians claim that Gainey was the biggest thorn in their side of all the players they had to deal with. That's high praise when you consider how stacked those teams were.
Although Gainey's offensive numbers are laughably low, it should be noted that when he was required to, Gainey could step it up. He didn't score a lot because that wasn't his role on the Canadiens. But in one playoff, 1979, Gainey delivered offensively, scoring 15 points in 16 games and winning the Conn Smythe trophy as the Habs won their fourth Cup in a row (and final one of the late-1970s dynasty). Gainey, like Robert Horry in basketball, did what was necessary for his team to win. He got it. I suppose you could snipe and claim that Gainey wasn't noticeably superior to, say, Mike Peca or John Madden in the modern era (and Madden by the way also has three Stanley Cups to his name). Perhaps that's true. But Gainey earns a spot on the Pyramid because he was the first prototype of the defensively sound forward. Five Stanley Cups, four Selkes and a Conn Smythe is just too much to ignore...with Gainey, it's those accomplishments that matter more than mere numbers.
#114 - Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #114)
Adjusted Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 73 GP, 56-15-2, .781 win%, 4459 min, 141 GA, 1.90 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP, 53-21-9, .693 win%, 5040 min, 206 GA, 2.46 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 82 GP, 46-14-22, .695 win%, 5193 min, 200 GA, 2.31 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 80 GP, 41-29-10, .575 win%, 5005 min, 194 GA, 2.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 82 GP, 39-28-15, .567 win%, 4920 min, 246 GA, 3.00 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 56 GP, 26-23-7, .527 win%, 3346 min, 167 GA, 3.00 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 82 GP, 36-31-15, .530 win%, 4920 min, 233 GA, 2.84 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 82 GP, 31-33-18, .488 win%, 4920 min, 241 GA, 2.94 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 74 GP, 36-27-11, .561 win%, 4428 min, 228 GA, 3.08 GAA
1949-1950 Chi 82 GP, 26-45-12, .386 win%, 4920 min, 321 GA, 3.92 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP, 8-4, .667 win%, 863 min, 25 GA, 1.74 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 360 min, 20 GA, 3.34 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP, 8-3, .727 win%, 678 min, 29 GA, 2.59 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 307 min, 17 GA, 3.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 9 GP, 4-5, .444 win%, 560 min, 30 GA, 3.20 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP, 5-5, .500 win%, 651 min, 25 GA, 2.31 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 343 min, 17 GA, 3.00 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 317 min, 19 GA, 3.67 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 316 min, 18 GA, 3.50 GAA
Career - 775 GP, 390-266-121, .580 win%, 47151 min, 2177 GA, 2.77 GAA
Career-Highs - 82 GP (many times); 56 wins (38-39); .781 win% (38-39); 5193 min (40-41); 1.90 GAA (38-39)
Avg. (10 seasons) - 78 GP, 39-27-12, .580 win%, 4715 min, 218 GA, 2.77 GAA
Peak Avg. (38-48) - 77 GP, 41-24-12, .610 win%, 4725 min, 204 GA, 2.58 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 68 GP, 32-36, .471 win%, 4395 min, 200 GA, 2.73 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 8 wins (twice); .727 win% (40-41); 1.74 GAA (38-39)
Accolades - 2 Vezina Trophies, Calder
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 6-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It is of course difficult to judge the goaltenders of the 1930s and 1940s, since so much of their success or failure appears at first glance to be dependant on what team they were playing for. With only six teams, some were excellent, others average, and usually one was dreadful during the course of a season. Which team you ended up starting for determined much of the way your career developed. So Frank Brimsek, playing for a talented and defensively-solid Bruins team early in his career, put together an excellent decade or so of goaltending, putting him in the conversation with Bill Durnan and Turk Broda for best goaltender of the 1940s.
