I want to start this blog off my first congratulating Mr.Darren McCarty for his career, although not stacked with points and accolades he, in my memory, will be known more for his playoff heroics than his grit and toughness. More on this later...
When many think of the grinders (or role players, tough guys, whatever suits your fancy) who have come and gone players such as Barnaby, Probert, Wendel Clark and even current NHLer Maxime Talbot will all come to mind. Not to say that the hits they threw or even the fights they had weren't entertaining or didn't help their team, but in my opinion I surely hope that's not all they are remembered for because they did alot more for their teams than that, and should be remembered for more.
When I think of Probert I think of the fights he took part in. Of course the Marty McSorly fight comes to mind, but we should also remember that those hands were used for more than just beating opponents physically. In fact, not many know that Bob Probert participated in the annual NHL All-Star game during the 1987-88 season. Obviously I wasn't watching hockey at this time, but when I read this accomplishment by Probert I had to admit that I saw him in a completely different light.
An event I do recall, although I was at a young age, was Wendel Clark's hat trick against the LA Kings during Game 6 and Game 7 of the Conference Finals during the 1992-93 playoffs. Whether the Leafs should have moved on to the Finals has been and always will be debated but the fact remains that what Wendel Clark did throughout the playoffs, and specifically during the Conference Finals, is the definition of "Carrying a team on one's back". Examining his play and the statistics as well, points out how extraordinary he really was.
The most points Wendel Clark ever accumulated in one NHL season was 76 (93-94), which was also the only time he ever averaged anywhere near a point per game, except for his amazing 92-93 playoff where he accumulated 20 points in 21 games. After all is said and done and you see the bone crushing hits and one punch knock outs, Wendel Clark, I hope, is remembered more for his leadership and ability to rise to the the occasion than the physical punishments his opponents had to endure.
The most points Wendel Clark ever accumulated in one NHL season was 76 (93-94), which was also the only time he ever averaged anywhere near a point per game, except for his amazing 92-93 playoff where he accumulated 20 points in 21 games. After all is said and done and you see the bone crushing hits and one punch knock outs, Wendel Clark, I hope, is remembered more for his leadership and ability to rise to the the occasion than the physical punishments his opponents had to endure.
Another example of a moment in hockey that I actually viewed live, and in fact, left me a little choked up was a hockey moment with Matthew Barnaby. Known as a pest and instigator, by my own admission as well, I found a new respect for Matthew Barnaby on Mother's Day of 1998. During the post-season of 1998, where he tied for team lead in points at 13, he recorded a hat trick in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the Montreal Canadians. Although scoring the hat trick was an amazing feat, especially for a so-called "pest" or "agitator", what he did at the end of the game was what I remember being special. With his mom coming to the game he dedicated his hat trick to her as a Mother's Day present. The sincerity with which he spoke is something I will never forget.
Finally, before I get back to Mr.McCarty we need to discuss someone more recent. That someone would be Maxime Talbot. With the Penguins losing Game 5 of the Conference Quarter Finals and appearing to be on their way to losing Game 6 down 3-0, Talbot did something forbidden and rarely seen during the NHL playoffs..... He got into a fight.
He dropped the gloves with Daniel Carcillo and to put it lightly, Talbot lost. However, this started a fire with his teammates, which led to a huge comback, a 5-3 win, and eventually onto Stanley Cup glory. In addition, to cap off what he started, Talbot netted the two Penguin goals to solidify Game 6 and the Stanley Cup victory. Not to take anything away from Evgeni Malkin as the winner of the Conn Smythe trophy, however, Malkin would have never dropped his gloves to inspire the way that Talbot did, and it frustrates me to an extent that players such as Talbot are overlooked.
He dropped the gloves with Daniel Carcillo and to put it lightly, Talbot lost. However, this started a fire with his teammates, which led to a huge comback, a 5-3 win, and eventually onto Stanley Cup glory. In addition, to cap off what he started, Talbot netted the two Penguin goals to solidify Game 6 and the Stanley Cup victory. Not to take anything away from Evgeni Malkin as the winner of the Conn Smythe trophy, however, Malkin would have never dropped his gloves to inspire the way that Talbot did, and it frustrates me to an extent that players such as Talbot are overlooked.
Now for Mr.McCarty (I said I would come back to him), and my favourite and first memory that comes to mind. It's not his toothless grin or watching him sing lead in a rock band or even thoughts about his off-ice demons, it is his Stanley Cup winning goal in 1997 against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he deked Janne Niinimaa out of his jock strap...Actually, I'm pretty sure over a decade later Niinimaa is still wondering what happened.
It's not that I don't think that previous Conn Smythe winners are deserving, I think that I get frustrated from the lack of recognition that the true work horses receive. At the end of day, I believe that star players (i.e. the Crosbys, Malkins, Zetterbergs, or Neidermayers) lead their teams to the playoffs, but if those teams don't have great goaltending and warriors (i.e. the Clarks, Talbots, McCartys, Marchants and the Lemieuxs) then the championships wouldn't be wrong. At the end of the day though, they're all just happy to have the chance, to earn their paychecks, and know that they have the respect and admiration of their teammates. The Championships they win are worth more than any Conn Smythe trophy is, which in todays game, is pretty refreshing.
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