game 7 Stanley Cup finals?

Question

you're down 4 to 2 in the begining of the 3rd period of GAME 7 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. and your top scorer is down and out of the game, which of this players would you put in your line up that would give your team the best shot at tieing the game up and winning the Stanley Cup.

Mark Messier
Pavel Bure
Dino Ciccarelli
Glenn Anderson
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Mike Bossy
Guy Lafleur
Brian Trottier
Bobby Clarke
Maurice Richard
Jean Beliveau
Bobby Hull
Brett Hull
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Peter Forsbergh
Temmu Selanne
Paul Henderson
Cam Neely
Jari Kurri
Stan Mikita
Peter Stastny
Pat LaFontaine
Ace Bailey
Paul Coffey
Yvan Cournoyer
Alex Delvecchio
Phil Esposito
Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion
Dale Hawerchuk
Aurel Joliat
Dave Keon
Elmer Lach
Newsy Lalonde
Ted Lindsay
Marian Hossa
Sudney Crosby
Alex Ovechkin
Danny Heatley
Luc Robitaile
Sergei Federov
Steve Yzerman
Gilbert Pereault

this is a list of players from the past in the 1920's till present

joe sakic thats it i know theres allot more but im not going to name them all.

sushi_sq…>>>Mario Lemieux didnt have anybody when he started his career in 1984-85. all Oilers boys where all their so gretzky had them all. Jarg, Stevens, Coffey, Murphy, Recchi they didnt show up till the early 90's.

Answer 1

If the game's on the line, give me Rocket Richard.

Answer 2

Mark Messier in his prime because he always had a knack for scoring clutch goals and look at it this way he has the second most assists in the history of the NHL so even if he didn't score himself he would in all likelihood set someone up for a goal. I am sure we all still remember the guarantee he made that the Rangers would beat the Devils and when the Rangers losing by two goals just like in your scenario in that game he took matters into his own hands and scored a natural trick and won the game basically giving the Rangers the momentum and confidence to go all the way. Also if Messier's team was down 4-2 then in the intermission after the 2nd period Messier would be able to talk to his teammates and motivate them to work as hard as possible to get those goals because he was always a leader and a player who other respected and listened to because of his own accomplishments. I would have otherwise picked Gretzky because how can you go wrong with the most prolific scorer when you need to score but Messier had a better ability to make others play better not just himself.

Answer 3

Wayne Gretzky...

look at what he did to the Leafs to get the Kings into the Finals...

I'm assuming we are referring to these players during their prime or cup run years...


RE: AngusAssassin
what do you mean Mario was by himself... Jagr was better then any player Gretzky ever played with..! (although Messier is better overall, Jagr is more skilled) There was also Francis, Murphy, Trottier, Coffey, Mullen, Recchi, Stevens... Mario is still a good choice so I gave you thumbs up... (That one Mario breakaway goal on Casey during the 1990-91 Playoffs was sickening and unforgettable...!)

RE: HABITANT
The 1979-80 Oilers wasn't great either, aside from Blair MacDonald with 94 points, the next highest scorer was Stan Weir with 66 points... Messier and Lowe were still 30 point prospects...
Lemieux's 84-85 Pens had Young (72pts), Shedden (67pts) and Mike Bullard (63pts)... so I say both teams are about even...

Answer 4

I wouldn't bet against Lemieux, Bossy or Gretzky in that situation. Those guys always stepped up to a challenge and also had the firepower to get the job done.

With that said, I'd really like to see the 1994 version of Alexei Kovalev take on that scenario. Everyone talks about Messier's hat trick against the Devils, but Kovalev was the offensive catalyst of that game and the Rangers' entire cup run.

Answer 5

Of all of those players, I would choose only two of them: Wayne Gretzky and Glenn Anderson. Both of these guys knew exactly what it took to win the games that matter the most: in the playoffs. Some of these guys you mention like Perreault, Heatley, Ovechkin, Crosby, Hossa, Hawerchuk, Stastny, Neely, Henderson (though he did come up huge in the Summit Series), Selanne, Bure (I'm not entirely sure about Cicarelli either), they never won the Stanley Cup, they don't know what it's like to win the big game. I can't pick them to be in my lineup because they don't have the experience. As well, some of them are just kids, guys like Ovechkin and Crosby, Heatley and Hossa even, they don't have much, if any, playoff experience, so putting them in a big game, big pressure, big moment position like that is not the greatest idea ever thought. In conclusion, Wayne Gretzky and Glenn Anderson are the two most clutch players you have listed there (and add Maurice Richard if we tie it up and it goes to overtime).

Answer 6

My fellow Hab Fan, I'd would have a Dream team that includes Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Crosby, Messier, and Ken Dryden as Goalie.

Answer 7

Mark Messier.
Is that not what he did in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals? And so many more times before that in Edmonton? (Remember 2 rings w/o Gretzky, while Gretzky without Mess = 0 rings).
A gamewinner in Game 7 of the finals, not to mention three goals in a semifinals game against the real challengers, the NJ Devils.
Mess would score be it one on one, on a wrister, slapper, or even off of a garbage goal.
And you damn sure knew that you couldn't knock him down, did i mention his leadership?
(Comparable perhaps only to Stevie Y).

I'll take Moose over the Rocket (be it russian, be it pocket), Foppa, Ducky and Lucky.

***Hey Hab, you forgot to mention 'Ole Bootnose.
But I love yr inclusion of the Roadrunner though.

Answer 8

Of this list, it's hard to choose only one. Do you take Mike Bossy, probably one of the best shooters? Do you take Mario, the best finisher on the list? Do you take a game changer like Orr? Messier can open up the ice with a big hit, and energize the team. I'm going to go with #66. When the pressure was on, he excelled.

Answer 9

if i'm down by 2 goals and the defense is playing back, i probably need a sniper. you already mentioned mentioned Sakic, so i'll go with... Pavel Bure. If i'm facing a team that is aggressive on defense and challenges the puck, i'll go with Gretzky cuz you'd need somebody to distribute the puck to the men going to the net.

if i may pick 2 guys that aren't on your list... i'll go with Chris Drury (he was Mr. Clutch with Avs along with Sakic), or Claude Lemieux. i don't know what it was about that guy and the playoffs, but he could turn it on and always seemed to be at the right place at the right time.

Answer 10

Don't ever bet against Messier or Richard. They could will a win on their own. Anderson was one of the best clutch playoff scorers ever. Pick-em. I say Messier/Richard 1 and Anderson 2

Answer 11

My first choice . . the Rocket. When he set his mind to it he scored.
Honorable mention . . . Mario Lemieux . . if he had the puck inside the other teams blueline you always felt he was going to score.
Gretzky needed finishers around him. It would depend who he had with him on the ice. Put him out with Mario in a big game situation and down even 3 goals and I would still feel my team was in it.