January 18, 2008

Rick Nash. Goal of the year. : Sorry Toews. You've now got the second best.

read story | posted by gspm to Hockey at 9:53 AM CDT (27 comments total)

That was a Hell of a goal!

posted by B10 at 10:37 AM CDT on January 18

How about a NSFW warning next time? It's pornographic how both Nash and Toews undressed those other guys.

posted by NoMich at 10:38 AM CDT on January 18

After undressing both defencemen and the goalie, and facing a wide-open net, I think he should've just skated the puck back to the blue line, saying "nah, too easy, let's try that again."

posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:43 AM CDT on January 18

I'll bet that's how Bobby Orr would've done it, Doc. "Come on! Get your entire team in front me. I need a challenge!"

posted by NoMich at 10:46 AM CDT on January 18

Wow.

That is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen an athlete do. Thank you for the link gspm.

posted by DudeDykstra at 10:58 AM CDT on January 18

That was an incredible goal. He made those defensemen look like they had no idea what they were doing.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:04 AM CDT on January 18

The next shot was two defencemen and a goalie heading into the third row of the stands to retrieve their jockstraps.

It kills me why this guy isn't consistent enough to be talked about in greater volumes. That goal was ridiculous. But then you won't notice him for a couple games.

He should be better.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:10 AM CDT on January 18

Holy crap! I'm not a big hockey fan, but that was fricking amazing. I have always held a special awe for the things that professional golfers do, and this is right up there with them.

posted by hawkguy at 11:23 AM CDT on January 18

It's sometimes easy to forget that this isn't some wired little sprite doing this stuff either. Rick Nash is 6'4". He's Shaq and D-Wade on one pair of skates.

I hope that goal sells a few more tickets in Columbus. It bloody well should.

posted by chicobangs at 12:13 PM CDT on January 18

I hope that goal sells a few more tickets in Columbus. It bloody well should.

I haven't checked the attendance this season, but Nationwide Arena has always been packed in years past. It's just the team that doesn't always show up. Sweet goal, though.

posted by bender at 12:32 PM CDT on January 18

That really was amazing, he made those professional defensemen look like third string pee-wees being tooled by the ringer. Seeing that skill, though, makes one wonder where the consistency is. I've not seen too many Jackets games, but when I have, I remember him as being a non-issue. In any game you watch them play, you'll notice Crosby, Ovechkin, Thornton, and the true premiere players making their presence felt, on the scoreboard or not. Nash, still, is not one of those players.

posted by tahoemoj at 12:32 PM CDT on January 18

I haven't checked the attendance this season, but Nationwide Arena has always been packed in years past.

They've dropped down to number 26 in the league this season. They've played only 21 home games so far though, so they're only half way through they're home sked.
Is Ohio getting hit as hard as Michigan, economically speaking?

posted by NoMich at 12:44 PM CDT on January 18

The next shot was two defencemen and a goalie heading into the third row of the stands to retrieve their jockstraps.

Funny. I thought I had seen them tangled up in their skates. But that shore was some purdy skatin'.

posted by THX-1138 at 2:06 PM CDT on January 18

The thing that irks me is the advertisers and marketing people that don't seem to realize that this is what a highlight-reel goal looks like. Every single TV spot that features a goal being scored is the same: burly guy skates in and takes a slapshot from the blue line which evades the clueless goalie. Even those post-lockout "My NHL" ads fell prey to it. That hasn't been a viable goal-scoring strategy since 1989 (despite some teams still making it a cornerstone of their playbook).

posted by DrJohnEvans at 3:09 PM CDT on January 18

This was very impressive, especially since I have a lot of respect for Rick Nash as a player, but principally (until now) as one of those guys with the guts to hang around the front of the net, the knack of getting open or being where the puck is, and then enough skill to bang it home. A sweet set of tools, for sure, but not exactly grace and beauty. he'd be perfect on the wing with the Sedins. heh.

posted by rumple at 3:13 PM CDT on January 18

I'll bet that's how Bobby Orr would've done it...

