FrankSidebottom
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- Mar 16, 2021
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Best player in the world: 1999
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jigglysquishy
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FrankSidebottom
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2021
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Jagr is the easy answer here but if at the end of the 99 season I was asked which player would I want for a throw everyone in the pool just one season NHL I still would have taken Forsberg but Jagr and Hasek are still good choices here.
Also I doubt that he gets any votes but Modanao was a 2 way monster as well.....but points eh.
Also I doubt that he gets any votes but Modanao was a 2 way monster as well.....but points eh.
- Feb 10, 2010
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Jagr won the Hart and the Pearson. Pretty hard to go against that IMO.
Jagr.
I voted him last round too because I tend to like offense - but objectively it's probably a fair shake to give Hasek 98, and Jagr 99. They were pretty comparable talent-wise/ on top of the league for a few years, so interchangeable. Jagr himself had a much better season in 99 than 98.
I voted him last round too because I tend to like offense - but objectively it's probably a fair shake to give Hasek 98, and Jagr 99. They were pretty comparable talent-wise/ on top of the league for a few years, so interchangeable. Jagr himself had a much better season in 99 than 98.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I still take Hasek here. If a goalie can't be called the best player after he posts a .937 (with a 1.87 GAA!!!), wins the Vezina, drags a very mediocre team to the playoffs, and then throws them on his back with an even better playoff save% and gets them to within a whisker of a Cup Game 7 appearance... then when can we call him the best player?
Video Nasty
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- Mar 12, 2017
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So far at least, this is one of those times where the thread and poll results don’t really line up with the ideals that this forum at large seems to hold on a daily basis.
It’s also one of those times in sports where Hasek was unlikely to sweep the Hart and Pearson for a third consecutive season no matter what he did.
A really good case could be made that he was even better than he was in the prior two seasons he won the awards. A case that gets stronger when his playoff run comes into the equation, which is commonly spoken of in awe hushed tones.
It’s just a little odd to me that people have chosen to break away from the idea that he was the best player in the world during the time he might have had his signature performance.
It’s also one of those times in sports where Hasek was unlikely to sweep the Hart and Pearson for a third consecutive season no matter what he did.
A really good case could be made that he was even better than he was in the prior two seasons he won the awards. A case that gets stronger when his playoff run comes into the equation, which is commonly spoken of in awe hushed tones.
It’s just a little odd to me that people have chosen to break away from the idea that he was the best player in the world during the time he might have had his signature performance.
Hasek and IMO it shouldn't be close. He should have won Hart again that year in a landslide, but media was souring on the idea of the goalie continuing to dominate.
Jesus, the guy had a 1.87 GAA and .937 S%. His best statistical season and actually a far cry better than his two Hart trophy years. The best year from the best goalie of all time.
Its Hasek and it still shouldn't be close.
Jesus, the guy had a 1.87 GAA and .937 S%. His best statistical season and actually a far cry better than his two Hart trophy years. The best year from the best goalie of all time.
Its Hasek and it still shouldn't be close.
Flipside is - if a player like Jagr - who is in the midst of a 5 year ross run, and who posts his flagship peak season way above competition in scoring race on a depleted Penguins roster can't be called the best player then....when can we call him the best player?
Jagr was spectacular in the playoffs that year too, despite injury.
8th seed Pitt facing 1st seed NJ in round 1....he goes down to injury after game 1. Comes back in game 6 with Pitt down 3-2 in series.....then with Pitt down 2-1 in game 6 he scored the tying goal with 2mins to spare in the 3rd period to send game to OT...and follows up with game winner in OT.
Game 7...two primary assists at critical moments of the game to help Pitt win and elminate NJ. He was pretty good in round 2 also.
As for Hasek - yes his 1999 playoffs was fantastic, but it gets blown out of proportion. The year prior - Kolzig took a worst Washington team to the finals also. 2 years before that - Vanbiesbrouck in Florida took an even worst Florida team to finals too. Hot goalies carrying strong defensive teams to the finals seems to be a trend of that era, and not really unique to Hasek.
All that being said - Jagr/Hasek are pretty comparable level, whichever way you go. I pick Jagr.
