Brantford Alexanders
Coach: Glen Sather
Captain: Doug Gilmour
Alternates: Rod Langway, Bryan Hextall
Valeri Kharlamov-Howie Morenz-Bryan Hextall
Frank Mahovlich-Doug Gilmour-Theo Fleury
Dick Duff-Vladimir Petrov-Ziggy Palffy
Joe Klukay-Cooney Weiland-Ron Ellis
Paul Coffey-Rod Langway
Allan Stanley-Hod Stuart
Ryan Suter-Barry Beck
Grant Fuhr
Jiri Holecek
Special Teams:
PP 1: Valeri Kharlamov-Howie Morenz-Bryan Hextall-Paul Coffey-Hod Stuart
PP 2: Frank Mahovlich- Doug Gimour-Theo Fleury- Ryan Suter, Allan Stanley
PK 1: Joe Klukay-Cooney Weiland, Rod Langway, Allan Stanley
PK 2: Doug Gilmour-Ron Ellis-Ryan Suter, Barry Beck
Extras: Nathan MacKinnon, Rick Tocchet, Ott Heller
Prairie Scouting Service Report on
Brantford Alexanders
Like:
Scoring lines might be best in-Division
Talent down-the-lineup at Center
Defensive Depth
Not so sure about:
Defensive Zone minutes for Petrov and Weiland
Potential platoon-goaltending arrangement
Possibly playing half the game with nothing but LHSs on the ice
I think this is the first time I've ever reviewed a "tony d" production. Thanks for having your team available for review. The fact that your team is here for review puts you no worse than mid-pack, before we even start looking at the roster. Starting in the way we typically do takes us straight to the highlights-
Line #1: Kharlamov-Morenz-B. Hextall Sr. Although Kharlamov and Morenz both lean towards goal-scoring, and both like to bring the puck, they are both franchise-level fast and can finish opportunities created by the puck-carrier. I find Bryan Hextall a little over-valued in ATD... but he absolutely fits here. As far as making the operation work, I don't think you could ask for a better Coach than Sather to inaugurate the matter. I know that VMBM had recommended mating Petrov and Kharlamov- but that "re-work" would drop Gilmour to Line #3. I think the limited number of Center options for Mahovlich box you out of that proposal.
Line #2: Mahovlich-Gilmour-T. Fleury. Something a a puzzle-piece to fit a Center to Mahovlich, but Doug Gilmour fills the bill. Fleury WILL irritate, and
can score, so Gilmour will have options in either direction. Gilmour, interestingly, doesn't have as many PiMs as I might have expected. Of course, Fleury will have PiMs, but that's part of the package.
Line #3: Dick Duff-Petrov-Palffy. A nice wrinkle that the "glue" Winger is on a different side than the glue Winger of Line #1. Petrov, of all the famous Soviet Centers, is the one that has the most uncertain defensive credentials. However, conventional thought on this matter is that he became more defensively cognizant over time. As much as Sather will help Line #1, I'm not sure Sather's the one to bring out the hidden checking-line mentality for a Petrov. Also (q.v.: my "not so sure" comment), it's another Line with all LHSs on it (like Line #1).
Line #4: Klukay-Weiland-R. Ellis: A line to spell the others- opinions vary on Weiland's defensive effectiveness- but needed PK credentials and Wing defense may be found here.
Defensive Pairing #1: Coffey-Langway. Did Langway ever play RD?! If not, inverting these players is the facile antidote. If one thinks that Coffey's the best Defenseman in the Division, then one would probably think this is the best pairing in the Division. At the least, Brantford doesn't have to back its way into comparison with any rival.
Defensive Pairing #2: Stanley-Hod Stuart. A pairing much like the first one, with an offensively-oriented RD mated to a stay-at-home LD. Talent and fit wise, one of the three best ones in the Conference.
Defensive Pairing #3: R. Suter-Beck. I think Ryan Suter is ATD-undervalued, and Barry Beck overvalued. Put them together, and it's a jobbing 3rd pairing.
Goaltending: Fuhr-Holecek. My mind's eye sees this as a Goalie-Tandem arrangement. It should work just fine in the Regular Season.
Leadership: strong provided that endorsed recommendations are applied.
Special Teams: Power Play #1 is quite strong at the expense of Power Play #2. I am so not feeling Stanley for Power Play time. There's gotta be a better way, right? Maybe Suter-Coffey for PP1 & Stuart-Beck for PP2. Hearkening back to what I said about LH-shots, I don't think all LHSs on PK#1 and 3/4 RHSs on PK #2 is the way to go, either. You have the personnel for the assignments- it just needs better allocation, I think. Sather's up to it. Switching Weiland & Gilmour seems the obvious start.
Depth Players: Palffy is injury-prone; so you have Tocchet in reserve to address that possibility. I envision MacKinnon as someone who can be more than the occasional fill-in for cold-and-flu season and injuries. My waggish thought is that, at this level, Ott Heller is a part- but then I reviewed the tale-of-the-tape on Dick Duff- and I'd imagine his R-on/R-offs must be frightening. I also don't know what you do if an LW gets injured, except to go to 7D.
I see this team as being a couple of talent-allocation and assignment moves away from making things really interesting for their Divisional opponents.