Which team do you think was the most balanced in the NHL? I'm talking about teams such as the 05-06 Buffalo Sabres where there wasn't really that one guy that stood out but everyone could score. Have there been other teams that were just as balanced or even more balanced?
The 1st line combined for 96 G/136 A/232 P and +104
The 2nd line combined for 81 G/90 A/171 P and +53
The 3rd line combined for 60 G/98 A/158 P and +27
The 4th line combined for 20 G/52 A/72 P and +25
Which team do you think was the most balanced in the NHL? I'm talking about teams such as the 05-06 Buffalo Sabres where there wasn't really that one guy that stood out but everyone could score. Have there been other teams that were just as balanced or even more balanced?
If you're talking balanced scoring then I'd go with the two goalie-stolen playoffs - the 93 Habs (Roy) and 03 Deviles (Marty)
MTL had 13 players with 10+ goals and nine players with 10+ points in the 20 playoff games.
NJ was also a very balanced team.
But in terms of teams overall, the Isles dynasty (say 81 or 82) were able to win games any way you wanted to play. They had no weakness. Multidimensional to say the least!
They could play very physical, all offense, tight defensively, were dangerous in close games and supremely confident even down a goal in the third on the road.
Tough to win four straight cups and the finals five straight years, the last two playoffs against (arguably) one of the best teams of all time, definitely the best offensive team ever.
Which team do you think was the most balanced in the NHL? I'm talking about teams such as the 05-06 Buffalo Sabres where there wasn't really that one guy that stood out but everyone could score. Have there been other teams that were just as balanced or even more balanced?
By your definition I think this is the most balanced NHL team ever. There isn't really one guy that stands out and everyone has scored at least 7 points this season. I'm not kidding.
By your definition I think this is the most balanced NHL team ever. There isn't really one guy that stands out and everyone has scored at least 7 points this season. I'm not kidding.
So you mean most balanced offensively? In that case I would go with the 02 Red Wings
That was my first thought.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redbull
If you're talking balanced scoring then I'd go with the two goalie-stolen playoffs - the 93 Habs (Roy)
Roy was great in the 1993 playoffs.
But they were not "goalie-stolen". Montreal finished 3rd in their division, but they were 6th overall (102 points). And outside of their first-round series against an exceedingly inexperienced Quebec team (4th overall, 2nd in the division with 104 points), the Canadiens had home ice for every series. 119-point Pittsburgh lost in round two. 109-point Boston was out in round one. 106-point Chicago was out in round one. 103-point Detroit was out in round one. 101-point Vancouver was out in round two. 97-point Calgary was out in round one, and 93-point Washington was out in round one. The final four were 102-point Montreal, 99-point Toronto, 88-point Los Angeles, and the 87-point Islanders. Do you pick Montreal for the Cup at that point? It's pretty easy to. They were tied with Detroit for seventh in goals against; and of equal/better teams in that department, all went out in the first two rounds except for the Leafs. They were also ninth in goals for, with the Islanders and Kings having survived past round two. The Kings scored twelve more but had a negative goal differential in the regular season, the Islanders only scored nine more and gave up seventeen more, and Toronto scored 38 fewer goals while giving up 39 fewer, but was running with a rookie goalie and had already played 14 games in the first two rounds. Montreal's 14th game was a 4-1 loss against New York as the Islanders managed to avoid being swept.
Unless you're saying that Roy stole it by being a better and more experienced netminder than Potvin, and thus allowing his team to not have to play seven games in three consecutive series.
But that would mean most Cups are "goalie-stolen", as you put it.
I wouldn't call the 1993 Canadiens balanced, especially in the playoffs when Damphousse had a hand on 35% of all of their goals. The most balanced Montreal team to go deep in that era was 1989 (9 players with 10+ playoff points - and the rest of the regular playoff roster included names like Gainey, Ludwig, Carbonneau, Lemieux, Corson, Keane, Desjardins). I can't imagine they would be among the most balanced to ever play, however, since it was overwhelmingly apparent that two players in particular were the stars of the team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eva unit zero
Roy was great in the 1993 playoffs.
