How do you feel about Ovechkin breaking Gretzky's record?

[SoulDale]

This is the best thing that could have happened to the NHL! Ovi has become the personification of the league, he deserves to become the best sniper in history.

 

[Esko6]

Love that the record is gonna get broken, but I can't ignore the background so it makes me less happy.

[MOD]

 

[GoldenSeal]

Love that the record is gonna get broken, but I can't ignore the background so it makes me less happy.

[mod]

You can only win those ‘games’ by not playing. Made a movie about that, you know.

 

[TopShelfYzerman]

I'm fine with it, OV breaking gretzky's goal record is an amazing milestone but doesn't make him equal to or better than Gretzky. Gretzky will still have more assists than OV has points in the end which is just utterly mindblowing.

 

[centipede2233]

Where’s the indifferent option. I just don’t care, I’m not upset nor happy, just meh

 

[Jerzey Devil]

Indifferent

I like both players and it was eventually going to happen.

 

[bobholly39]

Happy - he deserves it? Absolutely incredible longevity and consistency as a goal scorer.

 

[bobholly39]

Neither of those two poll options.



So a player that he vastly outscored who played at the same time as him should be considered? Give me a break.

Gretzky is right up there with the best of the best when it comes to goalscoring, won't argue anybody who prefers Mario/Ovi but rest of the players listed are dubious at best. Stamkos, Esposito etc cmon now.

Now Maurice Richard there you have a overrated goalscorer and player.

You should add Bobby Hull to your comment of Ovi/Mario.

Ovi/Mario/Bobby Hull/Gretzky are clear top 4 in some order.

I've had Ovechkin #1 for a while already, but that's your tier 1. Easily top 4 greatest goal scorers ever.

As for Richard being overrated.....no. for goal scoring hes a legend. Id have him right outside the top 4 - but for playoffs almost for sure #1.

Bossy's best case starts at #6 (after Howe).

The interesting question to me is how high someone like Auston Matthews might rise up the ranks. Pretty sure he's pacing ahead of Ovechkin age for age. He's obviously having a bit of an off year (and injury) - but Ovechkin did too at this age. Higher scoring league moving forward could help Matthews accumulate a ton of goals.

I'd be shocked to see Matthews break into this tier 1 of top 4 goal scorers i mentioned - but he could potentially come close.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

My favorite player on my favorite team playing my favorite sport is going to (potentially) break a record long thought impossible, and his entire career has happened in the place I grew up in and call home now. Yeah, I’m enjoying it a bit.

 

[MikeyMike01]

It’s neat

 

[lawrence]

Would love to see him do it. Well deserved. Not sure why you if you are hating him for the dumbest reasons.

 

[Ceremony]

It'll be the most significant thing to happen in my 20+ years following the NHL besides lockouts and the Avalanche winning last year. Can't wait.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I’ll feel like there’s a new guy holding the record.

It’s hard for me to believe one could be bothered or otherwise disappointed by a record being broken. It changes nothing about the past and is simply adding another bit of legacy to the present for another player. This is how sports works and everyone should enjoy it.

 

[Jorma Heart]

I'd like to see the record broken, but I just can't cheer for Ovy, disgusting human being he is

 

[Caps8112]

think its very different for newer fans (people in their 20s) then older people (40s+). Started watching in the 80s as a little kid and once the record was gretzkys all you heard about was the "unbreakable record". No one would ever come close. Naturally Bondra was my favorite player and always thought what he was able to do was amazing and he only got to 500. So yea Ovi getting there would be amazing.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Incredibly pleased because circumstances would have conspired to rob him of the record should he fail to actually break it; my regret is that Adam Oates, two lockouts, and a pandemic, perhaps, prevented him from reaching the unfathomable 1000 goals in a career.

what's the jeremiad with Oates? Ovechkin won two Rockets and scored 83 goals in 126 games coached by Oates, doesn't seem like he was being held back.

 

[Caps8112]

what's the jeremiad with Oates? Ovechkin won two Rockets and scored 83 goals in 126 games coached by Oates, doesn't seem like he was being held back.

oates was a weird situation as coach. Beleive he tried to changed Ovis playing position, got involved with how the goaltenders were to play and what equipment to use. Probably a lot of other weird little things other caps fans know. also they just werent that good under him

 

[DrDangles]

It's tainted for me at this point. Ovi was one of my top 5 favourite players and I still respect his achievements on the ice, but I simply can't root for him anymore. I've always seen Russian athlete/celebrity support of Putin as a "toe the company line" situation in the past, but it's quite clear Ovi's support goes well beyond that.

 

[Cup or Bust]

It's great for him but I don't personally care one way or another.

 

[Talik Sanis]

what's the jeremiad with Oates? Ovechkin won two Rockets and scored 83 goals in 126 games coached by Oates, doesn't seem like he was being held back.

While I would hardly classify a single note regarding the man as something that classifies as a Jeremiad, I'll certainly forgo any objections due to being tickled at the use of the term.

In short, throughout his tenure, he made clear in interviews and by deployment of Ovetchkin, that he was attempting to "fix" a player who did not play the game in the right way, consciously setting himself in opposition to the approaches and strategies that defined a "players' coach" like Bruce Boudreau.

 

[banks]

I'm fine with it, OV breaking gretzky's goal record is an amazing milestone but doesn't make him equal to or better than Gretzky. Gretzky will still have more assists than OV has points in the end which is just utterly mindblowing.

Yep. Gretzky's career point total is beyond belief. For comparison's sake:

Gretzky's career points: 2,857
Crosby and Ovi's career points combined: 2,934

That's right. Crosby and Ovechkin combined barely have more points than Gretzky had. He retired at 38. Crosby and Ovi are 35 and 37 today, respectively.

Beyond belief.

 

[weaponomega]

Records are made to be broken and good for him if he does it. Its an incredible record to break and one I never thought I'd ever see anyone touch.

 

[pi314]

I've seen him cherry pick to pad his stats more than any other player in history.

Put me in the sour, grumpy, throw tomato, get off my lawn group.

 

[Video Nasty]

It’s always been a little strange to me to see some (or many?) describe this record as “once thought impossible” to break. Of all of Gretzky’s records, I’ve always considered it one of his most achievable.

That being said, it’s been great to watch him ascend up the ranks and his longevity has been remarkable.

 

[frisco]

What Ovechkin is doing at age 66 is just incredible. He does need to lose the grey.

My Best-Carey