In the wake of announcements made by Gary Bettman about the seriousness that the NHL is going to start ascribing to head hits, this week the NHL Wheel of Justice assessed Dany Heatley 2 games for a deliberate (if not very injurious) elbow to the head of Steve Ott, Lecavalier was handed a game misconduct for a deliberate high-stick to PK Subban’s head, and even Bruin Brad Marchand is getting a suspension for an unpenalized play. Given that the GMs have just finished a meeting specifically addressing concussions and head hits (among other things), it’s worth asking whether the league has done enough to address what a lot of hockey minds seem to think is a key issue facing the game today?
Ken Dryden, Habs legend and one of the more intelligent players to ever grace the game, had a very smart piece in the Globe and Mail last Friday where he compares today’s perceptions of head hits to yesteryear’s perceptions of the health risks of smoking (i.e. none) and asks the question: "How could we be so stupid?" This is a valid point, and 20 or 30 years from now I think many doctors and family members will be asking the same question. It is all too easy to think of our players as gladiators and heroes, and that head trauma is just part of earning their stripes; part of the the job.
This certainly seems to be the outlook of the NHL executive committee, with very little about head hits and concussions coming of this week’s GM meeting. What we got was a very public 5-point "action plan" from Gary Bettman after the first day, which seemingly calmed sponsors by making it sound like the league is really going to do something. My feelings are obviously a little mixed on the subject. I certainly hate their data on the source of concussions – especially the category labelled "accidental hits." According to their classifications, the Chara hit would have been "accidental" simply because it wasn’t ruled as intentional (i.e. suspension-worthy) by the executive, and I don’t think this provides a very meaningful representation of the data.
One point I was very happy with, and that was the new protocol for determining what constituted a potential concussion threat and how the teams are expected to react. Clear rules are set for what scenario requires an intervention by the team doctor, and the player is removed to “a quiet place free from distraction” for examination with a validated acute concussion assessment tool. These are good steps, most of all because they are clear, logical, and will probably improve the prognosis for players with concussions dramatically. In fact, the only way that this could be better is if doctors had an obligation to share data from tests (maybe at season’s end) for use in evaluating how various rule or equipment changes affect concussion rates.
The rest of the list I’m less excited about. The first item is for Brendan Shanahan to lead an investigation into whether equipment size can be reduced without compromising safety. I think that the answer is a resounding “yes.” Equipment size has grown rather dramatically over the past three decades, mostly in the name of player safety. However, I wonder whether this has backfired somewhat; protection against higher forces seems to have encouraged harder hits, and likely leads to less forgiving impacts between players. It is important to remember that no equipment can protect a player completely from injury, however, and that changes made at a cultural level might be more effective in reducing concussions.
The second, related, item is the naming of Joe Nieuwendyk, Rob Blake, Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan to a committee investigating concussions and concussion-related issues. I have tremendous respect for all of these men as hockey players, but have less faith their ability to ask smart, testable questions about why concussions have been on the rise, and supervise the data collection and analysis required for this job. I’m biased, being a scientist, but I’d like to see people who do this kind of analysis for a living doing this work.
Which brings me to the next point, which is the hiring of an independent safety consulting team to tour the 30 NHL arenas to ensure they conform to the highest safety standards. My question is: how is this not a routine procedure for the league? The same could be said for the last point, which is penalizing teams as a whole for repeated offences by multiple players, though I can’t find anything saying 1) how many offences it takes to become a “repeat offender, or 2) how many “repeated offenders” would qualify as enough for a fine or other punishment.
What I hate most about this is that, unlike the new head injury protocol, it doesn’t seem to be clear, logical, or structured. It requires on-the-fly judgement calls that will lead to inconsistent rulings from referees and the disciplinary committee, which is why so many of us refer to them as the "Wheel of Justice." Inconsistency and judgement calls are ruining the punitive structure of the league both on the ice and in suspensions (although our friend Down Goes Brown seems to have the suspensions figured out). Decades of psychology research have shown that if punishment is not consistent, it doesn’t change behaviour, and that’s what we’re seeing on the ice.
My dad and I were talking about this last night, and came up with a good example: in the old days (for me this means the 1980s), 3 steps and leaving your feet meant a whistle and 2 minutes for charging. Now, charging is a rather abstract concept because, as Colin Campbell freely admits in his emails (remember those?), referees are more or less expected to be inconsistent by making calls based on the score, the number of previous penalties and the flow of the game. Bad judgement by the referee on some stickplay between Subban and Lacavalier in front of the net last night led to frustration and the eventual 2-handed blow to Subban’s face that saw Vinny ejected. It never should have gone that far, even if it meant 2 minutes for PK and none for Lacavalier.
I think overall the league has taken some steps in the right direction by introducing independent safety consultants, clear criteria for high-risk hits, and protocols for how deal with these hits. However, we’ve been taking a lot of steps in the wrong direction over the last couple years in terms of man-games lost to injury. Until the punitive structures are made more severe and consistent, I think we’ll continue to watch that stat rise.
Showing posts with label Dryden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dryden. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Canadiens Search For Scoring:
Call Up Veteran Darche
Yesterday all the media outlets announced, then confirmed that McGill alum Mathieu Darche had been called up by the big club ahead of the contest against St. Louis. It turns out the two people who voted for Darche in the survey are the winners. D'Agostini who received one vote (probably from himself) will be the loser...
It's a move that reflects the need to do something, anything, to get the other half of the team interested in this fight for points. It's a simple move that could do just that.
Proud day for McGill Redmen hockey
This promotion is a proud day for McGill Redmen hockey, and indeed as a former non-hockey playing sportsman for all Redmen. Already having the distinct honour of being the 10th McGill alum to make the NHL, Mathieu Darche will be now be the third graduate of one of Montreal's other historic institutions to play for its most historic institution.
The first players from McGill to don the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge were Jack McGill and Nels Crutchfield (Hockey Legends story) in the 1934-35 season. The last McGill Redman to play was McGill as he finished up in Montreal in 1937.
But the McGill links go further than that. Ken Dryden went to McGill University in 1973-74 (in the midst of his NHL career) to finish his law degree. He didn't play for the Redmen, though I'm sure they wouldn't have turned him down.
Before you scoff too hard at me lauding McGill, consider for a second the significance of that Redmen team. Started in 1877, it was the world's first, and now oldest, organized hockey team. The team from 1877 played in and won the very first organized hockey game to ever take place in the Victoria Skating rink (now a car rental business). Thought their NHL numbers look thin on the ground (especially recently) Redmen have also won the Stanley Cup 35 times, and that's not including coaches like Mike Babcock. And some NHL trophies owe their names to some Redmen alums too: Art Ross, Lester Patrick.
The Habs decided they would tap the local resource last spring when they snagged rising coaching star Guy Boucher from the Q. Boucher then reached back to McGill to recruit his associate and last year's Redmen coach Matin Raymond. they both in turn probably had a say in bringing in Darche. The trifecta of Redmen have done something in Hamilton, as the shaky team that we saw on the ice last season with Lever at the reins is now second in the AHL and vying for the goals against lead with defencemen we all thought were offense only and goalies we had written off as hopeless.
If the Habs can tap just a little piece of the Hamilton/McGill magic (maybe Darche knows of a system?) then reporters may soon be dreaming up playoff scenarios once again.
