Hartford Whalers Dynasty: Brass Bonanza

[croatian]

Originally Posted by Argonaut

Yes, that's right. They're on their own settings while Lines 1-3 play more offensive.

Can You please post pictures of your 1st,2nd and 3rd line unit settings ?

[Argonaut]

Originally Posted by croatian

Can You please post pictures of your 1st,2nd and 3rd line unit settings ?

They're in the same post here, 2nd image: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...2&postcount=35

Only change for individual players is that I bump Shooting up 1 notch and Backchecking down 1 notch for the wingers.

I think there's a few more settings that need scrolling down like DZ Coverage. It's covered in this image: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...1&d=1593463306

Except I have since changed SH DZ Coverage to Aggressive Box.

[Argonaut]

1984-85 SEASON PREVIEW & LINES

The game has us as the Stanley Cup favourite, though we place 2nd in the positional rankings to the Oilers.

Our lineup is pretty darn good, with Dave Babych giving us a 3rd elite defenseman. He arrives along with the returning Joel Quenneville. These two moves increase our mustache power exponentially. I suspect we may have the best Stache/60 in the NHL.

Sylvain Turgeon has also got a big ratings boost, and I can easily call him up to the show to serve as a sniper. He'll slot in on the first line with Ron Francis on a bid to get him the Calder Trophy. That leaves Brian Propp as our 2nd Line LW which is amazing. Him and Hakan Loob have no business being 2nd Liners, but our team is that good. And yet still we are maybe a touch behind the Oilers in strength!

I've swapped the snipers/shooters around via LW/RW, if you're keeping score. It suited the current lineup a little better.

[Argonaut]

1984-85 HALFWAY POINT

As we turn the calendar over to 1985 I have a quick update. We sit in 1st in the Adams, just a bit above Montreal. Sylvain Turgeon is having a great rookie season, and is near the top of the league in points. Our goaltending/defense has also been great.

But the bad news is that Mark Howe got injured in December... a 5 month elbow injury! Ouch. I've had some rotten luck with defensemen injuries. He'll maybe be able to come back if we make a deep playoff run. But it'll hurt us in the meantime. Glad I picked up Babych who can easily slot on the 1st pairing with Larry Murphy.

At least Ron Francis was named best role model...

[Argonaut]

1984-85 END OF SEASON

The Whalers top the Wales again! Beating the Canadiens out by 1 point. It's the Sabres turn to be aggrieved, as they miss the playoffs on 84 points, while the 57 point Flyers make it in. That Adams Division...

Ron Francis was #10 in points and #5 in assists. Also #5 in faceoffs, just an awesome all around player. And already a legend in Hartford. Gretzky is the first player ever to eclipse 200 points, as he grabs 205. He was having some sort of endless point streak until it was stopped by the Whalers though!

Sylvain Turgeon was having an awesome rookie campaign, but unfortunately he missed a lot of time due to injury. Nevertheless, 95 points in 62 games is really impressive. He should win the Calder over Mario Lemieux, who isn't quite unstoppable yet.

We were 2nd in most offensive categories to the Oilers, and 1st in most defensive categories.

The Adams Division playoff has Hartford taking on Quebec, and Montreal against Boston. I would like to see us get past the 2nd Round this time. We'll see.

[Argonaut]

1985 PLAYOFFS: 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS

The Whalers have made it to the Conference Finals for the 1st time! We swept Quebec, not much to discuss there. The 1st game was a crazy 8-6 shootout.

In the 2nd Round we got our revenge against (who I think is our biggest rival) the Montreal Canadiens. It was a tight series with 2 OT games, even though we won 4-1 overall. Larry Murphy came through in the deciding Game 5, with 2 goals from the point including the winner in OT.

That sets up a Wales Conference showdown with the New York Islanders, a team that has been a constant in the playoffs but never quite got over the hump.

The game considers the Islanders as my potential rival, and I have no main rival. It's kind of weird considering there have been a few seasons of Adams Division hockey. I believe the rival system values PIMs quite highly, and we never have games filled will too many penalties. I guess since we were swept by the Islanders way back when in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, Denis Potvin is injured, so we have the clear advantage on defense even though Mark Howe is still injured and Dave Babych is day-to-day. They also have mediocre goaltending with Kelly Hrudey not at his best yet. But they do have some great forwards, with Mike Bossy still scoring and Bryan Trottier a great player. Pat Lafontaine also got 100 points, seemingly from the 3rd Line?? Also cool that the AI is playing 2 of the Sutter brothers together.

Over in the Campbell Conference, the Hawks have their hands full with the Oilers. All-in-all I'm glad we get to face NYI, who are probably the class of the Patrick Division at the moment. Go Whalers!

[Argonaut]

Fast forward to what everyone's been waiting for!

[Argonaut]

1985 STANLEY CUP FINALS PREVIEW

There's not much to discuss with the Conference Finals. As shown in the previous post, our Whalers and the opposing Oilers both swept our opponents. The Oilers even have an undefeated playoffs going so far. The game now considers the Islanders my main rival, which is strange considering the only 2 playoff series' between us were one-sided sweeps. I believe it takes PIMs into account quite a lot, and the Islanders are more physical.

