I have to agree Palmateer, was very entertaining to watch, quite the acrobat between the pipes, had a great run 78/79 all season long with the Sittler led Leafs. That team was so dang close, but unfortunately the 7 game quarter versus the up and coming
Islanders sucked the team dry. Canadiens handled the Leafs 4-0 in the semi
Looking for help up front to improve the club's offence, the Flyers dealt Bernie Parent to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 1, 1971. The trade turned out to be a positive turn for Parent. In Toronto, Parent joined his boyhood hero, Jacques Plante, who at 42 was having an all-star season. Under Plante's tutelage, Parent became a more consistent and technically proficient goalie. Parent played well for the Leafs through the 1971–72 season, gaining valuable regular season and playoff experience.
Without a contract with the Leafs for the 1972-73 season, Parent signed a large contract with the Miami Screaming Eagles of the newly forming World Hockey Association. He was the first NHL player to jump to the new league. The Eagles did not materialize as planned, and instead became the Philadelphia Blazers. After leaving the team over a contract dispute during the 1973 WHA playoffs, he sought a return to the NHL but did not wish to return to the Leafs. Toronto traded Parent's NHL rights back to the Flyers for Doug Favell and a first round pick in that summer's (1973) amateur draft.
The next two seasons were the greatest of his career. Playing 73 games in a 78 game schedule, Parent sparkled in leading the league with a 1.89 GAA and 12 shutouts. He shared the Vezina Trophy with Chicago's Tony Esposito and was named a first team all-star as the Flyers to a first place finish in the West Division. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) and the Flyers won the first of consecutive Stanley Cup Championships. The following year, he won another Vezina Trophy, a second Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup
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Signature: There is no greater demonstration of Fan patience then to suggest to "Play the Kids " and be willing to accept the consequences of those actions..
He was fun to watch in an era that had Darryl Sittler, Lanny MacDonald, Tiger Williams, Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull playing in front of him.
2). Felix "the cat" Potvin
The Cat was the backbone of the Dougie Gilmour era and lead the team to its success in 1993 and 1994 when Leafs went back to back to the final 4.
Both were also original Leaf draft picks and developed within in and for someone that has supported "play the kids" and build through the draft, these 2 goalies are my underrated because both exceeded expectations.
Potvin was never underrated. The fans adored him.
Parent has to take the cake on this. He was effectively let go for nothing. HM to Palmeteer and Fuhr.
Reimer last year he had the weight of the world on his shoulders,got injured and wasn't given a long enough string of games to settle back and find his form,because Wilson basically insisted on rotating him and Gus every night.Watch him flourish with no expectations to mess his with head.
Last edited by Irish Leaf: 08-18-2012 at 04:24 AM.
Reason: missed something
Look at the video and see where he is ....top of the crease and moving like a Vezina candidate and then he got "Allured". Fire the goalie coach and let his instincts take over.
Look at the video and see where he is ....top of the crease and moving like a Vezina candidate and then he got "Allured". Fire the goalie coach and let his instincts take over.
Sorry, but 98% of NHL goalies would want Allaire as their goalie coach.
Felix "The Cat" Potvin was my favourite member of the Leaf's roster growing up. I'm not sure he was under-rated at the time but he's definitely under appreciated in comparison to say Cujo or Belfour.
I used to play a lot of pond hockey and I painted my pads to look like his
Cujo. I remember watching him grow up and he was unbelievable. If he ever played on better teams he would have won multiple cups. The guy was a playoff beast. I have some friends who thought that Reimer was better than him (in reimers rookie run).
LOL
