[GT] Canada VS Sweden - Four Nations Face-Off - Feb 12, 2025

[Nadal Fan]

Iginla-Sakic-Gagne 4 goals in the Gold Medal game to end 50 years of Canada not winning Gold at the Olympics. I think about 13 players from 2002 would make the Hall of Fame including Brodeur, Mario, Yzerman, Kariya. For me it's my favorite team Canada ever. They had more pressure on them than any Team Canada excluding 72.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

Iginla-Sakic-Gagne 4 goals in the Gold Medal game to end 50 years of Canada not winning Gold at the Olympics. I think about 13 players from 2002 would make the Hall of Fame including Brodeur, Mario, Yzerman, Kariya. For me it's my favorite team Canada ever. They had more pressure on them than any Team Canada excluding 72.

I often wonder why Vancouver 2010 is romanticized so much compared to SLC 2002. Recency and social media?

2002 was much more of an important win. It was the end of the Olympic drought and a palette cleanse after Wayne & Marc ####ed up Nagano 1998.

[Nadal Fan]

I think it's because 02 final was 5-2 but Vancouver we got the Golden goal in OT .

Also 98 team might have been in the conversation for best ever if Mario didn't retire and Kariya and Sakic didn't get injured. Those 3 play against the Czechs and no way it makes it to a shootout.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I often wonder why Vancouver 2010 is romanticized so much compared to SLC 2002. Recency and social media?

2002 was much more of an important win. It was the end of the Olympic drought and a palette cleanse after Wayne & Marc ####ed up Nagano 1998.

It wasn't just 1998 either.

You had 1996 World Cup where Canada lost 3 out of 4 to the US and lost that tournament (although wasn't Canada's best team especially on defense). Then the 1998 issues. So Canada's position as the best team in the world in Best on Best tournaments was really challenged.

That 2002 team is easily the best Canadian Olympic team. 2010 was a great finish, but the team was actually kind of boring.

The 2002 team was more fun for sure with Kariya, Lemiuex, Sakic, Iginla etc.

It's off topic too but as much as Gary Suter was a big part of the 1989 Flames I'll always hate that dirty POS. Dirty hit probably is what accelerated Gretzky's decline in the 1991 Canada Cup, and he 100% targeted Kariya right before the 1998 Olympics with that cross check to the head after the whistle that started Kariya's concussion issues.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

In 87, Goulet-Gretzky-Sutter was the main line for most of the tournament until the finals.

But the line of Gretzky - Lemieux - Hawerchuk existed. Who cares if it wasn't for the entire tournament? Doesn't really change the discussion here

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

As far as great PP units, the '02 team did at one point have Lemieux, Sakic, Kariya, MacInnis and Iginla out there for a 5v3 I think. Not sure what you're supposed to do about that.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by looooob

until Perreault got injured, Perreault-Gretzky-Lafleur was quite the thing in 1981


(* and I totally understand the general argument that with each generation athletes are doing more incredible things, but if we accept that we can only situate a team or player in the generation in which they played the 76 team was still about as good as it gets star power wise - albeit they may not have had a Gretzky/Lemieux/Crosby type forward- although they did have Lafleur, Esposito, Clarke, Hull, Dionne, Perreault (and many other HOFers) but most importantly Orr in his one true best on best tourney (along with his supporting cast of Potvin, Robinson, Savard and Lapointe on the blueline)

Yes, they were fantastic!

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

As far as great PP units, the '02 team did at one point have Lemieux, Sakic, Kariya, MacInnis and Iginla out there for a 5v3 I think. Not sure what you're supposed to do about that.

Especially with Lemieux pulling disgusting “fake take”s

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I often wonder why Vancouver 2010 is romanticized so much compared to SLC 2002. Recency and social media?

2002 was much more of an important win. It was the end of the Olympic drought and a palette cleanse after Wayne & Marc ####ed up Nagano 1998.

Home ice OT win. Otherwise I completely agree, 2002 is significantly more important a victory for Canadian hockey. Way, way bigger deal than 2010. Nearly Summit Series levels of importance. And possibly ahead of 87 in terms of the most important team Canada wins in the country’s history.

2014 is basically a footnote at this point which is hilarious since it was the senior teams most dominant tournament ever.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

2014 is basically a footnote at this point which is hilarious since it was the senior teams most dominant tournament ever.

It was like watching a team play on “automatic win mode” though. Very little suspense or doubt. Just waiting to say “hooray we won again!”

[dino7c]

2004 was more exciting than 89 for Flames fans for similar reasons

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

This is like the Avengers Endgame of the NHL.

As much as we know it's all made up to draw eyeballs and drive revenue, you can't help but take glee in watching legends team up.

It helps that the players were chomping at the bit to participate in an international tourney. If we got the GAF of an All Star game it would've been terrible.

Cool to be wrong and get a break from the frustrations of the Flames' jekyll and hyde act and just enjoy hockey.

[jaydub74]

Most interesting part of yesterdays game was comparing the style of play between Crosby and Canadas other elite players. At Crosbys age he can't compete with the likes of McDavid/Mackinnon when it comes to straight line speed but his vision is worlds ahead of the other players which in my mind still makes him the most valuable player in the league. No one else thinks the game like him, it was inspiring to watch.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Home ice OT win. Otherwise I completely agree, 2002 is significantly more important a victory for Canadian hockey. Way, way bigger deal than 2010. Nearly Summit Series levels of importance. And possibly ahead of 87 in terms of the most important team Canada wins in the country’s history.

2014 is basically a footnote at this point which is hilarious since it was the senior teams most dominant tournament ever.

I was just going to say, 2014 Sochi was the most dominant. The defense and goalies were incredible. Just not the same drama.

[Junglist]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Especially with Lemieux pulling disgusting “fake take”s

That goal where he allows it to go through his legs and Kariya buries it was amazing.

[Junglist]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

I was just going to say, 2014 Sochi was the most dominant. The defense and goalies were incredible. Just not the same drama.

+ Going to the bar and getting loaded at 5 AM. Fun times!

[OutOfTheCube]

With all the romanticizing here about how Crosby is the greatest player in the league and all of history it's no surprise that the Penguins continue to be a dominant force in the league today while McDavid and the Oilers languish outside of the playoffs year after year...

...

[SuperMatt18]

2014 team was also just boring.

Norway: 3-1
Austria: 6-0
Finland: 2-1 OT

Latvia: 2-1
US: 1-0
Sweden: 3-0

Didn't score a lot of goals, and Babcock had them all playing a tight checking game that really suffocated the life out of the game. Canada's leading scorers were both d-men in Doughty and Weber.

Where with 2002 it was different - they were playing an entertaining and offensive style of play with guys like Sakic, Kariya, Iginla really shining.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

With all the romanticizing here about how Crosby is the greatest player in the league and all of history it's no surprise that the Penguins continue to be a dominant force in the league today while McDavid and the Oilers languish outside of the playoffs year after year...

...

I think the main point is that points are great, but championships are better. Crosby knows how to play when the chips are down. He makes people around him better.

[Junglist]

Edit - Didnt read the whole post.

Looking forward to the USA/Finland game tonight.