Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
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The other 3 major sports have a game that is often considered the flagship game of the history of their sport.
NFL - The 1958 championship game between the Colts and Giants. Went into overtime, started the legacy of Johnny Unitas. First televised championship game if I recall and sort of started the idea of football, not baseball, becoming the national pastime in America. After that, the Ice Bowl comes to mind and of course the Patriots/Falcons Super Bowl a couple of years back will never die and will only get bigger as time goes on. It is probably still considered one of the first two though as a lot of time has passed with them.
NBA - The Suns vs. Celtics triple overtime game in Game 5 of the 1976 finals is probably the NBA's trademark game. Although Game 7 of the 2016 NBA final might start to take that over
Baseball - First and foremost the "Shot Heard round the World" regarding the 1951 deciding game for the pennant race at the Polo Grounds between the Dodgers and the Giants with Bobby Thomson's home run. The controversy around it, the imagery of Thomson jumping into the pile at home plate with his awaiting teammates. Lots of iconic moments there. Two legendary franchises, at a crucial time of the season deciding who goes to the World Series in one of the most iconic stadiums at that time. Carlton Fisk's home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series comes to mind too and Game 6 of the 2011 World Series stands alone as a back and forth see saw battle that was just utterly nerve wracking. But they both don't have the iconic status as the Thomson game.
Where does that leave hockey? I guess right away you figure Game 8 of the Summit Series is "the" game in hockey, but that wasn't even in the NHL. Crosby's Golden Goal comes to mind as another legendary game. But the Henderson game changed hockey in many ways. Yet neither of them are in the NHL. If we had to pick one iconic game in NHL history, or even more than one, that epitomizes hockey history which one is it?
The best I could come up with, and it is a dandy, is Game 7 between Montreal and Boston in 1979. Lots on the line there, a dynasty on the verge of losing, two hated rivals, two legendary coaches, lots of changes after this season such as Gretzky arriving, helmets being mandatory for newcomers and 4 teams from the WHA merging. If there is a game that you can say is "The Game" in the NHL would this be the one?
NFL - The 1958 championship game between the Colts and Giants. Went into overtime, started the legacy of Johnny Unitas. First televised championship game if I recall and sort of started the idea of football, not baseball, becoming the national pastime in America. After that, the Ice Bowl comes to mind and of course the Patriots/Falcons Super Bowl a couple of years back will never die and will only get bigger as time goes on. It is probably still considered one of the first two though as a lot of time has passed with them.
NBA - The Suns vs. Celtics triple overtime game in Game 5 of the 1976 finals is probably the NBA's trademark game. Although Game 7 of the 2016 NBA final might start to take that over
Baseball - First and foremost the "Shot Heard round the World" regarding the 1951 deciding game for the pennant race at the Polo Grounds between the Dodgers and the Giants with Bobby Thomson's home run. The controversy around it, the imagery of Thomson jumping into the pile at home plate with his awaiting teammates. Lots of iconic moments there. Two legendary franchises, at a crucial time of the season deciding who goes to the World Series in one of the most iconic stadiums at that time. Carlton Fisk's home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series comes to mind too and Game 6 of the 2011 World Series stands alone as a back and forth see saw battle that was just utterly nerve wracking. But they both don't have the iconic status as the Thomson game.
Where does that leave hockey? I guess right away you figure Game 8 of the Summit Series is "the" game in hockey, but that wasn't even in the NHL. Crosby's Golden Goal comes to mind as another legendary game. But the Henderson game changed hockey in many ways. Yet neither of them are in the NHL. If we had to pick one iconic game in NHL history, or even more than one, that epitomizes hockey history which one is it?
The best I could come up with, and it is a dandy, is Game 7 between Montreal and Boston in 1979. Lots on the line there, a dynasty on the verge of losing, two hated rivals, two legendary coaches, lots of changes after this season such as Gretzky arriving, helmets being mandatory for newcomers and 4 teams from the WHA merging. If there is a game that you can say is "The Game" in the NHL would this be the one?