Just what he was signed for
I liked this signing all the way. In the summer, noting how Darche was signed before many homegrown players, I suspected the Martin Raymond hand at work. I think my initial feelings on the signing have been confirmed with his play so far in Hamilton:
Darche here for scoring, but not on second line
People around the team have been a bit excited about the mini slump endured by Plekanec and Cammalleri on the first/second line. While this has been an important factor in our recent difficulties, it's not the only problem.
As Tobalev noted in the previous game reports, and the Incredible Zero award acknowledged, tertiary scoring going as dry as the Mauritanian desert is just as big, if not a more troubling problem. Between "I try, so don't get at me" Pacioretty and "I was once a media darling" Lapierre, I think it's fair to say we expected more. I think Darche may just be the medicine to a) put Pacioretty where he belongs and b) wake Lapierre up from whatever he is currently doing.
Veteran reporters with more grudges than energy for reporting have already dismissed Darche off-hand as a career minor leaguer. While it is certainly true, what perhaps hasn't been considered is that he's been a pretty darn good minor leaguer, and one whose career was perhaps hampered by being developed by the most inept organization in recent NHL memory (the Doug MacLean Blue Jackets). Now, I wouldn't go as far to say that he would be a star today. However, one must question the eye for talent of that organization whose lone NHL survivor 9 years after joining Syracuse in 2000 was given a mere 34 games over 3 years in the NHL – this at a time when Patrick Traverse could have been a difference maker for the team.
The belief in Darche as a scorer is part borne from seeing him play and part borne from seeing him lead 5 of his 9 AHL teams in goalscoring. It's also got a bit to do with the fact he's the G/game leader in Hamilton right now. Here's the basic low-down on the player from hockeydb. Highlights to note include 73 games played with the Lightning two seasons ago (his first sustained chance in the NHL) and all the 30+ goal seasons in the AHL.
I believe that the second line could benefit from having Darche, but may just catch a few good games with Bergeron while waiting for Sergei. Anyway, even if I'm wrong about Darche and he doesn't score a single goal – nothing is lost. He merely then adds his name to the lengthening list of players providing that unique set of statistics.
It's a move that reflects the need to do something, anything, to get the other half of the team interested in this fight for points. It's a simple move that could do just that.
Proud day for McGill Redmen hockey
This promotion is a proud day for McGill Redmen hockey, and indeed as a former non-hockey playing sportsman for all Redmen. Already having the distinct honour of being the 10th McGill alum to make the NHL, Mathieu Darche will be now be the third graduate of one of Montreal's other historic institutions to play for its most historic institution.
The first players from McGill to don the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge were Jack McGill and Nels Crutchfield (Hockey Legends story) in the 1934-35 season. The last McGill Redman to play was McGill as he finished up in Montreal in 1937.
But the McGill links go further than that. Ken Dryden went to McGill University in 1973-74 (in the midst of his NHL career) to finish his law degree. He didn't play for the Redmen, though I'm sure they wouldn't have turned him down.
Before you scoff too hard at me lauding McGill, consider for a second the significance of that Redmen team. Started in 1877, it was the world's first, and now oldest, organized hockey team. The team from 1877 played in and won the very first organized hockey game to ever take place in the Victoria Skating rink (now a car rental business). Thought their NHL numbers look thin on the ground (especially recently) Redmen have also won the Stanley Cup 35 times, and that's not including coaches like Mike Babcock. And some NHL trophies owe their names to some Redmen alums too: Art Ross, Lester Patrick.
The Habs decided they would tap the local resource last spring when they snagged rising coaching star Guy Boucher from the Q. Boucher then reached back to McGill to recruit his associate and last year's Redmen coach Matin Raymond. they both in turn probably had a say in bringing in Darche. The trifecta of Redmen have done something in Hamilton, as the shaky team that we saw on the ice last season with Lever at the reins is now second in the AHL and vying for the goals against lead with defencemen we all thought were offense only and goalies we had written off as hopeless.
If the Habs can tap just a little piece of the Hamilton/McGill magic (maybe Darche knows of a system?) then reporters may soon be dreaming up playoff scenarios once again.
Just what he was signed for
I liked this signing all the way. In the summer, noting how Darche was signed before many homegrown players, I suspected the Martin Raymond hand at work. I think my initial feelings on the signing have been confirmed with his play so far in Hamilton:
The Canadiens signed Mathieu on July 2nd, before they even put pen to paper with any of their own RFAs. In what may well be an AHL only signing, I think the Canadiens have picked up a nice piece here. And, if injuries do happen and you stare down the left wing depth chart and start to realise there isn't one, then it will be a relief to have Darche in the pocket for a call-up. After all, he has played over 100 NHL games, with one 73-game season 2 years ago. The timing of the move shows me Gainey was targeting Darche and was worried that other teams might also be interested.As most suspected, this was indeed a depth signing – one to ensure depth in Hamilton as well. But with injuries coming and solutions (at least ones the organization is willing to test) are running out. Darche was always the insurance against this, and the Habs are cashing it in now.
Darche here for scoring, but not on second line
People around the team have been a bit excited about the mini slump endured by Plekanec and Cammalleri on the first/second line. While this has been an important factor in our recent difficulties, it's not the only problem.
As Tobalev noted in the previous game reports, and the Incredible Zero award acknowledged, tertiary scoring going as dry as the Mauritanian desert is just as big, if not a more troubling problem. Between "I try, so don't get at me" Pacioretty and "I was once a media darling" Lapierre, I think it's fair to say we expected more. I think Darche may just be the medicine to a) put Pacioretty where he belongs and b) wake Lapierre up from whatever he is currently doing.
Veteran reporters with more grudges than energy for reporting have already dismissed Darche off-hand as a career minor leaguer. While it is certainly true, what perhaps hasn't been considered is that he's been a pretty darn good minor leaguer, and one whose career was perhaps hampered by being developed by the most inept organization in recent NHL memory (the Doug MacLean Blue Jackets). Now, I wouldn't go as far to say that he would be a star today. However, one must question the eye for talent of that organization whose lone NHL survivor 9 years after joining Syracuse in 2000 was given a mere 34 games over 3 years in the NHL – this at a time when Patrick Traverse could have been a difference maker for the team.
The belief in Darche as a scorer is part borne from seeing him play and part borne from seeing him lead 5 of his 9 AHL teams in goalscoring. It's also got a bit to do with the fact he's the G/game leader in Hamilton right now. Here's the basic low-down on the player from hockeydb. Highlights to note include 73 games played with the Lightning two seasons ago (his first sustained chance in the NHL) and all the 30+ goal seasons in the AHL.
I believe that the second line could benefit from having Darche, but may just catch a few good games with Bergeron while waiting for Sergei. Anyway, even if I'm wrong about Darche and he doesn't score a single goal – nothing is lost. He merely then adds his name to the lengthening list of players providing that unique set of statistics.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Game #29
Excellence Witness Excellence As Habs Turn 100
Details
Date: 4/12/09
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal
Win:5-1
Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (L), Rask
Habs goalscorers: Spacek, Cammalleri (3), Metropolit
Opposition goalscorers: Sobotka
Play of the game
5 goals goals, 2 jersey retirements and tons of other possibles here, but at the end of the day I have just one play in my mind. It happened in the first period with the Habs on the Power-Play. Marco Sturm went in alone on Carey Price, but the kid absolutely robbed him with his right toe. That kept the game at 0-0 and, I felt, ended up being the biggest turning point of all. Had that shot gone in I have a feeling we wouldn't have won, but instead it allowed us to stay level with Boston. A save in the first period can sometimes set the tone and tonight that is exactly what Carey, under the watchful eyes of Hodge, Dryden and Price, did.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
ForwardsMike Cammalleri - Game Puck
If someone was touched by the ceremonies tonight it would have been Mike. He obviously didn't want to send the tens of alumni home wondering what has become of their team, instead he wanted to show that, despite some recent poor results, we can still play with the best of them. 3 goals against Thomas to put him back on 40+ goal pace was just what the doctor ordered.
