Again, reputation exceeded reality. The best defensive player on that line was not Lemaire. It was Shutt. Criminally underrated. The shutdown line for the Habs wasn't even that line. It was the Gainey Jarvis line.
Yeah, everyone gets that they weren’t a shutdown line — they were the
top line
in the NHL. Hence leading the league in points that spring, hence the title “two-way player”. The distinction between his type of all-round player and a specialist, as described in the article above.
Clearly Scotty Bowman did not feel that Shutt was the best defensive player on the line, at the time the events were happening. He wasn’t out there saying “this is the best two-way game I’ve seen from him” because of media reputation.
In any event, Lemaire was absolutely considered a top two-way center even if he was not the absolute best in the league. Nobody is suggesting otherwise. The original point was that Stanley Cup winners always have an
excellent two-way center. Here you have the 1C on one of the greatest dynasties of all time, a guy who was lauded for his two-way game by people who knew what they were talking about. Comparing him with someone like Kadri or Compher is absolutely baffling, there’s really no defending that point and the only thing you’ve offered is your subjective opinion of who you remember him to be.