Captain: Ryan Callahan
Assistant: Arthur Moore
Assistant: Luke Richardson
Ron Murphy - John Cullen - Brian Gionta
Jiri Dopita - Jimmy Carson - John Anderson
Doug Smail - George Ferguson - Ryan Callahan
Errol Thompson - Mark Johnson - Nelson Emerson
X: Joe Pavelski
X: Earl Ingarfield
Dan Hamhuis - Moe Mantha
Sean O'Donnell - Arthur Moore
Luke Richardson - Gord Murphy
I'm curious to know more about Cechmanek in the Czech Elite League playoffs and in major International Tournaments. We know how he did in NHL playoffs, but if there's one weakness in Seth Martin, it's that he's an unknown in a 7 game series (but of course, the same could be said about ATD staples Tretiak and Holecek)
Kind of lost interest in this when the ATD got started.
Why Utah should win:
- better coaching, Starsi is an elite coach at this level.
- solid, high-octane top-six that can play 200-foot hockey.
- best offensive player in series, Bill Carson.
- bottom-six that is competent defensively, that will match up well with oppositions scoring.
- strong defensive core that includes top offensive, and defensive defensemen in series (Douglas and Marshall, respectively.)
- decent goaltending, behind a very good defensive team.
- uncertainty of Seth Martin's post-season ability, and whether he is able to handle this heavy workload.
Sorry, been meaning to get to this, but I'm on a rush job that requires 7-days-a-week attention right now. I'll make some comments this evening Eastern time.
I'm curious to know more about Cechmanek in the Czech Elite League playoffs and in major International Tournaments. We know how he did in NHL playoffs, but if there's one weakness in Seth Martin, it's that he's an unknown in a 7 game series (but of course, the same could be said about ATD staples Tretiak and Holecek)
He played for a power house team with Dopita, Beranek, Stavjana, Patera, Prochazka, Zabransky etc on the roster. To be perfectly honest, I dont know why he won so many goalie MVPs as when I saw extra league games I was more impressed by Biegl.
- The voters that voted Roman Cechmanek the worst goaltender in the draft, are also going to vote him to the Finals? That would seem odd. He's a major plus to my scoring depth. It's not a ton of high end talent, but there's a lot of quick goal scorers on this team and Cechmanek will be no match for them.
I mean, honestly, look at this technique in the Swedish Elite League...players in the third or fourth best league in the world are perforating him with the greatest of ease. No technique, not sustainable, only good for short bursts on teams that can clear rebounds handily...that's why his NHL career was so short and he was booed out of the league...in the playoffs, he was horrendous because teams had a chance and a need to scout him and these shooters made mince meat of him...the one year he had decent numbers (2002 playoffs, where he went 1-3; fringe NHLer Brian Boucher - also awful - put up great numbers as well...). I don't believe he belongs at this level personally, much less in the Finals of this level.
Seth Martin, though, voted the best goaltender in the draft has nothing but critical-game experience given his record at the World Championships on a very weak team. Many goalies - including Vladislav Tretiak - looked up to him and tried to duplicate his greatness. He'd get strong consideration for the Goalie Project if was going to 50 or 60 and it is believed that this will be the last time he's a AAA player, while Cechmanek, should likely head in the other direction.
I have questions about the mobility of the Utah blueline and how they'll react to all the speed in the Buffalo lineup. 5 of the 6 d-men are lefties, which will further limit their options on outlets. And the top line left wing (Daze) will certainly miss time in the series I'd think, given his injury history that caused him to quit hockey prematurely.
While Utah's top line probably bests mine, I like my scoring depth much better. A defensive center in Schock heads up a second line that features that spent time at defense as well (Connelly), Schock was a useful center on some pretty poor Pens teams and accumulated points that way, but he wasn't a major offensive player. When he faced better teams in the playoffs, he was often stymied. Even when he got time on a terrific Penguins power play in 1975, when the playoffs rolled around, the point-per-game Schock contributed just four assists in nine games as the Pens had the carpet pulled out from under them by the Isles...
I think George Ferguson and Ryan Callahan working on Bill Carson and Jason Pominville is an interesting match, I wonder what the voters will make of two terrific offensive players vs. two terrific defensive players - at least in my opinion.
Dennis Kearns double-shifting on the power play for Utah will play right into the hands of the speedy, aggressive PKer, Doug Smail and could open up opportunities shorthanded, especially if Ryan Callahan blocks shots like he can (the best shot blocking forward in the NHL currently).
I believe that my team speed and stout defense - aided by the draft's best goaltender - will help to neutralize the somewhat sluggish Utah team, who will ultimately be undone by their inability to perforate with Seth Martin. Not to mention, the adventurous Cechmanek will have trouble with a heavy-shooting lineup and his poor puck-handling will be exposed by the speedy forecheck that Red Berenson likes to impose...
All the best to Velociraptor, should be an interesting series...