Scott Gomez
Unfortunately Plekanec has faded a bit since Scott's return, but at least Gomez has picked up the slack. Tonight he did it with 2 assists and some inspired play. I am not sure what Martin's plan is when Gionta gets back, but I would like to see the Habs, somehow, ice two competitive lines. That means we need Pleks and Kostitsyn firing as well, so we have to stop cutting their ice-time down as a 'wake-up' procedure.
Glen Metropolit
The enthusiasm on Glen's face after his goal says it all for me. This Toronto boy, although likely not a Habs fan until last spring, cares deeply about the history and prestige of this team. Scoring a 4-0 goal in a game that you have no real danger of losing wouldn't generally evoke that sort of excitement, but I am glad that it did as it shows some of our players have truly been caught up in all of the Centennial excitement.
Defencemen
Josh Gorges
Another player who I believe truly cares about the crest on his chest is Josh. To me, he is becoming one of our best team guys and, while I search for who may be our next captain, I often conclude that it could indeed be him. Tonight he played just about the most of any of our defenders (8 seconds less than Hamrlik) and ended the game at +3.
Jaroslav Spacek
When Markov comes back we will have a very nice player in Jaro slotting into the 3/4 spot (to be shared with Gorges). I can say that with confidence because, for the most part, he has done a formidable job as a #2/3 this season, especially recently. I think we were all hoping for more than 3 goals by now (he scored in this game), but we must also be happy with his defensive play which is certainly an upgrade from Souray, Schneider or Bergeron (of course Streit would be my ideal choice for this position).
Goaltender
Carey Price
What a shame that Carey didn't get a shutout as I felt that was going to be a fitting piece to this game. He played well enough to deserve one, but I think was the victim of a bit of a team-wide nap once we were up by 5. This game could have gone the other way as the Bruins out-shot and out-chanced us, but with 37 saves he made sure that all went home happy. It was especially nice to see him enter into the spirit of the game by sporting a special mask which paid tribute to the 6 best goalies in Habs history. I wonder if he himself will be featured on the bi-centennial version?
Comments
We have become so use to seeing ceremonies that I am almost sad to see them over with. The Habs nailed it, yet again tonight and it definitely brought back some nice feelings. It started with 20 Habs taking a warm-up in full gear. Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden (who hasn't worn equipment in 30+ years) strapped on the pads and took some shots. The players skating around would have made anyone a bit nostalgic as players like Lafleur, Lemieux, Naslund and Robinson were, at last, back in Habs gear. It was then on to introductions of even more alumni; these ones simply in shoes and a jersey. The likes of McPhee, Skrudland, Henri Richard, Beliveau and Moore were just a few of the stars on hand. Gordie Howe, in the wrong jersey, was also there as he represented the Rocket (bearing a shirt of his) as well as one of our greatest single rivals. That portion of the night concluded with the retiring of two more jerseys (I am told that this was the Molson's doing and it was a surprise for all, including the players involved); Emile Bouchard (3) and Elmer Lach (16). A neat bit of the ceremony was when O'Byrne removed his own #3 sweater and handed it over to the greatest to ever sport that jersey. Needless to say that Jay Leach's #20 was available as the Habs decided a third jersey retirement could wait. A team picture of close to 100 alumni and current players was next and will likely go down as the greatest gathering of Habs players of all time.
It was then onto the game where all in attendance just hoped that the Habs, for the first time this week, could compete. Well, compete they did and that all started with Carey Price. The kid got the ball rolling with a great save early on and that seemed to really get his teammates and the crowd into it. In fact, we would go onto score on the very same PP of that save and we never looked back. We had it all on this night - great goaltending, explosive offence, excellent special-teams (we killed off a couple of 5-on-3s including one that lasted a full 2 minutes) and most of all excitement. It was a great way to start our second century and I can only hope that the Habs can carry this inspired play into next week and beyond.
Top 100 Montreal Canadiens Players of All Time
Happy Birthday Montreal Canadiens!
As you know, we've been putting out some decade-by-decade lists of the Montreal Canadiens players from the last 100 years. The list I have for you today is the integrated version of the list, the list where you see whether I like Lafleur or Richard, Plante or Dryden, Malone or Gagnon.
I'm sure you'll all have some fun perusing the list. I encourage all to do it and come back to us with their own amendments, as the discussion today could not be about anything more than the history of the Habs – and with last night's debacle, the more distant, the better.
Just a quick note on how we came to this list. All the editorial team and some friends of Lions in Winter submitted a list and basically we averaged the picks. It was a very democratic process, and I think it shows. As a result, I think we've come up with a pretty good list. Having looked through the history in depth, i can tell you one thing – there have been more than 100 good players on this team, and picking between all of them is a sport in itself.
Without further ado, the 100:
Hope you enjoyed that. Do let us know where you stand, and include your top 10s if you can...
As you know, we've been putting out some decade-by-decade lists of the Montreal Canadiens players from the last 100 years. The list I have for you today is the integrated version of the list, the list where you see whether I like Lafleur or Richard, Plante or Dryden, Malone or Gagnon.
I'm sure you'll all have some fun perusing the list. I encourage all to do it and come back to us with their own amendments, as the discussion today could not be about anything more than the history of the Habs – and with last night's debacle, the more distant, the better.
Just a quick note on how we came to this list. All the editorial team and some friends of Lions in Winter submitted a list and basically we averaged the picks. It was a very democratic process, and I think it shows. As a result, I think we've come up with a pretty good list. Having looked through the history in depth, i can tell you one thing – there have been more than 100 good players on this team, and picking between all of them is a sport in itself.