As with Broda, Brimsek lost some of his prime playing years to service in the war. Without those lost years, it's safe to say he would have had at least eleven straight years of 30+ adjusted wins. While Boston was eventually outclassed by the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the mid-to-late 1940s, they were the best team in the league at the turn of the decade. Brimsek's first three seasons rank with Durnan, Dryden and Sawchuk on the "Holy Shit, this guy could be re-writing the record books" scale. In his first three seasons, Brimsek averaged 52 wins, a 2.23 GAA, won two Stanley Cups and two Vezinas.
Brimsek would continue throughout the 1940s to be considered either the league's best or second-best goaltender (although this is somewhat less impressive when you remember that there were only six teams in the league). There's a case to be made that he deserves to be ranked higher on the Pyramid, closer to Broda and Durnan. What stops that is that, despite his two Stanley Cup rings, his playoff record was a middling 32-36. For his final three postseasons, Brimsek had a combined record of 3-12 and a GAA of over 3. Even his final six regular seasons aren't particularly impressive: in all six, his GAA is hovering in the 2.80-3.20 range, hardly elite.
Still, one can't argue with the fact that it was Brimsek making the second all-star team in a lot of those seasons, not Broda. But Broda made up for it by elevating his game come postseason time, leading mediocre Maple Leafs' squads to Stanley Cups they had no business winnings. Brimsek's Bruins teams in the late-1940s were equally mediocre, but he couldn't step up when the postseason rolled around. His final season with a flat-out bad team, the Blackhawks, was one of the worst closing seasons of any Pyramid goaltender: a .386 winning percentage and a 3.91 GAA. It's fortunate that Brimsek had the good sense to retire at that point before tarnishing his legacy. This only further clouds the issue of Brimsek's greatness. His career is decorated and his accomplishments noteworthy, to be sure, but given that I haven't ever seen tapes of him playing and the middling playoff numbers, Brimsek has to settle for a lower spot on the Pyramid than his two biggest rivals, Durnan and Broda.
Adjusted Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 73 GP, 56-15-2, .781 win%, 4459 min, 141 GA, 1.90 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP, 53-21-9, .693 win%, 5040 min, 206 GA, 2.46 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 82 GP, 46-14-22, .695 win%, 5193 min, 200 GA, 2.31 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 80 GP, 41-29-10, .575 win%, 5005 min, 194 GA, 2.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 82 GP, 39-28-15, .567 win%, 4920 min, 246 GA, 3.00 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 56 GP, 26-23-7, .527 win%, 3346 min, 167 GA, 3.00 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 82 GP, 36-31-15, .530 win%, 4920 min, 233 GA, 2.84 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 82 GP, 31-33-18, .488 win%, 4920 min, 241 GA, 2.94 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 74 GP, 36-27-11, .561 win%, 4428 min, 228 GA, 3.08 GAA
1949-1950 Chi 82 GP, 26-45-12, .386 win%, 4920 min, 321 GA, 3.92 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP, 8-4, .667 win%, 863 min, 25 GA, 1.74 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 360 min, 20 GA, 3.34 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP, 8-3, .727 win%, 678 min, 29 GA, 2.59 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 307 min, 17 GA, 3.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 9 GP, 4-5, .444 win%, 560 min, 30 GA, 3.20 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP, 5-5, .500 win%, 651 min, 25 GA, 2.31 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 343 min, 17 GA, 3.00 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 317 min, 19 GA, 3.67 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 316 min, 18 GA, 3.50 GAA
Career - 775 GP, 390-266-121, .580 win%, 47151 min, 2177 GA, 2.77 GAA
Career-Highs - 82 GP (many times); 56 wins (38-39); .781 win% (38-39); 5193 min (40-41); 1.90 GAA (38-39)
Avg. (10 seasons) - 78 GP, 39-27-12, .580 win%, 4715 min, 218 GA, 2.77 GAA
Peak Avg. (38-48) - 77 GP, 41-24-12, .610 win%, 4725 min, 204 GA, 2.58 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 68 GP, 32-36, .471 win%, 4395 min, 200 GA, 2.73 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 8 wins (twice); .727 win% (40-41); 1.74 GAA (38-39)
Accolades - 2 Vezina Trophies, Calder
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 6-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It is of course difficult to judge the goaltenders of the 1930s and 1940s, since so much of their success or failure appears at first glance to be dependant on what team they were playing for. With only six teams, some were excellent, others average, and usually one was dreadful during the course of a season. Which team you ended up starting for determined much of the way your career developed. So Frank Brimsek, playing for a talented and defensively-solid Bruins team early in his career, put together an excellent decade or so of goaltending, putting him in the conversation with Bill Durnan and Turk Broda for best goaltender of the 1940s.
