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

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Is Mackinnon - Crosby - McDavid maybe the best line Team Canada has ever iced?

It's a very good line, but I personally think Mackinnon-Crosby-Stone is even better from the current team.

Regardless, the answer is still no. Canada's canada cup team in 87 iced a line with both Gretzky and Lemieux on it, so it will be hard to touch that.

[Monahammer]

They had a combined 39 points in 9 games btw. Dale Hawerchuck was the other winger I think.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by MrButtons

it should be
3 on 3 for 3 minutes
2 on 2 for 3 minutes
1 on 1 for 3 minutes
1 on 1, no goalies to finish

Lol, that last one should just be a goalie fight in the middle of the ice to settle the score.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Junglist

The powerplay unit they iced + Makar and Reinhart was the best to ever see the ice, imo.

Gretzky-Lemieux-Hawerchuk-Coffee-Bourque was pretty good.

[MrButtons]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

That’s a terrible idea.

I swear minor hockey playoffs or esso was decided like this way back. Although I could be completely making that up

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

They had a combined 39 points in 9 games btw. Dale Hawerchuck was the other winger I think.

Yup.

Gretzky - Lemieux - Hawerchuk.

And they sometimes subbed Messier for Hawerchuk. For me, that's the best line ever.

But McDavid - MacKinnon - Crosby is an easy #2 all time.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Is Mackinnon - Crosby - McDavid maybe the best line Team Canada has ever iced?

Maybe it would be but that isn't a line they've iced. It's Crosby, Mackinnon, Stone. If you're just taking guys who might be on the ice at the same time because they're all on the team then 1987's Messier / Gretzky / Lemieux would be unbeatable, but that wasn't a regular line at that tourney either. It was Brian Propp.

2025 - Mackinnon, Crosby, Stone
2016 - Marchand, Crosby, Bergeron
2010 - Staal, Crosby, Iginla
2006 - ... Let's not talk about it
2002 - Yzerman, Lemieux, Kariya
1998 - Shanahan, Gretzky, Yzerman
1996* - Primeau, Lindros, Shanahan*
1987 - Propp, Gretzky, Lemieux

*Line of Yzerman, Sakic, Fleury probably better on paper but wasn't the "first line"

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Junglist

Where did you read that?

As recently as yesterday's Barn Burner the guys were speculating this could be the greatest Canada ever. Sportsbooks had Canada as very heavy favorites. Other pundits have mused that Crosby-Mackinnon-McDavid could be the greatest of all time. In this very thread, people are debating this topic.

Originally Posted by Junglist

All ive read is how bad our goaltending is.
Also our D is not as good as it was from 2002 - 2016.

Someone sounds cranky.

Makar is probably the greatest defenseman ever.

How do I sound cranky saying Sweden deserves a ton of credit going up against a stacked Canada and that it was a great game?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by MrButtons

I swear minor hockey playoffs or esso was decided like this way back. Although I could be completely making that up

You're not. I believe it was 5 min 4v4, 5 min 3v3 and then 2v2 until someone scores (which usually happened within a few minutes). I only ever had it go to 2's once myself. My brother lost a semi-finals game in 2v2s. Brutal.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Maybe it would be but that isn't a line they've iced. It's Crosby, Mackinnon, Stone. If you're just taking guys who might be on the ice at the same time because they're all on the team then 1987's Messier / Gretzky / Lemieux would be unbeatable, but that wasn't a regular line at that tourney either. It was Brian Propp.

2025 - Mackinnon, Crosby, Stone
2016 - Marchand, Crosby, Bergeron
2010 - Staal, Crosby, Iginla
2006 - ... Let's not talk about it
2002 - Yzerman, Lemieux, Kariya
1998 - Shanahan, Gretzky, Yzerman
1996* - Primeau, Lindros, Shanahan*
1987 - Propp, Gretzky, Lemieux

*Line of Yzerman, Sakic, Fleury probably better on paper but wasn't the "first line"

That's right, sometimes Propp, sometimes Hawerchuk, and occasionally Messier.

And Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron was much better on ice than it looks on paper - one of the best ever

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I just checked the actual starting lineups for the opening draw for the 1987 Canada team vs USSR. First game had Gretzky between Messier and Gartner, second was Messier between Hawerchuk and Anderson (which I think was the normal 2nd line most of the tourney?) and third game was in fact Messier / Gretzky / Lemieux. Seems like they mixed the lines up a fair bit.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

How do I sound cranky saying Sweden deserves a ton of credit going up against a stacked Canada and that it was a great game?

