Your first NHL game and other prominent games you attended

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by rgpete

Rangers and Flyers at Madison Square Garden in 1980 Go Rangers!

When hockey was hockey...man, the Garden ice was terrible for years.

[sedin26]

I was able to see the Canadians vs. Oilers at the Northlands Coliseum in 1984. Also the Rangers the same year.

My last game was the Trevor Linden jersey retirement game in Vancouver.

[judsonhamlin]

Started life as a Rangers fan in the end of Ratelle/Giacomin/Park transition to Davidson/Esposito years at the old Garden (still miss the chants and vague smell of weed drifting down from the Blue seats), but I did go to the first Devils game vs the Penguins. They managed a tie and it was fun hearing the fans coming out yelling that the Devils were in first place. Brendan Byrne Arena wasn’t bad but no Garden. I mostly remember the Devils being the slowest team on ice - couldn’t outrun the zamboni on a bet.

[mortimer brewster]

Saw my first NHL game at the Aud in Buffalo against the Islanders. Richie Dunn scored the GWG against the Islanders on a shot from the point. He actually broke his stick on the play.

Sabres were having a fantastic season under our new coach/GM Scotty Bowman and were favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Little did I know at the time I was witnessing the start of a dynasty......

I attended 1 Sabre game with my father (he was in his early 70’s at the time). I won Tickets in the Oranges from a radio contest. When we arrived at our seats my father turned pale white and announced that he would watch the game from standing room only area. I didn’t realize he was afraid of heights. We watched the whole game from there. Game was against Chicago and Perreault scored on a Penalty shot in the 3rd period (back when there was only a few called every year). November 1983.

Aud was a great place to watch a game. You were right on top of the action.

[mortimer brewster]

Throw the Stats out the window. Between 1994 and 1999 No goaltender meant more to his team than Hasek.

He played on a team that had a bargain basement budget. Virtually no offensive firepower at all. During the 96-97 season the Sabres were outshot in all but 2 games.

In the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Flyers, I remember thinking to myself when the Flyers would apply pressure in the Sabres end "Why are they trying so hard, Hasek is only going to stop whatever they fire at the net."

Brett Hull's goal in overtime in the 1999 Finals should not have been allowed. Shortly before he scored I remembered saying to myself. "Who is going to step up and score for the Sabres?" Hasek took a team with a 23 million dollar payroll to the finals against a team with a 33 million dollar payroll. The difference in salary was Hull,Nieuwendyk and Modano.

Aside from Lafontaine (concussion) and Mogilny (traded) who were teammates early in Hasek's Sabre career Name one teammate (please don't mention Grant Fuhr) who would even be remotely considered for the Hockey Hall of Fame?

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by mortimer brewster

Throw the Stats out the window. Between 1994 and 1999 No goaltender meant more to his team than Hasek.

He played on a team that had a bargain basement budget. Virtually no offensive firepower at all. During the 96-97 season the Sabres were outshot in all but 2 games.

In the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Flyers, I remember thinking to myself when the Flyers would apply pressure in the Sabres end "Why are they trying so hard, Hasek is only going to stop whatever they fire at the net."

Brett Hull's goal in overtime in the 1999 Finals should not have been allowed. Shortly before he scored I remembered saying to myself. "Who is going to step up and score for the Sabres?" Hasek took a team with a 23 million dollar payroll to the finals against a team with a 33 million dollar payroll. The difference in salary was Hull,Nieuwendyk and Modano.

Aside from Lafontaine (concussion) and Mogilny (traded) who were teammates early in Hasek's Sabre career Name one teammate (please don't mention Grant Fuhr) who would even be remotely considered for the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Using the 1998-99 NHL season for comparison, Hasek....

- won 30 of his 64 games including 9 shutouts
- posted a 1.87 average throughout the season, 1.77 in the playoffs
- led his club to the final, but didn't win

Charlie Gardiner, in 1933-34 with the Chicago Black Hawks....

- won 20 of his 48 games including 10 shutouts
- posted a 1.63 average throughout the season, 1.33 in the playoffs
- led his club to the final, and won

Gardiner took the team with the LOWEST SCORING throughout the season to victory, while Hasek couldn't win with a team that was ranked 18th out of 27 for goals in 1998-99... hardly a team with no offense.

[mortimer brewster]

Originally Posted by Huysmans

Using the 1998-99 NHL season for comparison, Hasek....

- won 30 of his 64 games including 9 shutouts
- posted a 1.87 average throughout the season, 1.77 in the playoffs
- led his club to the final, but didn't win

Charlie Gardiner, in 1933-34 with the Chicago Black Hawks....

- won 20 of his 48 games including 10 shutouts
- posted a 1.63 average throughout the season, 1.33 in the playoffs
- led his club to the final, and won

Gardiner took the team with the LOWEST SCORING throughout the season to victory, while Hasek couldn't win with a team that was ranked 18th out of 27 for goals in 1998-99... hardly a team with no offense.

Please re-read the first line of my comment. One season is not a 5 year period.

Sabres were the lowest scoring playoff team in their conference in 1999.

Maybe you can enlighten the readers of this thread about the differences in playoff formats, league size etc comparing 1934 and 1999. Leagues evolve over a 60 year period (some may say not necessarily for the better).

I have quite a bit of respect for the pioneers of the game. The era Charlie Gardiner played in was very colorful. One of his adversaries was a goaltender named Wilf Cude. Read up on him if you haven't done so.

I hope you know that 1934 was not only Charlie Gardiner's last stand as a hockey player but his last stand in life.

Originally Posted by Kevin

When hockey was hockey...man, the Garden ice was terrible for years.

I would not know never played hockey on MSG ice. Only on pond ice and local indoor rinks

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by rgpete

I would not know never played hockey on MSG ice. Only on pond ice and local indoor rinks

I was one of those high school kids in between periods at the Coliseum in 1989. That ice was pretty good! I never skated on MSG either