As with Broda, Brimsek lost some of his prime playing years to service in the war. Without those lost years, it's safe to say he would have had at least eleven straight years of 30+ adjusted wins. While Boston was eventually outclassed by the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the mid-to-late 1940s, they were the best team in the league at the turn of the decade. Brimsek's first three seasons rank with Durnan, Dryden and Sawchuk on the "Holy Shit, this guy could be re-writing the record books" scale. In his first three seasons, Brimsek averaged 52 wins, a 2.23 GAA, won two Stanley Cups and two Vezinas.
Brimsek would continue throughout the 1940s to be considered either the league's best or second-best goaltender (although this is somewhat less impressive when you remember that there were only six teams in the league). There's a case to be made that he deserves to be ranked higher on the Pyramid, closer to Broda and Durnan. What stops that is that, despite his two Stanley Cup rings, his playoff record was a middling 32-36. For his final three postseasons, Brimsek had a combined record of 3-12 and a GAA of over 3. Even his final six regular seasons aren't particularly impressive: in all six, his GAA is hovering in the 2.80-3.20 range, hardly elite.
Still, one can't argue with the fact that it was Brimsek making the second all-star team in a lot of those seasons, not Broda. But Broda made up for it by elevating his game come postseason time, leading mediocre Maple Leafs' squads to Stanley Cups they had no business winnings. Brimsek's Bruins teams in the late-1940s were equally mediocre, but he couldn't step up when the postseason rolled around. His final season with a flat-out bad team, the Blackhawks, was one of the worst closing seasons of any Pyramid goaltender: a .386 winning percentage and a 3.91 GAA. It's fortunate that Brimsek had the good sense to retire at that point before tarnishing his legacy. This only further clouds the issue of Brimsek's greatness. His career is decorated and his accomplishments noteworthy, to be sure, but given that I haven't ever seen tapes of him playing and the middling playoff numbers, Brimsek has to settle for a lower spot on the Pyramid than his two biggest rivals, Durnan and Broda.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
#123 - Dave Andreychuk
Dave Andreychuk (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #123)
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Buf 44 GP 11 goals 19 assists 30 points 0.68 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 80 GP 30 goals 34 assists 64 points 0.80 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 66 GP 25 goals 24 assists 49 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Buf 82 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1986-1987 Buf 79 GP 21 goals 41 assists 63 points 0.79 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 82 GP 25 goals 41 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 57 GP 24 goals 20 assists 44 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 75 GP 34 goals 36 assists 70 points 0.94 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 82 GP 33 goals 30 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 82 GP 37 goals 45 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1992-1993 Buf/Tor 81 GP 45 goals 37 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 81 GP 49 goals 43 assists 92 points 1.13 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 82 GP 39 goals 28 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor/NJ 76 GP 27 goals 28 assists 56 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 82 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.78 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 75 GP 16 goals 40 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 52 GP 18 goals 15 assists 33 points 0.63 PPG
1999-2000 Bos/Col 77 GP 22 goals 18 assists 40 points 0.52 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 74 GP 22 goals 15 assists 37 points 0.50 PPG
2001-2002 TB 82 GP 25 goals 20 assists 45 points 0.54 PPG
2002-2003 TB 72 GP 23 goals 16 assists 39 points 0.55 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 25 goals 22 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
