Chesapeake Icebreakers
coach Viktor Tikhonov
"The [NHL] scouts are interested in whether I have thought up something new. Yes - I have - you can be sure of that!"
Toe Blake - Steve Yzerman (C) - Sergei Makarov
Johnny Bucyk (A) - Joe Thornton - Yvan Cournoyer
George Hay - Jacques Lemaire - Glenn Anderson
Brian Propp - Dave Poulin - Ed Litzenberger
Auston Matthews, Bill Mosienko
Denis Potvin (A) - Emile Bouchard
Lionel Conacher - Larry Murphy
Alex Ragulin - Vladimir Lutchenko
Adam Foote
Martin Brodeur
Rogie Vachon
PK1: Poulin - Propp - Conacher - Bouchard - Brodeur
PK2: Yzerman - Makarov - Ragulin - Potvin - Brodeur
PP1: Blake - Yzerman - Anderson - Potvin - Murphy
PP2: Hay - Thornton - Makarov - Lemaire - Lutchenko
Prairie Scouting Service review of
Chesapeake Icebreakers
Like:
Potvin minutes-managed by having him on PK2
Depth-players Adam Foote and Bill Mosienko might be best in Division
Most players will be able to deal with the strong whip-hand of Tikhonov
Not so sure about:
Auston Matthews role
What happens if an LW gets injured?
Placement of Ragulin and Lutchenko
Line #1: T. Blake-Yzerman-Makarov. Makarov is the most significant Lecavalier Division Forward NOT named Mario or Maurice- and Tikhonov will surely know how to game-plan around ensuring his impact.
Line #2: Bucyk-J. Thornton-Cournoyer. The parts fit... but I'm curious about the Joe Thornton role in a Tikhonov system. Center is expected to have the first Forward responsibility on D, right? Yzerman is up to it, Lemaire is up to it, Poulin is up to it-- Thornton? Tough to say.
Line #3: G. Hay-Lemaire-G. Anderson. Should be able to play Tikhonov hockey just fine.
Line #4: Propp-Poulin-Litzenberger. Well- since you teased a 7D look, I think I'd like to know which Forward sits (if any)- OR are you going to limit it to 6D in the Regular Season(?) Here, I'll also add that I'm sure Mosienko will give your RWers a break from the grind- and that's to the good.
D-pairing #1: D. Potvin-Emile Bouchard. Best D in the Division, NOT best RD in the Division. Still (as can be shown in
@overpass thread on identifying D-partners), we are probably correct in saying that the Senior Partner drives the valuation of Defense-pairings more. Potvin should be great in the Regular Season, and be fully ready come Playoff Time.
D-pairing #2: L. Conacher-L, Murphy. On a "player-valuation" basis, among the best in the Conference. [Slam-dunk top-3, at least.] They both seem a little angled towards offense- but I guess that's not a big worry when your Goaltender is Brodeur.
D-paring #3: Ragulin-Lutchenko. Reviewing the
@Theokritos post in "Some Soviet Defensemen," Lutchenko-Ragulin was a real-life pairing in the Late 60s/early 70s- Lutchenko on the left and Ragulin on the right. Easy fix. Nice ancillary feature is that both are bilateral- so either can spell another up-and-down the parings, and also carve a slot for Adam Foote, when desired.
Goaltending- Brodeur. Second to Roy in the Lecavalier- and next best Goalie in-Division is Vézina... so now we're getting to a level of difference that might actually count for a couple of games in the Regular Season.
Reviewing Special Teams- is Makarov on PP2 a minutes managing thing? Presence of Propp on PK1 suggests that it's Litzenberger who's most likely to sit in a 7D look- right? He appears to be your only clear multi-positional Forward- so I'm not so sure about that... No Bucyk on the Power Play is worth a double-take. Don't think I'd play it that way--
Good squad- but pray for the health of your LWers, or consider an add-drop to help you if someone on that side of the ice goes down.