Without further ado, the 100:
| LIW Ranking | Name | Position | Years |
100 | Ray Getliffe | C | 1939-45 |
99 | Billy Couture | D | 1916-20, 1921-26 |
98 | Craig Ludwig | D | 1982-90 |
97 | Brian Bellows | LW | 1992-95 |
96 | Gilles Tremblay | LW | 1960-69 |
95 | Ken Mosdell | C | 1954-56, 1957-59 |
94 | Shayne Corson | LW | 1985-92, 1996-2000 |
93 | Bill Reay | C | 1946-53 |
92 | Petr Svoboda | D | 1984-92 |
91 | Howard McNamara | D | 1915-16, 1919-20 |
90 | Floyd Curry | RW | 1947-58 |
89 | Marcel Bonin | LW | 1957-62 |
88 | Mark Napier | RW | 1978-84 |
87 | Claude Lemieux | LW | 1983-90 |
86 | Phil Goyette | C | 1957-63 |
85 | Eric Desjardins | D | 1988-95 |
84 | Jimmy Gardner | LW | 1913-15 |
83 | Doug Jarvis | C | 1975-82 |
82 | Pierre Bouchard | D | 1970-78 |
81 | Jim Roberts | D | 1963-77 |
80 | Denis Savard | C | 1990-93 |
79 | Mathieu Schneider | D | 1987-95, 2009 |
78 | Alfred Lepine | C | 1925-38 |
77 | Johnny Gagnon | RW | 1930-40 |
76 | Rejean Houle | LW | 1969-83 |
75 | Pierre Mondou | C | 1976-85 |
74 | Doug Risebrough | C | 1974-82 |
73 | Pierre Turgeon | C | 1994-96 |
72 | Albert Leduc | D | 1925-33, 1934-35 |
71 | Billy Boucher | RW | 1921-27 |
70 | Terry Harper | D | 1962-72 |
69 | Rod Langway | D | 1978-82 |
68 | Pierre Larouche | C | 1977-82 |
67 | John Ferguson | LW | 1963-71 |
66 | Yvon Lambert | LW | 1972-81 |
65 | Bobby Rousseau | RW | 1960-70 |
64 | Alexei Kovalev | RW | 2004-09 |
63 | Mario Tremblay | RW | 1974-86 |
62 | Andrei Markov | D | 2000- (Active) |
61 | Charlie Hodge | G | 1954-55, 1957-61, 1963-67 |
60 | Jean-Guy Talbot | D | 1954-67 |
59 | Mark Recchi | RW | 1994-99 |
58 | Odie Cleghorn | RW | 1918-25 |
57 | Kirk Muller | LW | 1991-95 |
56 | Dick Duff | LW | 1964-70 |
55 | Jose Theodore | G | 1995-2006 |
54 | Michel Larocque | G | 1973-81 |
53 | Albert Siebert | D (LW) | 1936-39 |
52 | Georges Mantha | D | 1928-41 |
51 | Herb Gardiner | D | 1926-29 |
50 | Ken Reardon | D | 1940-42, 1945-50 |
49 | Stephane Richer | RW | 1984-91, 1996-98 |
48 | Rogatien Vachon | G | 1966-72 |
47 | Bobby Smith | C | 1983-90 |
46 | Bud O'Connor | C | 1941-47 |
45 | Ralph Backstrom | C | 1956-71 |
44 | Bert Olmstead | LW | 1950-58 |
43 | Pete Mahovlich | C | 1969-78 |
42 | Joe Malone | C | 1917-19, 1922-24 |
41 | Chris Chelios | D | 1983-90 |
40 | Claude Provost | RW | 1955-70 |
39 | Jean-Claude Tremblay | D | 1959-72 |
38 | Frank Mahovlich | LW | 1970-74 |
37 | Sprague Cleghorn | D | 1921-25 |
36 | Jack Laviollette | D | 1909-18 |
35 | Vincent Damphousse | C | 1992-99 |
34 | Tom Johnson | D | 1947-63 |
33 | Mats Naslund | LW | 1982-90 |
32 | Lorne Worsley | G | 1963-70 |
31 | Guy Carbonneau | C | 1980-94 |
30 | Jacques Laperriere | D | 1962-74 |
29 | Steve Shutt | LW | 1972-85 |
28 | Saku Koivu | C | 1995-2009 |
27 | Georges Vezina | G | 1910-26 |
26 | Guy Lapointe | D | 1968-82 |
25 | Didier Pitre | RW | 1909-13, 1914-23 |
24 | Sylvio Mantha | D | 1923-36 |
23 | Emile Bouchard | D | 1941-56 |
22 | Jacques Lemaire | C | 1967-79 |
21 | Bill Durnan | G | 1943-50 |
20 | Aurele Joliat | LW | 1922-38 |
19 | Elmer Lach | C | 1940-54 |
18 | Dickie Moore | LW | 1951-63 |
17 | Yvan Cournoyer | RW | 1963-79 |
16 | Bob Gainey | LW | 1973-89 |
15 | George Hainsworth | G | 1926-37 |
14 | Henri Richard | C | 1955-75 |
13 | Bernard Geoffrion | RW | 1950-64 |
12 | Serge Savard | D | 1966-81 |
11 | Hector Blake | LW | 1935-48 |
10 | Patrick Roy | G | 1984-95 |
9 | Ken Dryden | G | 1970-79 |
8 | Edouard Lalonde | C | 1909-11, 1912-22 |
7 | Jacques Plante | G | 1952-63 |
6 | Doug Harvey | D | 1947-61 |
5 | Larry Robinson | D | 1972-89 |
4 | Howie Morenz | C | 1923-37 |
3 | Guy Lafleur | RW | 1971-85 |
2 | Maurice Richard | RW | 1942-60 |
1 | Jean Beliveau | C | 1950-71 |
Hope you enjoyed that. Do let us know where you stand, and include your top 10s if you can...
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Top 100 Habs By Decade:
1. 1969-1979
In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial tomorrow, 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.
This is the last in the series. if you want to find the other decades, you can use the archives or the link at the top of the home page.
The lates 1960s to late 1970s. Was there a headier time to be a sports fan in Montreal? Baseball moves in, the Olympics come to town (nearly twice if you consider Lake Placid is a 2-hour drive) and the Montreal Canadiens laid most of their competition to waste. The decade I define here has 6 Cups. It was nice to come into the decade on a run of 4 Cups in 5 years as well. 10 Cups in 15 years – it boggles the mind (are we sure they don't mean first-round appearances?).
The players to represent this elite time are all the toast of the Canadiens, with Hall-of-Fame in all of their email sign-offs. No other decade had so many Hall of Famers, no other decade would bump a two-time 100-point man to the bench. These are the final 10 names in this series.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – cross-decade stars like Laperriere have been given their dues, as you know]
10. Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A ready-made all star with a Hall of Fame nod already in the bag, Frank was brought in late in his career to bolster the Habs who were about to lose their top 2 centres.
9. Steve Shutt (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
On any other team, he might be the all-time goalscoring hero. 60 goals in 80 games led the league. For Latendresse fans, Shutt put the 14-goal man to shame with 52 ES goals that year.
8. Guy "Pointu" Lapointe (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The third corner of the Big Three, he had a definite knack for scoring goals, and important ones too.
7. Jacques "Coco" Lemaire (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Played the way he asks everyone of his players to play, with determination and intelligence. With typical efficiency, he retired on scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in 1979.
6. Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The archetypal Canadiens winger – speedy and quick-shooting goalscoring machine. His 1972-73 playoffs were magisterial.
5. Bob Gainey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Famously described as "technically, the best player in the world" by Russian coach Tarasov, Gainey was certainly the best in the world at defending as a shadow. In a league of Bobby Orrs and Bobby Clarkes, his role was just as valuable to the team as those ahead of him on this list.
4. Serge Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
If the Canadiens brass today could dream up a defender to anchor their team for the future, it would probably be Serge Savard. He could and did do everything, including adapt to the effects that 2 broken legs had on his once-great speed.
3. Ken Dryden (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Less career losses than a Vesa Toskala season. He must also be the only starting goalie in modern history to virtually double his losses with shutouts. In his 7-and-a-bit-year turn in the NHL, he won 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezinas and earned a law degree.
2. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
If we had the stats and ran a Corsi on it, what do you think 1976-77 would look like for +120 Larry Robinson? Robinson was key to the Canadiens adapting to the new Philadelphia Flyers domination of the league. His gaudy offensive numbers can't show on paper what a good defender he was.
1. Guy "Flower" Lafleur (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A goal more than every other game, a game-winning goal once in ten, this guy had the knack for scoring and scoring when it was called for. No one has more silverware in their Habs trophy cases than Guy, and with good reason.
* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; FS = Frank Selke trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; LP = Lester Pearson tropby; BM= Bill Masterton trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.
This is the last in the series. if you want to find the other decades, you can use the archives or the link at the top of the home page.