2005-2006 TB 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 18 points 0.44 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1982-1983 Buf 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.20 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.45 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.90 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.75 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 5 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.52 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 3 points 0.57 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
1992-1993 Tor 21 GP 10 goals 6 assists 16 points 0.74 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.55 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 7 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.63 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 6 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.19 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.55 PPG
1999-2000 Col 17 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.35 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 13 GP 1 goal 2 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 4 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 1 goal 17 assists 18 points 0.78 PPG
Career - 1687 GP, 614 goals, 660 assists, 1276 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (93-94); 45 assists (91-92); 92 points (93-94); 1.12 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (23 seasons) - 73 GP, 27 goals, 29 assists, 55 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (89-97) - 80 GP, 37 goals, 35 assists, 72 points, 0.90 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 162 GP, 42 goals, 56 assists, 95 points, 0.59 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (92-93); 17 assists (03-04); 18 points (03-04); 0.99 PPG (89-90)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with many of the players who round out the Pyramid, there's no possible way I could make a case that Dave Andreychuk was the 124th best player to ever play the game, and certainly not the 124th most talented. He was a lumbering skater with limited passing abilities, a good but not great shot, and average defensive instincts. But he was also a force on the power play, a big guy who was difficult to move from in front of the net, someone like Phil Esposito had a nose for garbage goals.
Andreychuk's final career numbers make him a second or third-liner on the Props For Sticking Around All-Star Team. 614 goals and 1,276 career points are impressive until you realize that it took Andreychuk twenty-three seasons and nearly 1,700 games to get there. However, inflated as they are by playing for so long, Andreychuk's totals are still hard to ignore for a left-winger. He never once was considered the best or even second-best left-winger in the league, but for a stretch of about four or five years he morphed from a 30-goal, 55-point guy into a 40+ goal, 85-point player.
Part of this may have been due to the centers he was blessed to have in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lafontaine and Hawerchuk were feeding him during his late Sabre days, and then Andreychuk joined a Maple Leafs team that was already on the brink of contending and took them to another level by providing a scoring winger for Doug Gilmour, another one of the league's best passers. Andreychuk was lucky to have a great center, but he also took advantage by becoming what in today's game would be called a "power forward": a big left-winger who could pot timely goals and also muck it up in the dirty areas to battle for loose pucks.
The teams Andreychuk was on were always decent but rarely great: the Sabres were constant first or second-round fodder; the Maple Leafs had their back-to-back years in the Conference finals but then began to taper off, and the Devils were in their run of first-round chokes when Andreychuk was with them. Part of this may have been due to the fact that Andreychuk, despite his reputation, was actually a terrible playoff performer: he never once averaged more than an adjusted PPG and scored only 42 goals and 95 points in 162 games.
All of that changed though when Andreychuk joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and became their captain, relieving a too-young Vincent Lecavalier of those duties. The Lightning began to gel, and in 2003-2004, a graying Andreychuk captained them to a Stanley Cup win, scoring an impressive 18 points in the playoffs after only 47 in the regular season.
It was a fitting end for someone that no one ever would have described as elite: Andreychuk reached hockey's pinnacle by virtue of sticking around. I give him credit for being a consistent mucker and one of the great "ugly-goal" scorers in NHL history. Ultra-talented? No, but a good career nonetheless.