Anyway, I've attached some photos showing the Whalers and Oilers points so far in the playoffs, and our lineups. Francis is leading the way with 21 points, while Gretzky has 31 for the Oilers already. He's just on a different level. We'll have to hope that our better depth will help us prevail.

The other worrying thing is that Grant Fuhr comes to the series with maximum hotness, while Mike Liut only has 1 flame. I don't necessarily agree with how the game assigns goalie hotness, and it's very hard to generate if you don't give up a lot of shots.

Whatever happens, we're Prince of Wales champions, and already much more successful than the historical Whalers. Go Hartford!

[Argonaut]

1985 STANLEY CUP FINALS

The 1980s Edmonton Oilers, one of the greatest teams of all time (probably even the greatest) are battling it out with the upstart Hartford Whalers managed by yours truly. I was excited to kick things off, and here's how it broke down:

Game 1: HAR 3 @ EDM 4
A fairly even affair, with the shots 38-32 for the Oilers. Edmonton took advantage of the Whalers' Stanley Cup jitters as the scored 2 first period goals. Gretzky had a goal and an assist, with Coffey as the 1st Star.

Game 2: HAR 2 @ EDM 3
Another close game, with Paul Coffey again picking up 1st Star with a goal and an assist. Penalty minutes are low in the series, 4 PIMs each for the Oilers and Whalers in both games so far. Two skilled teams going at it.

Game 3: EDM 5 @ HAR 2
This was a tough result to take. The Whalers pounded Grant Fuhr over and over with shots, and he shut the door. Shots were 42-34 in favour of the Whalers, as we drop the first ever Stanley Cup game played in front of Hartford fans. Paul Coffey again picked up the 1st Star, with a goal and two helpers. The Whalers are in danger of getting shutout, and the Oilers could sweep the entire playoffs.

Game 4: EDM 3 @ HAR 4
A miracle comeback in Game 4! Whalers win, and deny the postseason sweep! Down 3-2 going into the 3rd period, we scored 2 in the final frame, including the winning goal with 4 seconds left by Hartford legend Mark Howe. Keith Brown finishes as the 1st Star for some reason, although Brian Propp picks up 3 assists.

Game 5: HAR 3 @ EDM 2
Yet another close game, as Hartford pounds Grant Fuhr with 42 shots and we pick up the win to stay alive back in Edmonton. Brian Propp had 2 goals, and Patrik Sundstrom picked up the 1st Star with 2 assists. The Oilers' discipline is starting to unravel, as they had 14 & 16 PIMs in the last two games, compared to the Whalers zero.

Game 6: EDM 5 @ HAR 1
Unfortunately, what was a close series ends in embarrassment as we're outgunned on home ice. Gretzky picks up 3 assists to get the 1st Star and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Although we put up a good effort and denied the postseason sweep, we're still a step behind Edmonton and they go on to win their 3rd straight Stanley Cup.

I've attached photos of the overall playoff picture, as well as the Game 4 Miracle -- the highlight of the Stanley Cup Finals for Whalers fans. We'll be back at it next year for another shot!

[Argonaut]

1985 OFFSEASON

I didn't make any major moves in the offseason for I think the first time? Basically we'll be running with the same team and give it another go. Maybe it will help to build up the chemistry as much as possible.

As far as awards go, Ron Francis picked up the Lady Byng Trophy along with 2nd Team All-Star honours. I've got the Byng on lockdown! It's his first major award although it unfortunately doesn't show as an icon on his profile. He was also in the running for the Selke but lost out to teammate Gaetan Duchesne, who won it for the 2nd time in a row. Mike Liut picked up the Jennings for fewest goals against. And Sylvain Turgeon got the Calder Trophy for his great rookie season, just as I was aiming for.

All in all a good year for the Whalers. We're predicted as Cup champions for next season, though I'm sure the Oilers aren't far behind in the ratings.

[Argonaut]

1985-86 HALFWAY POINT

Checking in after 40 games, and the Whalers are blitzing the league so far. We've got 30 wins, and our top line makes up half of the top 6 scorers in the league. I've attached our lines for the year.

Also saw a really dumb trade by Calgary to give up Gary Roberts for nothing to their rival Oilers. Seems like Montreal and Edmonton have made a few lopsided moves in their favour. My two biggest rivals of course.

[Argonaut]

1985-86 END OF SEASON: BEST TEAM EVER?

A brilliant season ends as the 1985-86 Hartford Whalers have some historic statistics. We finish with 66 wins and 137 points, both of which are best ever numbers in real hockey history. And in an 80 game season too. Of course the Oilers in my universe are right behind me this year, and would have set the marks had it not been for us.

I tried to get Mike Liut hot for the playoffs, so I manually controlled the goalie starts for every game. I basically only played Greg Millen when there was back-to-back games. The end result was Liut picking up 50 wins, which is also the most ever in real hockey history.

