"Look at Lemieux. Oh my goodness! What a goal! What a move! Lemieux! Oh baby." - One of my favorite calls of all time. This goal is absolutely monster.
Boxghost102 I think what did it, is Gretzky being traded, and instantly bringing a far better Kings team to the ice. Not saying it's right, but that team was a force (they knocked off Edmonton in round 1 of the playoffs after being down 3-1, before losing to eventual Cup champion Calgary. Equally odd hockey stat, name the only Art Ross winner to never get a single Hart trophy vote in the same year as they won the Art Ross? 1994, Wayne Gretzky.
Canada eh Gretzky was no lemieux even Bobby Orr and other legends say it Gretzky was a pussy Lemieux went up against the TOUGHEST motherfuckers put skates on and didn't run from em Gretzky didn't have the size and strength of mario
Only for numbers....nobody would remember gretzky !!! Good luck finding a highlight reel or a top ten. Nobody talks about gretzky like they do lemieux. Nobody has a higher career points per game average in the playoffs higher than marios!!!!! Gretzky scoring all those goals in the late seventies when goalies came out to the blue line to stop the puck???? Come on!!!!! Lemieux dominated the game when it was at its best...a 25 year old roy, belfour , hasek , hull, sakic ,yzerman ,madanno. Back in the four division league hockey was by far at its best and they couldn't even tie the big guys skates!!!! Mario did stuff on the ice that they will talk about for a hundred years!!!!!!
joseph moret Late Seventies? Gretzky's career spanned from '79 to '99. He played against all the same greats as Lemieux did. He has nearly 3000 points and more assists than any other player has points. Lemieux may be a magician, but Gretzky is fucking Merlin.
mario could do everything gretzky could do and then some...except stay healthy. if he had 99's health, 66 would have half his records, including goals and points in a season. there's no question that lemieux was the more talented of the two.
I kind of disagree with that. I think Gretzky was a little (not by much) past his athletic prime. However, when you mention "late 80s", you are thinking Canada cup 87, then maybe we are thinking alike.
The most skilled player to ever play the game. The power, reach and physical presence of 6'4 250 pound man with the the hands, skating, finesse, and talent of a player who is 6'0 190. A true hockey god there has never been a player like him, him and gretzky are simply in a class of their own. Untouchable.
no. Bobby Orr's epick shot as he is tripped in front of the net for the Bruin's win is still the best. This one gets top 5 though. The defense men were not sure what to do
@@gkprivate433 Bobby Orr literally just shot it in on a give and go and tripped after. A goal being famous doesn’t automatically make it nice or good. Lemieux’s was way better and it’s not close.
Watch Mario's strides as he picks up speed. You would think someone sped this video up to make it seem like he was skating faster but its real speed. Its unbelievable how fast and skillful Mario was but no one gave him credit for his speed because he was 6 foot 4 and it didn't seem like he was going fast. I can watch this 100 times over and still I am still amazed of how he made this play at top speed. He's the GOAT
Harry Neal is amazing in this video. I wish colour guys today were half as poetic as him. He captured the moment and gave it the credit it deserves. Well done, Harry.
@PENS68 Ive had the privilege to watch him his whole career. It still amazes me to this day that there was a player THIS good. It is almost hard to believe that his magic happened. If there wasnt video, nobody would believe it kinda things. I miss the Big Guy
"Here's Lemieux... the center penalty coming up.. LOOK AT LEMIEIUX! OH MY HEAVENS! WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A MOVE!" I get chills when he turns on the jets at his own blue line. One of the most beautiful goals scored ever.
+111highgh I would not put this in Mario's top 2 or 3, maybe even top 5, his best goal was against the Bruins in the playoffs,when shorthanded, 3-4, he stole a cross ice pass and went nearly the length of the ice against both Ray Bourque and Adam Oates, hanging both of them out to dry and then torched Andy Moog with a shot underneath the crossbar, he made about 12-15 moves from blue line to blue line and he made them all look like AHL players
Kim Martin Along with a ton of MVPS, Gretzky won 4 Stanley Cups and led another team, the Kings, to the finals, Ovechkin has yet to get his team past round 2 of the playoffs???
Takes the puck on the backhand in stride, goes straight up the center of the ice, beats two defenseman and the goalie. Who cares about stats, the big moment in the game is what everyone lives for. The price of admission; what everyone lives to see.
If I recall correctly, goaltender Jon Casey caught fire in the 1991 playoffs with an aggressive style where he came far out of the net to challenge the shooter. It was a throwback-style that became a sensation. Then the North Stars faced Mario....
People outside Pittsburgh and Minnesota won't remember this, but the context of this one was HUGE. That year, Jon Casey (the goalie) OWNED the playoffs, single-handedly taking the North Stars through Chicago & St. Louis (who had the best records in the league). Even Game 1 of the Finals he stopped Pittsburgh. Then this goal happened... and it totally broke him. The floodgates opened, and Lemieux and the Pens earned their first Stanley Cup.