But they were not "goalie-stolen". Montreal finished 3rd in their division, but they were 6th overall (102 points). And outside of their first-round series against an exceedingly inexperienced Quebec team (4th overall, 2nd in the division with 104 points), the Canadiens had home ice for every series. 119-point Pittsburgh lost in round two. 109-point Boston was out in round one. 106-point Chicago was out in round one. 103-point Detroit was out in round one. 101-point Vancouver was out in round two. 97-point Calgary was out in round one, and 93-point Washington was out in round one. The final four were 102-point Montreal, 99-point Toronto, 88-point Los Angeles, and the 87-point Islanders. Do you pick Montreal for the Cup at that point? It's pretty easy to. They were tied with Detroit for seventh in goals against; and of equal/better teams in that department, all went out in the first two rounds except for the Leafs. They were also ninth in goals for, with the Islanders and Kings having survived past round two. The Kings scored twelve more but had a negative goal differential in the regular season, the Islanders only scored nine more and gave up seventeen more, and Toronto scored 38 fewer goals while giving up 39 fewer, but was running with a rookie goalie and had already played 14 games in the first two rounds. Montreal's 14th game was a 4-1 loss against New York as the Islanders managed to avoid being swept.
Unless you're saying that Roy stole it by being a better and more experienced netminder than Potvin, and thus allowing his team to not have to play seven games in three consecutive series.
But that would mean most Cups are "goalie-stolen", as you put it.
Team GF, 1993
Western Conference
1. Detroit
2. Vancouver
3. Los Angeles (11.8% shooting)
4. Calgary
5. Winnipeg Eastern Conference
1. Pittsburgh
2. Quebec (13.9% shooting)
3. Buffalo (12.5% shooting)
4. New York (12.9% shooting)
5. Boston
Roy's Save Percentage
vs. Quebec (.936; 32.3 SA)
vs. Buffalo (.915; 32.4 SA)
vs. New York (.932; 26.0 SA)
vs. Los Angeles (.929; 29.5 SA)
Good question. I think I have to admit the 1999-2000 New Jersey Devils were one of the most-balanced teams I've ever seen. An elite top line (Elias-Arnott-Sykora), solid second line scoring from Mogilny and Gomez, an elite shutdown center in Bobby Holik, elite PK forwards in John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, a defense that sported Niedermayer, Souray, Rafalski, Stevens, and Daneyko, and of course, Martin Brodeur. Hell, even their 4th line guys like Sergei Brylin were no slouches. Just no real weaknesses on that squad. On paper that team the following season should've wiped the floor with every other team in the league, including the Avalanche. For obvious reasons, I'm glad they didn't.
In particular sense, many bad teams fit here. I.e. 1996 Panthers had like 10 guys with more than 10 goals.
Some Devils and Wings teams are up there in the discussion.
Recently Bruins and Hawks in thier SC seasons were quite balanced.
I will go with the 82-83 Islanders. They were very balanced both in their scoring and in their style of play.I was a fan of those late 70s Bruins and while they were good and balanced, it was more their simple style of play that gave them so many 20 goal scorers. The game was dump it in and get to the slot...for everyone from Weinsink to MacNab. The only exceptions to this were Ratelle and Middleton and even Middleton had to work the slot from time to time.
Top end offense of 5x 50 goal scorers (Including the greatest player ever, with a 70 goal scoring Euro)
Agitator (Tikkannen)
Top end shut down line lead by MacTavish
Enforcer on forward - Semenko
Enforcer on Defense - McSorely
Record breaking scoring Dman - Coffey
7x All Star in Lowe (Who was a SHUT DOWN Stay at home).
Huddy and Beukeboom were considered top end shut down stalwarts.
Muni and Steve Smith were solid shutdowns who rounded out the Defense
Anyone have some data on this? Would be interesting to see this measured in terms of lowest standard deviation across a team (or splitting forwards and defensemen) in terms of points/goals/etc.
Anyone have some data on this? Would be interesting to see this measured in terms of lowest standard deviation across a team (or splitting forwards and defensemen) in terms of points/goals/etc.
No idea, but I would be willing to bet that the teams with the lowest standard devs would be teams like the 99-2004 Rangers, rather than teams that were really good or championship teams. That is, if you did the study for ALL teams.
No idea, but I would be willing to bet that the teams with the lowest standard devs would be teams like the 99-2004 Rangers, rather than teams that were really good or championship teams. That is, if you did the study for ALL teams.
Wouldn't expansion teams win this hands down? I mean aren't they basically a whole bunch of 3rd liners?
