Game that a player wishes he could take back

[Big Phil]

Here is a list off the top of my head in which I can think of players who either had a really bad game, or did something very flukish that they wish they can take back.

Gerry Cheevers - In the third game of the '79 Challenge Cup with the Russians against the NHL all-stars for whatever reason Cheevers was put in net and we all know the outcome. A 6-0 shellacking by the Russians. I often wonder why Bowman didnt put Dryden or Esposito in there instead.

Mike Liut - Well what game is synonymous with Mike Liut's name? Yeap the 1981 Canada Cup final vs. the Russians. An 8-1 thumping! Yeah all of the Canadian team played bad that game, Gretzky, Potvin etc.. but Mike has got to wish he could take that one back. Unfortunately he was never forgiven for that.

Steve Smith - Game 7 2nd round vs. the Flames. Steve banks the puck in off Fuhr rom behind the net accidentally. Even though there was still time left in the third to win the Oilers lost, and Steve had that on his mind I'm sure for a year.

Todd Bertuzzi - March 8, 2004. We all know what this one is about. If things were handled differetly we wouldnt be talking about it and Bertuzzi would have won a World Cup for Canada.

Tommy Salo - Quarter finals vs. Belarus in '02 Olympics. What a way to lose!

Eddie Johnston - '71 Game 2 of round 1 vs. Montreal. Boston is far and away the best team in the league. They win Game 1, and then Sinden promises to put in Eddie for Game 2 over Cheevers. Going into the third the Bruins are up 5-2 and Montreal storms back and wins 7-5. If they win that game, there is no way Montreal comes back.

Vladislav Tretiak/Vladimir Myshkin - These guys were both great goalies no doubt. Both would have been very good in the NHL. But in the they have to be kicking themselves for the Miracle on Ice game in '80. Tretiak allows a fluke goal with one second left in the 1st to have the USA tie it. And then gets benched and then Myshkin allows two gials in the third, the tying goal and the winner by Eurizione right through his legs. Yeah the Russians let up too often in that game anyways but Myshkin shut out the NHL all-stars a year earlier then he loses to College boys? Great story though.

Don Cherry - His '79 blunder in Game 7 vs. the Habs proves how important a line change is.

Any others you can think of?

Click to read more...

 

[norrisnick]

I'd imagine Roy would like games 6 and 7 of the '02 Western Conference Finals back. The "statue of liberty" gaffe and the shellacking the next game.

The entire Wings forward corps would like game one against the Ducks back. They got flustered and peppered Giguere with ridiculous shots which he then stopped adding to his aura of invincibility. They win Game 1 and they don't look back (for that series anyway).

Lindros has a bunch of games he'd like back, maybe he'd keep his head up the second go round.

 

[12# Peter Bondra]

Nathan Lafayette and the post for Vancouver.

Deadmarsh shooting the post in the Western Conference semi's in 2000 against DAL in game 6 or 7 with 18 secs to go. That would have tied the game.

 

[Behn Wilson]

The Tony Esposito game in the Cup finals against the Canadiens is still painful to think of where he let the floater from center ice go in. Aargh!!!

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Vladislav Tretiak/Vladimir Myshkin - These guys were both great goalies no doubt. Both would have been very good in the NHL. But in the they have to be kicking themselves for the Miracle on Ice game in '80. Tretiak allows a fluke goal with one second left in the 1st to have the USA tie it. And then gets benched and then Myshkin allows two gials in the third, the tying goal and the winner by Eurizione right through his legs. Yeah the Russians let up too often in that game anyways but Myshkin shut out the NHL all-stars a year earlier then he loses to College boys? Great story though.

The 3rd US goal, the 1st given up by Myshkin, he had no chance on. Puck to a weird bounce off a Soviet defensemans skate and went right to Mark Johnson, the USA's best player 8 feet in front of the net.

The Eurizione goal wasn't great, but he did use a defenseman as a screen and beat him far side. Not a great goal, but not terrible.

As for Tretiak, no only did he give up the brutal goal with 1 second remaining, the 1st US goal was on an unscreened slapshot from 45 feet from Buzz Schneider. Terrible goal.