He had already made up his mind to take it all the way himself to the net just BEFORE he touched the puck, he took a peek to assess the lay of the land, and then, instead of just picking the puck and carrying it, he saved the carry by flicking it ahead to himself, in the direction of Casey’s net, gaining a split second, taking the opposite team off guard. Just the perfect goal. Then you realized, damn it’s a Stanley cup final game, not a regular season game. Someone above said he missed a bunch of playoffs games too, with back pain and missed the first game of the final. Man! Having the confidence to even try this is, off the wall crazy. Damn it! As a forward, you just don’t go through a team like that, a hot knife through butter, especially in the Stanley cup final. Hard to believe. Nobody would even think of doing that. It looks like a preseason scrimmage, it just looks too easy, sooo bloody smooth. The only dude who made the best hockey players in the world, including hall of famers, looking like amateurs. NHL defensemen just panicked when the boogeyman had the puck, out waiting anyone. Froze NHL defensemen in place, paralyzing indecision. They couldn’t figure out how to stop him. No other player slowed down the game like Mario, everything looked fluid, nothing jerky about it, so graceful to watch. Had a divine touch. The dude looked a couple of levels above everyone else, even above Jaromir Jagr, who’s himself amongst the greatest nhl players, his skating and playing style looks arduous. Compared to Mario. Lemieux is the Zeus of hockey, the best player ever. Dad playing shiny with his kids
He missed the first game of that series due to his back. He wasn't even able to bend over and tie up his own skates, and despite all that, was still better then anyone in the NHL at that time.
Must have been my first comment on RU-vid...as a North Star diehard fan this goal spelled the end of the Cup dream. Was at my brother's house watching and fell to my knees in agony.
30 years later I still remember seeing this goal live. I was cheering for the North Stars my dad was cheering for the Penguins. Mario scored and my dad cheered so loud. My sister was a casual hockey fan and ran out to see why my dad was so excited. Her jaw dropped when she saw this goal.
@@hugomikaelsson4055 their desires, their ambition, their inclination, their greed. He's a Libra Snake (October 5th, 1965), the Valiant Crusader. Snakes may be the wisest of the Chinese animal signs, and Libras are very good at weighing things, knowing which choice to take.
Yes very deceptive. But his speed created space and his strength solidified it. A very dominating combination. Plus, his vision, much like Larry Bird or Michael Jordan, allowed him an additional advantage. He saw the game in slow motion. watch him approach the goalie, then move to either side which caused the goalie to move and open his legs ( the 5 hole) which was Mario's favorite shot. Poetry in motion
He was a big dude, 6 foot 4. And that extra long hockey stick I think made it really hard for goalies to figure out what the angle actually was to get set for a shot
"Here's Lemieux.... to center, penalty cOmInG uP *LOOK AT LEMIEUX!!!* *oh my HEAVEN'S!!!* *WHAT A GOAL!!!* *WHAT A MOVE!!!* *LEMIEUX!!!* Ohhhhhhh baby!
I just remember how excited everyone at school was that year (7th grade) -- we were all singing "We Are the Champions" (it was all over the radio), and then the next year, it was even cooler. God I feel old.
when he hit's the neutral zone he kicks it into another gear.that's vintage lemieux.his long stride makes skating look effortless.i thank god i got to see his whole career up close and in person on a regular basis.he made me a fan of the greatest game on earth at the age of 6...thanks big guy!!!
Gilbert Perreault made such a move a dozen times in his career. Many are on RU-vid. Mario's goal is beautiful and he deserves praise, but people have short memories or get carried away very quickly.
Valid point ! Perrault could skate like the wind and Boy-Oh-Boy the moves he had, he'd deke out an NHL Defenseman as if he were a pylon. He was a very exciting Player to watch!
This was Game 2 of the ‘91 Finals and is Lemieux’s most famous NHL goal. Interestingly, Michael Jordan, who was drafted the same year as Lemieux and also won the Rookie of the Year and his first MVP in the same years as Lemieux, also scored his most famous basket in Game 2 of that year’s NBA Finals. In both cases, they split the defense and faked right before going left.
I really can't fault the defenceman Mario made the show fake and pull it so fast Through the legs Complete control of the puck Mario The way he took the pass set the move up I think That might be the greatest goal in hockey all time 66
Can’t stop watching this. Lemieux is the best hockey player of all time in my book. Even if you put him with the two worst wingers in the league, those wingers would still get 100 points that season they played with Lemieux. The guy never complained once playing at 50-75% of his full potential and he was still the best. Case closed.
This Goal still gives Me Goosebumps, over 20 years later..This is the Greatest Goal ever Scored!! No One even comes close ...not Gretzky, not Crosby, Not Orr, Not Datsyuk...No Doubt..Those Great Players have Skill and Heart, But No One can match this top speed skill..Lemieux was in His Prime in '91, even playing at 50 to 60% with injuries...He was still better then Everyone Else....Fans who watched players Like Gretzky and Lemieux and now Crosby and Ovechkin, should consider themselves Blessed
I think the announcer summed up the goal perfectly! I couldn't have said it better myself! "Oh my goodness, what a goal! What a move! Lemieux! Oh, baby!"
