Gilbert.. Gretzky call him the best ever

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Yeah it is July and things can get stagnate. As a Buffalo crowd, we have had amazing players from Gilbert to Dom, as much we are in the sucky era, Gilbert doing a 200 feet skate and scoring, we don't and probably will never sèe that again, by any hockey player, as I witnessed as a child

[xzy89c1]

what was context? Gretzky has said many times Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr were the best.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Gretzky was from Brantford ON, he got through the afore of cable watching the Sabres on Channel 2 at the time... Yikes aging self. Gretzky at the time was a legend in minor league hockey in ON at the age of 11, me a few years younger, on my team but he destroyed our NF ON team, he said at the time Gilbert was the best ever, which made sense, Gilbert was built for hockey like Secutrait《yeah bad spelling) was built built for racing Gilbert if you ever saw him, behind his own net, weaving yards to the opposing net was a treasure, no could do that not Howe, Orr was close but Gil had a gift

Edited 4 hours ago by Standing Room Smoking Cigs

[French Collection]

Just now, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Yeah it is July and things can get stagnate. As a Buffalo crowd, we have had amazing players from Gilbert to Dom, as much we are in the sucky era, Gilbert doing a 200 feet skate and scoring, we don't and probably will never sèe that again, by any hockey player, as I witnessed as a child

I loved watching those rushes but they are rare today even by the likes of McDavid and MacKinnon. 
The mobility of defenders was terrible so a great skater like Perreault or Orr could weave through them like pylons.

Gretzky did mention Perreault as a hero but he was a Howe fan and always regarded Gordie as the 🐐.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Yes he did, but shout was to Perrault, the best forward line ever was Gretzky in middle with Perrault and Lafleur as linemates in the Canada Cup 1981, sucks he broke a leg, but crowd was unstoppable for 2 games

[PromoTheRobot]

Based on the thread title, I thought Gretzky was taking about Dennis Gilbert. 🤷‍♂️

[mphs mike]

1 hour ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Yeah it is July and things can get stagnate. As a Buffalo crowd, we have had amazing players from Gilbert to Dom, as much we are in the sucky era, Gilbert doing a 200 feet skate and scoring, we don't and probably will never sèe that again, by any hockey player, as I witnessed as a child

I'll always remember the Larry Carriere quote, along the lines of "playing defense with Bert on the ice was easy - gather the puck, take it behind the net, wait for Bert to circle around, pick it up, watch him skate through the opponent, score, and you're +1 as you get to the bench"

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Giving this iteration of team, maybe we need to look back upon of those teams, and thank ourselves that we were blessed at a time

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

9 minutes ago, mphs mike said:

I'll always remember the Larry Carriere quote, along the lines of "playing defense with Bert on the ice was easy - gather the puck, take it behind the net, wait for Bert to circle around, pick it up, watch him skate through the opponent, score, and you're +1 as you get to the bench"

This is the beauty of his game, well said even by proxy of a future scout

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

10 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Based on the thread title, I thought Gretzky was taking about Dennis Gilbert. 🤷‍♂️

I did too and thought “uh-oh, sad Sabre fan summer posting is in full effect” 😆🤣

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

1 minute ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I did too and thought “uh-oh, sad Sabre fan summer posting is in full effect” 😆🤣

You miss the nuance, Gilbert is not Gilbert, don't blame yourself, probably just a younger!

[Big Guava]

 

But my God...look at how ridiculous those goalies look. How were games not 15-12 with their terrible shot stopping ability?

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

55 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

 

But my God...look at how ridiculous those goalies look. How were games not 15-12 with their terrible shot stopping ability?

Ah thank you that what is needed, especially Martin to Robert to a sneaky back pass to Gilbert, Pegs bought the team remembering those highlights, hopefully he remember that, and at the same time it nice to remember gifts that players gave to the fans in the Aud

[French Collection]

10 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

 

But my God...look at how ridiculous those goalies look. How were games not 15-12 with their terrible shot stopping ability?

Some of them are in the HoF.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Just now, French Collection said:

Some of them are in the HoF.

And if Martin hadn't hurt his knee and the repairs available today which weren't back then he'd a Hall of Famer, not first ballot but he'd be in. Andreychuk had Espo goals, Martin was Bossy before Bossy

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

And not to take for Bossy, great player and if I recall, better person, but boy the Sabres whiffed on the Seiling pick when the cat that was Bossy was there. Seiling was ok. He married a local girl on the Island, yet as his brother Rod they cared more about the trotters.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

You miss the nuance, Gilbert is not Gilbert, don't blame yourself, probably just a younger!

Oh I'm way old enough to know Gilbert Perrault. But we called him "Gil Perrault."

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Sorry for underestimating your age Promo should set the range

Edited 2 hours ago by Standing Room Smoking Cigs

[PerreaultForever]

44 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Oh I'm way old enough to know Gilbert Perrault. But we called him "Gil Perrault."

Apparently not old enough to know how to spell his name though 🙂

Perreault was special there's no question about it. He was part of why I became a Sabres fan and he had the skill to be the best ever but I will say I think he lacked the work ethic and desire to be that guy. He did have a tendency to just rest on his talent and not try to be better and better and win it all. Even a little lazy at times. If he had had Howe's toughness and work ethic he would most definitely have been the greatest ever. 

I usually rank it:

1. Orr

2. Howe

3. Gretzky

4. Perreault

5. Lemieux

but it's hard to compare eras and positions. 

[PromoTheRobot]

34 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Apparently not old enough to know how to spell his name though 🙂

Perreault was special there's no question about it. He was part of why I became a Sabres fan and he had the skill to be the best ever but I will say I think he lacked the work ethic and desire to be that guy. He did have a tendency to just rest on his talent and not try to be better and better and win it all. Even a little lazy at times. If he had had Howe's toughness and work ethic he would most definitely have been the greatest ever. 

I usually rank it:

1. Orr

2. Howe

3. Gretzky

4. Perreault

5. Lemieux

but it's hard to compare eras and positions. 

I blame autocorrect. 😛

 

[Scottysabres]

3 hours ago, Big Guava said:

 

But my God...look at how ridiculous those goalies look. How were games not 15-12 with their terrible shot stopping ability?

He will always be “the one’ for me. It was a blessing to watch his career. Saddest day of my hockey life was his last game.

Thank you Gilbert, for everything.