Our top line was awesome, and Sylvain Turgeon picked up an amazing 70 goals and 148 points, with Ron Francis at 101 assists and 143 points. Both of them only behind Wayne Gretzky of course in their respective categories. Joe Mullen was injured for a bit, or he'd be on there too.

Unfortunately Mark Howe has really struggled with injuries in his career, which has hurt his overall production and a chance at Norris Trophies. Larry Murphy got a nomination this year though.

Also, our 4th Line guys were +44 and Gaetan Duchesne got 42 points in limited icetime. What?? Just a great performance from the team all around.

Anyway we'll be facing the Nordiques in the first round of the playoffs, and anything less than a rematch with the Oilers in the finals will be a disappointment.

[Argonaut]

1986 PLAYOFFS: SETTING UP THE REMATCH

Let's cut to the chase here... there's 2 super-teams in the NHL in 1986, and anything other than a rematch in the finals would be a surprise. And the rematch is exactly what's happening.

The Whalers had their biggest scare in Round 1, where the Nordiques pushed us to the brink in Game 5 by winning the 1st and 4th games. Next up, the Bruins were bested in Game 5 as well (in a 7 game series). It was interesting to face them as I believe we haven't had a playoff matchup with Boston yet. Greg Gilbert scored the series-winning goal in OT in a thriller 5-4 deciding game.

And finally, in a deja-vu event equal to last year, Hartford and Edmonton swept the Conference Finals so that we could get on with the Stanley Cup! The Original Six Rangers and Red Wings respectively were brushed aside.

Gretzky leads the Oilers of course, with 42 points in 13 games already. I don't even know what to say. Unfortunately for them, Jari Kurri is injured... but perhaps even worse for us Mark Howe is injured again. He just can't stay healthy. Neither will play in the finals. Ron Francis leads us with a mere 19 points in 14 games.

Let's go Hartford!

[Argonaut]

1986 STANLEY CUP FINAL: GAME 1 TO GAME 4

The 1986 Stanley Cup Finals rematch is underway, as Hartford wins home ice advantage this time. If there's hope to beat the three-peat Oilers, it's in our superior depth. I've attached the lines for Edmonton, and it looks like they are really lacking outside of their top lines. Without further ado, here's how the first 4 games played out:

Game 1: EDM 0 @ HAR 4
The Whalers make a statement early, as Joe Mullen scores 2 goals and Mike Liut notches a 34 save shutout for the win.

Game 2: EDM 1 @ HAR 5
Are we rolling over the vaunted Oilers? Hartford continues its assault on the Cup at home ice, with a crushing victory. Dave Babych notched 4 points to pick up the 1st Star.

Game 3: HAR 1 @ EDM 2
We peppered Grant Fuhr with 40 shots, but he shut the door to keep the Oilers alive in Edmonton. Gretzky finally scored after being shutdown in the first 2 games by the only team capable of doing so.

Game 4: HAR 2 @ EDM 4
Uh-oh, we've got a series. "Home team wins" is the common thread of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals so far. Grant Fuhr again outplayed his counterpart Mike Liut, as the Oilers win despite being outshot 39-24.

It's all tied going back to Hartford! Will the home ice advantage trend continue? Or can someone buck the trend and win in 6? It's getting intense... hopefully we didn't miss the opportunity to close them out.

[Argonaut]

1986 STANLEY CUP FINALS: THE HARTFORD WHALERS WIN!

Whalers win! Whalers win! Please welcome home your 1986 Stanley Cup Champion Hartford Whalers!

Game 5: EDM 2 @ HAR 5
Our 1st Line (Turgeon-Francis-Mullen) was the story here, as they picked up all 3 Stars in a 5-2 victory on home ice. Low PIMs continue, just like last year. So these two juggernauts are going at it 5 on 5. Bring it on, the Whalers can clinch in the next game!

Game 6: HAR 6 @ EDM 3
We've done it! The Whalers have won! End-to-end action in Edmonton, as Hartford bucks the trend by winning 6-3 on the road to bring home their 1st ever Stanley Cup. Amazingly, our 4th Line got it done, as Selke winner Gaeten Duchense picked up 3 points and his linemates got the 2nd and 3rd Stars. And finally our roster building shines through as we win with superior depth.

Naturally I'm very happy about this, and we've certainly accomplished all we set out to do in this Whalers dynasty. Fitting too that we won our 1st championship in my real-life birth year of 1986. Also, I got a perfect season in terms of manager achievements. Got my first Jack Adams award, Mike Liut got the Vezina, and Gaeten Duchesne got his 3rd straight Selke.

Thanks for following along in my Brass Bonanza dynasty. We definitely lit the lamp enough times on home ice to have that tune etched in the memories of all the virtual hockey fans in my universe. I think this is a fitting end to my thread, rather than radio silence. If I make it to 1997 I'll also come back with a total history of the Hartford Whalers.