Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy are two of the greatest goal scorers to have ever played the game of hockey. But who was better?
These two gunners had a lot in common. They were the two best goal scorers of their eras, succeeding each other as the game's dominant sniper. In doing so each served on successive dynasties, each arguably the greatest of all time. And the two Quebecois right wingers were superstars despite regularly smoking.
Their hockey Hall of Fame resumes are among the best in history. Bossy with his 573 goals, 1126 points in just 752 games. Four Stanley Cups. One Conn Smythe trophy. Eight All Star recognitions in just ten seasons. Then there is Lafleur with 560 goals and 1353 points in 1126 games. Five Stanley Cups. Two Hart trophies. Three Art Ross trophies and three Pearson trophies.
The numbers are bit hard to compare. Bossy went out in the prime of his career, forced out early due to a debilitating back injury. Therefore, he was never able to achieve the longevity of Lafleur. Though that prevented him from padding career numbers, his numbers never fell off like Lafleur's and pretty much every other player in history did.
In spite of the short career, Bossy had better offensive numbers almost everywhere except career assists and career points. His best years came in the 1980s, which which was a slightly higher scoring era than Lafleur's 1970s. Had he been able to play longer, even presuming an offensive slowing down from his prime, he likely would have dwarfed Lafleur's career numbers.
Yet when it comes to ranking hockey's greatest players, history has almost unfailingly given Lafleur the distinct advantage. There are several reasons for this.
Lafleur succeeded Bobby Orr as the greatest player in the game. Lafleur captivated audiences all by himself. He had a little bit of Rocket Richard's flare in him and a little bit of Jean Beliveau's grace in him. People in every NHL city came to see The Flower, hockey's main event.
Bossy in turn succeeded Lafleur as hockey's top sniper. Unfortunately for "The Boss," he was never the best player in the game. That torch undeniably was held by Wayne Gretzky. Bossy was the great goal scorer, but The Great One was even better.
It's too bad that Bossy was in many ways overshadowed by Lafleur and Gretzky, because he may have been the best shooter of all time. Bossy was the better goal scorer than Lafleur, as suggested by his better career totals in significantly fewer games. History tends to view Bossy as a one dimensional scorer, in that he relied time and time again on quick releases, one timers and overpowering shots. He was deadly accurate.
Lafleur, on the other hand, was a stylish scorer, scoring dramatic goals with highlight reel dekes and rushes. To watch the incredible Guy Lafleur was truly an event in the late 1970s.
Lafleur was regarded as more than just a goal scorer. He was the key offensive generator of the great Montreal dynasty of the 1970s. Bossy was part of a New York Islanders machine that was perceived to rely equally as heavily on Trottier and Denis Potvin.
And make no mistake, history also looks more favorably upon Lafleur because he played in Canada and was better exposed on television regularly back in those days.
Everyone adored Lafleur, for his artistry on the ice and for his swagger off of it. People did not warm to the confident, some say cocky, Bossy. This was partly because of his lack of comparable exposure and partly because his controversial and outspoken stands, such as on violence in hockey.
Who was the better goal scorer? Bossy. He may very well have been the best pure goal scorer ever. Certainly in the top five.
Who was the more dynamic offensive force? Lafleur, in his prime. He was the main event.
Had Bossy been able to stay healthy and play longer, he could have achieved career numbers that could have dwarfed Lafleur's, and maybe even challenged Gordie Howe's goal crown.
But based on their actual careers, I have to agree with history's reflection: Lafleur was the better player.
4 comments:
well..the most astounding goal I've ever seen scored in over 40 years of viewing, was scored by Mike Bossy.
It was against Greg Millen of the then Hartford Whalers in Hartford, and it happened in this fashion. It was a sudden death overtime game, and Bossy received a puck in the right wing's corner of the ice. He skated laterally along the goal line thru the crease and then continued slightly beyond the net, with Millen sealing the side pipes on the left wing side of the net.
With his back to the net and skating toward the corner he reached across his body with both hands and it looked as though he
threw a backhanded slap shot that went past Millen into the upper far corner of the net for the game winning goal. Lucky? Yeah - Bossy kind of luck.
( Did I mention that he had a checker on him the whole way?
You bet.
Lafleur was better. Bossey never had to play under the intense pressure that Lafleur had to play with as french canadian player in Montreal. Also Guy was drafted to a team that had just won the Stanley Cup and was never figured to start on the top line. Plus he was replacing a legend in Beliveau. Bossey went to a team that had no tradition and was given like gretzky ever opportunity to play. Montreal had a slightly deeper team than the Islanders with better goaltending so LAfleur wasn`t needed as much as Bossey. In his rookie season half of Bossey`s goals came on the powerplay but LAfleur scored more game winning goals that year. Lafleur was alos derailed by bad knees in the early 80`s and the pressures of hockey life in MOntreal as well as a changing philosophy which forced him to retire. As for Gretzky, he probably would not have put up such high numbers if the Oilers had not needed him on the ice as much as possible. Lafleur and Bossey never had to worry about being shellacked 9-1(Leafs) or 11-0 (Whalers) which Gretz had to experience. Gretz was on the ice in every situation because the Oilers lacked depth until the 1984 season especially on defence. Montreal had 4 solid lines that could score while the Isles had at least 3and both had excellent def and penalty killers. But Lafleur was better.
Lafleur was the flashy flower that wilted in the early 80's. Bossy was the boss who's back ached him out in the late 80's. Both great, both champions and both go down as superstars. The rest is just opinion.
MIKE BOSSY was a better goal scorer than GUY LaFLEUR but GUY LaFLEUR was a better overall player. No denying that the both of them were great players. One thing is certain, if you could match the 1976-1979 Montreal Canadiens vs the 1980-1983 New York Islanders the Canadiens would've won largely because of GUY LaFLEUR. It would've been the greatest matchup in NHL History.
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