1969-1979
The lates 1960s to late 1970s. Was there a headier time to be a sports fan in Montreal? Baseball moves in, the Olympics come to town (nearly twice if you consider Lake Placid is a 2-hour drive) and the Montreal Canadiens laid most of their competition to waste. The decade I define here has 6 Cups. It was nice to come into the decade on a run of 4 Cups in 5 years as well. 10 Cups in 15 years – it boggles the mind (are we sure they don't mean first-round appearances?).
The players to represent this elite time are all the toast of the Canadiens, with Hall-of-Fame in all of their email sign-offs. No other decade had so many Hall of Famers, no other decade would bump a two-time 100-point man to the bench. These are the final 10 names in this series.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – cross-decade stars like Laperriere have been given their dues, as you know]
10. Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1970-74 | 263 | 129 | 181 | 310 | +104 | 14 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1971-72 | 76 | 43 | 53 | 96 | +42 | 4 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1971-74 | 49 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 0 | 2 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1970-71 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 0 | SC |
A ready-made all star with a Hall of Fame nod already in the bag, Frank was brought in late in his career to bolster the Habs who were about to lose their top 2 centres.
9. Steve Shutt (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1972-85 | 871 | 408 | 368 | 776 | +409 | 50 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 80 | 60 | 45 | 105 | +88 | 9 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1973-84 | 96 | 50 | 48 | 98 | (+5) | 5 | 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1976-77 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 3 | SC |
On any other team, he might be the all-time goalscoring hero. 60 goals in 80 games led the league. For Latendresse fans, Shutt put the 14-goal man to shame with 52 ES goals that year.
8. Guy "Pointu" Lapointe (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1968-82 | 777 | 166 | 406 | 572 | +347 | 20 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 77 | 25 | 51 | 76 | +69 | 6 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 2002-06 | 112 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 4 | 6 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1972-73 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1 | SC |
The third corner of the Big Three, he had a definite knack for scoring goals, and important ones too.
7. Jacques "Coco" Lemaire (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1967-79 | 853 | 366 | 469 | 835 | +349 | 58 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1972-73 | 77 | 44 | 51 | 95 | +59 | 5 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1968-79 | 145 | 61 | 78 | 139 | 11 | 8 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1978-79 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 2 | SC |
Played the way he asks everyone of his players to play, with determination and intelligence. With typical efficiency, he retired on scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in 1979.
6. Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1963-79 | 968 | 428 | 435 | 863 | (+272) | (68) | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1971-72 | 73 | 47 | 36 | 83 | +23 | 5 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1965-78 | 147 | 64 | 63 | 127 | (12) | 10 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1972-73 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 3 | CS, SC |
The archetypal Canadiens winger – speedy and quick-shooting goalscoring machine. His 1972-73 playoffs were magisterial.
5. Bob Gainey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1973-89 | 1160 | 239 | 262 | 501 | +196 | 34 | 4 FS, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1978-79 | 79 | 20 | 18 | 28 | +11 | 1 | FS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1974-89 | 182 | 25 | 48 | 73 | (-4) | 7 | CS, 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1978-79 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 1 | CS, SC |
Famously described as "technically, the best player in the world" by Russian coach Tarasov, Gainey was certainly the best in the world at defending as a shadow. In a league of Bobby Orrs and Bobby Clarkes, his role was just as valuable to the team as those ahead of him on this list.
4. Serge Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1966-81 | 917 | 100 | 312 | 412 | +492 | 13 | BM, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1974-75 | 80 | 20 | 40 | 60 | +71 | 2 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1968-81 | 130 | 19 | 49 | 68 | 6 | CS, 8 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1975-76 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | SC |
If the Canadiens brass today could dream up a defender to anchor their team for the future, it would probably be Serge Savard. He could and did do everything, including adapt to the effects that 2 broken legs had on his once-great speed.
3. Ken Dryden (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | W | L | T | GAA | SO | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1970-79 | 397 | 258 | 57 | 74 | 2.24 | 46 | C, 5 V, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 56 | 41 | 6 | 8 | 2.14 | 10 | V, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1971-79 | 112 | 80 | 32 | 0 | 2.40 | 10 | 6 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1970-71 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 3.00 | 0 | CS, SC |
Less career losses than a Vesa Toskala season. He must also be the only starting goalie in modern history to virtually double his losses with shutouts. In his 7-and-a-bit-year turn in the NHL, he won 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezinas and earned a law degree.
2. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1972-89 | 1202 | 197 | 686 | 883 | +700 | 29 | 2 N, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1976-77 | 77 | 19 | 66 | 85 | +120 | 3 | N, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1973-89 | 203 | 25 | 109 | 134 | (+6) | 3 | CS, 6 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1977-78 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 0 | CS, SC |
If we had the stats and ran a Corsi on it, what do you think 1976-77 would look like for +120 Larry Robinson? Robinson was key to the Canadiens adapting to the new Philadelphia Flyers domination of the league. His gaudy offensive numbers can't show on paper what a good defender he was.
1. Guy "Flower" Lafleur (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1971-85 | 961 | 518 | 728 | 1246 | +477 | 93 | 2 H, 3 AR, 3 LP, AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1977-78 | 78 | 60 | 72 | 132 | +73 | 12 | H, AR, LP, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1972-84 | 124 | 57 | 76 | 133 | (-2) | 14 | CS, 5 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1976-77 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 2 | CS, SC |
A goal more than every other game, a game-winning goal once in ten, this guy had the knack for scoring and scoring when it was called for. No one has more silverware in their Habs trophy cases than Guy, and with good reason.
* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; FS = Frank Selke trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; LP = Lester Pearson tropby; BM= Bill Masterton trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Habs Leafs
Guest Preview
One of the wonderful benefits that the Score Sports Federation provides us with is a natural set of bloggers to argue and share thoughts with about hockey and the NHL in Canada. Ahead of only the second all-Canadian meeting for the Habs since LIW joined the Federation, I spoke with Sean of Down Goes Brown about the Leafs, our rivalry and the game tonight.
I put a few questions to Sean about some obvious topics and some that hopefully are not so obvious. Read on to see his responses.
Sean also put some very creative and cleverly worded questions to me, you can see my answers on his site now.
Q1) We look at your team a foreign fans and think Kaberle, Toskala and Antropov... Can you tell us from a Leafs perspective who the players to look for tonight will be?
Sean: Nik Hagman is just a solid, smart player who can skate and score and play defense. He's been the best of Fletcher's acquisitions. Jonas Frogren is a crazy Nordic viking on the blueline who doesn't score much, but is the sort of guy who likes to block shots with his face. Dominic Moore is having a career year on the checking line - he's got great wheels, and will continue to contribute until he's dealt at the deadline for a second round pick.
Also, this Grabovski kid isn't bad. You've probably never heard of him.
Q2) By the same token, who are the players you as Leafs key on when you think of a match up with the 2008-09 Canadiens (if you recognize anyone on our roster anymore)?
Sean: Well, the main guy we'll be keying on is Tom Kostopoulos. He's going down. You do not want to get into a "hitting-from-behind" battle with a team that employs Ryan Hollweg. Kostopoulos better hope that whichever purse he steals this week has a gun in it.
Other than that, we watch for the usual suspects: Koivu, Kovalev, Lang, and all the various other divers. And of course, we'll try to convince Carey Price it's a playoff game so that he'll completely wet the bed.
Q3) We have an interesting history between our teams. But in all honesty, is this rivalry petering out a bit? Do you hate the Canadiens as much as perhaps you used to?
