Comparing 2003 vs. 2006

There are alot of similarities between this team 2006 and the 2003 team that went to the Cup final. We have a GM making changes, a rookie coach teaching a new system, some good vet leadership, some good kids, and lastly, good goaltending. So how do these two teams compare? Which team is better? I know its too early to pass judgement since the season is yet to be finished. But hell, what are we going to do with our time. Discuss.

The lines for 2003 (correct me if I'm wrong)

Kariya Oates Sykora
Leclerc Rucchin R. Nieds
Chistov Pahlsson Thomas
Bylsma Krog Chouinard/Smirnov

Carney Sauer
Ozo Salei
Vish Havelid

Giggy Gerber

VS.

Kunitz McDonald Selanne
Hedstrom Marchant Lupul
Fedoruk Getzlaf Perry
Friesen Pahlsson R. Nieds

Beauchemin S. Nieds
O'Donnell Salei
Vish DiPenta

Giggy Bryz

I'm pretty sure it was Kariya-Oates-Sykora (KOS) and Leclerc-Rucchin-Niedermayer (played kind of a shutdown role)

I'm pretty sure it was Kariya-Oates-Sykora (KOS) and Leclerc-Rucchin-Niedermayer (played kind of a shutdown role)

I keep remembering Leclerc feeding Sykora and Oates for some GWG in OT a few games. Maybe they switched the lines. 3 years and I'm losing my memory. Oh boy!

I believe that foresby is right. Also, Kermit the Krog was defitnetley the center of the 4th line.

I don't want to compare the teams because I don't want to jinx anything. :innocent:

I believe that foresby is right. Also, Kermit the Krog was defitnetley the center of the 4th line.

I don't want to compare the teams because I don't want to jinx anything. :innocent:

Fair enough. I am amazed though by how many new players are on this team. The only returning players from that year are Giggy, Pahlsson, RNIeds, Vish, and Salei. What an amazing turnover of the roster in just a short few years.

Also, Kermit the Krog was defitnetley the center of the 4th line.


He definitely was.
Smirnov shouldn't be listed as part of the fourth line.
This was when Kjellberg quit the team, so it was a mix of him/Bylsma/Chouinard for the other two spots on the fourth line.

Fair enough. I am amazed though by how many new players are on this team. The only returning players from that year are Giggy, Pahlsson, RNIeds, Vish, and Salei. What an amazing turnover of the roster in just a short few years.

Mac was there obviously but he was out with concussion problems. Man looking at the team now though there seems to be a lot more talent, but you have to win the gritty battles in the playoffs to be successful.

I keep remembering Leclerc feeding Sykora and Oates for some GWG in OT a few games. Maybe they switched the lines. 3 years and I'm losing my memory. Oh boy!
In the playoffs they split up the top line at times, trying to spread out the scoring. It was mostly just on the road. Kariya would go with Rucchin and Oates would stay with Sykora. It never lasted long though.

well the big difference between that team and this team is that we don't have 2 veteran players who are desperate to win the Cup the way Thomas and Oates are. We could definetly use a Thomas type I think.

well the big difference between that team and this team is that we don't have 2 veteran players who are desperate to win the Cup the way Thomas and Oates are. We could definetly use a Thomas type I think.
True, although you could say Selanne is a veteran desperate for a cup. R. Nieds and Marchant to lesser extents. Another difference is having someone who has been their and done it 3 times, that could help replace those missing 2.

There are a lot of comparisons, especially how the season has unfolded too, it's creepy. The 03 team was a defense-first, turnover-oriented offense and more than solid goaltending. The 06 team is sound defensively but more of a forecheck, puck-possesion team with more than solid defense and really good goaltending.

03 had supreme PK while this team has a really good one. This area is close considering we still have Pahlsson, R. Niedermayer, Vish, and Salei who are big parts of that PK. One striking difference though is the 03 PP was dismal around playoff time and ours now is really catching on fire. This I feel could make up the lack of veteren grit, though I agree Teemu is going to be a bull come playoff time. (Olympics anyone?).

The key though is Jiggy. We know he's good, he's playing great much like he did leading up to the playoffs three years ago. But, once they started he when into the zone of zones. I feel if we get that same kind of performance out of him with the way we are playing now, we absolutley can win the Cup. But we can't expect Jiggy to emulate what he did in 03, no one can. But, if he DOES, the city of Anaheim better be prepared to have Katella shut down for a day because we'll have a big silver mug to show off to everyone.

Major difference is this year there is an on ice leader who is a #1 defenseman, a scoring threat from the blueline who has been there and done that more times than just about anyone and never makes mistakes.

Yeah last time around Ozolinsh was considered that guy...

Yeah last time around Ozolinsh was considered that guy...

Ouch

Actually, that brings up an interesting point,

Anyone want to do the math on the playoff experience of each team?
I suspect we might have a little bit more now then we did before

Assuming I got the math right....a big if....I have the final tally as

2002-03: 586 GP
2005-06: 575 GP

For 2002-03 I only counted guys who finished the year and actually played in the playoffs for the Ducks that year (ie no Pavel Trnka, Matt Cullen, etc) and for the 2005-06 team I included Giguere's lone postseason appearance as part of the team GP. A guy like Adam Oates really boosts the overall GP.