|
|||
Larry Wigge is the long-time hockey editor for The Sporting News.
Wigge, who is based in St. Louis, has been writing hockey for TSN since 1969, and before that, actually admits that he was Blues season ticket holder.
[Kinda like admitting to being a Cubs season ticket holder, in a way!]
In any event, there aren't many carbon-based life forms with more knowledge of Blues hockey, and the history of Blues hockey, than Larry Wigge.
In early March, Wigge was asked if he could remember a Blues team that could boast of a stronger defensive foursome than the 1997-98 corps, one that includes Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, Steve Duchesne, and Marc Bergevin.
Even after a short discussion of the Blues' 1980-81 and 1990-91 "glory years" teams (that featured blueliners Ed Kea, Rick LaPointe, Joe Micheletti, and Jack Brownschidle; and Scott Stevens, Jeff Brown, Paul Cavallini, and, for the last 20 games, Garth Butcher, respectively), Wigge concluded that the current Blues defenders were the best in team history.
Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon, when asked the same question, mumbled something about Brian Benning and Curt Giles before agreeing that, yes, Joel Quenneville's Fab Four was at least the equal of any group of defenseman to ever wear the Bluenote sweater.
In addition, coaches and scouts around the league, including Detroit's Scotty Bowman, have raved all season long about the multi-dimensional skills possessed by Pronger et. al., and in particular, have marvelled at their passing and puckhandling abilities...skills which are so essential if a team is to be successful at defeating the neutral zone trap so popular in late '90s-NHL style hockey.
So you really can't blame Blues coach Quenneville if the Pronger-MacInnis-Duchesne-Bergevin quartet saw most of the game action.
Especially if Quenneville, a long-time NHL defenseman, simply doesn't believe that his 5, 6, and 7 defenders (the now-sidelined Rudy Poeschek, the inexperienced Jamie Rivers, and the journeyman Chris McAlpine) are not quite ready for prime time.
But last year's playoff effort, during which time Trent Yawney was the #4 blueline guy, revealed a shortcoming in Quenneville's system: too much ice time makes for tired legs, especially for veteran defenseman MacInnis.
All of which makes the Blues' recent acquisition of San Jose defenseman Todd Gill such a big deal.
Especially for Quenneville, who had grown a bit testy about innocent questions regarding his utilization of Pronger-MacInnis-Duchesne-Bergevin.
Gill, who was the Sharks' captain, is an eleven-year veteran who toiled for several years in Toronto.
Gill, who can handle and shoot the puck a bit, does not shy away from the physical side of the his job, either.
In other words, Todd Gill fits right in with the other mainstays on the Blues' blueline in that his strengths are manifold.
Not Hall-of-Fame defenseman Denis Potvin, mind you, but a good solid player.
Indeed, in the first game after Gill's acquisition, neither MacInnis nor Pronger logged their usual 30+ minutes of ice time (Mac was at 27 and change, while Pronger logged just over 25 minutes).
Meanwhile, Gill, who was obtained from San Jose (in exchange for high-priced winger Joe Murphy and cash), logged nearly 17 minutes of ice time in his first game as a Blue.
Joel Quenneville's post-game comments about Gill and his effects on the Blues defensive rotation were telling.
Said Coach Q: "Well, you get six...and you play them all a little bit more. I think, uhhh, when you get down to four...whether it's late in the game or in the playoffs, those guys are going to be a little bit more fresh. I think it's just a nice situation...you can go a little bit deeper on the D."
And just how important is the D?
Well, for starters, nearly all season the Blues have ranked at or near the top in goals scored, for the entire NHL.
Even in Hull's halycon days of 72 and 86 goals (1989-90 and 1990-91, respectively, the Blues were 53 and 34 goals behind the league leaders).
All of which provides support for just how important those defenders really are...on the offensive side of the rink.
Which begs the following question--
Blues GM Larry Pleau has suggested that the Blues' budget for the '98-99 season (and beyond) is big enough for only one of the two big-name free agents-to be--Brett Hull and MacInnis.
Let's suppose that the Blues' have a long playoff run.
And let's suppose that the Blues' long run playoff run includes evidence that the Pronger-MacInnis-Duchesne-Bergevin foursome should be expanded to include Todd Gill, because those five men make for an awesome group.
And the question.
Who do you think Pleau should work harder to re-sign--Brett Hull or Al MacInnis?
|
||||||||||
