The maddest/saddest you have ever been after a game
Saddest:
1996 World Cup Game 3 - I was more sad than mad with this game. I guess because I saw it as an end to an era. This was the last time we ever saw Messier, Coffey and Gretzky on the same ice. There were a lot of Canadian players from the 1980s getting older and it just seemed like we were letting our game slip away. It went from Adam Foote's go ahead goal to 3 minutes away from winning against the US. Then Hull's controversial high tip, Amonte's goal and then the empty netter a second after Gretzky missed a wide open net. To top it off a goal with 30 seconds left to make it 5-2. It was just a sad moment because at that time it had been years since Canada last lost at the top level. I really don't think a game has ever affected my life like that one.
2004 Game 6 between Toronto/Philly - A game I thought Toronto would win. But they didn't. I figured the NHL would be in for a long lockout and this was the chance the Leafs needed to win the Cup. That team could have certainly won the Cup no doubt. But it was sad because the Leafs would never be the same after that and I sort of knew it too. Looking back now, that was the last Leaf playoff game we've seen.
Maddest:
1998 Olympics semi final - Never swore as much as I have in my life. I was livid.
2006 Olympics Canada/Switzerland - Still cannot comprehend how a bunch of NHL stars lost a round robin game to them. Right then I knew we were not winning the gold medal
mad: 2011 playoffs, round one, game six against chicago.
sad: 2011 playoffs, round four, game seven against boston. especially after the game as i'm watching dead-eyed suburbanites trash my hometown on the news, and i'm getting scary sounding text updates from friends who are caught in the middle of the wreckage, teargas flying on the streets, being stuck on top of the parkade they were watching the game from because a car was blown up on the lower level and the structure is on fire.
Mad/Sad. Obviously every fan gets emotional over a loss. I usually try to take the positives out of a loss, however the entire first round against San Jose in 2011 stands out. 28 seconds in when Heatley scored I knew it was over. Just had a gut feeling we were screwed. We gave the Sharks a pretty solid series. Doughty was fantastic. Looking back at our lines, I'm honestly shocked. This years roster makes that team look pathetic. Game 6 was the perfect cherry on top of the cluster**** sundae...
2011 ECQF Game 4 Rangers/Capitals - Gaborik own goal. Punched a hole through a door in my house.
2012 ECF Game 6 Rangers/Devils - Henrique OT goal to end the series. Can't even begin to describe my depression after that one. Still barely have gotten over it
June 15, 2011. The night that will sting until Vancouver wins a Cup.
The game was bad enough.
Canucks players looked very worn out and limping towards the inevitable. Bad nights from Bieksa and Ehrhoff, who we really needed to step up in Hamhuis' absence. Henrik Sedin didn't look very confident. Not the best night for Luongo either. And there was Brad Marchand. The rookie who had become Public Enemy No. 1 in Vancouver after knocking a few punches into Daniel, and here he was, creating chances by the bushel, collecting 3 points and hitting the post on another chance, and being the best skater on the ice for both teams. Chara and Seidenberg turning in a great performance, Thomas putting the crown on an incredible season.
But what made me the most mad wasn't even hockey-related. Suddenly the TV cut to the streets of downtown, and I watched incredibly retarded events unfold. People getting hurt. People seeing their cars go up in flames. Suicide attempts. And I started hearing stories from my friends who were caught in the burning city. It was not a good night.
Sad: Game 4 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals - Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia. Lemieux scores on that breakaway with a minute to go, Gary Thorne, "you gotta love it!" - even knowing that wasn't it for Mario, it still gets me a little teary-eyed when I see it. It's a powerful goal to me.
Mad: I'm trying to identify a specific game. But I remember the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals Pittsburgh vs. New Jersey, very frustrating. 2008 Stanley Cup Finals Pittsburgh vs. Detroit - I remember threatening Tomas Holmstrom saying "give me one shift, just one, and I'll take him out...one shift, it will be worth it" ...I'm 5'9"
Ah.. maybe game 3 2002, larionov scoring on irbe. My 2 fave players taking each other out. Sorta knew canes werent gonna win after that. But I guess at least it was by him I guess.
Mad - Game 6 of the 2001 SC finals. Couldn't believe the team basically didn't show up when they could have won the Cup. Atrocious performances from Brodeur and Mogilny especially.
Sad - Game 7 of the 2001 SC finals. They showed up for this one, but couldn't beat Roy. What could have been a burgeoning dynasty came crashing down.
Mad - the postgame coverage of Game 7 of the 2001 SC finals. The whole series is a blur of halfblocked memories / alcohol fueled rage/sadness to me, but I definitely remember throwing multiple empty Molson cans at Ray Bourque and his stupid beard. "Oh it's so wonderful Ray finally won his Cup! Everyone can be happy about it!" No, everyone doesn't have to be happy about it, you stupid ****.
2006 Winter Olympics final Finland vs Sweden: Team Finland was playing the best hockey it had ever played in this tournament. Losing to Sweden in the finals was was heartbreaking, and you couldn't really be mad at them considering what an accomplishment the silver was.
2010 Winter Olympics bronze medal game Finland vs Slovakia: This is a weird one, but the Finns played horribly in the tournament and I didn't think they "deserved" a medal out of it. While Slovakia is my second favorite team in international competition, and I feel like they played their hearts out in the tournament. Also Slovakia lacks a medal from the Olympics, would have been nice to see them get one.