Sean: The rivalry has been pretty dormant since it's been a while since both teams were good at the same time. But it's still easily the Leafs best rivalry. There have been occasional mini-rivalries like the Senators, but at the end of the day nobody cares about Ottawa. I get more excited for Habs games than any other team, by far.
All that said, here's the weird thing: I don't actually hate the Habs, or their fans. I hate plenty of other teams, but there's a grudging respect for Montreal. The Senators could fold tomorrow and no Leaf fan would care, but the Habs are different. The rivalry still feels like it means something, and I hope it heats up again soon.
Q4) Mats Sundin. Open wound, I know. Would you have taken him back if he turned down Vancouver?
Sean: Leaf fans don't agree on Sundin, but virtually nobody wanted him back. Half of us are too mad at him, and the other half know that this season is about a high draft pick and Sundin would only hurt that. If he had re-signed after the deadline, or even during the summer, we would have welcomed him back. But once he finished taking fishing trips or shilling for gambling web sites and got around to actually thinking about hockey in November, he was dead to me. I look forward to him faking an injury to get out of the Canucks/Leaf game in February.
Q5) If you're not in the playoffs, I'm assuming you hope for a lottery position. Let's say the chips fall for you: Hedman or Tavares?
Sean: After watching the World Juniors, I've been sporting a Tav-erection for two straight weeks. Besides, the Leafs have far more blue-chip defensive prospects than we do forwards. Which is to say, we currently have one blue-chip defensive prospect.
Q6) Will Justin Pogge crack it soon? How bad will the save percentages have to be to pull the trigger on that? It looks to us, the casual observers, like you have a David Aebischer situation on your hands.
Sean: Pogge should play regularly in the NHL when he's ready, and it suits his development path. That's the only criteria. Toskala has been shaky this year, and Joseph has been brutal, but that doesn't matter this year. It's about the future, so if Pogge isn't ready then he should be in the AHL. And that's especially true since he hasn't been all that sharp the past few years, and is starting to look like he may not be the blue-chip prospect we were hoping for.
And if Toskala is traded and Joseph plays so badly the rest of the year that we drop into last place overall, well, that's a risk we'll just have to take. Cough.
Finally, as with the Calgary preview, we had a look at some players, people and places that mean something to either side. I asked both Sean from Down Goes Brown and our own Tobalev to state whatever came to mind (in a word or two) when they read the following list (the answers are good):
a) Shayne Corson
Sean (Leafs): Head-kicker
Tobalev (Habs): Bar fights
b) Jonas Hoglund
Sean (Leafs): Sundin's excuse
Tobalev (Habs): How was he good on the Leafs?
c) Ken Dryden
Sean (Leafs): Stop talking
Tobalev (Habs): Could have been the best ever
d) LA Kings
Sean (Leafs): Kerry Fraser high stick gretzky scores ears bleeding can't stop cutting myself argh i hate you...
Tobalev (Habs): 1993 Finals collapse
e) Conn Smythe
Sean (Leafs): Maple Leaf Gardens
Tobalev (Habs): Patrick Roy
Never one to shy away from controversial statements, apparently. Thanks Sean for taking part. As for you dear readers, Down Goes Brown is a great blog to get the pre-game and post-game analysis from the Leaf perspective and to correct Sean about some of his wild claims regarding the Habs (or just generally mock because he had to mention Dominic Moore in an answer about best players).
I put a few questions to Sean about some obvious topics and some that hopefully are not so obvious. Read on to see his responses.
Sean also put some very creative and cleverly worded questions to me, you can see my answers on his site now.
Q1) We look at your team a foreign fans and think Kaberle, Toskala and Antropov... Can you tell us from a Leafs perspective who the players to look for tonight will be?
Sean: Nik Hagman is just a solid, smart player who can skate and score and play defense. He's been the best of Fletcher's acquisitions. Jonas Frogren is a crazy Nordic viking on the blueline who doesn't score much, but is the sort of guy who likes to block shots with his face. Dominic Moore is having a career year on the checking line - he's got great wheels, and will continue to contribute until he's dealt at the deadline for a second round pick.
Also, this Grabovski kid isn't bad. You've probably never heard of him.
Q2) By the same token, who are the players you as Leafs key on when you think of a match up with the 2008-09 Canadiens (if you recognize anyone on our roster anymore)?
Sean: Well, the main guy we'll be keying on is Tom Kostopoulos. He's going down. You do not want to get into a "hitting-from-behind" battle with a team that employs Ryan Hollweg. Kostopoulos better hope that whichever purse he steals this week has a gun in it.
Other than that, we watch for the usual suspects: Koivu, Kovalev, Lang, and all the various other divers. And of course, we'll try to convince Carey Price it's a playoff game so that he'll completely wet the bed.
Q3) We have an interesting history between our teams. But in all honesty, is this rivalry petering out a bit? Do you hate the Canadiens as much as perhaps you used to?
Sean: The rivalry has been pretty dormant since it's been a while since both teams were good at the same time. But it's still easily the Leafs best rivalry. There have been occasional mini-rivalries like the Senators, but at the end of the day nobody cares about Ottawa. I get more excited for Habs games than any other team, by far.
All that said, here's the weird thing: I don't actually hate the Habs, or their fans. I hate plenty of other teams, but there's a grudging respect for Montreal. The Senators could fold tomorrow and no Leaf fan would care, but the Habs are different. The rivalry still feels like it means something, and I hope it heats up again soon.
Q4) Mats Sundin. Open wound, I know. Would you have taken him back if he turned down Vancouver?
Sean: Leaf fans don't agree on Sundin, but virtually nobody wanted him back. Half of us are too mad at him, and the other half know that this season is about a high draft pick and Sundin would only hurt that. If he had re-signed after the deadline, or even during the summer, we would have welcomed him back. But once he finished taking fishing trips or shilling for gambling web sites and got around to actually thinking about hockey in November, he was dead to me. I look forward to him faking an injury to get out of the Canucks/Leaf game in February.
Q5) If you're not in the playoffs, I'm assuming you hope for a lottery position. Let's say the chips fall for you: Hedman or Tavares?
Sean: After watching the World Juniors, I've been sporting a Tav-erection for two straight weeks. Besides, the Leafs have far more blue-chip defensive prospects than we do forwards. Which is to say, we currently have one blue-chip defensive prospect.
Q6) Will Justin Pogge crack it soon? How bad will the save percentages have to be to pull the trigger on that? It looks to us, the casual observers, like you have a David Aebischer situation on your hands.
Sean: Pogge should play regularly in the NHL when he's ready, and it suits his development path. That's the only criteria. Toskala has been shaky this year, and Joseph has been brutal, but that doesn't matter this year. It's about the future, so if Pogge isn't ready then he should be in the AHL. And that's especially true since he hasn't been all that sharp the past few years, and is starting to look like he may not be the blue-chip prospect we were hoping for.
And if Toskala is traded and Joseph plays so badly the rest of the year that we drop into last place overall, well, that's a risk we'll just have to take. Cough.
Finally, as with the Calgary preview, we had a look at some players, people and places that mean something to either side. I asked both Sean from Down Goes Brown and our own Tobalev to state whatever came to mind (in a word or two) when they read the following list (the answers are good):
a) Shayne Corson
Sean (Leafs): Head-kicker
Tobalev (Habs): Bar fights
b) Jonas Hoglund
Sean (Leafs): Sundin's excuse
Tobalev (Habs): How was he good on the Leafs?
c) Ken Dryden
Sean (Leafs): Stop talking
Tobalev (Habs): Could have been the best ever
d) LA Kings
Sean (Leafs): Kerry Fraser high stick gretzky scores ears bleeding can't stop cutting myself argh i hate you...
