Monday, September 21, 2009

History Shows Rookie Defensemen Lead to Success

Stan Fischler at MSG.com says history shows that the Rangers should keep Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto and/or Bobby Sanguinetti...

"I'll give you three good reasons why; and, remember, The Maven was there when it happened.

In 1946, the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a disappointing Spring; they didn't even make the playoffs.

At training camp, 63 years ago -- prior to the 1946-47 season -- Leafs boss Conn Smythe decided to gamble. He approved Gus Mortson and Jim Thomson as starting defensemen.

Each was a rookie, green to the wiles of major league hockey. Better still, Smythe and his coach, Hap Day, paired Thomson and Mortson who eventually were named The Gold Dust Twins. Later that same season, Smythe promoted another rookie from the minors William (Bashin' Bill) Barilko and put him on the Toronto blue line.

My point is that Gilroy could be a rushing defenseman, a la Mortson, and Del Zotto could be a latter-day Thomson while Sanguinetti might just come into the picture a bit later as did Barilko mid-way in the 1946-47 campaign.

Oh, yeah, one other point: the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1947 with all three rookies taking regular turns. Plus, they won it again in 1948 and once more in 1949, making Toronto the first team ever to win three Cups in a row."

...i love the Maven's enthusiam but not even the biggest Ranger fan thinks having two maybe three rookie defensemen in the line-up will lead to one let alone three straight Stanley Cups.

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