Atd#8-ML 1st Round: #4 Renfrew Creamery Kings vs. #5 Windsor Spitfires

Mickey Ion Division Playoffs


Renfrew Creamery Kings

coach: Bun Cook
captain: Barney Stanley
alternates: Bob Davidson, Art Duncan
league co-MVP: Barney Stanley

Smokey Harris - Ernie Russell - Barney Stanley (C)
John Sorrell - Thomas Gradin - Lorne Carr
Bob Davidson (A) - Larry Patey - Doug Brown
Butch Keeling - Jason Arnott - Bob MacMillan
Terry Ruskowski

Mattias Ohlund - Art Duncan (A)
Frantisek Tikal - Bob Murdoch
Oldrich Machac - Richard Matvichuck
Bobby Rowe

Cesare Maniago
Evgeni Nabokov
Gary Smith



vs.



Windsor Spitfires

coach: Mike Babcock
captain: George Hay
alternates: Saku Koivu, Bill Goldsworthy
league MVP finalist: Bill Goldsworthy

George Hay (C) - Guy Chouinard - Bill Goldsworthy (A)
Jorgen Pettersson - Mike Ridley - Johnny Peirson
Nick Libett - Saku Koivu (A) - Al MacAdam
Jan Erixon - Mike Krushelnyski - Pentti Lund
Pete Stemkowski
Cecil Blanchford

Doug Barkley - Don Awrey
Gordie Roberts - Doug Crossman
Dan Boyle - Harold Snepsts
Shawn Chambers

Kelly Hrudey
Gilles Villemure

Renfrew Creamery Kings

PP1: Harris - Russell - Stanley - Tikal - Duncan
PP2: Sorrell - Arnott - Carr - Ohlund - Machac

PK1: Patey - Brown - Tikal - Murdoch
PK2: MacMillan - Davidson - Ohlund - Matvichuk

vs.

Windsor Spitfires

PP1: Hay - Chouinard - Goldsworthy - Barkley - Crossman
PP2: Pettersson - Ridley - Peirson - Boyle - Roberts

PK1: Erixon - Krushelnyski - Awrey - Barkley
PK2: Pettersson - Ridley - Roberts - Snepsts

I'm surprised nobody's posted yet on what could be the best playoff match-up in terms of equally talented underrated line-ups and the battle between two of the best players in the league, one a co-MVP and the other an MVP finalist.

The Creamery Kings captain is part a first line that has hall of famers renowned for scoring hat tricks! I call it The Hat Trick line and it is the most explosive line in the draft though not necessarily the most offensive or consistent.

The second line in Renfrew are playoff performers extraordinaire. They put some teams' second lines to shame in terms of offensive ability. The Spitfires will really have their hands full trying to contain these two lines, though they will be helped by the fact that the third line is built more to stop goals than to play two way, with the pk ability of Patey and Brown.

Windsor has the advantage of icing four lines that could score from the centre outward though they haven't as potent a transition game in terms of defensemen who can skate and pass the puck out of the defensive zone quickly.

Windsor's centres also won't be checked as closely as Renfrew's will, as certainly Gradin is not in Ridley or Koivu's class in this regard. Expect Renfrew to have to minimize turnovers as the Spitfires have the ability to capitalize on them.

The third pairing of Windsor is a bit irksome in that while it's modeled on the offensive d-man and defensive d-man model, Snepts is a bit too likely to wander to be a good fit for Boyle, and coach Babcock isn't exactly enamoured with *beep* disturbing style of hockey. Keeling and Arnott of Renfrew's backline might have some success against the duo off the rush and in the slot, those spaces between the blueline and goal crease that are open when a team's forwards haven't the time, speed or inclination to backcheck.

The Spitfires have a goaltender who has had more wins and much more playoff experience and success. It's hard to find anything in Cesare's advantage other than his size. He does have a cool name "Hail Cesare!" but Kelly has the cool headband. ;) That said, Renfrew has solid backups.

I have no idea why a team would need three goaltenders.
I think that the dairy-sponsored team has an advantage in offense. Saku Koivu is too small and fragile to be a true shutdown center, and Kelly Hrudey is not going to steal any games. As a Kings fan, I can honestly say that he is the worst goalie to take a team to the finals, and Roy vs. Hrudey is the most uneven goalie matchup in Stanley Cup history. Hrudey did not even start during all of the run, Robb "Blueline Bob" Stauber also played significant minutes.

Renfrew's checking line was probably underrated, and that's in spite of a pick that I consider a bit puzzling (nothing against Doug Smith, it's just that I'd never thought somebody would be thinking to draft him). Davidson got rocked by Richard. There is no Richard in this draft - luckily, nobody picked Jacques...and was the best defensive winger of the league from the day Murray Murdoch left untill WW2 end.

Spit, I considered Saku centering a kind-of 2way center. I'd also consider him a waaayyy better player offensively than Mike Ridley, but that may be just me.

The third pairing of Windsor is a bit irksome in that while it's modeled on the offensive d-man and defensive d-man model, Snepts is a bit too likely to wander to be a good fit for Boyle, and coach Babcock isn't exactly enamoured with *beep* disturbing style of hockey. Keeling and Arnott of Renfrew's backline might have some success against the duo off the rush and in the slot, those spaces between the blueline and goal crease that are open when a team's forwards haven't the time, speed or inclination to backcheck.

Well I'm not really into the whole debate why my team's better, but I'll answer the questions/concerns GMs have about my players.

Babcock should be able to whip Snepsts into shape, or else a very capable replacement is available in Chambers. He likes having an enforcer on his teams so that's why Snepsts is there, and to clear the front of the net on the pk.

I think that the dairy-sponsored team has an advantage in offense. Saku Koivu is too small and fragile to be a true shutdown center

He's not supposed to be, that's Krushelnyski's job. The 4th line is obviously the 'shutdown' line with Erixon and Lund on the wings. Libett-Koivu-MacAdam is a line that is supposed to score while playing sound defense.

Renfrew wins the series in 7 games

3 stars

1. Stanley
2. Goldsworthy
3. Hay

I thought this was the toughest series of them all to judge. Both teams were really well constructed, it's unfortunate one of them had to lose in the first round.

I thought this was the toughest series of them all to judge. Both teams were really well constructed, it's unfortunate one of them had to lose in the first round.
This was my toughest call, too. I had it at 7, but I thought goaltending was the difference. With the change in roster format in ATD 8, it left a lot of good goalies out there, and I don't think Hrudey is good enough to be a No. 1 goalie when you look at the goalie talent out there.