Auston Matthews 69 goals in 81 games, most goals scored since Lemieux in 1995-96

[nowhereman]

We also need to stop blowing extra smoke up Ovechkin’s ass by pretending that he had anything resembling consistent goal scorers as competition. Stamkos was that guy for a brief spell until undone by injuries. That’s it.

I’m impressed by his own consistency, but in the years you outlined, but that era was so weak for top end talent. I would hope an elite goal scorer like Ovechkin could feast on easy mode.

Perry, Pavelski, Pacioretty, Kessel, Nash, Benn, Tarasenko, one offs of Stamkos (ruined), Crosby, and Kane…these are the names filling up most of the top 5s from 2013-2014 through 2017-2018. It’s kind of a joke.

So we need to stop "blowing smoke" up the ass of the 2nd highest scoring goalscorer of all time because he didn't have any great goalscoring competition? So if Bossy, M. Richard and Brett Hull had played during OV's time, he would have less goals?

 

[nowhereman]

Cool

What years did McDavid and Matthew’s enter the league?

Do you honestly think scoring went up because of McDavid and Matthews? That's absolutely absurd, especially coming off an era with offensive juggernauts like Sid and OV.

The likes of Pavelski, Bergeron, Marchand, and Zuccarelo scored at a higher clip in their mid/late-30s than in their prime. Hell, a 36 year old Ovechkin had more points than a 26 year old Ovechkin and Crosby is still flirting with 100 points, when only 1-2 players could reach that total in the 2010s.

Scoring is up and it isn't because of two single players.

 

[Slimmy]

still waiting, how many more goals should Matthews, Pastrnak or McDavid put in to make up then?


I dont see it being any easier. all these players are extremely good but we havent had anyone else really get all that close even though scoring is up. I mean seriously like how many more goals would it take to get on the same level?

Austin Mathews is a terrific goalscorer with no real contemporary comparable. However, he most likely would not tuch the same goal numbers had he played in a lower scoring era.

 

[authentic]

Austin Mathews is a terrific goalscorer with no real contemporary comparable. However, he most likely would not tuch the same goal numbers had he played in a lower scoring era.

Sure but his dominance is what really matters anyway

He’s currently up 13 goals on 2nd place 2/3 through the season and 16 goals on 3rd place Pastrnak and Kucherov, with 2-3 games in hand, hasn’t scored a single empty net goal, gets less powerplay time and plays a significantly better two-way game than all of them.

Only 31 players have more even strength points than Matthews has even strength goals and once again most have played a few more games so far.

 

[TDK67]

Sure but his dominance is what really matters anyway

He’s currently up 13 goals on 2nd place 2/3 through the season and 16 goals on 3rd place Pastrnak and Kucherov, with 2-3 games in hand, hasn’t scored a single empty net goal, gets less powerplay time and plays a significantly better two-way game than all of them.

Only 31 players have more even strength points than Matthews has even strength goals and once again most have played a few more games so far.

Exactly. People can argue until they're blue in the face about whether or not this era's scoring is much higher than other eras (pretty sure there are cold hard numbers that can settle that), but it changes absolutely nothing about what Matthews is doing relative to the rest of the league right now.

He's on pace for 77 goals. 2nd place (Reinhart) is on pace for 56g. 3rd place (Kuch) is on pace for 52 goals.

That kind of gap hasn't been seen in what...~30 years? During *objectively* higher scoring seasons than the current one.

Just unbelievably wild stuff unfolding before us! Hope everyone enjoys it while it lasts!

 

[Squiffy]

Austin Mathews is a terrific goalscorer with no real contemporary comparable. However, he most likely would not tuch the same goal numbers had he played in a lower scoring era.

Probably would have scored more in a higher scoring goal era?

 

[Video Nasty]

So we need to stop "blowing smoke" up the ass of the 2nd highest scoring goalscorer of all time because he didn't have any great goalscoring competition? So if Bossy, M. Richard and Brett Hull had played during OV's time, he would have less goals?

He would certainly have less Rockets and lower margins of victories, which is what I was commenting on, but sure pick and choose your darlings per usual.

 

[Slimmy]

Sure but his dominance is what really matters anyway

He’s currently up 13 goals on 2nd place 2/3 through the season and 16 goals on 3rd place Pastrnak and Kucherov, with 2-3 games in hand, hasn’t scored a single empty net goal, gets less powerplay time and plays a significantly better two-way game than all of them.

Only 31 players have more even strength points than Matthews has even strength goals and once again most have played a few more games so far.

I don't necessarily disagree. I'm simply putting Mathews season into perspective. I would caution anyone to compare current players with past players using goals and points totals alone. It's a shaky foundation at best. All of these "Fastest player since X to reach X points/goals since X" is largely pointless (pun intended) unless you provide context. If you are simply saying Mathews is the best goal scorer of the last X seasons, only counting active players, you have my ear. But comparing players who's prime did not overlap is very tricky. Hell, even comparing players from different teams is tricky. Quality of teammates matter aswell as role, play style, opportunity etc etc.

Probably would have scored more in a higher scoring goal era?

Absolutely. But, we are in early 90's territory now.

 

[Divine]

Absolutely. But, we are in early 90's territory now.

