THN's "Best Team Ever" Might Be the 2007 Anaheim Ducks

[quoipourquoi]

The Hockey News: The Straight Edge: The Straight Edge: Were the '07 Ducks the best Stanley Cup champions of all-time?

Working on a soon-to-be-released THN project, I was researching the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks and I’m starting to think they may have been the best team ever. That is to say, if you put that roster up against any other Cup champ, the Ducks would come out on top in a seven-game series.

That Ducks team featured three sure-fire Hall of Famers in Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne; an incredibly potent kid line featuring Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner; two excellent goalies in J-S Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov; tons of toughness and the premier shutdown line of Sammy Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen.

Anaheim dropped only five games in the entire Cup tourney, two of which came at the hands of the Red Wings, who went on to capture the Cup themselves the next year with a very similar lineup.

But this isn’t about stats necessarily; it’s about team composition. Pronger and Niedermayer famously patrolled the blueline with such stamina that at least one of them was almost always on the ice. Pahlsson’s line neutralized some of the best scorers in the game, including Ottawa’s Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley combo in the final. Those three tied for the tournament lead in scoring that year, but they didn’t make much headway against the Ducks. And if you got to the net, Giguere was there with his 1.97 goals-against average.

But this theory also got me thinking: Who could hang with the ’07 Ducks?

Despite the reality that conditioning and modernity should eliminate most past-era teams, the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens actually stack up pretty well. Of course, they are regarded as the best team in NHL history, which is a good start, but again – composition helps. I still think if we took the ’07 Ducks and put them in an Ice Rink Time Machine, they’d beat that Montreal team, but it would be fun to watch.

Those Habs were led on defense by 6-foot-4, 220-pound Larry Robinson, who tallied an outstanding 85 points from the blueline in the regular season (and 12 more in 14 playoff games). Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard were also rocks on the back end, giving the Habs an answer to the Pronger/Niedermayer wall.

Offensively, Montreal trotted out the biggest name in the game at the time, Guy Lafleur. Would he be able to sneak his way past Pahlsson enough to create offense? It may sound like a ridiculous question, but remember conditioning: Pahlsson didn’t allegedly smoke between periods during his prime, he watches game video to study the opposition and knows a lot more about angles than the average NHLer in the 1970s would have.

In net the intrigue only heightens. Giguere has always been lauded (or hated, depending on your allegiances) for his ability to fill up as much net as possible, but Ken Dryden, at 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, is actually bigger. Dryden may not have had the larger modern pads, but he could still kick out pucks as good as anyone in history.

Montreal had its own shutdown specialist in Doug Jarvis and another question would be how the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder would handle Anaheim’s attackers. First-line center Andy McDonald is only slightly bigger than Jarvis, but Ryan Getzlaf is a mean 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, with skill to boot. For those looking for comparisons of Jarvis’ work, that’s a lot bigger than Phil Esposito.

In the end, I believe the Ducks would be too physical and too nasty for the Habs. Anaheim was well known for its fisticuffs and getting between Pronger and his goalie is like wandering between a mother bear and her cub – you just don’t do it if you value your life.

That physical factor also eliminates a lot of sexy historical teams, such as the firewagon Edmonton Oilers – how is Wayne Gretzky going to even get to his ‘office’ behind the opposition’s net with the surly Pronger on the prowl? And before you say ‘Dave Semenko or Mark Messier,’ remember that Pronger towers over both of them, while the Ducks also had Brad May, Shawn Thornton and George Parros – all of whom would delight in the opportunity for a line brawl.

And if you think ‘old-school toughness’ would win out, take heed from no less an authority than Bob Probert, who recently told me he’s glad he didn’t have anyone like 6-foot-7 Derek Boogaard around when he was in his prime.

That Ducks squad was, in the end, too good to last. Selanne and Niedermayer took most of the next season off, while McDonald was traded for cap space. Penner signed his infamous offer sheet with Edmonton and Bryzgalov was waived and grabbed by Phoenix, again, due to cap concerns.

But let’s not forget just how good that team really was.

They'd be in my top five, but I think a deep team with net presence could take advantage of their fourth-line and any penalties to their version of the Big Three on defense. Also, I think Gretzky would be fast enough to break past Pronger.

Kunitz-McDonald-Selanne
Penner-Getzlaf-Perry
Moen-Pahlsson-Niedermayer
May-Marchant-Thornton
Miller, Parros, Shannon

Niedermayer-Beauchemin
O'Donnell-Pronger
DiPenta-Huskins
Jackman

Giguere
Bryzgalov


Which teams throughout history do you think could take them out in 6 or less?

 

[dash]

As mentioned, the '76 - 77 Habs
'81 - '82 Isles
'84 - '85 Oilers
'91 - '92 Pens
And my homer pick, the '89 Flames

 

[juliansteed]

I find it hard to believe that some of the champs from the Original 6 era(mainly those strong Habs teams) wouldn't be better than any of the champs from the current era. There are 5 times as many teams now as there was then. No doubt the talent pool has also grown since that time buy by that same factor? I doubt it.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

It's tough to argue with Dash's picks, and I'm going to throw in a Red Wings team... some say the '02 team was one of the scariest in history, but I would take the '97 Detroit squad myself. Less star power, but better chemistry, and a meaner, deeper defense.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

I find it hard to believe that some of the champs from the Original 6 era(mainly those strong Habs teams) wouldn't be better than any of the champs from the current era. There are 5 times as many teams now as there was then. No doubt the talent pool has also grown since that time buy by that same factor? I doubt it.

