Atd#8-ML The James Creighton Cup Finals: Cincinnati Stingers vs. New York Americans

The James Creighton Memorial Cup Finals
The All-Time Draft #8 Minor League Championship

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Cincinnati Stingers
Mickey Ion Division Champions

coach: Peter Laviolette
captain: Gord Roberts
alternates: Al Arbour, Udo Kiessling
MVP finalist: Gord Roberts

Gord Roberts (C) - Pavel Datsyuk - Eddie Oatman
Martin Straka - Bob Gracie - Harry Hyland
Murray Murdoch - Cully Dahlstrom - Bill Ezinicki
Morris Lukowich - Andre Lacroix - Nikolai Drozdetsky
Marty Walsh, Nick Fotiu

Brad Maxwell - Al Arbour (A)
Andrei Markov - Howard McNamara
Udo Kiessling (A) - Uwe Krupp
Garth Boesch

Jim Henry
Bunny Laroque



vs.



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New York Americans
Sir Montagu Allan Division Champions

coach: Frank Patrick
captain: Hobey Baker
alternates: Boris Mayorov, Jeff Beukeboom
team MVP: Hobey Baker

Boris Mayorov (A) - Billy Taylor - Rick Kehoe
Alex Shibicky - Bill Thoms - Harry Oliver
Louis Berlinquette - Bruce MacGregor - Anders Kallur
Ethan Moreau - Stephane Yelle - Bobby Gould
Shawn Burr

Hobey Baker (C) - Battleship Leduc
Jeff Brown - Jeff Beukeboom (A)
Bert Marshall - Robyn Regehr
Bert McCaffrey

Paddy Moran
Henrik Lundqvist
Darren Puppa



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Cincinnati Stingers

PP1: Roberts - Datsyuk - Oatman - Markov - Maxwell
PP2: Lukowich - Lacroix - Hyland - Straka - Krupp

PK1: Murdoch - Dalhstrom - Kiessling - McNamara
PK2: Ezinicki - Gracie - Arbour - Krupp

vs.

New York Americans

PP1: Mayorov - MacGregor - Kehoe - Baker - Taylor
PP2: Shibicky - Thoms - Oliver - Brown - Leduc

PK1: Yelle - Gould - Marshall - Beukeboom
PK2: MacGregor - Moreau - Leduc - Regehr

I am struck by how both teams have great first pairings on the blueline and both have not so great second pairings:

hard to believe Krupp-Markov would have chemistry, and still not sold on Beukeboom as anything but a third pairing on any team.

This doesn't have much to do with the previous comment....

But the 2nd and 3rd pairings will look like

Markov - McNamara
Kiessling - Krupp

I remembered entering this change in the divisionnal Semis ...anyways..

fixed

I voted. :)

we are in the DISCUSSION phase, not voting yet!

you are a newbie so don't realize that usually there are several days of posts about a match-up before voting begins

Schedule:

Discussion: Monday to Thursday
Voting: Friday and Saturday
Results: Sunday

K?

I will try to find some time to post some thoughts tomorrow, but good luck to MXD and Jungosi. This is going to be a tough, hard fought series.

I am struck by how both teams have great first pairings on the blueline and both have not so great second pairings:

hard to believe Krupp-Markov would have chemistry, and still not sold on Beukeboom as anything but a third pairing on any team.

Beukeboom would do a good job offsetting a guy like Brown though, wouldn't he?

Beukeboom would do a good job offsetting a guy like Brown though, wouldn't he?
The thing is: he often went out of position to make a big hit. The physical side of his game would be helped by a pairing with a more responsible guy, not a bigger wanderer.

If coach Patrick can keep him disciplined and his play more conservative than yeah. A Brown-Beukeboom second pairing is a firestorm of activity, which could be very effective and very susceptible to broken plays.

Beukeboom got very few points on high powered Oilers teams because he was an 8 -10 minutes a game #5/#6 slot d-man, not a 20 minute second pairing guy. Every team needs a top-4 to handle heavy minutes, and he ain't that kind of player, though by all indications he was before the NHL, though I only recall his Oilers and Rangers days.

This is going to be a really close series, IMO. I'm going to wait for the GM's comments before I post my own. :)

The thing is: he often went out of position to make a big hit. The physical side of his game would be helped by a pairing with a more responsible guy, not a bigger wanderer.

If coach Patrick can keep him disciplined and his play more conservative than yeah. A Brown-Beukeboom second pairing is a firestorm of activity, which could be very effective and very susceptible to broken plays.

