SergeConstantin74
Always right.
- Jul 7, 2007
- 12,298
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Around the NHL: Part XLIV 2025)
- Thread starter Leonardo87
- Start date
KirkAlbuquerque
#Laviolette4Gitmo
And Glass has bounced around the league and still hasn't solidified his spot anywhere yet.Marc Bergevin wanted Cody Glass but Vegas said no way and he settled for Suzuki.
TheWrongWay
Registered User
Gretzky did have a higher GPG in the time frame you mention. I don't think GPG paints the entire picture. Here are a few observations, as best as I can recall them.
One, I recall Gretzky on the ice much more than Bossy
The Islanders had a bit deeper and more rounded team, and Arbour generally ran four fwd lines. Edmonton was a bit more top-heavy and Sather tended to run through 3 fwd lines. My memory is Gretzky was deployed 6 or 7 more mins per game than Bossy.
Two, Gretzky’s peak goal seasons came against weaker competition
The two seasons Gretz and Bossy were in the same conference, against more similar competition, Bossy had more goals (119-106). In fairness, Edm is newer at this time. The Conferences realigned in 1981-82 and Gretzky had his career best goals seasons playing over 40% of his games against a trash division:
^ Three seasons where 99 is playing over 40% of his games almost entirely against teams with losing records.
By the mid-80s, the Smythe did get stronger. At which point, Gretzky’s goal production started dropping. It must also be taken into account that Jarri Kurri at this time emerged as a dominant sniper and 99 would frequently set Kurri up.
Kurri, like Bossy, had a beautiful shot and was also a fantastic two-way player. Anyone who got to see the Gretzky-Kurri and Trottier-Bossy tandems witnessed something truly special. Four insanely great hockey players who had unworldly chemisty.
Lastly, Edmonton didn’t exactly play much D
It could also be said that Gretzky scored more goals in part because Edmonton was much more focused on attack than the NYI were. Edmonton was often all attack, even when SH. Grant Fuhr was largely hung out to dry in goal and, to his credit, was exceptional at allowing Edmonton do its thing.
So yes, Edmonton was scoring more goals than the NYI did. But Edm would also give up far more goals than the NYI did. The teams played very different, but equally deadly, styles of play.
I would never say 99 is under-rated. Him or Orr are widely regarded as the greatest to lace up. I would say, from what I saw then, that Bossy and Lemieux were perhaps slightly better goal scorers than 99 imho. But Gretzky was for sure the best forward I ever saw play.
Gretzky’s awareness and anticipation were unlike anything I had seen before or since. His profound skillset to capitilize on his awareness and anticipation … Gretzky often looked like he was playing with toys.
All of the ‘who’s the best at this or that’ is subjective anyway. It will all be flavored by preferences and what things people give weight to. Players also are virtually impossible to compare from even decade to decade.
In the end, the joy is in having been able to watch some of these legends play. It’s nice also to have these chats about the players and hear other people’s points of views and memories.
TheWrongWay
Registered User
I am probably on the rare side, but I did not hate Bossy or the NYI. Due to where my parents came from, we had a household split half NYR fans and half NYI fans. We saw a lot of both teams live, without all the rivalry hate. Furthermore, the NYI players then were very accessible post-game. You could dislike Gillies or Nystrom on the ice, but off the ice they were as nice and as down to earth as you can get. So many guys from that era went out of their way to sign stuff for me. Trottier, Bossy, Dionne, Gretzky. Lots of wonderful memories.
TheWrongWay
Registered User
I never really got to see Hull play, but my dad said he was an absolute beast.
Related, I did recently watch specials on Brett Hull and Phil Esposito. Both Espo and Brett Hull said their goal scoring took off dramatically after they'd each received and followed particular shooting advice from Bobby Hull. They both attributed the shooting advice to largely changing their career goal scoring trajectories.
NickyFotiu
NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
- Sep 29, 2011
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That is great to hear. I was a kid on LI so I had to hear how great the Islanders were often. My hate was just hockey rival stuff not logical. Come to think of it Pat Lafontaine was nice to a family member as well. I wasn't there.
NickyFotiu
NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
- Sep 29, 2011
- 14,565
- 9,873
I feel weird commenting on Hull because he reportedly wasn't a good guy. He was an amazing hockey talent who came close to dressing for the Rangers at age 42. I think he played 5 preseason games for us and scored 1 goal and 1 assist.
TheWrongWay
Registered User
Hull as a person. Yeah, that for sure goes into a place where fandom gets difficult and sometimes impossible. Like Eric Clapton's horrific conduct mounted so high - the racist nig--r rant on stage, him admitting he raped women cuz he felt entitled to sex, hitting his ex-wife, the horrible ways he treated women - that I just could not listen to him any more. I could do it as part of a group, like Cream or Blind Faith, where other band members watered him down a little. But I just cut out any listening to Clapton's solo work, along with James Brown for his severe woman beating.
I actually always wondered about what that. Gretz has another 40 or so goals from there too.
Since baseball added the negro leagues and now the NFL added a rival
League, could this be a possibility? I doubt it but man that would be wild.
I met Bobby Hull several times from the 80s through mid-2000s. He was always very open and kind towards me, joking and giving of his time. I know people are referencing comments he made later in life. It was confirmed this year that he had CTE. I've been a Rangers fan since 1965 - sixty years - and he was the most exciting player I have ever seen.
NickyFotiu
NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
- Sep 29, 2011
- 14,565
- 9,873
I'm glad he treated you well. Maybe CTE did play a role but he had some issues with his exwife as well. I think his son forgave him but I may have to separate the man from the incredible talent.
TheWrongWay
Registered User
For me, it wasn't the comments Hull made in latter years. It was domestic assault charges from two different wives, as well as a police officer who tried to intervene in one instance.
Homelander
Registered User
Filip Chytil
Registered User
- Mar 3, 2014
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EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
GoAwayPanarin
learn w/ da bern
will1066
If you score four, you better f'n win the game
- Oct 12, 2008
- 43,389
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will1066
If you score four, you better f'n win the game
- Oct 12, 2008
- 43,389
- 77,915
Fight me, but I wish our team would play simple straight up and down like the Isles have
FultonReed
derailer of threads
where you store the bodies of old guns, obviously. gatacombs.
will1066
If you score four, you better f'n win the game
- Oct 12, 2008
- 43,389
- 77,915
effen
Registered User
- Feb 3, 2018
- 9,303
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The rare times they do they win almost every one of the games. For years now. It is easily the exasperating thing about the franchise and why you have to root out the entire core regardless of cost -- because the reason why they don't is they just don't wanna.
FultonReed
derailer of threads
will1066
If you score four, you better f'n win the game
- Oct 12, 2008
- 43,389
- 77,915
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes
He needs an endorsement deal with Jollibee!