By "someone" Junglist meant himself.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I just checked the actual starting lineups for the opening draw for the 1987 Canada team. First game had Gretzky between Messier and Gartner, second was Messier between Hawerchuk and Anderson (which I think was the normal 2nd line most of the tourney?) and third game was in fact Messier / Gretzky / Lemieux. Seems like they mixed the lines up a fair bit.

Of course they did - lines rarely are set in stone for an entire tournament (unless you're Victor Tikhanov and the Soviet Red Army team)

Those lines from game 1 didn't last long. And whenever they needed a goal, it was Gretzky - Lemieux - somelucky####er

The big goal, that everyone remembers, had Gretzky, Lemieux, Hawerchuk and Propp on the ice, IIRC (and there is a very good chance that I don't)

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Google tells me Forwards peak at 27-28 and Defenceman peak at 28-29.

Either way, McDavid is on the back 9.

Pretty much every generational star level player has a regression to more typical elite production of 80-100 points by 30. It's still phenomenal, but it's hard to imagine McDavid bucking the trend and dropping 130 or 140 points into his 30s, especially as that explosive skating isn't quite as explosive.

Bottom line, the Oilers are screwed if they don't win in the next 2 years.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yup.

Gretzky - Lemieux - Hawerchuk.

And they sometimes subbed Messier for Hawerchuk. For me, that's the best line ever.

But McDavid - MacKinnon - Crosby is an easy #2 all time.

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

[Circa89]

Going in to this I felt it was a money grab second tier International best on best side show of a tournament. I still feel that way but man oh man if they could find it in their hearts to have this replace the All-star weekend every second year that would be phenomenal. THe NHL is losing market share in the US and needs to think outside the BOX to grow the game in the US and Internationally. I'd love to see a weird Champions league too where the SEL, German, AUstrain Fins etc played against the AHL or something. THey need to take their cues more from soccer rather than the big 3 leagues in North America in order to grow the game.

Enjoyed that first game , now lets see what the rest of the tournament brings

[looooob]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Maybe it would be but that isn't a line they've iced. It's Crosby, Mackinnon, Stone. If you're just taking guys who might be on the ice at the same time because they're all on the team then 1987's Messier / Gretzky / Lemieux would be unbeatable, but that wasn't a regular line at that tourney either. It was Brian Propp.

2025 - Mackinnon, Crosby, Stone
2016 - Marchand, Crosby, Bergeron
2010 - Staal, Crosby, Iginla
2006 - ... Let's not talk about it
2002 - Yzerman, Lemieux, Kariya
1998 - Shanahan, Gretzky, Yzerman
1996* - Primeau, Lindros, Shanahan*
1987 - Propp, Gretzky, Lemieux

*Line of Yzerman, Sakic, Fleury probably better on paper but wasn't the "first line"

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)

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Circa89

Going in to this I felt it was a money grab second tier International best on best side show of a tournament. I still feel that way but man oh man if they could find it in their hearts to have this replace the All-star weekend every second year that would be phenomenal. THe NHL is losing market share in the US and needs to think outside the BOX to grow the game in the US and Internationally. I'd love to see a weird Champions league too where the SEL, German, AUstrain Fins etc played against the AHL or something. THey need to take their cues more from soccer rather than the big 3 leagues in North America in order to grow the game.

Enjoyed that first game , now lets see what the rest of the tournament brings

They will every 4 years starting in 2028 have a World Cup in February beginning with 8 teams.

[Circa89]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

They will every 4 years starting in 2028 have a World Cup in February in February beginning with 8 teams.

I've heard that promised before..., is it in the new CBA? and that still leaves us with 3 All-Star years. NObody likes ALLSTAR games !!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Circa89

I've heard that promised before..., is it in the new CBA? and that still leaves us with 3 All-Star years. NObody likes ALLSTAR games !!

yes, it was announced yesterday

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/nhl-nhlpa-to-...ckey-1.2251963

The all-star game is good for the host city and for kids. When Calgary hosts it in their new arena, it'll be a blast. Calgary should also bid for World Cup games in 2028.