GDT: Around The League 24/25. Parity, blessed parity.

[Messrules11]

And the goalies were like 5’8” with tiny pads and worse positioning

Hmm, Hextall, Barasso, Roy, just to name a few. Nowadays just shoot high because you know on every shot every goalie will be on his knees. So lmfao.

 

[Spawn]

Gretzky had 92 with a wooden stick, at a time when there was a red line and he didn’t just stand in one spot.
Ovi ever hit 70?

Gretzky also did it in a time when the NHL was averaging 2+ more goals per game than they have been during Ovechkin's career. It cuts both ways. If you start to look at era adjusted numbers, Ovechkin's best season in terms of goals beats Gretzyk's best.

But even ignoring era adjustment which definitely has flaws:

Gretzky led the league in goals 5 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 9 times in his career. Never once in the back half of his career

Ovechkin has led the league in goals 9 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 15 times (tracking for a 16th this season).

Ovechkin's longevity is freakish and gives him the edge over Gretzky as greatest goal scorer of all time imo.

 

[Messrules11]

Gretzky also did it in a time when the NHL was averaging 2+ more goals per game than they have been during Ovechkin's career. It cuts both ways. If you start to look at era adjusted numbers, Ovechkin's best season in terms of goals beats Gretzyk's best.

But even ignoring era adjustment which definitely has flaws:

Gretzky led the league in goals 5 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 9 times in his career. Never once in the back half of his career

Ovechkin has led the league in goals 9 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 15 times (tracking for a 16th this season).

Ovechkin's longevity is freakish and gives him the edge over Gretzky as greatest goal scorer of all time imo.

I figured you would do some homework, obviously I didn’t and we’re both entitled to our opinion. Ovi may beat the record but I saw Gretzky do some amazing things with my own eyes and for me he’ll still be the greatest goal scorer of all time.

 

[Oilhawks]

Since the Calgary-Philly trade, the Flames have lost 3 of their 4 games and Farabee and Frost have 2 points in total and a combined -7 lol. That's $5 million Farabee

 

[Spawn]

I figured you would do some homework, obviously I didn’t and we’re both entitled to our opinion. Ovi may beat the record but I saw Gretzky do some amazing things with my own eyes and for me he’ll still be the greatest goal scorer of all time.

That's fair for sure. And I do think things like era adjusted scoring is flawed. 92 goals in a season is incredible. 50 in 39? f***ing insane. As a peak goal scorer I think you could definitely say Gretzky > Ovechkin.

But Ovie's ability to keep scoring goals when he's almost 40 is pretty wild. Without COVID shortened seasons and two lockouts, Ovechkin would probably be flirting with 1000 goals right now.

 

[BlackDogg]

 

[K1984]

Blackhawks little manning it. This isn’t any kind of “flex.” Kind of embarrassing and maybe a little bit telling that they felt they needed to respond to be honest.

Maybe (hopefully) it’s on the whim of a dumb intern or something. Bad look otherwise IMO.

 

[Fourier]

Gretzky also did it in a time when the NHL was averaging 2+ more goals per game than they have been during Ovechkin's career. It cuts both ways. If you start to look at era adjusted numbers, Ovechkin's best season in terms of goals beats Gretzyk's best.

But even ignoring era adjustment which definitely has flaws:

Gretzky led the league in goals 5 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 9 times in his career. Never once in the back half of his career

Ovechkin has led the league in goals 9 times and finished in the top 10 in goals 15 times (tracking for a 16th this season).

Ovechkin's longevity is freakish and gives him the edge over Gretzky as greatest goal scorer of all time imo.

Here is the point that really needs to be emphasized though. Gretzky was a pass first, pass second, pass third then shoot kind of guy. OV has always been a shot first, shoot second, shoot third player. Moreover, Gretzky like McDavid was primarily responsible for the key plays leading up to his goals. OV has often depended on a playmaker to score.

In the end I suspect that OV will be recognized as the greatest goal scorer of all time. But I suspect that had Gretzky been nearly as goal focused as Ov, Ov would need another 5-8 years at least to catch him.

 

[Stoneman89]

Here is the point that really needs to be emphasized though. Gretzky was a pass first, pass second, pass third then shoot kind of guy. OV has always been a shot first, shoot second, shoot third player. Moreover, Gretzky like McDavid was primarily responsible for the key plays leading up to his goals. OV has often depended on a playmaker to score.

In the end I suspect that OV will be recognized as the greatest goal scorer of all time. But I suspect that had Gretzky been nearly as goal focused as Ov, Ov would need another 5-8 years at least to catch him.

I think Gretz became much more pass orientated later in his career. Those first few years, he was a goal scoring machine.

 

[Fourier]

I think Gretz became much more pass orientated later in his career. Those first few years, he was a goal scoring machine.

Sure. But he was still looking to pass first and foremost. It's just that early on there were not the same options to pass to. That said if BJ MacDonald is going to score 46 goals someone has to get him the puck.

 

[Stoneman89]

That's fair for sure. And I do think things like era adjusted scoring is flawed. 92 goals in a season is incredible. 50 in 39? f***ing insane. As a peak goal scorer I think you could definitely say Gretzky > Ovechkin.

But Ovie's ability to keep scoring goals when he's almost 40 is pretty wild. Without COVID shortened seasons and two lockouts, Ovechkin would probably be flirting with 1000 goals right now.

The bolded is the biggest thing in his favour IMO. But Gretz will always be the gold standard for a goal scorer, regardless of whether he's first or second.

Sure. But he was still looking to pass first and foremost. It's just that early on there were not the same options to pass to. That said if BJ MacDonald is going to score 46 goals someone has to get him the puck.

Yup, he was scoring AND piling up assists to whomever. But more often or not, he drove to middle of the ice and did it himself al lot early on. None of this passing it off to some other guy with an open net waiting for him and the game ready to be sealed.

 

[Fourier]

Yup, he was scoring AND piling up assists to whomever. But more often or not, he drove to middle of the ice and did it himself al lot early on. None of this passing it off to some other guy with an open net waiting for him and the game ready to be sealed.

Gretzky's highest shot total in his career was 370 in 81-82 when he scored 92. He had 4 years with more than 330 shots. OV's top year was 528 with 3 years over 400 shots, 7 years over 370 and 12 years over 330. Even though it is certainly true that he was more of a shooter in his first few years he was always very much a passer first and foremost. Had he had OV's mentality my guess is he may well have had over 500 shots many times in his career since no player in history controlled the puck like Gretzky.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

This is pretty funny

 

[Fourier]

This is pretty funny

Though I'd rather see SJ make the playoffs than the earth get hit by that rock. Supposedly it would be like a large nuclear bomb going off.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Though I'd rather see SJ make the playoffs than the earth get hit by that rock. Supposedly it would be like a large nuclear bomb going off.

Except for my kiddos, I'm 50/50 lol