Tobalev (Habs): 1993 Finals collapse
e) Conn Smythe
Sean (Leafs): Maple Leaf Gardens
Tobalev (Habs): Patrick Roy
Never one to shy away from controversial statements, apparently. Thanks Sean for taking part. As for you dear readers, Down Goes Brown is a great blog to get the pre-game and post-game analysis from the Leaf perspective and to correct Sean about some of his wild claims regarding the Habs (or just generally mock because he had to mention Dominic Moore in an answer about best players).
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Careers of Numbers: Amazing Habs Feats
This week is a rare chance for the Habs and their families to be together for an extended period over the holidays. It is rare that we don't have a game on the 23rd or 26th. That, of course, also means that these are slow times for us here at Lions in Winter as there is little going on in Habsworld.
We have, however, been conducting some research for an upcoming piece on the greatest players in team history and through that we have stumbled across some very astounding and fun stats. The following is a list of 20 achievements over the Habs career of certain players. Some you may know, some may be news to you, but I urge you, nevertheless, to take a look and remember just how good of a team we have been over the past 99 years.
Centres
Newsy Lalonde
We don't hear much about the Habs' first star, but before Morenz there was Lalonde. He only suited up for the team in a total of 218 games, but during that time he accumulated 353 points. He played in the inaugural season and went on to play in 11 of the first 12. He led the team 9 times in regular season scoring and led the league a total of 3 times.
Howie Morenz
Among Howie's major achievements are the fact that he led the Habs in both goals and points a total of 7 times each - twice he led the league. More impressive was the fact that he won an astonishing 3 Hart trophies as league MVP; more than any other Hab.
Henri Richard
The pocket-rocket was team captain for 4 years, is a hall-of-famer and is one of the very few to have his shirt hanging from the rafters. The one stat, however, that I believe he will never lose or share is the fact that he won 11 Stanley Cups. Just think of that for a second, think of Roy and his 4, Gretzky and his 4, Messier and his 6 and it just makes this that much more special.
Jacques Lemaire
Before the trap in New Jersey there was a fire-wagon in Montreal, and, don't be fooled, Jacques was definitely among the flying frenchmen. His 139 career playoff points ranks second in team history, only le Gros Bill has more.
Saku Koivu
Koivu will hopefully, if we get him signed, become the longest ever serving captain in team history. Saku's leadership, however, extends beyond the ice. In 2006 he became the only player in team history to win the league's King Clancy Award, given annually, since 1988, to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.
Right Wingers
Didier Pitre
Don't be alarmed if this name isn't familiar as I too learned it for the first time a few days ago. In 274 games alongside Lalonde on the earliest versions of the Habs (playoffs included) he managed 296 points for a point/game average of 1.08. He ranks 4th all-time on the team in points/game, of players who have played at least 250 games, behind Lafleur, Frank Mahovolich and Beliveau.
Claude Provost
Claude ranks 5th all-time in games played for the Habs and most notable has played more games in the bleu-blanc-rouge than any other right winger - notably Maurice Richard, Lafleur and Cournoyer.
Yvan Cournoyer
Of all the impressive stats that the roadrunner put up in his career one in particular stands out to me. He is the all-time leader in playoff game-winning goals with 15. I really don't know if there is more crucial stat than that at the end of the day.
Chris Nilan
When you think of Chris you think of knuckles, fighting and thus PIM. However, did you realize he leads the Habs in all-time penalty minutes by over 1000 minutes over his next closest rival; Shayne Corson. Nilan averaged over 4 minutes in the box, per game, during his Hab career.
Left Wingers
Toe Blake
The coach right? Well before the coach came the player. Did you know there are only 6 players in team history to lead the team in scoring at least 5 times? 4 of those players are now immortalized in bronze outside the Bell Centre, the others are Lalonde and Toe Blake. Blake holds the distinction of being the only LW to achieve this feat.
Bob Gainey
Was Scotty Bowman a LW too? Apparently great hockey minds started their journeys on the left sides of ice rinks. Once called the greatest player in the world by the Soviets (at a time when they were also playing against Lafleur, Dryden, Orr, Esposito etc.), Bob has the distinction of having a trophy made for him. That trophy is the Selke; awarded annually to the best defensive forward. In all Bob won a league-record 4 of those and that doesn't include all the ones he would have won while he convincing the league he deserved such an honour.
Defencemen
Doug Harvey
Doug was regarded as the best defenceman in the world before a certain Bobby Orr came along, but still likely ranks in the top-5 of all time. In fact, many consider him the best player to ever suit up for Montreal. It, therefore, is no wonder that he has won an impressive 6 Norris trophies as the league's best defenceman - more than all other Habs combined.
Jacques Laperierre
I remember Jacques as a long time defensive coach for the Habs, but little did I know just how good of a player he had been. In all he played 779 games for the Habs and put his name on the Cup 5 times. He is the only defenceman in team history to ever win the Calder Trophy, as the league's best rookie. This trophy is usually reserved for forwards and goalies as defencemen usually take years to develop into NHL-capable blue-liners. In all the Calder has been won by 8 other defencemen, including Orr, Potvin, Bourque and Leetch.
Larry Robinson
I took an interest in the career +/- of Habs players and I found that the top-ranked player is miles apart from Sheldon Souray, whose -44 ranks as a team worst. Larry's +/- is a whopping +700! I can't even believe how that is possible as it ranks over 200 points better than any other player in team history. Robinson clearly was a lot more than a big hitter and high point-getter.
Goaltenders
Bill Durnan
Luongo isn't the only goalie to be the captain of a team. In fact, we had 2: Vezina and Durnan. Bill, however, seems to be one of those players that has got lost in the history books. Few Habs fans would put him on a top-5 of our team's all-time best goalies as few even know the name. His most impressive stat, however, could change a few minds. He played over 200 games less than Plante with the Habs, but matched his 6 Vezina trophies nonetheless.
Jacques Plante
The numbers would probably suggest Plante was the Habs' best ever goalie and he may very well be the best the league has ever seen. Despite all the accolades there was still one number that amazed me. In 646 career games he recoded 68 shutouts - more than 1 every 10 games.
Ken Dryden
He came in at the top and left even higher. In only 8 years he accomplished more than any other goalie before or since. His Stanley Cups and 5 Vezina Trophies are mind-boggling considering the length of his career. I was most taken, however, by his 0.737 winning %. In every 2 games he played he came away with about 3 points - forget losing streaks!
Jose Theodore
We all know the drama that came with Jose, but at his core there was a fantastic goalie. Rarely has that player been seen since the 2002 season, but so long as he isn't facing the Habs I hope he one day rebounds with the Capitals to the form we all know he had. In that magical season of 2002 he became the 12th Hab goalie to win the Vezina, but more impressively was just the second (Plante) to win the Hart as the league's MVP. We waited 24 years to win this trophy, our longest ever wait, let's hope the next one comes a bit sooner.
Cristobal Huet
Of all the great goalies we've had few have impressed me the way Cristo did. He was a fierce competitor and a true gentleman. But, above all he was an excellent goalie. He, in fact, is the Habs all-time leader in save % as he is the only player to stop 92% of shots he faced.