Beukeboom got very few points on high powered Oilers teams because he was an 8 -10 minutes a game #5/#6 slot d-man, not a 20 minute second pairing guy. Every team needs a top-4 to handle heavy minutes, and he ain't that kind of player, though by all indications he was before the NHL, though I only recall his Oilers and Rangers days.
He was very effective as Brian Leetch's defence partner with the Rangers for quite a few seasons.

pit's always been a big Beukeboom fan. Beukeboom wasn't the most mobile guy out there, but he was tough, rugged, and in his Ranger days, solid positionally, and a very effective crease-clearer.

Hey...seems like I just wrote a message about Beukeboom...

Abstract : I see him as competent in his role, but he'll have to either sacrifice reliability or physicallity to be an effective partner to the high-risk/high-reward (and not the best guy on the defensive side of the game) Brown. If Beuk goes for the big hit, the Americans will often have ZERO D-Men at their position on the 2nd pairing. He can adapt, but a trade off has to be made here.

He was very effective as Brian Leetch's defence partner with the Rangers for quite a few seasons.

pit's always been a big Beukeboom fan. Beukeboom wasn't the most mobile guy out there, but he was tough, rugged, and in his Ranger days, solid positionally, and a very effective crease-clearer.

Yeah, my only memories of Beukeboom are of his Rangers days. I remember him being a beast during the '94 Finals paired with Leetch.

I do think given the circumstance of playing with a less reliable defensive partner in Brown that Beukeboom would be able to hold back on his tendency to go for the big hits to provide a more dependable defensive presence. It may limit his effectiveness in the physicality department but should make a better partner for Brown on the whole.

A couple of thoughts on the series:

- I really respect the Murdoch-Dahlstrom-Ezinicki line that MXD and Jungosi have been able to put together. That said, I feel as though we have two strong scoring lines that are nearly equal in scoring ability. If they decide to match that line to either of our top-2 lines, I feel comfortable with our ability to make up for that matchup with our other scoring line.

- I think we have a decent edge in scoring from both our third line and defense. MacGregor was a very consistent goal scorer his entire career and finished as high as fourth in the league in scoring. Berlinquette was consistently a strong playmaker through his career. Kallur was a scoring star in Sweden and had several strong seasons in the NHL before turning into a defensive specialist. Murdoch, Dahlstrom, and Ezinicki were consistent scorers, but at the level of checkers rather than scorers.

While Maxwell was a consistent offensive threat from the back-end, Baker is one of the premiere offensive defensemen in the MLD and is capable of catalyzing and offense from that position. Brown has a marked advatage over Markov on the second units in terms of career value. While Markov has three seasons as a good offensive defenseman, Brown was consistently a 60-70 point producer through his prime.

- I think Moran gives a slight edge in net. He's got championship experience, carrying his team to the Stanley Cup twice and was one of the top goaltenders in the world for nearly his entire career. Henry was a very good goaltender, but he doesn't have the longevity near the top nor the successful championship experience that Moran has.

Brown has a marked advatage over Markov on the second units in terms of career value. While Markov has three seasons as a good offensive defenseman, Brown was consistently a 60-70 point producer through his prime.



I agree, offensively anyway. Markov is now in his third season as a top NHL defenseman at both ends of the ice. Brown was a one-trick pony. Yes, he did it for longer, though.

I agree, offensively anyway. Markov is now in his third season as a top NHL defenseman at both ends of the ice. Brown was a one-trick pony. Yes, he did it for longer, though.

I hope it didn't seem I was trying to insinuate any differently. I think Brown was superior as an offensive defenseman while Markov is more well rounded. The longevity point I was trying to make was that Markov has only been a top offensive defenseman for about three years while Brown was a top offensive defenseman for nearly ten.

Random notes....

- Nobody expects my 3rd line to score regularily.... This line is mainly made of checkers and PKers whose goal is to slow down opponent. This said, I don't have any problem sending any of my first two lines against the Top-6 for NYA. A two-way center (Gracie) and a responsible forward (Straka) with the best scoring RW of this draft (Hyland). Nothing to be worried about. And my 1st is even more exposive. The 4th line is mainly there to go on the ice once in while to shift the tempo, and will keep one of NYA's checking line busy.

- Maybe Brown is better than Markov as far as @absolute@ values are concerned, I'd take Markov for the relative value. I don't need to explain how Markov can work wonders with a power play now. Send in McNamara, there's quite a difference between the 2nd pairs.

