Today I am doing something a little different. I am comparing the Young guns team Toronto Maple Leafs to the Maples Leafs of my youth. Back when I rode dinosaurs to school. To be exact, I am going back to the 1977-78 Maple Leafs. I will be comparing top line vs top line. The criteria will be one centre, right wing, left wing, two defensemen, and one goalie. These lines were not necessarily playing together on the team.
In the late 70s, my family were rabid Maple Leafs fans. The worst swear word in our house was "Montreal Canadiens." I was beyond obsessed; my mother constantly came down to warned me about my language while watching a game. My favourite player was Darryl Sittler, with Lanny McDonald, a close second. You can imagine my heartbreak when I found out about the Lanny trade to the Rockies. December 29, 1979, lives on in infamy. But I digress. We are not discussing the stupidity of Maple Leafs trades, but rather comparing generations of hockey players.
So here it is—the 1977-78 Maple Leafs vs 2019-20 Maple Leafs.
2020 Toronto Maple Leafs
CENTRE
AUSTON MATTHEWS
Auston Matthews is one of the best players in the game today. Auston is most known for his one-timers on the powerplay. He is an offensively gifted centreman who can distribute the puck as well as he can snipe it. Used in all aspects of the game, he is worth the price of admission alone.
RIGHT WING
MITCH MARNER
Mitch is an outstanding young forward who can do everything offensively. He is the fastest skater on the team or close to it. He knows exactly where everyone is on the ice to distribute the puck to them. I do not know of a more accurate passer than Marner. His shot is underrated. It may not be the hardest, but it is deadly accurate.
LEFT WING
ZACH HYMAN
Zach is the ultimate fan favourite. He relates to the fans. He is a man's man. He gets his nose dirty and gets his share of garbage goals. Zach is a great utility forward that you can use on all four lines. A terrific penalty killer.
DEFENSEMAN #1
MORGAN RIELLY
Morgan Rielly is the number one dman on the Leafs. He has a hard, accurate shot from the point on the powerplay. He is reliable in his own back end. He bails out his linemates, covering up their mistakes. A true leader. A young defender with all the talent in the world.
DEFENSEMAN #2
TYSON BARRIE
Tyson is an offensive defenseman who distributes the puck well. A powerplay defenseman with a good shot. An excellent passer, who has excellent vision, Matthews and Marner can live off Barrie from his passes at will.
GOALTENDER
FREDERIK ANDERSEN
Freddie is an outstanding stand-up goalie. He rarely gets caught out of position. He follows the puck so well on the ice. Freddie has kept the Leafs in game after game. Freddie is often left to his own devices and covers up the silly mistakes of the team in front of him.
1977-78 Toronto Maple Leafs
CENTRE
DARRYL SITTLER
Darryl was the face of the Maple Leafs for years. He was an outstanding centre with tons of offensive skills. Darryl had deadly puck skills and terrific puck handling. He was great on the powerplay, a fatal shot from the right circle. Darryl was a fantastic skater, who often led rushes into the offensive end. I love his shot. He was known for his 10 point night against the Bruins.
RIGHT WING
LANNY MCDONALD
Lanny was a deadly sniper. Lanny had one of the best one-timers in the league. He was deadly on the powerplay, finding a niche in the offensive zone. He always found the spot for Darryl to see him. What made Lanny dangerous was his strength. It was really hard to get the puck off of him. He was one of the best power forwards in his prime.
LEFT WING
DAVE "TIGER " WILLIAMS
Tiger was one of the most talented enforcers. Dave got the garbage goals on the rebounds, simply out-muscling the opposing forwards to the puck. He will always be known for his moves after his goals. He was a colossal fan favourite—the heart and soul of the Maple Leafs.
DEFENSEMAN #1
BORJE SALMING
Borje was an outstanding all-around defenceman. Borje was often used on the powerplay, distributing to the forwards. He was given the responsibility of getting the puck out of the defensive end. It was so strange to see him in a Redwing uniform.
DEFENSEMAN #2
IAN TURNBALL
Turnball was Salming's partner in crime on the powerplay. Ian would be the one the Leafs would try to feed on the powerplay from the point. Ian was a great puck distributor who knew who to pass to. His greatest moment was scoring five goals against the Redwings.
GOALIE
MIKE PALMATEER
The underdog goalie that everyone loved. Mike was an agile goalie who I called Gumby. He had fast reflexes that bailed him out on rebounds. Like Andersen, Mike would often be left to own devices.
So which team is better?
Randy
No comments:
Post a Comment