That's true, but nutrition, conditioning, and training his improved drastically. The truth is, you flat out can't compare a team from the 50's and 60's to a team from the modern era. I would think an Original Six team would have the depth and talent sewn up, but a modern team would be able to skate circles around them and probably have a goaltender that would be nearly impossible to beat, due to modern techniques.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

76/77 Canadiens led the league in scoring and goals against. They went 12-2 in the playoffs and won the cup.

I still feel a a team that had 132 points in the regular season and romped over the competition in the playoffs is the best team.

 

[davnlaguna]

I got to go with the 02 Wings. In time they could have 10+ players on that team in the HOF. But not only that the players that were stars elsewhere became role players and excepted that. When Luc is playing on the 3rd line you know the team had depth up front

 

[quoipourquoi]

It's tough to argue with Dash's picks, and I'm going to throw in a Red Wings team... some say the '02 team was one of the scariest in history, but I would take the '97 Detroit squad myself. Less star power, but better chemistry, and a meaner, deeper defense.

Certainly my pick for the best Red Wings team of the time. The 2002 team stumbled drunkenly to the Stanley Cup. The 1997 team flat-out embarrassed everyone they played, including an Avalanche team that was even better than they were the previous Stanley Cup winning year.

 

[juliansteed]

That's true, but nutrition, conditioning, and training his improved drastically. The truth is, you flat out can't compare a team from the 50's and 60's to a team from the modern era. I would think an Original Six team would have the depth and talent sewn up, but a modern team would be able to skate circles around them and probably have a goaltender that would be nearly impossible to beat, due to modern techniques.

Those are good points. As for your other post. I agree on the Red Wings. I'll also mention the 96 Avs who defeated another very strong Wings team that year before sweeping the finals.

 

[quoipourquoi]

Those are good points. As for your other post. I agree on the Red Wings. I'll also mention the 96 Avs who defeated another very strong Wings team that year before sweeping the finals.

That would all depend on how Crawford and Carlyle would match lines. I imagine Carlyle would keep the Pahlsson line and Pronger on Kamensky-Forsberg-Lemieux and leave Niedermayer and Beauchemin to cover Sakic. If Ozolinsh were to bring his offensive game, that might be an overall edge, but I'd give the goaltending and offensive depth to the Ducks. The 2001 Avs might be a better match, because they had enough defensive depth to control Getzlaf, but they had a habit of not closing teams out until the end.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Eh...what's this thread about? I was distracted by someone's avatar.

 

[IPostedWhat]

Eh...what's this thread about? I was distracted by someone's avatar.

Just an article about who's the breast cup winner.

 

[DerringerEagle]

Any "best team of all time" for my money exists in the Original Six era. Back then, that was a mans game. With only 6 clubs, you had to be the best of the best to even play in the NHL.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Just an article about who's the breast cup winner.

Well if that's the case...I will dismiss the article without reading it. Any "breast cup winner ever" debate runs into the same old artificial constructs.

 

[Destroydacre]

To be perfectly honest, I think the 00 Devils, 01 Avs and 02 Red Wings were all better teams just this last decade. Those were some damn good teams and the 00 Devils get overlooked a lot IMO.

 

[quoipourquoi]

To be perfectly honest, I think the 00 Devils, 01 Avs and 02 Red Wings were all better teams just this last decade. Those were some damn good teams and the 00 Devils get overlooked a lot IMO.

The biggest reason the 2000 New Jersey Devils get overlooked is because many acknowledge the 2001 New Jersey Devils as being the best Devils team of them all... but with unfortunate timing.

2000 Devils: 251 GF, 203 GA, 103 Pts
2001 Devils: 295 GF, 195 GA, 111 Pts

Even still, they're not a team that goes down without a fight- not with prime Stevens breaking people's heads and the A-Line scoring three-per-game.


And not without controversy, I'd put the 1999 Dallas Stars in that category as well. The Stars, Devils, Avalanche, and Red Wings really did own that era, so it'd be weird not to give them a shout-out as well. From 1995-2003, any one of those teams could have had a dynasty with a few lucky breaks here or there.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

The biggest reason the 2000 New Jersey Devils get overlooked is because many acknowledge the 2001 New Jersey Devils as being the best Devils team of them all... but with unfortunate timing.

2000 Devils: 251 GF, 203 GA, 103 Pts
2001 Devils: 295 GF, 195 GA, 111 Pts

Even still, they're not a team that goes down without a fight- not with prime Stevens breaking people's heads and the A-Line scoring three-per-game.


And not without controversy, I'd put the 1999 Dallas Stars in that category as well. The Stars, Devils, Avalanche, and Red Wings really did own that era, so it'd be weird not to give them a shout-out as well. From 1995-2003, any one of those teams could have had a dynasty with a few lucky breaks here or there.

The Avs and Red Wings of that era would still be successful teams in any other era, IMO. The Stars were a team so built for the clutch and grab of the 90's, I think they would get severely outskated in the 80's and 00's.

 

[puckhead]

I find it really hard to put a one-hit wonder team like those Ducks among the best teams in history.
yes, I realize they had a decent run the year before (western finals), but they fizzled away pretty quickly afterwards (1st round exit in 08, 2nd round in 09, missed the show in 2010)

For that moment in 07, they were a very good team. Among the best ever? I can't see it.

 

[DerringerEagle]

I find it really hard to put a one-hit wonder team like those Ducks among the best teams in history.
yes, I realize they had a decent run the year before (western finals), but they fizzled away pretty quickly afterwards (1st round exit in 08, 2nd round in 09, missed the show in 2010)

For that moment in 07, they were a very good team. Among the best ever? I can't see it.

To be fair, the Ducks were very good the year before in '06, but ran into the Oilers destiny train in the WCF, losing even though they badly outplayed them.