Gretzky “slumps”: 1979-80 to 1993-94

[The Panther]

Took a look at Wayne Gretzky slumps (relatively speaking) from 1979-80 through 1993-94. This could be a goal-slump or an assist-slump, or of course both (i.e., a point-slump). Then, I try to speculate the reason why.


Late October 1979 = 3 games with zero points
Since it’s his “rookie” year, this shouldn’t really count, but prior to this mini-stretch Wayne had put up 10 points in his first six NHL games. So, three in a row with nothing is perhaps surprising. I’ve no idea why, other than the Oilers sucked, giving up 23 goals these three games.

Late February 1980 = 7 games with zero goals
This is the longest stretch of his first season with no goals. He had 16 shots on net, officially, so he wasn’t exactly peppering goalies, but nor was he shying away from the net. Right before this stretch, Wayne had had 9 assists in two games, so maybe he was suddenly focusing on setting up line-mates…? No idea.

(NOTE: Four times in his rookie year, Wayne went three games in a row without an assist.)

Late October 1980 = 5 games with zero goals.
Just nine shots on net. The Oilers were really struggling early in their second season. They failed to win any of these 5 games, which kind of shows the importance of Gretzky scoring in this period.

Mid-December 1980 = 6 games with zero goals
(Twelve shots on net, officially). The Oilers lost all of these games, except the last one when they inexplicably beat Montreal.

Early March 1982 = 6 games with zero goals
(Sixteen shots on net, officially). This is an odd one as it occurs late in the 92-goal season. He also had ‘only’ nine points in the 6 games, which also qualifies as a mini-slump (per this period). This goal-slump started in the middle of an eight-game road trip, and I would guess Gretzky was starting to burn out after all the heavy minutes and huge media attention he had had during this season.

Late January to Early February 1986 = 9 games with zero goals
This was unprecedented, to date (and occurring in the 215-point season). Gretzky had 37 shots on net, officially, yet could not score for nine games. Now, during those same nine games he put up 24 assists, so he was still getting the points, but why could he not score…? Dunno.

Late March 1987 = 7 games with zero goals (and 5 games with one assist)
During this almost end-of-season span, Wayne had 24 shots on goals but did not score. And during the final 5 games of the season (he sat out the very last one), Wayne picked up only 1 measly assist. He spoke later about being physically tired late in this season, and of course the Oilers were gearing up to try to get the Stanley Cup back. So, this was probably a combination of fatigue and slightly ‘phoning in’ the last half-dozen games or so.

May 1987 (Detroit playoff series) = 5 games with two assists only
Wayne managed only two assists in the 5-game series with Detroit. Why? Besides the Wings’ tight checking, Gretzky had been thrown to the ice, head-first, by Hawerchuk towards the end of the preceding Winnipeg series. I suppose he was somewhat concussed.

Late May 1987 (Philadelphia playoff series) = 5 games with zero goals
Wayne scored in both game one and two of the Final, but couldn’t bag a goal thereafter. He took only 13 shots on net, however, so it wasn’t like he was shooting much.

March 1988 = 7 games with zero goals
Exactly the same as one year earlier. Eighteen shots on net. Wayne picked up 13 assists (!) in only three games to start this mini-stretch, and earned 19 overall during the seven games. So, no harm done, but another odd period. Overall, Wayne scored only 2 goals in thirteen games from mid-February to mid-March 1988, shortly after coming back from an injury.

Early April 1988 = 6 games with zero goals
(End of regular season + start of playoffs.) Wayne didn’t score in the final two RS games or the first four games of the Winnipeg series. He had just 4 shots on goal the first three games and was said to be sick with Flu early/midway in this series, but got healthy towards the end of it.

March 1989 = 6 games with zero goals
The annual March goal-slump… (Fifteen shots on net).

October to November 1989 = 4 goals in thirteen games
Despite leading the league in scoring overall, Wayne was struggling to score a bit early in 1989-90. He scored in only two of these thirteen games.

February 1990 = 10 games with seven points (5 games with zero goals)
During the All-Star break, Wayne’s buddy Bernie Nicholls was traded away from L.A. Perhaps that explains this unusual point slump.

February 1991 = 7 games with zero goals
Only 13 shots on net, so he wasn’t shooting much.

March 1991 = 9 games with zero goals
The annual March goals slump, this one longer than usual. (However, twenty-one assists during it.)

