Larry Robinson and the 1970s Bruins.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

In my opinion for the mid to late 1970s Bruins Larry Robinson was a bigger problem than Guy Lafluer.
Only one player Robinson had an edge over Terry O’Rely at controlling a puck in the corner.

On the playing defense side of being a defenseman I never saw a player better than Robinson.
I have Robinson as better than Bourque, Potvin and Coffey but behind Orr.

I have the 1978 Bruins as the best Non-Montreal Candiens team in the 1970s.

1971 Bruins had more talent were bigger and skated better but they played poorly in their own end. Their idea of defense was keeping the puck in the offensive end. With a bunch of expansion teams that could not get the puck out of their own zone the stats come out making the 1971 Bruins look good on defense even though they were bad on defense. The forwards had no idea what to do on defense.

1978 Bruins played perfect hockey but with less talent than the 1971 Bruins. 1978 Bruins would have beaten the 1971 Bruin and the Broad street Bullies and the 1980s Islanders and probably the Gretzky Oiler.

1978 Bruins came up the boards in a pack. Bump the Bruins puck carrier off the puck and another Bruin picks up the puck. That does not give you the big passes for breakaway but it does reliably advance the puck into the other team’s zone. It was unorthodox hockey. Flyers knew exactly what the Bruins were doing but could not stop it.

JC Trembly thwarted the 1971 Bruins keep the puck in the offensive zone defense because once the puck was on JC Trembly’s stick he was not going to be stopped from staring a break out going towards the Bruins goal. Ken Drydan was the main reason the dominant 1971 Bruins lost but JC Trembley’s puck handling was important.

[squashnut]

Well, if you go by the Bobby Orr legend there was no need for defense because he was capable of killing off a 2 minute penalty by himself, skating around in circles... The Boston Garden rink was narrower, so the Canadiens "beautiful hockey" with puck control was less feasible there.

I always thought Robinson was very underrated (not necessarily by a wise observer like Scotty Bowman, of course). It's like Wembanyama or Wilt Chamberlain (famous for finger rolls and fadeaways rather than dunks). Wemby will never be the best ball handler or shooter- but he will ALWAYS be the best >7 footer at both of those skills.

Wilt threw one punch that missed, very early in his career. He knew that if he engaged with anyone it would be trading a queen for a minor piece. Same with Robinson. So they had to be selective in using their size advantage to "send a message" during play.