Most beautiful goals you've ever seen

[VMBM]

Here are some of my favs, mostly scored by my favourite players (of course!):

Kharlamov scores on Cheevers, 1974 Summit series, USSR vs. Team Canada (WHA), game 1

There are many to choose from, but this is one of his true beauties. I wonder if Stapleton and Tremblay listened to The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" after this one? You know, for motivation...

Mikhailov on Cheevers, 1974 Summit series, USSR vs. Team Canada (WHA), g7

Not a great game by the Soviets, but at least there's this highlight: Goal-scoring in a true Soviet style. Howie Meeker: "Bang-bang-in... Holy boy*! What a goal!"
* catachresis???

Martinec on Tretiak, 1976 Canada Cup, CSSR vs. USSR

I think Tretiak played it perfectly, but sometimes it's not enough! Eddie Westfall:" Great goal... what a move!"

Perreault on Holecek, 1976 Canada Cup, CAN vs. CSSR, 2nd final

Holecek falls for Perreault's deke rather too easily, but you gotta admire how effortless Perreault makes it look, especially with defenseman Bubla trying to stop him. Speed & strength & skill.

Makarov on Peeters, 1984 CC, USSR vs. CAN, QF

Has Larry Robinson's head stopped spinning yet?

Forsberg on Nurminen, 2003 World Championships, SWE vs. FIN

Again, you gotta admire how effortless it looks. Forsberg starts the play behind his own goal, skates into the Finnish zone without anyone making any serious attemps to stop him, goes around the goal and flips the puck in from a bad angle. Antero Mertaranta, the God Almighty in the art of Finnish hockey commentary , says: "This can't be real"; although admittedly he said that in disbelief, rather than in admiration of Forsberg!

What's yours? Not always that Pete Mahovlich goal in '72, please!

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[dcinroc]

Perhaps the best goal I ever saw was Guy Lafleur against the Hartford Whalers (can't remember who was in net). I think it was in Lafleur's last full season with Montreal.

Anyway, Lafleur was bringing the puck gingerly out of the Canadien's zone while the rest of the team was going for a line change. The Whalers forwards were also switching which left just Lafleur and the Hartford D. It looked like Lafleur would just cross the red line and dump it in then go for a change himself, since he was 1 v 2 at the moment. Instead, as Lafleur approached the Dmen he moved the puck to his backhand and swung it around behind his back in a 270 degree arc, flipping it between the defenders. Just as he released the puck, Lafleur turned on the jets, hopped around the the left Dman as he tried to squeeze Guy into the boards and snatched up the puck from the right Dman, who was just getting to the puck at that moment. Then Lafleur took a few more strides and fired a perfect shot into the top right corner.

In one play, it showed Guy's creativity, speed, puckhandling and shooting skills. He really looked his old Hart Trophy self. Too bad he just didn't seem to have much passion left his last few years in Montreal.

 

[cynicism]

The first goal that really struck me as a kid was Lemieux's goal against the Bruins in the '92 playoffs. He stickhandled the puck through Bourque's skates and roofed it on Andy Moog. Its on youtube but I can't find a link for it.

 

[Vladsky]

Perreault on Holecek, 1976 Canada Cup, CAN vs. CSSR, 2nd final

I always thought Dzurilla was in goal for CSSR in the 1976 CC final series.
Am I wrong?

 

[VMBM]

I always thought Dzurilla was in goal for CSSR in the 1976 CC final series.
Am I wrong?

Dzurilla sucked his way through the 1st period of the 1st final (he let in 4 goals) and Holecek played periods 2 & 3 (he let in 2 goals, but played ok IMO). So Holecek started in goal in the 2nd final, but let in 2 quick goals (Perreault goal + one by Espo), and Dzurilla played the rest of the game - and played brilliantly, may I add.

Was this as confusing for you to read as it was for me to write?

 

[dcinroc]

The first goal that really struck me as a kid was Lemieux's goal against the Bruins in the '92 playoffs. He stickhandled the puck through Bourque's skates and roofed it on Andy Moog. Its on youtube but I can't find a link for it.

The goal you are talking about is #3 on this video at 7:10.


Here is another embarrassing moment for Bourque as he gets beat by Butch Goring. Butchie had some wheels!

 

[KRM]

19 year old Alexander Steen pulled this move when he played for Frölunda in the SEL. I was sitting a few rows up from where he humiliated the opponent.

 

[golfortennis]

My cousin who is 15 years younger than me discounted this goal as nothing much, but considering I was still a wide-eyed kid, Gretzky's breakaway goal in the 84 Cup Finals has always been a beautifcul goal to me. I remember reading Sports Illustrated at the Doctor's office a couple of weeks later, and they had a perfect shot of the puck airborne, a couple of feet of of Gretzky's stick as it was about to enter the net, and Billy Smith helpless.

Maybe Bob Cole's call added to it, but Lemieux's goal against Minnesota in the '91 Cup Finals is up there as well. Basically skated through the whole team, right up the middle and made a sweet deke. "Now here's Lemieux......Oh my goodness. What a goal!" But Cole isn't yelling like today's announcers would. His tone of voice is more, dumbfounded. He can't believe the play he just saw, but knows he has to say something.

 

[Dima87*]

Kovalev's masterpiece against the States in the HWC.

Russia's goal against Finland in OT in what I think was the EuroTour ? It was one of the best team goals I've ever seen.

 

[Passchendaele]

 

[lextune]

One of the most beautiful things about that Mario goal is the incredible ease with which he scoops up the puck. It's not as if it was a good pass. The puck is about three feet behind him and he grabs it on the backhand in full stride and just takes off as if it is the easiest thing in the world.....

I also love the little stick fake he puts on Casey at the last second (best seen in the final replay).

This thread could be entirely populated with Mario goals....
....damn I hated him so much back in the day and now I am grateful to have seen him, lol

 

[MatthewT]

Not the nicest goal ever, but probably the nicest Sens goal ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0pXTnx85Q

 

[ObnoxiousPensFan*]

Jagr's Goal in the finals when he made everyone on the blackhawks look like butt.

 

[Dima87*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD3IBDCxhTo&feature=related

 

[FDBluth]

Denis Savard, anyone? He's probably the only player that comes close to Mario in terms of gracefulness.

 

[HFPM]

Not the most beautiful, but it's the one goal that always comes to mind.

 

[Bleed Blue]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wk_wuWmJRs

still my favorite goal...

 

[Riffo*]

 

[Dark Shadows]

Denis Savard vs. Edmonton

You need to only put the letters from the Youtube tag

 

[Dgill]

Just goes to show what kind of hockey sense Lemieux really had.

 

[Teemu]

Slow-mo at 1:45. Watch Murphy knock down the puck and get it over to Amonte. Beautiful.

 

[Big Phil]

Yeah no doubt even to this day Savard's against Edmonton is still my favourite of all time.

Lemieux's goal in between his legs in 1995 against Vancouver

Afinogenov's goal in 2004 vs. the Lightning, hey look he had a little luck with him on that one but I don't think you could even TRY to do that again in a practice if you tried 100 times

Bure's goal vs. New Jersey in '93-94

 

[vippe]

Not his best goal but forsbergs goal vs finland in world cup 1996 is a beauty.

 

[Steveorama]

Peter Mahovlich's short-handed goal at MLG versus the Soviets in 1972.
Key goal at a critical moment of the game.
Pete had size and loads of talent...but, unfortunately, was more famous for his partying than his hockey career.

 

[eraserhead]

Damn Lemieux scored some beauties.