[overpass]

Originally Posted by seventieslord

The "small rink" effect has been used numerous times to prop up Gilbert Perreault's rather unimpressive offensive resume (unimpressive as far as being a top-100 player goes, that is). The argument has always been "other star players scored about 20% more at home than on the road, but Perreault scored the same at home as on the road; therefore, the smaller rink clearly hurt his ability to be offensively creative at home". The numbers I presented earlier in this thread suggested that Buffalo was 19% better defensively at home, opposed to most teams being in the 13% range over a period of five selected seasons. And just the other day you commented about how Boston Garden was not conducive to the development of a young, mobile (offensive) defenseman. ergo, the smaller rink favours defense. Name dropping some star offensive players who've played in small rinks doesn't make a big impact on that.

And, of course, it's always been argued that maybe Ramsay's defensive stats are better than Gainey's because of the smaller rink - which favoured defense. I tried to address that in the same post above. I have no earthly idea why you're now attempting to claim that a smaller rink favoured offense.

Canadiens1958 can answer this too but I'm just going to say that it seems intuitive to me that a small rink would be easier to play on for an outstanding forechecking duo like Craig Ramsay and Don Luce. Less room for the opposition to transition, easier to force turnovers, more chances on the counterattack.

Originally Posted by seventieslord

has (Gainey being switched around the lineup) been substantiated before or is it hearsay?

I'm sure most people have heard about Scotty Bowman's famous propensity for shuffling his lines. But let's go to the numbers.

Forwards with whom Craig Ramsay collaborated on even strength points throughout his career. (Displaying those with two or more in a season.)

1971-72	13
Randy Wyrozub	3
Phil Goyette	3
Steve Atkinson	2
Gerry Meehan	2
1972-73	28
Don Luce	16
Larry Mickey	10
Steve Atkinson	3
Rene Robert	2
Jim Lorentz	2
1973-74	40
Don Luce	32
Rick Dudley	8
Steve Atkinson	8
Norm Gratton	3
Larry Mickey	2
Doug Rombough	2
1974-75	50
Danny Gare	35
Don Luce	31
Larry Carriere	2
1975-76	63
Don Luce	36
Danny Gare	32
Rene Robert	5
Fred Stanfield	4
1976-77	42
Don Luce	25
Rene Robert	8
Gary McAdam	7
Danny Gare	5
Gilbert Perreault	5
Jim Lorentz	2
1977-78	61
Danny Gare	32
Don Luce	31
Rene Robert	2
Gilbert Perreault	2
Andre Savard	2
1978-79	41
Don Luce	24
Ric Seiling	15
Danny Gare	10
1979-80	45
Don Luce	14
Gilbert Perreault	11
John Gould	9
Ric Seiling	6
Rick Dudley	5
Danny Gare	5
Rick Martin	3
Andre Savard	2
1980-81	51
Andre Savard	21
Ric Seiling	16
Rick Dudley	7
Don Luce	6
Gilbert Perreault	5
Danny Gare	4
Steve Patrick	4
Alan Haworth	2
Lindy Ruff	2
1981-82	46
Andre Savard	23
Ric Seiling	17
Lindy Ruff	6
Steve Patrick	4
Gilbert Perreault	4
Yvon Lambert	4
Brent Peterson	2
1982-83	25
Brent Peterson	12
Andre Savard	5
Mike Foligno	3
Ric Seiling	3
Mike Moller	2
Dale McCourt	2
Lindy Ruff	2
1983-84	22
Brent Peterson	12
Ric Seiling	7
Sean McKenna	5
Real Cloutier	2
Mike Moller	2
1984-85	28
Brent Peterson	15
Ric Seiling	7
Mal Davis	5
Sean McKenna	2

From 1972-73 to 1978-79, Luce and Ramsay were full-time linemates. Gare played three full seasons with them and parts of others, with Rene Robert, Larry Mickey, Rick Dudley, Ric Seiling, and others filling the RW spot the rest of the time.

In 1979-80 Scotty Bowman arrived in Buffalo and threw the lines into the famous Bowman blender. It appears that Luce was still Ramsay's most frequent linemate, but he had a hand in only 14 of Ramsay's 45 ESP, about half the typical ratio in earlier seasons. In the next two seasons Ramsay played primarily with Andre Savard and Ric Seiling, and then finished his career with three seasons on Brent Peterson's wing.

On to Bob Gainey.

1974	35
Jacques Lemaire	14
Guy Lafleur	10
Murray Wilson	6
Yvan Cournoyer	6
Henri Richard	5
Pete Mahovlich	2
1975	25
Doug Jarvis	10
Jimmy Roberts	8
Guy Lafleur	6
Jacques Lemaire	3
Pete Mahovlich	2
Doug Risebrough	2
1976	32
Doug Jarvis	14
Jimmy Roberts	8
Rejean Houle	4
Murray Wilson	2
Jacques Lemaire	2
1977	26
Doug Jarvis	14
Rick Chartraw	6
Rejean Houle	4
Doug Risebrough	3
Jacques Lemaire	2
Yvan Cournoyer	2
1978	36
Doug Jarvis	11
Guy Lafleur	7
Pat Hughes	6
Jacques Lemaire	5
Rejean Houle	5
Rick Chartraw	4
Steve Shutt	3
Pierre Mondou	2
Mario Tremblay	2
1979	22
Doug Jarvis	6
Mark Napier	5
Rick Chartraw	3
Rejean Houle	2
Mario Tremblay	2
1980	35
Doug Jarvis	16
Mark Napier	6
Chris Nilan	6
Rejean Houle	5
Pierre Mondou	2
1981	39
Mark Napier	19
Doug Jarvis	19
Mark Hunter	4
1982	26
Keith Acton	13
Mark Napier	8
Mark Hunter	4
Guy Lafleur	2
1983	37
Guy Carbonneau	18
Chris Nilan	8
Guy Lafleur	7
Pierre Mondou	6
Mats Naslund	2
Steve Shutt	2
Mario Tremblay	2
1984	26
Guy Carbonneau	17
Chris Nilan	11
Lucien DeBlois	2
1985	39
Guy Carbonneau	19
Chris Nilan	11
Brian Skrudland	3
Serge Boisvert	3
Mats Naslund	2
Bobby Smith	2
Kjell Dahlin	2
Stephane Richer	2
1986	15
Guy Carbonneau	9
Brian Skrudland	2
Sergio Momesso	2

From 1975-76 until 1981-82, Doug Jarvis was clearly Gainey's most common linemate. But the stats suggest that they didn't play together all the time like Ramsay and Luce did.

1976-1982: Jarvis has a hand in 90 of Gainey's 215 even strength points (42%)
1973-1979: Luce has a hand in 195 of Ramsay's 325 even strength points (60%)

It appears Gainey was shuffled around the most in the 1978-79 season, maybe his best and most famous season. It would be a mistake to attribute that usage to his entire career, but it still appears he was moved around the lineup more than Ramsay was in their respective primes.