 

[se7en*]

I'll bet Marty McSorely wished he used a smaller stick in Game 2 vs. Montreal.

But yeah, Steve Smith. What a fluke series! Nevermind having it on his mind for the rest of year, I'm sure he'll have it on his mind for the rest of his life. There are some things I can never forgive.

Not like a "Laces OUT!" kinda thing tho.

 

[budscweizer16]

The flyers, games 5,6,7 of the 00 eastern Conference Finals

 

[KH1]

Eric Cairns in game 1 of the Tampa Bay series last year. If he doesn't make two critical turnovers that series would've looked very different.

Alexei Kovalev losing the puck to Glen Murray and crashing into Souray, giving up the breakaway. The Habs won that series so no harm no foul, but it was pretty embarrassing.

 

[Marcus-74]

The 3rd US goal, the 1st given up by Myshkin, he had no chance on. Puck to a weird bounce off a Soviet defensemans skate and went right to Mark Johnson, the USA's best player 8 feet in front of the net.

The Eurizione goal wasn't great, but he did use a defenseman as a screen and beat him far side. Not a great goal, but not terrible.

As for Tretiak, no only did he give up the brutal goal with 1 second remaining, the 1st US goal was on an unscreened slapshot from 45 feet from Buzz Schneider. Terrible goal.

Yeah, Tretiak still likes to remind anyone who cares to listen that "Tikhonov´s bad judgement" cost him and his team mates the Olympic gold, and he´s not the only one who thinks that way. But as far as I´m concerned; had Tretiak stayed in goal, the Soviets might have lost the game 15-3!

 

[Oilers1*]

The Salo Olympic gaffe is the most overrated play in sports history.

I mean, its not like the guy tried to glove the puck and blew it. It hit him in the freaking head and bounced in before he had time to react. How do you defend against that? I bet you get that Belarussian to line up at center-ice with another 100 pucks and he couldn't make that shot again once.

 

[DJmastamind]

Tom Barasso, game 7, Vs. Islanders in 93. Giving up that OT goal to Dave Volek!!! i'm sure he'd love to have that back. It wasn't even a pretty goal Volek basically took a slapshot from the wing and it went right through Barasso's 5 hole.

Everyone was shocked since the Pens had a Home game 7, there was no way they could have lost

 

[hossy316]

The Salo Olympic gaffe is the most overrated play in sports history.

I mean, its not like the guy tried to glove the puck and blew it. It hit him in the freaking head and bounced in before he had time to react. How do you defend against that? I bet you get that Belarussian to line up at center-ice with another 100 pucks and he couldn't make that shot again once.

Plus, why didn't the ever so powerfull Swedes hammer them in that game anyhow? The game shouldn't have been that close.

 

[jamiebez]

Patrick Lalime's Game 7 against the Leafs in 2004 springs to mind for me. 3 goals in the first period.

 

[Frank Drebin]

The Salo Olympic gaffe is the most overrated play in sports history.

I mean, its not like the guy tried to glove the puck and blew it. It hit him in the freaking head and bounced in before he had time to react. How do you defend against that? I bet you get that Belarussian to line up at center-ice with another 100 pucks and he couldn't make that shot again once.

It's not as if he didn't have time to react, the shot was just inside center ice. You defend against it by catching the puck, not flailing at it like it's a mosquito.

 

[Ajacied]

The Salo Olympic gaffe is the most overrated play in sports history.

I mean, its not like the guy tried to glove the puck and blew it. It hit him in the freaking head and bounced in before he had time to react. How do you defend against that? I bet you get that Belarussian to line up at center-ice with another 100 pucks and he couldn't make that shot again once.

That shot would've went wide and over.. it was not even close of going in, yet for some odd reason, Tommy Salo jumps up only to find out the puck went in off his helmet..

It was a major blooper..

 

[joepeps]

there are so many


for ottaw pick a series against toronto....
one that comes to mind was a reg season game last year (last time played)
Ottawa was up 4 or 5 to 0 and the Leafs came back and won in OT

Toronto Pick a series against Philly....
Shooting wide in OT and having JR score in OT after the Leafs had all the momentum....