April 1991 (playoffs) = 8 games with zero goals
Wayne scored in each of the first four games of the playoffs… then failed to score in any of the last eight. This was the period when he was being ‘Tikkanen-ed’.

October 1991 = 6 games with zero goals
Wayne started the 1991-92 season like this. Twenty-three shots on net, none in.

October / November 1991 = 14 games, fifteen points
This of course was the period right after his ‘Suter-ing’ and was contemporaneous with his father’s aneurysm.

January 1992 = 7 games with zero goals
Twenty-two shots on goal.

March / April 1992 = 8 games with zero goals
(End of regular season + start of playoffs.) Only 14 shots on net.

January to February 1993 = 16 games with zero goals
After scoring twice in his 2nd game rushed-back from injury, Wayne went a crazy 16 games without a goal. Forty-two shots on net during this stretch.

November 1993 = 7 games with zero goals
Wayne had nine goals in the first fourteen games prior to this… then went cold as a shooter.

December 1993 = 6 games with zero ASSISTS (what?)
For the first time (only time?) in his career, Wayne went not only four… not only five… but SIX games without a single assist. As for goals, he scored twice vs. Calgary and that was it. So, he had only two points in 6 games. No idea what happened here, other than the Kings were really struggling at this point.

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[Overrated]

Are these necessarily slumps though? Could just be variance.

 

[Crosby2010]

It is funny to me how we look at Gretzky's 1992 season and almost scoff. I was trying to find that 15 games and 12 points timeline in Oct/Nov 1991 but couldn't find it. Am I missing something? It looks like he has 17 points in 15 games to start the season. Not Gretzky-like of course, and the Suter hit is fresh, but is that a typo the 12 points? Because even at his worst that year it looks like it was 17 in 15 games.

Either way, Gretzky had 121 points, was a surprising -12 and got bounced out 1st round. He wasn't a 1st or 2nd team all-star for the first time in his life. And here is the kicker, he still had 121 freaking points! He led the NHL in assists. And this was a "bad" year for him. In February he had 30 points in 14 games.

 

[The Panther]

Either way, Gretzky had 121 points, was a surprising -12 and got bounced out 1st round. He wasn't a 1st or 2nd team all-star for the first time in his life. And here is the kicker, he still had 121 freaking points! He led the NHL in assists. And this was a "bad" year for him. In February he had 30 points in 14 games.

You're right, I was smoking crack. Should be fifteen points in 14 games. (Corrected, above.)

 

[Crosby2010]

You're right, I was smoking crack. Should be fifteen points in 14 games. (Corrected, above.)

Still funny how that is considered a "slump" in his world

 

[The Panther]

The more remarkable thing, I think, is that between March 1982 and February 1986, Gretzky had no discernible slump (even relative to his standard) of any kind. During this almost 4-year period, if you saw him play any random game, there was a 50% chance he'd have a 3-point (or more) night. And that includes all road games.

 

[bobbyking]

6 game goalless streak during the 92 goal season ..wtf?!

 

[vikash1987]

Early March 1982 = 6 games with zero goals
(Sixteen shots on net, officially). This is an odd one as it occurs late in the 92-goal season. He also had ‘only’ nine points in the 6 games, which also qualifies as a mini-slump (per this period). This goal-slump started in the middle of an eight-game road trip, and I would guess Gretzky was starting to burn out after all the heavy minutes and huge media attention he had had during this season.

I was especially curious about Gretzky's March 1982 6-game goal-scoring drought.

Your guess on what caused this is probably accurate. But when I dig a little further, it seems that a lot of credit must also be attributed to the shutdown players who were assigned to shadowing Gretzky during these games. They apparently played the games of their lives, and did a masterful job. For example, in the March 6 Colorado Rockies game, it was Kevin Maxwell shadowing Gretzky; and in the March 10 LA Kings game, it was Dan Bonar.

It's too bad that Gretzky suffered this slump, because he could've reached 100 goals on the season had this slump not happened. But it wasn't long before he got back to his goal-scoring ways, and to his record-setting ways: e.g., after the March 18 game, he set records for (1) most goals in a season, incl. playoffs, (2) most assists in a season, and (3) most hat tricks.

 

[The Panther]

Well, he did eventually score 100 goals, in 1983-84. But it took 93 games...