Goal scoring peaked at 3.08 in Ovechkin’s rookie year and went below 3 until 2019, and was well below 3 in most of those seasons. That’s not nit picking unless you want to start comparing Matthews to goal scorers that were scoring 80-90 goals a season in the 80’s because the goals per game in the Gretzky era compared to Matthews 2021-2024 is pretty much as wide as it is Ovechkin’s era.
Hasn’t there been a recent reduction in goaltending equipment size?
You don't have to be able to identify specific goals to know that Matthews is benefiting from increased scoring levels.
The holes for scoring were smaller before the goalie pad size reductions. For example, goals that went over a goalie’s shoulder and next to his ear were more difficult before. Plus, those that went over the leg pad and under the glove. Add in the five hole. This would be true for all scorers though, so AM would still be the best - in relative terms.
Yes, it's magic. Definitely not the smaller goalie equipment, the lack of defensive defenseman in today's NHL, the advent of 3v3 OT, and various other changes that have factored into increased scoring.
The era before Crosby/Ovechkin was the dead puck era. So I’m not sure what you’re talking about there. And it’s not magic. Changes to the game over time made scoring both easier or more difficult. Not sure what you don’t get about that.
Mhm, but still more 60 goal seasons than anyone since Bure. The rest is all feel good pedantic arguments.
It's even dumber to ignore those very real factors just because they are hard to quantity. You can perhaps disagree on the actual impact on a scorer like Matthews vs a scorer like Ovechkin, but it's not arguable that it's easier to score goals today than it was in Ovechkin's prime.
Imo it’s a fool’s game to compare across generations. AM is the best goal scorer of his era. OV was the best during his best years.
Understood. 60 goals is a great year in any era. But in the history of nhl scoring (which you include) it’s not anywhere close to what the greatest scorers put up. Maybe it’s okay to suggest AM is the best scorer of this era and leave it at that? Because comparing him to the greatest scorers makes his 60 look kind of out classed.
Is he not lighting it up? Especially after recovering from injury. Healthy McDavid dropped 64 goals 153 points last year, I'd call that lighting it up.
Not everyone can have career high shooting percentages in the same season. Sam Reinhart has 48 goals.
I agree. Just the same as it is stupid to argue against it. There’s no way to quantify it, for every argument for, there’s one against. You literally go in a circle.
Goals carrer highs
