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Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:55 pm
by Strangelove
Arbour wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:08 pm The pressing question was why didn't someone run him over and have done with it
Gary Suter did just that in a Canada Cup series I believe.

Course Semenko was nowhere near...

Arbour wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:08 pm I don't buy the idea that Semenko was so feared that no one would dare touch Wayne. Perhaps it was more of a situation that you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Oh, I sensed plenty of fear in players around the league.

Everyone knew what Cement Head's job was.

I don't think there was that much concern about "biting the hand that feeds you" in that era.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:00 pm
by donlever

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:14 pm
by Strangelove
Yes, a few were unafraid and in my fantasies I'm one of 'em. :D

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:48 pm
by Curmudgeon
Re: Semenko, Doc's right, there was legitimate fear around the league. Part of the extra room Gretzky got was because he was so adept at using his teammates, and his passing was spot on, so all it took was for a player or two to over commit or be out of position, and the Oilers had on odd man situation. With the talent and speed on that team, it was playing with dynamite.

I also remember hearing how he saw plays on the ice develop ahead of time and everything around him seemed in slow motion, yet he could process the game and execute in real time.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:51 pm
by Strangelove
"Peripheral vision" :)

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:08 pm
by Arbour
Strangelove wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:55 pm
Arbour wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:08 pm The pressing question was why didn't someone run him over and have done with it
Gary Suter did just that in a Canada Cup series I believe.

Course Semenko was nowhere near...

Arbour wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:08 pm I don't buy the idea that Semenko was so feared that no one would dare touch Wayne. Perhaps it was more of a situation that you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Oh, I sensed plenty of fear in players around the league.

Everyone knew what Cement Head's job was.

I don't think there was that much concern about "biting the hand that feeds you" in that era.
Well I guess we agree to disagree. How many times did you see someone set up behind the net and then get smoked by a back checker. Torres as a back checker comes to mind, amongst others. Never happened to Wayne. Or someone crosses the blue line and cut to the middle and gets nailed. It happened once to Wayne, never happened again, memory fails me as to who it was, but Wayne continued to do it with impunity. Don't nail the stars, particularly those who sell the game to the U.S. and in particular those who can't handle the contact, others could and weren't as prolific point wise and didn't have Gretsky's abilities in respect to other aspects of the game, so the "bubble" didn't apply.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:30 pm
by donlever
Video 3 posts up suggests it was Bill McCreary....

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:01 pm
by Curmudgeon
The Gretzky hit wasn't even that bad of a hit, either. Nothing compared to what Orr had to go through.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:30 pm
by Topper
donlever wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:00 pm https://youtu.be/72oxwUo1T9E



:mex:
as Howie would say, "head down lookin' for nickels"

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:35 pm
by 5thhorseman
Curmudgeon wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:48 pmPart of the extra room Gretzky got was because he was so adept at using his teammates, and his passing was spot on, so all it took was for a player or two to over commit or be out of position, and the Oilers had on odd man situation. With the talent and speed on that team, it was playing with dynamite.
I remember hearing about teams assigning a player to shadow Gretzky, so he just stood next to another opposing player. The shadowing player followed him, so now there were two of them next to Wayne, creating an odd-man situation.

Brilliant!

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:53 pm
by Curmudgeon
You're right, I remember that too. Not sure how often it occurred, but at least it kept him under 3,000 regular season points.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:07 pm
by Topper
For me Whiner's greatest skill was his skating. Not speed, but his ability to change speed and direction to make opponents miss.

Lines I'd love to see (not necessarily elites due to short careers), in no specific order.

Howe - Trottier - Bossy
Bobby Hull - Gretzky - Rocket
Bure - Lemeuix - Lafleur
Lindros - Esposito - Ovechkin

Orr - Robinson
Lidstrom - Chara
Potvin - Park

Plante
Parent
Tretriak

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:10 pm
by donlever
...nice segue Topper.

Speaking of lines.

I recall, maybe '76 Canada Cup, Gretzky Perreault and Lafleur together.

Was pretty dynamic as I recall until the Sabre got hurt.

....can you imagine prime Orr and Robinson together?

....can you imagine Bure playing in today's game?

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:30 pm
by ESQ
Unsurprisingly, this thread skews heavily to old, 70s/80s guys.

But if Ovechkin does the unthinkable, and beats one of Gretzky's records, in the dead pick/double-lockout/covid era, does he move into the top echelon?

I think he does, and Ovie's record will stand forever, along with the rest of Gretzky's.

Re: Legends of the Game - Ranking the best players

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:31 pm
by Curmudgeon
Lindros was tempting, but I didn't even put him in my HM because of the leaves connection and all.

Both The Rocket and Hull with Gretzky in their primes would have averaged a GPG most seasons. I always thought, if the Canucks hadn't actually crapped the bed with Gretzky, Bure could have scored 80 quite easily with his speed and shot.