From: maynard@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca (Roger Maynard)
Subject: Re: Plus minus stat...
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON
Lines: 79

In <4LD32B2w165w@sms.business.uwo.ca> j3david@sms.business.uwo.ca (James David) writes:

>It was Bryan Trottier, not Denis Potvin.  It was a vicious
>'boarding' from behind...Trottier was given a major.

Perhaps it was Trottier.  It happened behind the Habs goal if I recall.
Gainey simply didn't have his head up as he was picking up the puck.

>But Roger, what the hell does this have to do with Gainey's skill
>as a hockey player?  If Probert smashes Gilmour's head into the
>boards next week, will that diminish your assessment of Gilmour's
>skills?

If Gilmour was taken completely by surprise, as Gainey was, then yeah,
I would have to say that Doug wasn't playing "technically" smart 
hockey.  In any case, to claim as Greg did, that Gainey *never* made 
a technical mistake is absolutely ludicrous.

>>Gainey was a plugger.  And when the press runs out of things to
>>say about  the stars on dynasties they start to hype the
>>pluggers.  Grant Fuhr, Essa Tikkannen, Butch Goring, Bob
>>Nystrom, Bob Gainey, Doug Jarvis, Derek Sanderson, Wayne
>>Cashman, Bob Baun, Bob Pulford, Ralph Backstrom, Henri Richard,
>>Dick Duff...and so on...
> 
>I would take Fuhr and Sanderson off of the latter.

Good for you.  You'd only be displaying your ignorance of course, but to 
each his own...

>I think Gainey would be honoured to know that you've included him

I think Gainey should feel honoured to know that he is remembered at 
all.

>on this list.  I also think you have a relatively naive view
>about what wins a hockey game...pluggers are an integral part of

Certainly pluggers are an integral part of any team.  And that is
simply because there are not enough solid two-way players to go 
around.  Who would you rather have as your "checking" centre?  Doug
Gilmour or Doug Jarvis?  For that matter I would take either Gretzky
or Mario as my "checking" centres.  Do you think Gretzky could cover
Bob Gainey? 

>any team.  The Selke is designed to acknowledge their
>contribution...I think that most people understand that it's not
>the Nobel Prize...so settle down.

You're wrong again.  The Selke is awarded to the forward that does the
best job defensively and this may or may not be the best plugger.  If 
Gilmour does the best defensive job in the league I don't see why he 
should be out of the running simply because he also contributes offen-
sively.

Settle down?  If you think that I have likened the Selke to the Nobel
prize then I suggest that you had best "settle down".  And if you are
going to try to put words in my mouth, let me suggest that you "settle 
down" before you bother following up on my postings. 

>congenially, as always,
> 
>jd
> 
>--
>James David
>david@student.business.uwo.ca

You might consider developing your own style.  After all, imitation is 
the sincerest form of flattery and I am quite sure that flattery is not 
your intention.

cordially, as always,

rm

-- 
Roger Maynard 
maynard@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca 
