the other two 40 yr old Jet graybeards (besides Brunell)? Pat Leahy and Nick Lowrey Let's Go Rangers!
Then why the lack of smaller 40 + goal scorers jon...no..not nuts. I know it was much MUCH dirtier back then but you have to agree that this guy had a huge do not touch sign on his back. Can you remember this guy ever getting smashed the way they go after the bigger goal scorers today? He was a God...a do not touch. lol...20 more points because of the 2 line pass? The answer to your point jon is that there were MANY MANY many that scored over 100 points back then...many compared today..agreed? So lets say you agree with that..then why? In todays hockey, he would never ever approach 2o0 points..not even close.
this is bibles of truth JD. after the strike in '05 this sport has been slowly turning into badminton. you can't open up a naturally violent game like hockey by eliminationg the 2 line pass and then at the very same time impede it with these ticky tack rules, it's how players get hurt. some of them still don't know what's legal and what isn't. gretzky in todays game would be an automatic 80 goals a year, 60 goals in his waning years.
if you ask me, I think the goalies have become a lot better than back then, their pads are a lot bigger too, they can contort like yoga instructors, all kinds of stuff haa haa! just a thought Jay.
This is spot on. The game today is actually friendlier to smaller guys like gretzky and eliminating the two line pass would have been incredible for him. He would've been awesome in shootouts too. Gretzky was better defensively than people give him credit for too. Obviously he wasn't knocking people around out there, but his defense was different yet still effective and was all about anticipation. I've never seen anyone who knew exactly where the puck was going to be before it got there. It's like he was playing the game a step or two ahead of everyone. Thats why he could go in and snag pucks right away from people. Plus the best defense is a good offense so who really cares... the only thing I think about though re. gretzky today vs. back in the day is that goalies are better today than they used to be. Not just the top stars, but top to bottom goalies are better. That would limit him a little bit.
I disagree. Back before the butterfly style became the standard, goalies were more adept at using every appendage to make saves. Real kick (skate) saves, better catching glove saves, better blocker play, much better stick play, fewer rebounds. Guys today kneel down butterfly style in the crease, use MASSIVE arm, shoulder and chest protectors and much larger leg pads to guard basically the entire lower 2/3s of the net and pucks are more likely to hit them rather than for them actually making a reaction to make a save. Clearly they are better athletes today--just like all athletes today are better than yesteryear--but the goalies were techincally much better back in the day--the position has just radically changed. _
Im sure tommy there are a ton of reasons why there will never be another 200 point guy...I mean...look at the stats in the past 5 years compared to back then..its insane. It reminds me of when Babe Ruth used to hit more home runs then an opposing team combined. It was the era of points..and if JON would look back, I said he is the greatest ever...by far. My only point is that he played in an era of points by all..and was an untouchable. McSorely was his protector and I believe he even had a ton of points. Im sure its a combination of better goalies..bigger goalies...much better trapping systems ala the Devils that halted big time scorers...better and faster defensemen. I truly don't know the single reason why..but there are guys in todays league that would get well over 100 points playing back then. That's my only point...Gretzkys numbers are inflated by the times in a huge way. His final 8 seasons besides one season with the Kings, he didn't even hit 100 points...most years weren't even close. Now he was tailing off big time...I get that..but it wasn't his final 2 or 3 years..the game was changing in the final third of his career.
they might not be "better" in a traditionalist sense. but they are better at stopping pucks today - regardless of how they do it.
on a brighter note fellas, who's ready for the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup history? yes I am already impaired at 8:12 a.m. in the office out here, and becoming more delusional by the minute. I love kidding myself. 4 in a row anyone? I've got plenty here to share. I'd love to see them force a game 6 just to make the kings uncomfortable.
Yes, as would a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. So much more of the net is covered by much larger equipment today. The angle coverage is so much different today, so much more in favor of today's goalies. _
Nothing like being a fan! As unlikely as it is that the Rangers could win 4 in a row, I think it's probably more unlikely that the Kings lose 4 in a row. _
tommy...if he would be an automatic 80 goal on some years compared to his past..that would still be down. While you guys are saying its an easier game and it was a blood game back then..lets not get our decades mixed up here. This was the mid 80s to mid90s. Not the mid 70s. YES..it was tougher hockey then it was today. There was much MORE fighting back then. If you were a fighter...you fought much more in the 1990 range..but this was not the Flyers era of Dave Schultz. I think you guys are missing my point or im doing a poor job of explaining it..my only point is that his POINTS were inflated for the times. There will be no 200 point guys in the near future on beyond the way the game is played today. Nobody will average 2.5 points a game. Not happening. No matter how great they are.
Was watching Richter in game 6 and 7 against the Canucks and you are dead on about the kicks saves..back then..they were kicks saves. Richter looked like he was wearing no equipment those games..thats how active he was. I guess its all the weight nowadays? You never see goalies today bouncing around the way they did back then.
that's right pal! also note the 'impaired" part haa haa!! all I hope for truly, is a win tonight, and then the kings get distracted by all the "hooray we get to win the cup at home crap" and then they tank somehow forcing a game 6. just to make it interesting again. I'd love to see my neighbors panic and sweat after all the boasting they've been doing.
Actually the weight of the equipment today is about a 1/3 of what it was back in my day when everything was made of leather. I bought a new Vaugn goalie glove about 4-5 years ago because I had a fantasy about strapping the pads back on for an adult league and that glove has probably 20% more surface area (stopping area) and weighs less than half of my old Cooper GM 21. _
As much as I hate the Rangers, I'm more than happy to see a great game tonite even if the Rangers win, we just get more great hockey in a few days. _
