Mario Lemieux's under-appreciated 2002-2003 season

[Video Nasty]

Lemieux 's comeback after 3.5 seasons away from the game in 2000-2001 is commonly talked about as the unbelievable accomplishment that it was. It was shocking when he returned and played like he didn't miss a beat at age 35 given his whole history.

Jagr was floundering along at a PPG clip, clearly disinterested until Lemieux's comeback spurred him on to his 4th consecutive scoring title. Mario was runner up to Sakic in Hart voting. That season was important ammunition for people, myself included, who felt that Mario (and of course Gretzky who had his own examples of great play in a low scoring league at an advanced age) would rip the league apart no matter what era it was.

If Mario could come back at age 35 and put up 35 goals 41 assists for 76 points in 43 games, good enough for 1.77 ppg in a season where scoring was 5.41 GPG league wide, surely he would hang at least 160+ in the same scoring environment or worse if he was age 22-25 and in his prime.

Just as interesting to me, but less talked about is two seasons later during the first half of his age 37 season. Scoring was at 5.19 GPG.

He started off with 29 points in his first 12 games. He had 20 goals and 48 assists for 68 points in his first 40 games (41 team games). He was leading the league in scoring at the time before he was taken out of his next game a few minutes because of injury.

He was 25, 15 and 16 points ahead of Forsberg, Naslund and Thornton respectively on that date, who ended up being the top 3 scorers with 106, 104 and 101 points for the season.

Something might have happened in Game 40 as well because he played only 10 minutes, can't remember if it was related. By the time he came back a few weeks later, he got to enjoy a few more games with his one weapon, Kovalev before he was traded.

Between that and the injury, he ended up with 91 points in 67 games, good for an 8th place finish in the scoring race and it was pretty the beginning of the end because he played just 10 games in the season before the lockout and then finished with 26 games and handed over the keys to the Penguins in Crosby's first season.

Just how impressive was the lesser talked about 2002-2003 campaign to you? He was two years older on a less talented (bad team) in a league with a little bit lower scoring than his comeback year and his point total compares very favorably in the first half versus his 2nd half comeback of 2000-2001.

Why is it so impossible for some people to wrap their head around the idea that an all-time great legend like Mario would be able to drop bare minimum 160 points in today's game during his young prime years if he was able to put up two separate halves of about a 140 point pace (pace is a dirty word for me, but he and Gretzky are special exceptions) at the ages of 35 and 37 in an environment of 5.19-5.41 GPG, with all his personal past baggage in tow?

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[Passchendaele]

I remember him slowing down at the end of the season because the Penguins were left with virtually no NHL talent on their roster.

Traded: Kovalev, Hrdina

Morozov missed most of the season due to injuries. The only top-six guy you had left after that was Straka.. then plugs like Kent Manderville, Shean Donovan, Ville Nieminen, Rico Fata, Steve McKenna, Michal Sivek, Dan LaCouture.. horrible.

 

[Bandit]

I don’t think anyone that ever saw Mario play under appreciates his talent or anything he did on the ice.

 

[Claypool]

Forsberg admitted in his Art Ross trophy acceptance speech that Mario should have won it if he didn't get injured, If I remember correctly.

 

[Black Kevin]

He was a force of nature. Lemieux, Forsberg, Jagr, Lindros... we just don't have guys like that anymore. Lemieux smoked, drank and f***ed, but was still stronger than almost any other player. I still can't believe a 6'4", 230 lbs guy could skate like that.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Lemieux and Gretzky were just at a different level, seemed unfair. Prime healthy 66 was the most dominant player to ever play the game.

Old broken down Mario at age 37 was still magnificent, deadly on the hashmarks on the PP.

 

[Deen]

Lemieux played like his stats were all +10. That's the best way I could characterize him.

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

He also did all of his scoring in the 90s and early 2000's with three guys hanging off him at all times because the clutching and grabbing and hooking went completely unchecked. There's clips of him scoring on breakaways getting hooked and slashed seven or eight times and it still didn't stop him.

If he got to play with practically no obstruction like players enjoy now it's hard to fathom the numbers he could have put up.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

The whole team was in a rut until he came out of retirement. He and Hedberg were huge shots in the arm.

It's too bad Mario didn't stay relatively healthy throughout his career. He's probably the only player who would have ever challenged Gretz for his scoring records.

 

[robsenz]

I remember him slowing down at the end of the season because the Penguins were left with virtually no NHL talent on their roster.

Traded: Kovalev, Hrdina

Morozov missed most of the season due to injuries. The only top-six guy you had left after that was Straka.. then plugs like Kent Manderville, Shean Donovan, Ville Nieminen, Rico Fata, Steve McKenna, Michal Sivek, Dan LaCouture.. horrible.

Don't disrespect the Captain like that!

 

[bobholly39]

The whole team was in a rut until he came out of retirement. He and Hedberg were huge shots in the arm.

It's too bad Mario didn't stay relatively healthy throughout his career. He's probably the only player who would have ever challenged Gretz for his scoring records.