- As for the 1st pairing... Well... Maxwell is a proven playoff performer. That's all that need to be said, really.

- Henry's competition... and forwards who were trying to beat him... went in the ATD.

Sorry for the short entries. I think I've expressed enough my views on debating during the main draft.

I liki Cinci's team defense, While I think NY has the better offense. Thus, for me, it comes down to Cinci's offense vs NY's D.

P.S. been having massive comp probs...

I am still not sure who I'll vote for, but I am pretty sure I'll be calling it a 7-game series. With the weekend approaching I will give it a good player-by-player comparison and analyse the matchups.

I feel like the Americans are more of a team built for the playoffs. A little more sandpaper, especially back on D. I like their coaching better and I also prefer their fourth line.

Stingers are more explosive... but I think they'll have real trouble playing in New York when the Americans get to dictate the match ups. Datsyuk is going to get shut down on the road IMO. I expect a lot of physical play from New York's D that will wear the Stingers down in a long series.

I really like this matchup. Like posted above, one team is really explosive and the other is built perfectly. I think there is not a doubt that it will be close. I like the offensive and defensive matchups.

Good luck to both teams.

Schedule:

Discussion: Monday to Thursday
Voting: Friday and Saturday
Results: Sunday

K?Everyone should be voting. :)

Everyone should be voting. :)
got your vote

Keep the votes coming in guys!

I feel like the Americans are more of a team built for the playoffs. A little more sandpaper, especially back on D. I like their coaching better and I also prefer their fourth line.

Stingers are more explosive... but I think they'll have real trouble playing in New York when the Americans get to dictate the match ups. Datsyuk is going to get shut down on the road IMO. I expect a lot of physical play from New York's D that will wear the Stingers down in a long series.

The 4th line make my team look extremely explosive....
This said :

- Gord Roberts is sometimes noted as being a proto power forward... A guy that could wear down defenses and goaltenders

- Bob Gracie is really a two-way forward... Think of our 2nd line as a responsible line, with one extremely explosive RW.

- The toughest player in this round is McNamara.

Everyone should be voting. :)

GAHHHHH!!!!!!


I COMPLETELY MISSED IT!!!

You have my votes now VanI, my most humble apologies for sending em in so late, I got caught up.

Let the games begin!

I am new to ATD, is the voting for who should win?

Just an FYI, I'll post the writeups tomorrow evening. Busy tonight and am at work tomorrow.

I am new to ATD, is the voting for who should win?

Yup.

Check your PM's and you can reply back to me in this thread. I'll send you links for all the info on the ATD!

Edit: Your PM box is full. Here's the message I tried sending you.

Check out these threads if you want more info on how things work in the draft and such:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=462870

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=418111

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=457491

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=419631

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=411959

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=416457

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=395185

Should give you all the info. Post in the ATD#9 sign-up thread as soon as it's made if you have any more questions.

Just an FYI, I'll post the writeups tomorrow evening. Busy tonight and am at work tomorrow.:cry:

Game one postponed a day due to scheduling conflict.

Rarely happens but sometimes a pre-booked Rolling Stones concert just can't be moved.

We are all about real world simulation here in the ATD-ML. ;)

Eddie Oatman Leads Stingers to Game One Win

Powered by Eddie Oatman's two goals, the Cincinnati Stingers took a 1-0 lead in the James Creighton Cup Finals last night with a 3-1 win over the New York Americans.. In front of a capacity crowd draped in gold and black the home side came out flying. Eddie Oatman began his 1st star night with a goal midway through the first period to put his team up 1-0. The Americans would tie the game up in the 2nd period on the Powerplay when Boris Mayorov scored on a wrap around that just squeaked through the pads of Jim Henry. The teams would go back and forth until the midway point of the 2nd period when it was once again Eddie Oatman, this time on a breakaway who put the Stingers in front, this time for good when he snapped a shot five-hole on Paddy Moran. Although the Americans would go on a late flurry they couldn't get anything else past Jim Henry who was stellar in goal. Gord Roberts would round out the scoring with an empty netter with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Final: 3-1 Stingers

Cincinnati leads series 1-0

Americans Even It Up

It was a big night for Battleship Leduc whose stellar defensive play and game winning goal put New York over the top in Game 2 and tied the Cup finals up at a game apiece. It would be the Stingers however who opened the scoring. Gord Roberts opened the scoring from Datsyuk and sent the home crowd into a frenzy as thoughts of sweeping the first two games began to spring from the minds of the Cincinnati faithful. However it was not to be, in fact the Stingers fans wouldn't have many more reasons to get up and cheer the rest of the night. New York pulled themselves up by their skate laces and controlled the play the rest of the way. Early in the third it would be Bill Thoms finally getting the equalizer when he put a quick wrist shot over the blocker of Jim Henry. Things would get tense from here on out with each shot and each save leading to a gasp from the crowd and the respective benches. However, in a late flurry a big rebound would go through a few sets of legs and onto the stick of a pinching Leduc who slammed the puck past Henry, giving his team a 2-1 win.

