BobRouse
Registered User
- Mar 18, 2009
- 10,144
- 373
Another installment for random thoughts on random player...
I really first recall Hatcher in the 86-87 season and remember him being a guy that fought now and then and laid out hits that hurt me from my living room. He was on the ice when that season ended trying to make a play on Lafontaine and got unlukcy..ughhh
The next year it seemed he really broke out offensively. I think he had 10 or 11 goals during the regular season and started joining the rush more. He also was matched up against Lemieux most nights and hacked the hell out of him. In one game in Pitt (we were getting crushed...Coffey's first game with Pens) he got Lemieux so mad that supermario, during the play, just spun around and shot the puck at Hatcher!!
That post season he was our best dman. He took over the Flyers series with several big hits and key goals.
In the 2nd period of game 7 vs Philly he made a play that really impacted that game. Caps were down 3-0 and just had scored 2 goals (Galley and Miller). Hatcher was driving the net on a rush and blatently absolutely ran Hextall thru the net. He would have been suspended in todays game for that.
Then after he came out of the box he made a great keep on the blue line from an errant Prop pass and blasted one home to tie the game.
The next year I thought he would be amazing but started seeing some unsettling space cadet moments. He had a good year overall tho.
The 89-90 playoffs he went back to his punishing ways. He crushed some fools that season too and we struggled mainly b/c Langway and Stevens were constantly hurt but he stepped up to keep us afloat.
Then post Scott Stevens (and declining Langway) he became our top pairing guy with Calle Johansson and he was pretty good overall but started becoming Hollywood Hatcher....salary disputes, wanting more money, focusing just on offense and no D or hitting...he started getting the whooping treatment.
During the 94 lockout there were rumors he would be traded in a package for Yzerman. This got my hopes up as the Caps sorely needed a player who was creative..
But Poile traded him for a DMAN! At first I was bitter but then recalled Tinordi during that Stars cup run in 90-91 and how dominant he was.
Hatcher never was the same player after he left here. He had some OK years but he seemed to lose any bit of passion he had left and was completely aversive to any form of physical play.
He had a very good career overall. He was our 2nd leading goal scorer in 92-93 and was part of that D corp that had 3 20 goal scorers (him, Iafrate and Cote).
He should have been much better tho. He had all the tools you could ask for. He was a beast when he was young and then ego took over.
I really first recall Hatcher in the 86-87 season and remember him being a guy that fought now and then and laid out hits that hurt me from my living room. He was on the ice when that season ended trying to make a play on Lafontaine and got unlukcy..ughhh
The next year it seemed he really broke out offensively. I think he had 10 or 11 goals during the regular season and started joining the rush more. He also was matched up against Lemieux most nights and hacked the hell out of him. In one game in Pitt (we were getting crushed...Coffey's first game with Pens) he got Lemieux so mad that supermario, during the play, just spun around and shot the puck at Hatcher!!
That post season he was our best dman. He took over the Flyers series with several big hits and key goals.
In the 2nd period of game 7 vs Philly he made a play that really impacted that game. Caps were down 3-0 and just had scored 2 goals (Galley and Miller). Hatcher was driving the net on a rush and blatently absolutely ran Hextall thru the net. He would have been suspended in todays game for that.
Then after he came out of the box he made a great keep on the blue line from an errant Prop pass and blasted one home to tie the game.
The next year I thought he would be amazing but started seeing some unsettling space cadet moments. He had a good year overall tho.
The 89-90 playoffs he went back to his punishing ways. He crushed some fools that season too and we struggled mainly b/c Langway and Stevens were constantly hurt but he stepped up to keep us afloat.
Then post Scott Stevens (and declining Langway) he became our top pairing guy with Calle Johansson and he was pretty good overall but started becoming Hollywood Hatcher....salary disputes, wanting more money, focusing just on offense and no D or hitting...he started getting the whooping treatment.
During the 94 lockout there were rumors he would be traded in a package for Yzerman. This got my hopes up as the Caps sorely needed a player who was creative..
But Poile traded him for a DMAN! At first I was bitter but then recalled Tinordi during that Stars cup run in 90-91 and how dominant he was.
Hatcher never was the same player after he left here. He had some OK years but he seemed to lose any bit of passion he had left and was completely aversive to any form of physical play.
He had a very good career overall. He was our 2nd leading goal scorer in 92-93 and was part of that D corp that had 3 20 goal scorers (him, Iafrate and Cote).
He should have been much better tho. He had all the tools you could ask for. He was a beast when he was young and then ego took over.
