Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,146
Maybe it is just me, but I have always been a fan of this very underrated season of his. This was his 46 game point streak season. He had 103 points during that span. Overall he had 45 goals and 78 assists for 123 points in 59 games. But he left the game against the Rangers with a bad back and more or less never returned for another year. This was in February. He actually played in the final game of the season vs. Buffalo and had a goal and an assist. Basically the Penguins just needed to tie that game to get into the playoffs but lost in overtime to Buffalo. I can only imagine the pain Mario was in to play that game but they desperately needed him, yet came up short. He hadn't played in a month and a half, so no doubt he'd have been writhing in pain.
He "dropped" down to 2.08 PPG from 2.62 in 1989. I guess when you think about how his back was hurting him you can see why there was a drop off. It is still the 5th best season on a PPG level for him and the 7th highest point total of his career.
The one thing that sticks out is the -18. The Penguins of 1990 were a bad defensive team. The goaltending was horrendous that year, even Barrasso, and outside of Coffey they were horrible on defense. Zarley Zalapski should never be the 2nd best defenseman on any team. They were 4th in goals but 20th in goals against. Coffey had 103 points but was -25. Even the goals for and against while Lemieux was on the ice was not great. He was on the ice for 151 goals and 134 against. That's not good. But is it a product of the team or was it just a step back for Lemieux that year?
The previous year in 1989 they were just as bad defensively, yet Mario was +41 and had 199 points. By 1990 they at least had a young Stevens and Recchi on the team, but were worse.
Without Mario the Penguins were 5-12-3. With him they were 27-28-4. Big difference. So in a way if he is there healthy the whole year they aren't all that different than the 1989 team points-wise. But I guess the plus/minus thing really gets me here. Why was he +41 in 1989 and then -18 in 1990? I can't really figure that part out, which is why you can't always rely on that stat for starters but then again that is quite a bit of a difference in one year and I can't really explain it.
By 1991 the Pens were a much different team. From 1990 to 1991 alone these players were added: Francis, Jagr, Trottier, Ulfie, Mullen, Murphy. There was a step up with Recchi and Stevens and Coffey was still more or less the same. That is a much, much different team than 1990. Bob Johnson was the coach then too and they won the Cup of course.
But that 1990 season, if he has a full year, he has about 165 points. The Pens definitely make the playoffs and Mario wins the Art Ross over Gretzky and would have a lot of consideration for the Hart, although Messier did have a great year too. It is a year that for some reason rarely gets talked about, even when discussing Mario. But if you take away that plus/minus stat which I still can't figure out why it was so bad, he had an incredible year, I think.
He "dropped" down to 2.08 PPG from 2.62 in 1989. I guess when you think about how his back was hurting him you can see why there was a drop off. It is still the 5th best season on a PPG level for him and the 7th highest point total of his career.
The one thing that sticks out is the -18. The Penguins of 1990 were a bad defensive team. The goaltending was horrendous that year, even Barrasso, and outside of Coffey they were horrible on defense. Zarley Zalapski should never be the 2nd best defenseman on any team. They were 4th in goals but 20th in goals against. Coffey had 103 points but was -25. Even the goals for and against while Lemieux was on the ice was not great. He was on the ice for 151 goals and 134 against. That's not good. But is it a product of the team or was it just a step back for Lemieux that year?
The previous year in 1989 they were just as bad defensively, yet Mario was +41 and had 199 points. By 1990 they at least had a young Stevens and Recchi on the team, but were worse.
Without Mario the Penguins were 5-12-3. With him they were 27-28-4. Big difference. So in a way if he is there healthy the whole year they aren't all that different than the 1989 team points-wise. But I guess the plus/minus thing really gets me here. Why was he +41 in 1989 and then -18 in 1990? I can't really figure that part out, which is why you can't always rely on that stat for starters but then again that is quite a bit of a difference in one year and I can't really explain it.
By 1991 the Pens were a much different team. From 1990 to 1991 alone these players were added: Francis, Jagr, Trottier, Ulfie, Mullen, Murphy. There was a step up with Recchi and Stevens and Coffey was still more or less the same. That is a much, much different team than 1990. Bob Johnson was the coach then too and they won the Cup of course.
But that 1990 season, if he has a full year, he has about 165 points. The Pens definitely make the playoffs and Mario wins the Art Ross over Gretzky and would have a lot of consideration for the Hart, although Messier did have a great year too. It is a year that for some reason rarely gets talked about, even when discussing Mario. But if you take away that plus/minus stat which I still can't figure out why it was so bad, he had an incredible year, I think.