Not even close. The first season in the 90’s that was lower scoring than this was 94-95 likely because it was a shortened season. Got to go all the way to 96-97 to find a lower scoring full season, every other year was higher. In 96-97, 52 goals won the Rocket.

Scoring is actually down in the NHL this season than the last 2 so far.

 

[Drytoast]

He's now got 52 while his closest peer has 39.

 

[Slimmy]

Not even close. The first season in the 90’s that was lower scoring than this was 94-95 likely because it was a shortened season. Got to go all the way to 96-97 to find a lower scoring full season, every other year was higher. In 96-97, 52 goals won the Rocket.

Scoring is actually down in the NHL this season than the last 2 so far.

I should probably rephrase that. We are entering early 90's territory.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Austin Mathews is a terrific goalscorer with no real contemporary comparable. However, he most likely would not tuch the same goal numbers had he played in a lower scoring era.

lmao even if this is true who cares? so funny seeing people trying to downplay what Matthews is doing.

goalscoring is going as it should. Matthews is just on a whole other level right now

but just for fun let's say if Matthews did play in a lower scoring era would he even have 30 in your opinion right now? how many should he be at right now in a lower scoring season that your randomly picking so we can just ignore all the rest of the goals and put him where he belongs

Matthews: 52
Reinhart: 39
Kucherov: 36
Pastrnak: 36

 

[Divine]

I should probably rephrase that. We are entering early 90's territory.

Doubt even that’s true. Why would scoring be going down this year versus the last 2?

We’re going to have to go back to .885 league average save percentages again like the early 90’s to enter the early 90’s scoring. It’s not likely to happen.

If Matthews wasn’t in the league, 52 goals might win the Rocket this year.

 

[Drytoast]

lmao even if this is true who cares? so funny seeing people trying to downplay what Matthews is doing.

goalscoring is going as it should. Matthews is just on a whole other level right now

but just for fun let's say if Matthews did play in a lower scoring era would he even have 30 in your opinion right now? how many should he be at right now in a lower scoring season that your randomly picking so we can just ignore all the rest of the goals and put him where he belongs

Matthews: 52
Reinhart: 39
Kucherov: 36
Pastrnak: 36

If Matthews was in a lower scoring era and as of now only had 40, the next person to him would have 30 goals.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

If Matthews was in a lower scoring era and as of now only had 40, the next person to him would have 30 goals.

wow okay so as of now 12 goals no longer matter. that's a pretty big drop in goals. how did you get this number anyways?

and why did Reinhart only lose 9?

 

[Coffee]

He's now got 52 while his closest peer has 39.

What happened to Boeser?

 

[Auston Marlander]

This is unreal. He didn’t start playing until 2016-17 and he’s sooo injury prone (right hf?). How is this possible?

It's like Streetball where one team spots the other 10 points, but in this case Matthews spotted the rest of the league 4 seasons...328 games

 

[Slimmy]

Doubt even that’s true. Why would scoring be going down this year versus the last 2?

We’re going to have to go back to .885 league average save percentages again like the early 90’s to enter the early 90’s scoring. It’s not likely to happen.

If Matthews wasn’t in the league, 52 goals might win the Rocket this year.

I'm not literally saying that we are seeing early 90's scoring levels now. I'm saying we are trending that way and that we are in an era now that borders on those years.

 

[Auston Marlander]

wow okay so as of now 12 goals no longer matter. that's a pretty big drop in goals. how did you get this number anyways?

and why did Reinhart only lose 9?

Reinhart has 75% of Matthews goals. 30/40 is 75%

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Reinhart has 75% of Matthews goals. 30/40 is 75%

still doesnt make sense why one is losing 12 to the other losing only 9. but still very curious how Drytoast got these numbers.

 

[Divine]

I'm not literally saying that we are seeing early 90's scoring levels now. I'm saying we are trending that way and that we are in an era now that borders on those years.

Yes, but you’re suggesting we will see it. We will not see it unless we get league average .885 goaltending again.

It’s impossible for more goals to be scored without goaltending dropping unless you think they’re going to stop playing defence and average 50 shots per team a game?

The reason scoring was so high in that era was the goalies sucked. As soon as they started getting .900 goaltending, the goals per game dropped. League average save percentage is currently .904 this year - it was .885 in the early 90’s.

 

[hatterson]

I think I heard on the broadcast last night that he's now had 51 in 54 twice in the last 3 seasons and no one else in the NHL has done it a single time since Mario which is nuts.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Could he get 82?

 

[hatterson]

still doesnt make sense why one is losing 12 to the other losing only 9. but still very curious how Drytoast got these numbers.

That's how percentages work.

12 is 23% of 52.
9 is 23% of 39.

So if you took away 23% of each of their goals as some sort of league scoring adjustment, you'd end up at 40/30.

It's also worth noting that if scoring was 23% lower it would be the lowest scoring season in the NHL since pre world war 2 so it's a pretty meaningless number.

And another fun fact is that we're playing in an era of the lowest number of powerplay opportunities in a game in NHL history. Every year from 2015/2016 until this year has had fewer power play opportunities per game than the previous lowest season in history which was 77-78.

 

[lokomotiv15]

Ovechkin literally outscored him last year

I'm a pens fan and I usually don't like the cut of your jib, but yeah, its getting a bit ridiculous now.