In the 1993 Norris Division Semifinals between Toronto and Detroit, game 7 went into overtime.
Had Detroit won that game, it would have been very interesting to see how things go in the Campbell Conference playoffs if the memorable Leaf playoff run of 1993 had flamed out early.
Assuming St. Louis still sweeps Chicago, the Red Wings would have faced the Blues in the Norris Division Finals. Just how would that series have gone?
If Detroit gets past them, what about the L.A. Kings in the Campbell Conference finals? the Kings and Wings were both offensive-minded heavy teams- how would Los Angeles have fared against a team like Detroit more similar to them in the skate-and-run-and-gun mold as opposed to Toronto?
Perhaps they make it to the Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal? Keep in mind they'd have had home-ice advantage- Detroit had 103 points that year to Montreal's 102.
If Toronto gets knocked out early, who steps up as the player with a huge playoff offensively along with Roy and Gretzky instead of Gilmour?
Does a potentially deep playoff run save Bryan Murray's job? Would they still have hired Scotty Bowman? Do they run off Tim Cheveldae if he takes them into late May or June ?
It is arguable that they lose to the Blues as well. Tim Cheveldae could best be described as a "capable" goalie. But going up against a hot Joseph, I just don't see them winning. Yzerman had a very bi-polar series against the Leafs. Here was a 137 point guy and while he had 7 points in the series he only had that in the three wins. He had 0 points in the 4 losses. Not good.
Remember, Yzerman was not under the wing of Bowman yet. Fedorov was not a winner yet either. They had a goalie who was maybe below average and a coach (Bryan Murray) who had never gotten out of the second round in his life and had a fine reputation as a choke artist. Could a seasoned vet like Coffey get them over the hump? Well, he didn't against the Leafs. The Blues had a team that I have always felt get underrated around this time. Hull, Janney and Shanahan formed a nice offensive core. Joseph is the goalie, Jeff Brown is their best defenseman and is pretty good then. This team has momentum. Felix Potvin did a good job in stopping them in their series against Toronto, so could Cheveldae? I highly doubt he's a goalie that carries a team to the final, so if St. Louis doesn't beat them, I put my money on L.A. and the possessed Gretzky to do it.
I could honestly see St.Louis winning that series against Detroit and then going onto the Cup finals against Montreal. Joseph was playing over his head. The Blues had a good offensive core of Hull, Shanahan and Oates. Also if Toronto loses that series does Doug Gilmour become as highly regarded as what he is?
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Exhibit A as to how hockey doesn't matter on ESPN:
Last night an ESPN program was discussing how the Detroit Pistons needed a hero citing the heroes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and no mention of the Detroit Red Wings. All this despite the Red Wings probably being the most succesful team in Detroit right now.
I could honestly see St.Louis winning that series against Detroit and then going onto the Cup finals against Montreal. Joseph was playing over his head. The Blues had a good offensive core of Hull, Shanahan and Oates. Also if Toronto loses that series does Doug Gilmour become as highly regarded as what he is?
Don't mean to be a pain but Oates was in Boston at the time
.929 sv % is stellar, but Habs offense got to shoot on Hrudey, whose .887 sv% is the weakest of any goalie except Fuhr 88, who at least had a great, and very underrated defense in front of him. (16-2 is hard with a goalie having an .882 sv %, but Fuhr faced very few shots compared to his peers.)
That being said Cheveldae wasn't any better than Hrudey, and the Wings may not have been able to beat the CuJo-Hull-Janney Blues or Gretzky-Robitaille Kings anyway.
The 1993 Pens beating the Isles is the far scarier what if question for the Habs in 1993. Plus that might mean a Gretzky vs. Lemieux SCF.
.929 sv % is stellar, but Habs offense got to shoot on Hrudey, whose .887 sv% is the weakest of any goalie except Fuhr 88, who at least had a great, and very underrated defense in front of him. (16-2 is hard with a goalie having an .882 sv %, but Fuhr faced very few shots compared to his peers.)
That being said Cheveldae wasn't any better than Hrudey, and the Wings may not have been able to beat the CuJo-Hull-Janney Blues or Gretzky-Robitaille Kings anyway.
The 1993 Pens beating the Isles is the far scarier what if question for the Habs in 1993. Plus that might mean a Gretzky vs. Lemieux SCF.
the '93 Pens team would have steamrolled Montreal & the Kings had they not choked to the Islanders...they were that good....I blame Howard Baldwin & his stupid corporate pidgeon logo for jinxing us....