 

[LadyByngJeanRatelle]

Bryan McCabe: Game 5 vs. Philadelphia 2004 playoffs, great passing Bryan.

Ricard Persson: Game 6 vs. Toronto 2002 playoffs, stupid crosscheck from behind on Tie Domi.

Dan Cloutier: Game 3 vs. Detroit 2002 playoffs, gotta stop those from centre Dan.

 

[ArtG]

Marek Malik game 7 vs Calgary

Dan Cloutier game 7 vs Minnesota

Nathan Laffayette game 7 vs New York

yeah.. it really does suck being a Canucks fan

 

[jamiebez]

for ottaw pick a series against toronto....
one that comes to mind was a reg season game last year (last time played)
Ottawa was up 4 or 5 to 0 and the Leafs came back and won in OT

Ah, the "flu game".

The flu went through the Ottawa lineup pretty bad that night. By the end of the game, they only had 6-7 guys on the bench. The rest were back in the locker room puking their guts out.

PS: We need a "puking" smiley in the worst way...

 

[GentlemanOfLeisure]

How about the whole 2001 SCF for Sean O'Donnell. He was so bad that the Devils benched him for game 6 and replaced him with Ken Sutton.

Brodeur would like to have back game 6 of the 1994 ECF vs. The NYR.
Messiers go ahead goal he looked stupid on. Marty played one of the worst periods of his career in the 3rd period of that game.

But the biggest mulligan i can think of is Wade Redded of the Ottawa Senators. I am sure he love to have game 7 of the 2003 ECF back. Letting Grant Marshalls pass go between his legs and right to an open Jeff Friesen.

 

[Masao]

Jose Theodore - game 4 against Carolina, 2002

I was at that game. I remember after the second period, I overheard a conversation in the urinals... someone was saying "This game is over. They're never gonna score 3 goals against Theodore in one period."

Man, you should have seen the atmosphere in the building when the Canadiens got a 3-0 lead... man, that was something I'll never forget.

 

[joepeps]

Jose Theodore - game 4 against Carolina, 2002

I was at that game. I remember after the second period, I overheard a conversation in the urinals... someone was saying "This game is over. They're never gonna score 3 goals against Theodore in one period."

Man, you should have seen the atmosphere in the building when the Canadiens got a 3-0 lead... man, that was something I'll never forget.

ok finish the story for the people who didn't follow the Montreal Carolina game

I guess Montreal lost????

 

[Yammer]

Interesting thread. Here are some other infamous games that came to mind (though the Steve Smith own-goal was the very first to pop to my mind).

December 12, 1933 - Eddie Shore viciously cross-checks Ace Bailey from behind. Bailey is left near death and never plays again. A benefit game starts the NHL All-Star tradition.

March 13, 1955 - Rocket Richard punches a linesman and gets suspended for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Despite the Rocket's pleas for peace, there is rioting in the streets, with much property damage and many injuries. Interestingly, the anger in Quebec is said by some to have been a turning point in the Quebec nationalist movement.

December 2, 1995. Not a player but a coach would like this one back. Mario Tremblay leaves Patrick Roy in net for nine goals of an eventual 12-1 drubbing by the Wings. After finally getting the mercy hook, a white-hot Roy tells Ron Corey that he is done with the Canadiens.

 

[Masao]

ok finish the story for the people who didn't follow the Montreal Carolina game

I guess Montreal lost????

Canadiens were up 2-1 in the series and were leading 3-0 after two periods. They win that game and the series is 3-1 and they're up for the conference finals.

But then, the Hurricanes scored 3 goals in the third period and won it 4-3 in overtime. Pretty dramatic, especially the way the goals were scored (especially the tying goal with just a few seconds left in the game). Then, they won the next two games 5-1 and 8-2 to claim the series... talk about a change of momentum.

 

[jb**]

The flyers, games 5,6,7 of the 00 eastern Conference Finals

Hextall in 95 against the Devils and the cup against the wings in 97, brutal