Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Top 100 Habs By Decade:

5. 1979-1989

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1979-1989


5 decades to go and we start to get pretty interesting. If I know my readers, I'd say there are a few who get pretty romantic about some of the upcoming decades – the 1980s being no exception.

The 1980s were a funny time. At one end, you had the clear wane of stars and a dynasty from the 1970s, with retirements and general slowing of production across the board. However, at the other end of the 1980s you have the 1985-1993 period, which as dynasties go is much more silent and forgotten than that of the 1960s. 3 Cup finals (2 in the 1980s) and the 2nd best overall record by a hair to the Calgary Flames.

The list of ten players reflects these two realities with 70s players who fared better but didn't make the grade for that team and (super)stars who were born in the 1980s.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so Patrick Roy fans, don't get too ruffled]


10. Doug Jarvis (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1975-82560

91

154

245

+10513

Decade best (Season)1981-8280202848

+344



Habs career (Playoffs)1976-82

72

11

20

31




14 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1979-8010

448


0





Strong defensive forward and big contributor to 1970s success. He won Selke after leaving Montreal.


9. Pierre Mondou (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1977-85548

194

262

456

+21525



Decade best (Season)1981-8273

35

33

68

+184



Habs career (Playoffs)1977-8569

17

28

45

(+11)2

3 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1983-8414

6

3

9

+81



A solid offensive contributor who lived in the shadows of some true greats.


8. Doug Risebrough (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1974-82493

117

185302

+15819

Decade best (Season)1981-8259

15

18

33

+232



Habs career (Playoffs)1975-8274

11

20

31




2

4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1981-825

2



1



3




0





A valuable contributor to the 1970s dynasty, he was still a very valuable member of the team that tried to showdown the Islanders and Oilers.


7. Rod Langway (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1978-82268

26

101

127+1604

AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)1981-8266

5

3439

+661

AS
Habs career (Playoffs)1979-82263

6

9




0

SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1979-8010

3

3

6




0





A prodigal talent with the Montreal Canadiens. One wonders what might have been.


6. Pierre Larouche (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1977-82236

110

126

236

+8110

Decade best (Season)1979-8073

50

41

91

+367



Habs career (Playoffs)1978-81224

13

17


2

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1979-809



1

7

8


0





Exceptional goalscoring talent who made a brief stop in Montreal.


5. Mario Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1974-86852

258

326

584

+18436



Decade best (Season)1981-828033

40

73

+244



Habs career (Playoffs)1975-8510120

29

49

(+5)4

4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1979-8010

0

11

11




0





A youngster from the dynasty years who came into his own in a leadership role during the 1980s. Only a career-ending injury stopped him from lifting one more Cup.


4. Bobby Smith (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1983-90505

172

310

482

+3430

AS
Decade best (Season)1985-8679

31

55

86

+107



Habs career (Playoffs)1984-90107

38

46

84

-1

6

SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1988-8921

11

8

19

+11



A big-game player with a talent for passing and scoring. Led the line for the Habs in the late 1980s.


3. Chris Chelios (Top 100 all-time, Profile)






























































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1983-9040272

237

309

+7414N, AS
Decade best (Season)1988-898015

58

73

+356

N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)1984-9098

16

52

68

+82

SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1988-8921

415

19

+22





The new anchor of the Habs blueline really came into his own in his last few years in Montreal.


2. Mats Naslund (Top 100 all-time, Profile)































































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1982-90617243

369612

+12034

LB, AS
Decade best (Season)1985-868043

67

110+117

AS
Habs career (Playoffs)1983-9097

34

57

91

+59

SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1986-8717

7

15

22

-1

3





The Canadiens first European superstar and last 100-point scorer.


1. Guy Carbonneau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)































































Years(s)GPGAPts+/-GWGAwards*
Habs career (Season)1980-94912221

326

547

+15833

3 FS
Decade best (Season)1988-8979

2630

56+3710

FS
Habs career (Playoffs)1983-94161

30

43

173+36

2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)1985-8620

7

5

12

+91SC


Carbonneau, in retrospect, inherited the torch passed from one great Quebecois star to the next for 50 years. His defensive forward tag often clouds the fact that he was a fine scorer who knew how to show people what clutch play meant more than most. The second face of the forgotten mini dynasty of late 1980s and early 1990s.



* Awards: AS= N = Norris; FS = Frank Selke; LB = Lady Byng; All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup.

No comments:

Post a Comment