I'm not the biggest expert, but I do believe Cheveldae is up there with Hrudey and "Red Light" Racicot as the most depressing goalies of the early 90's
the '93 Pens team would have steamrolled Montreal & the Kings had they not choked to the Islanders...they were that good....I blame Howard Baldwin & his stupid corporate pidgeon logo for jinxing us....
That Habs team and especially Roy was not going to get "steamrolled" by anyone.
The Habs were ready for the Pens and were just as shocked as everyone else when they found out they didn't have to travel to Pittsburgh.
The Pens lost to a gritty Isles team with clutch goaltending. Saying they would steamroll an even grittier Habs team with even better clutch goaltending is a joke.
the '93 Pens team would have steamrolled Montreal & the Kings had they not choked to the Islanders...they were that good....I blame Howard Baldwin & his stupid corporate pidgeon logo for jinxing us....
That Habs team and especially Roy was not going to get "steamrolled" by anyone.
The Habs were ready for the Pens and were just as shocked as everyone else when they found out they didn't have to travel to Pittsburgh.
The Pens lost to a gritty Isles team with clutch goaltending. Saying they would steamroll an even grittier Habs team with even better clutch goaltending is a joke.
The Habs deserved the Cup that year, I'm not suggesting otherwise. However, that was by far the best Pens team in franchise history. Set the record for most consecutive wins, won the President's Trophy going away, Lemieux's comeback from cancer, HoF caliber players littering the lineup, two time defending Cup champion going for a dynasty. Yeah, they would have steamrolled whomever. Moot point though, since they choked against a vastly inferior club in the Islanders. Remember, this is a what-if type thread....
The Habs deserved the Cup that year, I'm not suggesting otherwise. However, that was by far the best Pens team in franchise history. Set the record for most consecutive wins, won the President's Trophy going away, Lemieux's comeback from cancer, HoF caliber players littering the lineup, two time defending Cup champion going for a dynasty. Yeah, they would have steamrolled whomever. Moot point though, since they choked against a vastly inferior club in the Islanders. Remember, this is a what-if type thread....
A couple big "ifs" for the penguins v. montreal though.
1) if mario can play every game, remember he missed the first TWO games of the islanders series with back problems.
2) if someone can pick up the slack for Kevin Stevens. Remember, he broke his face early in game 7 of the islanders series.
early 90's pitt was LOADED but I have a hard time betting on a team with guys like Roy, Carbonneau, Muller & Savard in the locker room getting blown away...
Hmm, never thought about this one. I think Detroit was quite monstrous offensively speaking (and your stats prove that). They had Coffey still at the top of his game, and Yzerman at his offensive peak as well (scored 137 points that year). Also, after a solid regular season, Fedorov seemed to be entering his prime. He was one summer break away from his remarkable Hart/Selke/Pearson year. And in that series against the Leafs, he outscored a peak, 27 year old Yzerman, 9 points to 7, to lead all Wing's forwards in scoring. That was despite playing on the second line.
I think from that moment on, we would have basically seen peak versions of Fedorov and Yzerman together, going on a tear. If Fedorov had 9 points in a losing series against the Leafs, I think he would have torn up the Blues, especially with Coffey at his back every second shift. The Wings likely would have made a great run, my gut tells me they beat the Blues and Kings and then lose in 6 to the Habs in the SCF, but anything is possible (winning the Cup, or even losing to the Blues).
And yeah, we may have not seen a Bowman-led Wings team ever take form.
Am I really supposed to think a St. Louis team that finished with the worst record of the 16 playoff teams was going to go all the way into June, or a Kings team that gave up more goals than any playoff team (only Hartford and the expansion teams allowed more)? LA was basically that year a carbon copy of Detroit- not great on defense, but can score with the best of them.
LA that spring at times could be a one-dimensional team all-score, no-stop team that lived and died by Gretzky.
I said it before and I'll say it again- if the Wings win game 7, I believe they'd have been playing in June.
wouldn't have mattered, Montreal was not going to lose, they had a golden horse shoe up their a*** that year. 10 straight over time wins and Patrick Roy was playing out of his mind.
The 1993 Red Wings were a flawed team. Very soft outside of Vlad and the Probert line. The Blues OTOH were very sound in all three zones. And Bryan Murray was a terrible postseason coach.
Cheveldae was good enough to beat the Leafs. His defense and the forwards who refused to backcheck hung him out to dry that entire series.
the '93 Pens team would have steamrolled Montreal & the Kings had they not choked to the Islanders...they were that good....I blame Howard Baldwin & his stupid corporate pidgeon logo for jinxing us....
I wonder if the Habs sent David Volek a thank you card that year.
