Penguins Update: Impromptu Ode to Mario

Hey all. After the fact, I inserted a link to this highlight video of Mario Lemieux into my previous article. I was going to add the following thoughts as a comment, but decided more folks would see them if I posted them in a mini-article. A sort-of impromptu ode to Mario, if you will. Without further ado, here goes…

You forget just how dominant Mario was until you watch some of these clips. All I can say is…my God. He truly leaves you breathless. He was such an incredible (and impossible) package of size, speed, power, strength, smarts, reach, hands, touch, vision, anticipation and deception. Honestly, there aren’t enough superlatives in my limited vocabulary to describe him.

What an awesome player and presence he was. Kind of a one-man symphony on ice.

What strikes me…literally…is the way he simply blew up opposing defensemen and goalies. Seriously, check out their reactions. They’re sprawling every which way…often violently so. Which tells me, despite their best efforts, they were totally unprepared to deal with Mario and his extraordinary talents. And remember…these guys were pros who’d been playing hockey since they were knee high.

I mean, he made embarrassing everybody look so ridiculously easy. More so than any other player I’ve ever seen, except maybe Bobby Orr.

If you watch the video (and I urge you to do so), there’s one goal in particular I want to point out. It occurs roughly 6:26 in. No, it’s not Mario’s greatest goal. I’d say that’s a toss-up between the one he scored against Boston in the ’92 playoffs, when he undressed Hall-of-Famer Ray Bourque and turned goalie Andy Moog into mush before roofing the puck, and the absolutely filthy goal (dubbed “The Goal”) he scored against poor Jon Casey and the North Stars in the Final the season before.

Rather, the goal I’m referring to took place against Quebec circa 1987. Mario grabs the puck in the d-zone and sets sail. The Nordiques’ Marc Fortier intercepts him, or should I say, tries to. He hounds Mario all the way up the ice, stopping just short of wrapping No. 66 in a bear hug, to no avail.

Mario scores.

Incredible.

I urge younger fans who never saw Lemieux play to watch his highlight videos. Then you’ll realize what old timers like me are gushing about.

He was truly unique and special. One of a kind.