Maddest
2010 Winter Olympics semi-finals Finland vs USA: A disgraceful game that made the fears come true: the Finnish team in this tournament was terrible all around. Everything went wrong. At the time of the game I was in Spain with a bunch of friends, and we spend a ton of time trying to find a bar showing the game. And at the end of first period we finally found one, only to see the score of 6-0 staring back at us. Definitely felt like punching something.
2003 World Championships quarter finals Finland vs Sweden: I know that the WHC:s aren't in big demand around here, but back then I wasn't really following the NHL (the time difference being difficult and internet streaming not yet common). So the international competitions were all I had, because I lacked interest in the domestic/other European leagues. Facing our rival Sweden in the quarters of our home tournament and going up 5-1 was awesome, and then the comeback started. After a collapse of epic proportions, 6-5 in favor of the Swedes was the final score. Felt devastating back then, even though it was "just" the WHC:s.
I have been following NHL seriously for just four years, and I don't quite feel as invested in any particular team as I do in international games. No NHL games come close of making this list as of yet.
Mad - Game 6 of the 2001 SC finals. Couldn't believe the team basically didn't show up when they could have won the Cup. Atrocious performances from Brodeur and Mogilny especially.
Sad - Game 7 of the 2001 SC finals. They showed up for this one, but couldn't beat Roy. What could have been a burgeoning dynasty came crashing down.
Mad - the postgame coverage of Game 7 of the 2001 SC finals. The whole series is a blur of halfblocked memories / alcohol fueled rage/sadness to me, but I definitely remember throwing multiple empty Molson cans at Ray Bourque and his stupid beard. "Oh it's so wonderful Ray finally won his Cup! Everyone can be happy about it!" No, everyone doesn't have to be happy about it, you stupid ****.
I'd have to disagree with that, Devils came out flying and Avs were hanging by a thread until Footer scored, that goal was the turning point in those series. To me it looked like NJ was going to crush them in the 1st period.
My saddest post game experiance:
2000 WCF game 7 loss to Dallas when Bourque hit the post.
Russia destroyed Sweden earlier in the tournament, Finland handled Russia easily in the semi-final - plus the fact that Finland had never won the (hockey) gold in the Olympics before = Finland wins hands down, right? Wrong. And I wasn't even expecting anything like that, cause I know that 'styles make games'. Still, it was sad to see Finland not being able to perform at their best in the game. Constantly a step or two behind. And oh, the tears of Teppo Numminen after the game.
I was a huge fan of Soviet Union around Lake Placid, but I don't remember being particulary sad about the Miracle. It's more like I admired the American players for doing what they did, I think. Damn, hockey - as anything in life, I guess - was such a magical thing as a kid, and you never quite get that feeling again. I was sad when Valeri Kharlamov died, that's for sure. A true legend in Finland too.
Mad:
1986 World Championships, medal round, SWE vs. FIN 4-4
A win would have secured the first medal for Finland in the World Championships. Finland leads 4-2 with just one minute to go. And we have the Finnish play-by-play guy Juha Jokinen declaring Finland the winner. And what happens? "Masken" Carlsson happens. 2 goals during the final minute. I can still remember the look of horror and disgust on my (then-)pal's face, and I'm quite sure he remembers mine.
1986 WC, medal round, CAN vs. FIN 4-3
Still a chance to win a medal, right? A tie would have been enough for the bronze, I think, but surprise surprise, Tony Tanti scores a late winner for Canada. It was a bad angle shot, if my memory serves me right. I think I was even madder than after the Sweden game.
Sad and mad: 2007 SC Finals, when the refs, who had been calling consistently the whole playoffs, got to the finals and swallowed their whistles, letting the Ducks obstruct their way to the Cup win. That and Pronger getting a slap on the wrist for essentially ending Dean McAmmond's career. (He was never the same after that hit to the head)
Mad: I actually don't think an NHL game has ever made me as mad as when I was about 14 and following the ECHL. Rivalry games in that league at that time were just over the top, since the offense was wide open and there was a constant threat of violence at any moment. Players, coaches, fans all got caught up in altercations both on and off the ice.
I still remember a Charlotte vs South Carolina game that involved a whole bunch of cheap shots and a 12-man brawl complete with goalie fight. The cities are easy driving distances apart, so there were a lot of visiting fans in the building and when all hell broke loose, it REALLY broke loose. I'll never forget letting an f-bomb slip in front of my mother during that fracas.
Sad: I grew up a Bruins fan... pick the last game of any given season.
2004 Game 6 between Toronto/Philly - A game I thought Toronto would win. But they didn't. I figured the NHL would be in for a long lockout and this was the chance the Leafs needed to win the Cup. That team could have certainly won the Cup no doubt. But it was sad because the Leafs would never be the same after that and I sort of knew it too. Looking back now, that was the last Leaf playoff game we've seen.
Can't say this was the saddest I've been after a game, but I have never felt less than when Roenick scored that goal. Just totally blank. To this day I'm not entirely convinced it happened.
Since the lockout, it was game 82 of the 2006-07 season, and Andrew Raycroft blew a 3-1 lead to put the Leafs down 5-4 with a playoff spot on the line. It wasn't until they put in Aubin and then Huet gave away the game that the Leafs miraculously came back to win 6-5.
Intense drama that game, but I don't remember hating any Leaf more than Raycroft that night.