General Fanager
Registered User
norrisnick
The best...
- Apr 14, 2005
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Goalies can't tilt the ice. All goalies can do is delay a loss. Some of these figures of speech are getting out of control.
Ianturnedbull
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- Jun 11, 2022
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With all due respect there should be more D and more G.
I am tired of hearing about McDavid and Matthews. They've probably never held a goalie stick let alone wear pads on their legs.
^ If you catch my drift
I am tired of hearing about McDavid and Matthews. They've probably never held a goalie stick let alone wear pads on their legs.
^ If you catch my drift
- Feb 10, 2010
- 14,656
- 11,777
You guys make a compelling case. I am re-thinking my opinion for this season.
Was this merely a case of voter fatigue in your opinions? -For both the media and the players? That's merely a regular season subject so I don't think it's unfair to factor in a fabulous playoffs to overrule the principle that if the players and the media agreed a player is the MVP/best player, then it's hard to overrule it.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
Voter fatigue is a real thing, and also it's just very hard for goalies to win awards other than the Vezina. When Hazek won two Harts in a row (97 and 98) he was the first goalie to win it since 1962. Since Hasek, only Theodore and Price have won it.
There may also have been a prestige factor. The only players ever to have won 3 Harts in a row were Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky, who were head-and-shoulders above the rest of the players in hockey history and also beloved figures in the sport. For some voters, there may have been some mental resistance to adding this odd lanky Czech goalie to that list, especially given his personality friction with the media and his own coaches.
Also, to be fair to Jagr, he really was very good that year. A 44-point lead over his nearest teammate was pretty ridiculous, and there was some extra narrative in achieving that mark with neither Lemieux nor Francis on the team anymore. He had finished 2nd the prior year with not nearly as impressive a season, so it's fair game that he got a bunch of attention when he went up to that next level.
All of that said... if the vote were taken after the playoffs instead of the regular season, I think there's a good chance Hasek wins it anyway.
There also wasn't a guy that led in scoring by 20pts the 2 prior years Hasek won the Hart either.
KoozNetsOff 92
Hala Madrid
- Apr 6, 2016
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Video Nasty
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- Mar 12, 2017
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While I think Buffalo (and any team around any elite player) should get more credit than they do, I’m not so sure Washington being worse and Florida being even worse is even true.
Washington in 1997-1998 was the 4th seed and ranked 13th in GF (out of 26).
Florida in 1995-1996 was also the 4th seed and ranked 12th in GF (out of 26).
Buffalo in 1998-1999 was the 7th seed tied for 6th in points in the Conference and ranked 17th in GF (out of 27).
All were top 10 in GA. I think Hasek having a 1.87 GAA and .937 SV% was a fairly large reason they were 2nd.
Hockeyholic
Registered User
Yeah I still don't think there is any other goalie in history that could have pulled off what Hasek did. If you put anyone else in net, they are out in round one.
Sabres #1 C would have been at most a 3C on Dallas. Most of the D would be 3rd and 4th pairs on cup contenders.
Had Buffalo won, it would be the greatest display of goaltending in history.
As for skaters, definitely Jagr. Won the NJ series for them. An underrated upset in playoff history.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
Crazy stats:
- The top two scorers on the Stanley Cup finalist Sabres that year were Jason Wooley and Alexei Zhitnik, both defensemen with 15 points in 21 games.
- Hasek scored as many points as James Patrick, who skated 20 games and played nearly 300 minutes.
- Buffalo's top two scoring forwards were tied for 13th overall. Having played 21 games each, they were tied with guys who played 10 and 13 games plus a defenseman.
- Colorado, who did not make the Finals, ended up with 6 players in the top 25 for playoff scoring. Buffalo had 4.
- Top-25 scorers for their Final opponent, Dallas: Modano, Nieuwendyk, Langenbrunner, Hull, Zubov, Lehtinen, Sydor. Top scorers for Buffalo: Wooley, Zhitnik, Peca, Brown.
Hockeyholic
Registered User
That's brutal lmao.
This might be controversial. But I think Hasek in 99 was more impressive that Giguere in 03.
