It's a longstanding belief in hockey that the goalie is the most important playoff performer. While there is definite truth to that belief, in recent years I've come to believe that a dominant defenseman is actually more important. If a team possesses a player who can routinely thwart attacks, fire 100mph slapshots on the powerplay, and log 30+ min/game, that team will go far. Going back twelve years, I found only two Stanley Cup Champions who did not have a dominant defenseman who fit that bill - Tampa Bay Lightning in '03-'04 and Carolina Hurricanes in '05-'06. Those teams did, however, have the dominant goalies. The other winners:
- '07-'08 Red Wings - Nick Lidstrom
- '06-'07 Ducks - Chris Pronger
- '02-'03 Devils - Scott Stevens / Scott Niedermeyer
- '01-'02 Red Wings - Nick Lidstrom
- '00-'01 Avalanche - Rob Blake / Ray Bourque
- '99-'00 Devils - Scott Stevens (and Niedermeyer)
- '98-'99 Stars - Sergei Zubov
- '97-'98 Red Wings - Nick Lidstrom
- '96-'97 Red Wings - Nick Lidstrom
- '95-'96 Avalanche - Adam Foote
And the list could continue. The Niedermeyer/Stevens combo proved especially potent. This raises another question as to the true ability of Martin Brodeur. How much of Brodeur's success has been due to the great defense of Niedermeyer/Stevens? How much due to the trap? Statistically, Brodeur has fared well in the regular season without the two dominant d-men, but he's suffered dramatically in the playoffs. Since Stevens retired, Brodeur hasn't posted a sub-2 goals-against average. With Stevens, Brodeur achieved that stat seven out of nine times!
This brings me to Chris Pronger - perhaps the most dominant d-man in the game today. Since trading Pronger in '04, St. Louis hasn't challenged for the playoffs let alone the Cup. In his one year with Edmonton, Pronger led them to the Finals. Then they traded him to Anaheim, and they won the damn thing. Edmonton hasn't been to the playoffs since. Suffice it to say, Pronger is damn good and damn effective. He brings the pain on defense and provides the power on the power play. Assisting Pronger will be perhaps the best overall defense in the NHL, including Scott Niedermeyer. The Red Wings counter with the former best d-man in the league, Lidstrom. He's got help too, in the form of Rafalski and Brad Stuart and, up-n-comer, Nick Kronwall. While the fans and pundits will be comparing the travails of the goalies, Osgood and Hiller, the Cup will be decided by the d-men.
Public enemy #1
I don't disagree with a single word of this posting, but would like to add that the 00-01 Avs were more helped by the defensive presence (and offense) of Rob Blake, than by the legendary Av, Ray Bourke. The other key to this series, as I see it, is the guy behind the bench. This is exactly the type of series that Mr. Ilitch hired Babcock. It should be a great series, and one that should provide some great hockey, but as the man said "that puck don't lie, eh."
ReplyDeleteForgot about Blake. Updated. Good call.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the dripping sarcasm of the phrase "legendary Av" was not lost on me. Heh heh.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of the legendary Red Wing Wendell Clark...