Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
In those days, no, no team was as stacked. Detroit was moving between the Yzerman/Federov team and the next generation team. NJD’s best player aside from Brodeur was Patrick Elias. Dallas was post apex, had old Brett Hull, Mike Modano and Joe N. And I’m not sure what you mean by “going through” Bowman and Hitchcock, since their teams lost in upsets to other teams. Detroit lost to LA, Dallas lost to St. Louis. Hartley’s team beat the Canucks, LA, and St. Louis.
But moreover, other coaches have had success with stacked teams and it doesn’t mean they are good coaches. Crisp, Sather, Babcock, etc moved on and had zero success.
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From 1995-2003, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit and New Jersey combined for 12 finals appearances and nobody else won the Stanley Cup.
Hartley lost to Ken Hitchcock twice in the conference finals and Scotty Bowman once.
He beat Darryl in two straight seasons with the Sharks.
He out coached Joel Quennville to get to his Final. The next year he lost to Scotty Bowman in the WCF.
My point is, he didn’t have some cupcake opposition that wouldn’t make him pay for foolish mistakes - he matched wits with some of the best to ever do it, and he cashed one in.
As for “no success elsewhere” -
Only coach to get Atlanta to the dance.
Took a Flames team that belonged in the bottom 5 and won a round with them.
Just won a championship in Russia.
He never had six Hall of Famers again.
But he’s a bad coach.
And hold up, Babcock is a bad coach now? He’s got one of the most sterling resumes in the history of the game.
You’re incorrect.