Mario lemieux vs patrick kane. Better hands?

[Fig]

I think Kane is faster and flashier.

Lemieux was just straight up efficient with a wider toolkit of moves. Wherever he wanted the puck, he got it. He'd leave the puck between opposition legs and then retrieve it with very few moves. My favourite goal of his is where he makes Bourque looks like a goof by leaving the puck in between his legs and basically turn styling him when Bourque looked down to check for the puck. He'd basically imagine plays on the fly that Kane would never imagine trying and execute them. Heck, deflecting the puck with his skates was something that Mario did bizarrely well as needed too.

Not going to say the two are worlds apart because IMO overall they're close with differences to their style, but I give the edge to Lemieux because he has a wider tool kit of moves than Kane IMO. But part of me is also curious as to whether this has to do with some of the criticisms of former NHL players that say creativity has been coached out of the game.

I would agree that for general skill contest skills, Kane. But overall stick work and soft touch during the game, Lemieux.

 

[Ctrain2k]

Lol this is just full of people saying Kane has better hands but they’re choosing Lemieux for some other reason.

 

[TheBluePenguin]

Go watch some Old Mario games and watch how he stickhandles while constantly gets slashed and hooked like they used to.... Of course Kane looks flashier... He doesn't get assaulted every play, the rules changed to even allow this comparison

 

[AMDZen]

Lol this is just full of people saying Kane has better hands but they’re choosing Lemieux for some other reason.

Exactly what I was thinking. People are truly hopeless sometimes

I vote Kane, I'm not sure that any player in NHL history has better hands

 

[LongWayDown37]

Sure. Kane.

 

[NyQuil]

Lemieux is by far the better player but all Kane has are his hands.

 

[Bouboumaster]

If we're talking about stickhandling: Kane

But if we're talking about taking the puck from point A to point B and just overall plays: Lemieux, by far. Lemieux was an ustoppable force of nature, from which you couldn't take the puck off. Arguably the best goal scorer ever (it's either him or Ovechkin) and he's the only one with dexterity that can be compared to Gretzky.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Both have great puck skills, but Mario gets the nod because he used his hands to fight too.

Kane too, he just prefer to fight cab drivers

 

[missionAvs]

Kane better hands but Lemieux better at hockey.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Lemieux beats anyone in the league’s history one on one.

In one-on-one, speed is a huge factor. I'm not sure he could beat someone like Bure or McDavid for example. But I get your point regardless.

If you've ever played 1-on-1 vs a guy that's significantly faster than you, you'l understand what I mean. lol

 

[Thenameless]

This is how I define "hands" in hockey.

The ability to carry the puck and beat a defender with deception (an innate total body ability) and manual dexterity (requires good hands), then beat a goalie either with a deke or a pin-point accurate shot (both require good hands). I take Lemieux in this case.

But if we take things like stick-handling drills, then someone like Kovalev might be the best.

 

[Gurglesons]

In one-on-one, speed is a huge factor. I'm not sure he could beat someone like Bure or McDavid for example. But I get your point regardless.

If you've ever played 1-on-1 vs a guy that's significantly faster than you, you'l understand what I mean. lol

Pavel Bure versus Mario Lemieux is Mario lol.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Pavel Bure versus Mario Lemieux is Mario lol.

Have you ever played high level 1-on-1?

Mario is way better than Bure, but speed is massive in 1-on-1, and Bure i a significantly better skater than Mario (even though Mario is no slouch)

2-on-2, 3-on3, etc.. is a different story because passing and hockey sense comes more in to play.

 

[Gurglesons]

Have you ever played high level 1-on-1?

Mario is way better than Bure, but speed is massive in 1-on-1, and Bure i a significantly better skater than Mario (even though Mario is no slouch)

2-on-2, 3-on3, etc.. is a different story because passing and hockey sense comes more in to play.

Mario like I said is the best one on one player of all time. Indisputable.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Mario like I said is the best one on one player of all time. Indisputable.

funny how you didnt answer the question as it doesn't fit your narrative. Move along kiddo. lol

 

[Gurglesons]

funny how you didnt answer the question as it doesn't fit your narrative. Move along kiddo. lol

Well, number one. Mario didn’t have a speed issue.

Number two, his reach and hands are unrivaled in history. I suggest watching some footage. Lemieux’s passion was turning guys inside out one on one like we haven’t seen since.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Both have great puck skills, but Mario gets the nod because he used his hands to fight too.

Kane fought all star mvp John Scott in that game!

 

[KevinRedkey]

Well, number one. Mario didn’t have a speed issue.