A Question
The last of the 20 pieces on numbers is something that has always bothered me. According to my NHL guide (1995-1996) the Canadiens had at that time retired 2 more numbers than they now claim to have done. Along with the 15 players we honour now, I believe there are 2 that we are forgetting. Both Aurele Joliat (4) and Elmer Lach (16) had, according to the league, their sweaters retired. These 2 players' career numbers would leave any other team calling them franchise players and even on the Habs I believe they are amongst that illustrious group. If anyone knows the story behind all of this I would love to hear it.
That is all for now. From us hear at Lions have a great Christmas and we'll be back in touch on Saturday as the Habs get back at 'er.
We have, however, been conducting some research for an upcoming piece on the greatest players in team history and through that we have stumbled across some very astounding and fun stats. The following is a list of 20 achievements over the Habs career of certain players. Some you may know, some may be news to you, but I urge you, nevertheless, to take a look and remember just how good of a team we have been over the past 99 years.
Centres
Newsy Lalonde
We don't hear much about the Habs' first star, but before Morenz there was Lalonde. He only suited up for the team in a total of 218 games, but during that time he accumulated 353 points. He played in the inaugural season and went on to play in 11 of the first 12. He led the team 9 times in regular season scoring and led the league a total of 3 times.
Howie Morenz
Among Howie's major achievements are the fact that he led the Habs in both goals and points a total of 7 times each - twice he led the league. More impressive was the fact that he won an astonishing 3 Hart trophies as league MVP; more than any other Hab.
Henri Richard
The pocket-rocket was team captain for 4 years, is a hall-of-famer and is one of the very few to have his shirt hanging from the rafters. The one stat, however, that I believe he will never lose or share is the fact that he won 11 Stanley Cups. Just think of that for a second, think of Roy and his 4, Gretzky and his 4, Messier and his 6 and it just makes this that much more special.
Jacques Lemaire
Before the trap in New Jersey there was a fire-wagon in Montreal, and, don't be fooled, Jacques was definitely among the flying frenchmen. His 139 career playoff points ranks second in team history, only le Gros Bill has more.
Saku Koivu
Koivu will hopefully, if we get him signed, become the longest ever serving captain in team history. Saku's leadership, however, extends beyond the ice. In 2006 he became the only player in team history to win the league's King Clancy Award, given annually, since 1988, to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.
Right Wingers
Didier Pitre
Don't be alarmed if this name isn't familiar as I too learned it for the first time a few days ago. In 274 games alongside Lalonde on the earliest versions of the Habs (playoffs included) he managed 296 points for a point/game average of 1.08. He ranks 4th all-time on the team in points/game, of players who have played at least 250 games, behind Lafleur, Frank Mahovolich and Beliveau.
Claude Provost
Claude ranks 5th all-time in games played for the Habs and most notable has played more games in the bleu-blanc-rouge than any other right winger - notably Maurice Richard, Lafleur and Cournoyer.
Yvan Cournoyer
Of all the impressive stats that the roadrunner put up in his career one in particular stands out to me. He is the all-time leader in playoff game-winning goals with 15. I really don't know if there is more crucial stat than that at the end of the day.
Chris Nilan
When you think of Chris you think of knuckles, fighting and thus PIM. However, did you realize he leads the Habs in all-time penalty minutes by over 1000 minutes over his next closest rival; Shayne Corson. Nilan averaged over 4 minutes in the box, per game, during his Hab career.
Left Wingers
Toe Blake
The coach right? Well before the coach came the player. Did you know there are only 6 players in team history to lead the team in scoring at least 5 times? 4 of those players are now immortalized in bronze outside the Bell Centre, the others are Lalonde and Toe Blake. Blake holds the distinction of being the only LW to achieve this feat.
Bob Gainey
Was Scotty Bowman a LW too? Apparently great hockey minds started their journeys on the left sides of ice rinks. Once called the greatest player in the world by the Soviets (at a time when they were also playing against Lafleur, Dryden, Orr, Esposito etc.), Bob has the distinction of having a trophy made for him. That trophy is the Selke; awarded annually to the best defensive forward. In all Bob won a league-record 4 of those and that doesn't include all the ones he would have won while he convincing the league he deserved such an honour.
Defencemen
Doug Harvey
Doug was regarded as the best defenceman in the world before a certain Bobby Orr came along, but still likely ranks in the top-5 of all time. In fact, many consider him the best player to ever suit up for Montreal. It, therefore, is no wonder that he has won an impressive 6 Norris trophies as the league's best defenceman - more than all other Habs combined.
Jacques Laperierre
I remember Jacques as a long time defensive coach for the Habs, but little did I know just how good of a player he had been. In all he played 779 games for the Habs and put his name on the Cup 5 times. He is the only defenceman in team history to ever win the Calder Trophy, as the league's best rookie. This trophy is usually reserved for forwards and goalies as defencemen usually take years to develop into NHL-capable blue-liners. In all the Calder has been won by 8 other defencemen, including Orr, Potvin, Bourque and Leetch.
Larry Robinson
I took an interest in the career +/- of Habs players and I found that the top-ranked player is miles apart from Sheldon Souray, whose -44 ranks as a team worst. Larry's +/- is a whopping +700! I can't even believe how that is possible as it ranks over 200 points better than any other player in team history. Robinson clearly was a lot more than a big hitter and high point-getter.
Goaltenders
Bill Durnan
Luongo isn't the only goalie to be the captain of a team. In fact, we had 2: Vezina and Durnan. Bill, however, seems to be one of those players that has got lost in the history books. Few Habs fans would put him on a top-5 of our team's all-time best goalies as few even know the name. His most impressive stat, however, could change a few minds. He played over 200 games less than Plante with the Habs, but matched his 6 Vezina trophies nonetheless.
Jacques Plante
The numbers would probably suggest Plante was the Habs' best ever goalie and he may very well be the best the league has ever seen. Despite all the accolades there was still one number that amazed me. In 646 career games he recoded 68 shutouts - more than 1 every 10 games.
Ken Dryden
He came in at the top and left even higher. In only 8 years he accomplished more than any other goalie before or since. His Stanley Cups and 5 Vezina Trophies are mind-boggling considering the length of his career. I was most taken, however, by his 0.737 winning %. In every 2 games he played he came away with about 3 points - forget losing streaks!
Jose Theodore
We all know the drama that came with Jose, but at his core there was a fantastic goalie. Rarely has that player been seen since the 2002 season, but so long as he isn't facing the Habs I hope he one day rebounds with the Capitals to the form we all know he had. In that magical season of 2002 he became the 12th Hab goalie to win the Vezina, but more impressively was just the second (Plante) to win the Hart as the league's MVP. We waited 24 years to win this trophy, our longest ever wait, let's hope the next one comes a bit sooner.
Cristobal Huet
Of all the great goalies we've had few have impressed me the way Cristo did. He was a fierce competitor and a true gentleman. But, above all he was an excellent goalie. He, in fact, is the Habs all-time leader in save % as he is the only player to stop 92% of shots he faced.
A Question
The last of the 20 pieces on numbers is something that has always bothered me. According to my NHL guide (1995-1996) the Canadiens had at that time retired 2 more numbers than they now claim to have done. Along with the 15 players we honour now, I believe there are 2 that we are forgetting. Both Aurele Joliat (4) and Elmer Lach (16) had, according to the league, their sweaters retired. These 2 players' career numbers would leave any other team calling them franchise players and even on the Habs I believe they are amongst that illustrious group. If anyone knows the story behind all of this I would love to hear it.
That is all for now. From us hear at Lions have a great Christmas and we'll be back in touch on Saturday as the Habs get back at 'er.
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