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Buf 44 GP 11 goals 19 assists 30 points 0.68 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 80 GP 30 goals 34 assists 64 points 0.80 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 66 GP 25 goals 24 assists 49 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Buf 82 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1986-1987 Buf 79 GP 21 goals 41 assists 63 points 0.79 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 82 GP 25 goals 41 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 57 GP 24 goals 20 assists 44 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 75 GP 34 goals 36 assists 70 points 0.94 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 82 GP 33 goals 30 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 82 GP 37 goals 45 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1992-1993 Buf/Tor 81 GP 45 goals 37 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 81 GP 49 goals 43 assists 92 points 1.13 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 82 GP 39 goals 28 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor/NJ 76 GP 27 goals 28 assists 56 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 82 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.78 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 75 GP 16 goals 40 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 52 GP 18 goals 15 assists 33 points 0.63 PPG
1999-2000 Bos/Col 77 GP 22 goals 18 assists 40 points 0.52 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 74 GP 22 goals 15 assists 37 points 0.50 PPG
2001-2002 TB 82 GP 25 goals 20 assists 45 points 0.54 PPG
2002-2003 TB 72 GP 23 goals 16 assists 39 points 0.55 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 25 goals 22 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
2005-2006 TB 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 18 points 0.44 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1982-1983 Buf 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.20 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.45 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.90 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.75 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 5 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.52 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 3 points 0.57 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
1992-1993 Tor 21 GP 10 goals 6 assists 16 points 0.74 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.55 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 7 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.63 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 6 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.19 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.55 PPG
1999-2000 Col 17 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.35 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 13 GP 1 goal 2 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 4 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 1 goal 17 assists 18 points 0.78 PPG
Career - 1687 GP, 614 goals, 660 assists, 1276 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (93-94); 45 assists (91-92); 92 points (93-94); 1.12 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (23 seasons) - 73 GP, 27 goals, 29 assists, 55 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (89-97) - 80 GP, 37 goals, 35 assists, 72 points, 0.90 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 162 GP, 42 goals, 56 assists, 95 points, 0.59 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (92-93); 17 assists (03-04); 18 points (03-04); 0.99 PPG (89-90)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with many of the players who round out the Pyramid, there's no possible way I could make a case that Dave Andreychuk was the 124th best player to ever play the game, and certainly not the 124th most talented. He was a lumbering skater with limited passing abilities, a good but not great shot, and average defensive instincts. But he was also a force on the power play, a big guy who was difficult to move from in front of the net, someone like Phil Esposito had a nose for garbage goals.
Andreychuk's final career numbers make him a second or third-liner on the Props For Sticking Around All-Star Team. 614 goals and 1,276 career points are impressive until you realize that it took Andreychuk twenty-three seasons and nearly 1,700 games to get there. However, inflated as they are by playing for so long, Andreychuk's totals are still hard to ignore for a left-winger. He never once was considered the best or even second-best left-winger in the league, but for a stretch of about four or five years he morphed from a 30-goal, 55-point guy into a 40+ goal, 85-point player.
Part of this may have been due to the centers he was blessed to have in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lafontaine and Hawerchuk were feeding him during his late Sabre days, and then Andreychuk joined a Maple Leafs team that was already on the brink of contending and took them to another level by providing a scoring winger for Doug Gilmour, another one of the league's best passers. Andreychuk was lucky to have a great center, but he also took advantage by becoming what in today's game would be called a "power forward": a big left-winger who could pot timely goals and also muck it up in the dirty areas to battle for loose pucks.
The teams Andreychuk was on were always decent but rarely great: the Sabres were constant first or second-round fodder; the Maple Leafs had their back-to-back years in the Conference finals but then began to taper off, and the Devils were in their run of first-round chokes when Andreychuk was with them. Part of this may have been due to the fact that Andreychuk, despite his reputation, was actually a terrible playoff performer: he never once averaged more than an adjusted PPG and scored only 42 goals and 95 points in 162 games.
All of that changed though when Andreychuk joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and became their captain, relieving a too-young Vincent Lecavalier of those duties. The Lightning began to gel, and in 2003-2004, a graying Andreychuk captained them to a Stanley Cup win, scoring an impressive 18 points in the playoffs after only 47 in the regular season.
It was a fitting end for someone that no one ever would have described as elite: Andreychuk reached hockey's pinnacle by virtue of sticking around. I give him credit for being a consistent mucker and one of the great "ugly-goal" scorers in NHL history. Ultra-talented? No, but a good career nonetheless.
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