What is the equivalent to "The Drive" or "The Catch" in the NHL?

[Big Phil]

Is there anything? Is there a goal that fans immediately know what you are talking about when you say "The Goal"? Or how about "The Save"? For quite some time the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Habs and the Red Arm was considered the greatest game ever, a 3-3 tie. But I wouldn't call that "The Game", and I think others have surpassed it.

In baseball "The Catch" is of course Willie Mays' catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds with that cavernous centre field. In the NFL Joe Montana to Dwight Clark is "The Catch" from the 1981 NFC Championship game. "The Drive" is John Elway against the Browns in the 1986 AFC championship game. You could argue Joe Montana's drive in the Super Bowl vs. the Bengals is the best and most perfected drive in NFL history, but there is no doubt it is Elway's famous drive with the deserving nickname.

Does hockey have any of this? Or what comes the closest to it? Even "The Hit", what would it be? I am going to say if I had to pick "The Save" is Kirk McLean's save off of Robert Reichel in double overtime of Game 7 in 1994. The pad stack and the robbery of Reichel. But that is far from a consensus. You would think Fleury's save in the final second of the 2009 Cup final would have gotten some sort of nickname, but it never has.

Click to read more...

 

[double5son10]

Too Many Men on the Ice and every fan of hockey history knows which game you mean.

 

[LightningStorm]

Had the Red Wings won it all after their great 1996 RS, I think Yzerman's 2 OT goal vs St. Louis would've been known as "the shot."

 

[MadLuke]

Lafleur moment was the first to come in mind, but I did not konw what would be the short The for it.

Orr Flying Goal ? The jump ?

There is the Golden Goal and the miracle for intl hockey.


But for all the above it is not an actual equivalent of a simple common verb, what make it so special is a common verb used all the time being taken over, like a star so big you can say only the first name (Celine, Elvis, etc...) specially if the first name is common, like The Pass, The shot, The fight, The hit would be.

If we say the hit, maybe it is Larry Robinson most think of.

 

[Hobnobs]

Is there anything? Is there a goal that fans immediately know what you are talking about when you say "The Goal"? Or how about "The Save"? For quite some time the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Habs and the Red Arm was considered the greatest game ever, a 3-3 tie. But I wouldn't call that "The Game", and I think others have surpassed it.

In baseball "The Catch" is of course Willie Mays' catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds with that cavernous centre field. In the NFL Joe Montana to Dwight Clark is "The Catch" from the 1981 NFC Championship game. "The Drive" is John Elway against the Browns in the 1986 AFC championship game. You could argue Joe Montana's drive in the Super Bowl vs. the Bengals is the best and most perfected drive in NFL history, but there is no doubt it is Elway's famous drive with the deserving nickname.

Does hockey have any of this? Or what comes the closest to it? Even "The Hit", what would it be? I am going to say if I had to pick "The Save" is Kirk McLean's save off of Robert Reichel in double overtime of Game 7 in 1994. The pad stack and the robbery of Reichel. But that is far from a consensus. You would think Fleury's save in the final second of the 2009 Cup final would have gotten some sort of nickname, but it never has.

"The hit" was for a while Stevens hit on Lindros. But it has also been Kronwall on Havlat, Robinson on Dornhofer, Steven on Kozlov.

We do have the mother of all elbows.

 

[Staniowski]

The Shootout

 

[Staniowski]

The Slash

 

[buffalowing88]

Crosby's OT goal to clinch the gold in 2010 felt inevitable and painful to American fans who knew the game more than a passing amount. I'd say that was akin to The Drive and how Cleveland fans must have felt or The Catch for Cowboys fans but that's not strictly NHL. The dread associated with watching a player who everyone knew would shine in big moments play for the other team with the game on the line and those stakes is hard to replicate.


Gretzky's PP winner in Game 6 for the Kings over the Leafs after that fiasco felt sort of inevitable, too. I cringe just watching that game knowing the conclusion.

 

[Beljavskij]

Fleurys save on Lidström in the last second of the '09 finals might be the closest thing to "The Save" there is.

I remember thinking it was gonna be a goal and was just shocked that he actually was able to save it.

 

[yukoner88]

The Golden Goal in 2010 was already mentioned. That's probably the biggest one of my generation.

The rest to most probably goes with what team you cheer for.

The save for me is when Cujo robbed Joe Nieuwendyk in game 7, in overtime in '97

 

[The Panther]

The save for me is when Cujo robbed Joe Nieuwendyk in game 7, in overtime in '97

Ha! Yes, for me, too. Of course, we might be biased...

But really, that might be the greatest save of all time. Playoffs, game 7 overtime, and Cujo pulled off the impossible.

 

[Mandar]

I would think that "the Goal" for Canadians would be Mr. Paul Henderson's tally, no?

 

[yukoner88]

Ha! Yes, for me, too. Of course, we might be biased...

But really, that might be the greatest save of all time. Playoffs, game 7 overtime, and Cujo pulled off the impossible.

And to cap it off. Oilers scored to win it on the very next shift

 

[MXD]

The Wink?

 

[Sadekuuro]

Funny how there's an obvious "No Goal" yet "The Goal" could be all sorts of moments.

 

[MXD]

Funny how there's an obvious "No Goal" yet "The Goal" could be all sorts of moments.

... See, I'm 100% certain my obvious "No Goal" is not the same as yours.

 

[MadLuke]

The illegal stick
The "High stick"

 

[BraveCanadian]

Ha! Yes, for me, too. Of course, we might be biased...

But really, that might be the greatest save of all time. Playoffs, game 7 overtime, and Cujo pulled off the impossible.

Pfft, first round goalie.

 

[hacksaw7]

What about Gretzky's pinpoint big slapper over Vernon's shoulder in 1988. To me that's kind of an iconic NHL moment...just not quite sure where it fits in the pantheon

Also, Lemieux's goal vs the North Stars. To me that's "The Goal"

 

[The Macho King]

Has David Tyrell's helmet catch taken over Dwight Clark for being "the catch"?

 

[hacksaw7]

Has David Tyrell's helmet catch taken over Dwight Clark for being "the catch"?

Absolutely not. One was a lucky fluke on a play the Giants should've been flagged for holding, the other ushered in a dynasty

 

[Sadekuuro]

... See, I'm 100% certain my obvious "No Goal" is not the same as yours.

Fair enough I have no personal connection to the one I'm thinking of, but it seemed an obvious choice.

 

[MadLuke]

The Block (the NBA one) is maybe my favourite

 

[MXD]

Has David Tyrell's helmet catch taken over Dwight Clark for being "the catch"?

Well, it's known as The Helmet Catch.

 

[MXD]

Fair enough I have no personal connection to the one I'm thinking of, but it seemed an obvious choice.

Not here. Alain Coté's called-off goal is litterally folk-lore.