Final: 2-1 New York

Series Tied 1-1

Road Warriors! Stingers Take 2-1 Series Lead

A packed New York crowd watch helplessly last night as the Cincinnati Stingers dominated from start to finish and came out on top in a 1-0 win over the New York Americans last night. The score made the Americans look good on this night, but this game was anything but competitive. The Stingers weren't going to be stopped even though Paddy Moran tried to, and did on all but one shot. Cincinnati was helped by having 7 Powerplays through 2 periods and would capitalize on their last PP of Period #2 when Harry Hyland took a pass from Uwe Krupp and fired home the first goal and only goal of the game. A part from the one goal, Moran was spectacular. While the winning team is usually the story, it was Moran who had everyone's tongues wagging after the game with his 44 saves on 45 Cincinnati shots. "We let Paddy down tonight. You see a performance like that, in this game, in this series and it goes for naught. Simply put, that can't happen" was the only quote coach Patrick gave to the media post game.

Final: 1-0 Stingers

Stingers lead series 2-1

Baker Leads New York to Win

Captain Hobey Baker notched a goal and an assist last night in leading his New York Americans to a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Stingers, tying the series at two heading into tomorrow nights tilt in Ohio. New York opened the scoring on the powerplay in the 2nd period when Baker found Billy Taylor for a one-timer to put the Americans up 1-0. New York turned up the pressure with a solid forecheck combined with astute defensive zone awareness the rest of the way. Paddy Moran stopped everything that came his way last night continuing his fantastic play in this series. Jim Henry was no slouch either stopping 32 of 34 shots but it wasn't enough. He would be beaten a 2nd time, this time by Hobey Baker on a point shot that went of the leg of a Stinger defender and in to put New York up 2-0.

"It was a huge win for us. We're tied after four games, and that's right where we expected this series to be" Moran said post-game after being asked where he saw the series at this point.

Final 2-0 New York

Series tied 2-2

Stingers One Win Away

The Cincinnati Stingers are 1 win away from becoming champions after a 4-3 win over the New York Americans in Game 5 of the James Creighton Cup Finals. The Americans would be the ones to open the scoring when Hobey Baker would score on the Powerplay. It would stay 1-0 until the 2nd period when the Stingers would take the lead on back to back goals by Gord Roberts. This 48 second flurry got the hometown crowd on their feet sensing a big win in the offing. New York however wasn't about to go away quietly and Baker would tally is second consecutive multi point game when he assisted on the game tying goal tallied by Rick Kehoe. Cincinnati was ready to play in the 3rd and came out firing on all cylinders. By the time the final frame had reached the midway point it was 4-2 Stingers on goals by Harry Hyland and the hattrick goal by Gord Roberts. As Stingers hats littered the ice, the Americans called a timeout to compose themselves and get back on track. The timeout would work as 3 minutes later Harry Oliver scored his first of the finals cutting the deficit in half and giving New York a fighting chance of notching the equalizer with 6 minutes remaining. The equalizer would never come however as Jim Henry turned away 9 shots in the final 6 minutes to preserve a Cincinnati win.

Final: 4-3 Stingers

Cincinnati leads series 3-2

Taylor's Overtime Heroics Sends This One to Game 7

Billy Taylor's goal 5 minutes into the second overtime gave his team new life and a chance at winning the James Creighton Cup tomorrow night. The two teams fought hard for over four periods, but it was the New York Americans coming out on top with a 3-2 win sending the series back to Cincinnati for one more game in this magnificent season. Bill Ezinicki scored for the Stingers to open things up midway through the first period. It would be the Paddy Moran show the rest of the period when the Stingers thought they smelt blood and attempted to put the game and series away. This game however was not to be put away for awhile. Boris Mayorov scored his 2nd of the series early in the 2nd period to tie things up and 5 minutes later it was Bruce MacGregor putting New York up 2-1 when he fired a wrist shot over the glove of Jim Henry. It would stay that way until the dying moments of regulation. With the net empty and a flurry of action in the New York end, it was, who else, Gord Roberts scoring to tie the game up, sending it to overtime. After chance after chance the first overtime period came to and end. Martin Straka would tip and puck that would beat Moran but ding off the post as everyone, both Stingers and Americans exhaled...for different reasons. Everything finally came to an end in the 2nd overtime when Billy Taylor's breakaway goal sent his teammates over the bench to mob him


Final: 3-2 Americans

Series Tied 3-3

Amazing write-ups TC. Can't wait to see who wins this one.