It would have been similar, but Orr was noted for winding up from behind his own net and skating past, around, and through all 5 of the opposing skaters before ripping a blur past the goaltender. Gawd, he was something to see.

The Nash goal is easily the best I've seen in a long, long time. You're right, Dr. John, the NHL marketers just don't seem to get it.

posted by Howard_T at 3:57 PM CDT on January 18

Wow. That puck was on a string. Notice there was not much time left in a tie game. It's almost like the defensemen were already in the lockeroom waitng for OT. Here's another display from Rick Nash from earlier this season.

posted by BoKnows at 4:42 PM CDT on January 18

Hey BoKnows...thanks for posting the other Nash goal. I posted that here the day after it happened and was getting dissed by everyone because they think Nash is a nobody. I'm a Columbus fan, live in Columbus, and think Nash is very underrated. Yes, he needs to step up his game a bit compared to previous seasons, but he's doing it this year. Hitchcock has been the best thing for this team since Johnny Mac decided to get the franchise in the first place! Nash stepped onto the national scene in last year's All Star game, though he got screwed out of the MVP honors. You read it here first...Nash will be thie year's MVP. He's the real deal and about to prove it once and for all.

posted by gdvbranz at 6:17 PM CDT on January 18

gdvbranz, who's this "everyone" person who thinks Rick Nash is a nobody?

In all the conversations I've had with SpoFites on this site (or off it, for that matter), I can safely say I've never heard anyone say anything less than laudatory about Rick Nash. In fact, the talk of his occasional inconsistency in this thread is the closest anyone has come to speaking ill of him.

So whoever this "everyone" person is, they don't post much. You can ignore them. There are an awful lot of people on this site who happen to like him a lot, so there's no need to straw-man up some faceless haters for him.

posted by chicobangs at 7:31 PM CDT on January 18

I just read that earlier post, gdvbranz, I didn't read any dissing. It just so happened the Toews goal was the same week, so both goals were discussed in your thread. Anywho, I think Nash is a great player that could be better. He's huge and has incredibly soft hands. (Please, lets stick to hockey thoughts only.) I am a Blues fan and am fortunate enough to see Nash and Toews pretty often because of the division games.

posted by BoKnows at 7:40 PM CDT on January 18

Every single TV spot that features a goal being scored is the same: burly guy skates in and takes a slapshot from the blue line which evades the clueless goalie....That hasn't been a viable goal-scoring strategy since 1989 (despite some teams still making it a cornerstone of their playbook).

I don't even have to hover over that link to know to which team it points.
Sigh.

The only minuscule thing wrong with Nash's wonder-goal is that the goalie actually gets a piece of the puck, and only through a bit of luck does it bounce off Nash's midsection and back down to his feet.

But that's like saying the Sistine Chapel doesn't use enough purple paint.

2010 Canadian Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, potential forwards:

Crosby
Iginla
Lecavalier
Nash
Thornton
Spezza
Getzlaf
Richards
Statsny
Briere
E.Staal
J.Staal
Perry
Sharp
Toews
Gagne

Holy cow.

posted by grum@work at 8:37 PM CDT on January 18

First names are not even necessary for that list. Since most of those guys are capable of going "end to end", the Canadian team can consider the whole rink "the offensive zone". Plus, the Olympic ice is bigger, so the extra room could easily allow for some pretty goals.

posted by BoKnows at 8:52 PM CDT on January 18

That was pretty sweet. And by sweet, I mean totally awesome.

posted by worldcup2002 at 12:22 AM CDT on January 19

This remains my favourite Rick Nash goal.

posted by mkn at 5:37 PM CDT on January 19

I still gotta go with the first one. That double-triple-juke thing he did was freakin' awesome. To be a 6'4" guy, doing that on skates, with a curved stick, is ridiculous.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 8:48 PM CDT on January 19

Is Ohio getting hit as hard as Michigan, economically speaking?

A friend of mine said that the Indians have been hit hard, attendance wise, by the local economy. So maybe that's happening as well up the road in Columbus.

posted by rcade at 9:27 AM CDT on January 20

Awesome! A goal Nash will be remembered by...

posted by BoriQa at 11:13 AM CDT on January 20

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