Number two, his reach and hands are unrivaled in history. I suggest watching some footage. Lemieux’s passion was turning guys inside out one on one like we haven’t seen since.

1-on-1 isnt the same in game vs actual 1-on-1 hockey. Maybe we're just arguing different things here. I thought you meant literally 1-on-1 pond hockey. Not forward vs dman on the rush.

 

[Gurglesons]

1-on-1 isnt the same in game vs actual 1-on-1 hockey. Maybe we're just arguing different things here. I thought you meant literally 1-on-1 pond hockey. Not forward vs dman on the rush.

Nah. I mean, what this thread is about in my mind. Which player has the best arsenal to beat players via one on one.

 

[Fig]

Lol this is just full of people saying Kane has better hands but they’re choosing Lemieux for some other reason.

The way that OP was worded, I was confused whether to vote Kane or Mario as well. I voted Mario because his advanced level stick work was just nuts and efficient as hell.

The way I want to put it is this way:

If comparing to basketball, it's like two players. One dribbles faster and does between the legs dribbles on the regular, the other was more well known for ankle breaking plays. Who has better hands?

Kane has the better showing at basic skills and muscle memory twitch. Mario has a far better overall combination of hands, BQ and hockey IQ and attempted much more advanced stick plays in game than Kane has ever attempted.

Kane can stick handle through phone booths and through pylons and mazes quickly. Mario can stick handle in a phone booth with less moves AND use his stick handling to turn real life processing humans into pylons by handcuffing them. Kane has less tool in his NHL arsenal than Lemieux and does them better than Lemieux. Lemieux isn't far off from Kane, but has significantly more tools and stick handling options than Kane does. Mario went around opposition like Kane does, but also had a ton of methods to deke through opposition players. I think Kane has deked through players a few times, but no where close to the frequency and methods of Mario. Consider also that Kane has the advantage to watch these moves to learn, imitate and emulate them. Mario did things on the regular years ago that no one has really attempted to emulate with the same level of dominance as Mario did back then.

I'd argue that Kane has shown he has mastered and is superior to 95% of Mario's tool kit, but isn't even close to emulating the remainder 5%.



This is my all time favourite Lemieux goal. He makes a HHOF dman look stupid by stick handling through his legs rather than away from him. Kane has never attempted anything like this before. Dekeing through a player, sure, but not nearly close to this calibre in somewhat slow motion. maybe you could argue the players skated slower back then, but a HHOF calibre player definitely doesn't process the game slow enough to let a meh stick handler embarrass him this way. Mario was just that good.

The extra tools in the arsenal for stick handling demonstrated by Mario in game situations is why I chose Mario, but if I misread OP and it's supposed to be Kane based on overall capabilities/potential, I wouldn't hesitate to change my vote if it was clarified.

OT, but IMO, the only other guy I've ever seen that demonstrated crazy higher level moves that few could even dream of emulating in an NHL situation is Datsyuk. I consider it close, but I would probably say Datsyuk is one of the very few on the same tier for overall stick work/tools and BQ and hockey IQ combo. This is no slight on Kane. It's basically splitting hairs, but I put these two guys in front of him. IIRC, Datsyuk did things that even Mario didn't do. I'd say Kane is the top contender in the next tier and if he demonstrated a bit more close quarters in game skills, he'd be unquestionably on the same tier.

 

[RefalancheStillLose]

As a person who has shaken hands with Mario, I will say his. As a person with an up close look, I will say nicest hands I've ever seen. Like he could have been a professional hand model, they were so nice. I'll never admit it but those hands.... Never mind some thing should just stay as fantasies in your head.


Seriously though this is Lemiuex

 

[WSS11]

Kane and Datsyuk might be a better comparison.

 

[TGWL]

It's Kane. WTF was Bourque even doing on that?

Lemiuex was a bull with the puck. Strong on the puck with smooth, quick hands. Kane is a better stickhander, with better hands, but he doesn't have the size, reach, or strength to pull off some o the moves Lemieux made against today's NHL d-men.

 

[Regal]

Mario like I said is the best one on one player of all time. Indisputable.

Difference between a one-on-one scenario in a full game and a one-on-one game. Mario was the best one on one against someone trying to defend him. In an actual one on one game, the best skaters will always have a significant advantage.

 

[Regal]

As a person who has shaken hands with Mario, I will say his. As a person with an up close look, I will say nicest hands I've ever seen. Like he could have been a professional hand model, they were so nice. I'll never admit it but those hands.... Never mind some thing should just stay as fantasies in your head.


Seriously though this is Lemiuex

Are you sure you didn't meet George Costanza?