The records Mario Lemieux would 100% have broken with simply average good health:

- Most career goals
- Most Art Ross trophies

The records Mario Lemieux potentially could have broken:

- Single season goals (92)
- Single season points (215)

The records Mario Lemieux almost certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Most career points (2857)

The records Mario Lemieux certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Single season assists
- Career assists
- Career Hart trophies

 

[Paralyzer008]

The most disrespected Mario Lemieux stat is that he had cancer, came back that season and from the first game back, he had the THIRD BEST PPG OF ALL-TIME in a single season in that span.

Off cancer.

Bless Mario.

 

[Voight]

Reminds me of 1998 when Gretzky finished 3rd in points, 1st in assists, made 2nd AST and finished 5th in Hart voting at age 37.... outscored 2nd place on his team by 28 points, 3rd place by 36 points.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

The records Mario Lemieux would 100% have broken with simply average good health:

- Most career goals
- Most Art Ross trophies

The records Mario Lemieux potentially could have broken:

- Single season goals (92)
- Single season points (215)

The records Mario Lemieux almost certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Most career points (2857)

The records Mario Lemieux certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Single season assists
- Career assists
- Career Hart trophies

I think he may challenge for overall points. He missed hundreds of games before age 31 and only played 170 beyond that age. If he finishes with 14-1500 games instead of 915, it's definitely possible.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

The most disrespected Mario Lemieux stat is that he had cancer, came back that season and from the first game back, he had the THIRD BEST PPG OF ALL-TIME in a single season in that span.

Off cancer.

Bless Mario.

He was amazing.

Edit: mixed up comebacks.

 

[Habs 4 Life]

I don’t think anyone that ever saw Mario play under appreciates his talent or anything he did on the ice.

Completely agree. No such thing as under-appreciated. Mario was a beast even after he came back!

 

[TeeTee]

The records Mario Lemieux would 100% have broken with simply average good health:

- Most career goals
- Most Art Ross trophies

The records Mario Lemieux potentially could have broken:

- Single season goals (92)
- Single season points (215)

The records Mario Lemieux almost certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Most career points (2857)

The records Mario Lemieux certainly wouldn't have broken:

- Single season assists
- Career assists
- Career Hart trophies

He most certainly would have broken the consecutive games with a point as well.

 

[Figgy44]

Lemieux played like his stats were all +10. That's the best way I could characterize him.

I seem to recall Mario also played at times like he was lazy as F and just kinda floated and stood pat. But he was seemingly never in the wrong place or scrambly. His IQ was so high, he basically knew the best place to be. It kinda makes sense though with the pain he endured through most of his career and the low energy he probably had from the cancer treatments.

Jagr late in his career made similar comments about himself. Something along the lines of, "I might not be fast, but I know exactly where to be. Everyone else can quickly go to the wrong place.". I honestly believe he learned a similar skill in predicting the play from Mario.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

He most certainly would have broken the consecutive games with a point as well.

I feel like that record is partially luck. Not in the sense that it's lucky to break it, but one bad or frustrating game could prevent you from breaking that record.

 

[The Panther]

He was really impressive at the Olympics in '02. I think he knew that was going to be his last 'meaningful' time in hockey, and he played like it. He was slower, but had a veteran's poise, and exuded leadership.

2002-03... yeah, I remember the unbelievable start. But by that season, it was a bit like Gretzky with the limp-wristed Rangers of '98/'99 -- it was a bad line-up of players, with a banged-up, elder-statesman superstar trying to get it done. Lemieux ended up with the 2nd-best PPG in the NHL -- he was only 0.05 PPG behind peak Forsberg, whose team scored 62 more goals than the Penguins.

 

[Khelandros]

He was really impressive at the Olympics in '02. I think he knew that was going to be his last 'meaningful' time in hockey, and he played like it. He was slower, but had a veteran's poise, and exuded leadership.

2002-03... yeah, I remember the unbelievable start. But by that season, it was a bit like Gretzky with the limp-wristed Rangers of '98/'99 -- it was a bad line-up of players, with a banged-up, elder-statesman superstar trying to get it done. Lemieux ended up with the 2nd-best PPG in the NHL -- he was only 0.05 PPG behind peak Forsberg, whose team scored 62 more goals than the Penguins.

Poise!

 

[TeeTee]

I feel like that record is partially luck. Not in the sense that it's lucky to break it, but one bad or frustrating game could prevent you from breaking that record.

I agree somewhat. Luck sure seems to follow the greats.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Most dominant player to ever play the game. Prime Lemieux would be potting 140-160+ point seasons in today's NHL in my opinion.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Mario Lemieux was such a naturally gifted player, maybe the most dominant individual player to ever play. I remember watching his comeback game against the Leafs. The first thing I thought watching him was his skating speed and mobility was much less compared to before. He was already less of a player and still put up 35 goals and 76 points in 43 games. Would love to see prime Lemieux play in the no contact NHL of today. Hopefully we get a chance to see his level of talent again one day.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Jordan had the *Flu* game Lemieux had the chemo game.

Get the f*** outta here Mike, you aren't as tough as you claim.