Hey, nice writeups TC, enjoying it so far!

Stingers Emerge as Champions

Game 7 of the finals, overtime. It was fitting that this game, this series, this playoff and this season boiled down to a next goal wins, sudden death overtime. It would be the Cincinnati Stingers winning and emerging as the James Creighton Cup Champions with a 3-2 win last night on an overtime goal by Gord Roberts. This one was a barn burner from start to finish. The Stingers opened the scoring in the 2nd period on a goal by Bob Gracie. The homecrowd went nuts with visions of a Cup champonship within reach. Those dreams became even more vivid later on when Andrei Markov fired a shot from the point that was tipped in by Eddie Oatman. The Stingers were up 2-0 and looked to be in control of the game and the series. But this one still had some drama left. With 7 minutes remaining Hobey Baker scored a goal to cut the lead in half and with just 45 seconds left and the Americans on their last breath, Rick Kehoe scored and sent the final game of the season to overtime, where......

Down the side boards come the Stingers, Eddie Oatman fires it and around the New York goal. Al Arbour pinches in and fires the puck on goal, it hits the side of the net. Leduc goes in behind the net to get it and fires it around, kept in by Brad Maxwell, he shoots, oh a big save there by Paddy Moran, out come the Americans, WAIT! no puck is stolen again by Cincinnati. In comes Datsyuk to Roberts, SCORES!!!!!! GORD ROBERTS!!!! AND THE CINCINNATI STINGERS HAVE WON THE CREIGHTON CUP!! WHAT A GAME, WHAT A SERIES, WHAT...A....SEASON!!!!!!


Final 3-2 Cincinnati

Cincinnati wins series 4-3


3 Stars
Roberts
Moran
Baker


The Cincinnati Stingers Win the Creighton Cup!


Congrats to the Stingers and a congrats and a big thank you to all GMs. It's been a great MLD and I had a blast!!!

AGAIN I lost to the eventual champion. Just my luck.
Congrats Stingers.
I think that Roberts has made a good place for himself in main ATD.
OT: are we going to have an all-star team?

congratulations to both teams for making the finals! both teams were incredibly well-built.

congrats to the stingers for winning the cup!

also, phenomenal write-ups tc - a real pleasure to read!

Hey! Thanks to every GM for taking part!
My Congrats to Pitseleh, who assembled quite a team.

And not the least, Congrats Jungosi! You just joined a very select group of GM's winning the cup (either ATD or MLD) at their first participation!

congratulations to both teams for making the finals! both teams were incredibly well-built. congrats to the stingers for winning the cup! also, phenomenal write-ups tc - a real pleasure to read!Agreed :)

Congrats MXD and Jungosi! I knew it was a matter of time before MXD put together a winning team and considering how closely Jungosi has followed the drafts it doesn't surprise me that he fit in so seamlessly. Cincinnati had a heck of a team.

Thanks for doing such a great job on writeups TC. They were a great read.

Congrats to MXD, Jungosi and Pitseleh. I haven't participated too much in the minor-league draft but I enjoyed reading the discussions. This proves how many great hockey players there are, that are worth remembering.

Pretty decent-sized upset from my perspective, but congratulations to the Stingers as well as the Amerks.

I was MIA for the last 2 rounds (work sucks sometimes) and didn't vote, but I've enjoyed reading the writeups (thanks, TC). The differences between teams at this level is always razor-thin. Congrats to those who walked on the right side of it.

Wow! I didn't exspect this when I decided to participate. At first I really want to thank my partner MXD for being my co-gm,making the picks and being online at unuasual times ;). Then I want to thank JJF and VanIslander for running this draft. A special thanks goes out to TC for doing most of the write-ups and taking over for me when I lost track a bit. And of course thanks to everyone else participating the draft or the discussions , the draft has been a great expirience.

And last but not least congratulations to piseleh for making it to the finals and assembling a great team.

Great series, wow