How good of a goal scorer is Gordie Howe?

[JackSlater]

In 1998, I was telling everyone..."Dionne and Esposito are just a few goals ahead of him and they played in the wide open 70's. Mike Gartner IS without a DOUBT the 3rd best goal scorer in NHL history."

Then I said "Whoop, there it is", as was the style at the time.

The ignorant plebs of 1998 were way more willing to actually discuss players, in between Monica Lewinsky jokes anyway. This thread does have some good stuff pertaining to Howe's actual abilities though. I'm somewhat surprised he was so highly regarded on breakaways.

 

[TheBig08]

In 1998, I was telling everyone..."Dionne and Esposito are just a few goals ahead of him and they played in the wide open 70's. Mike Gartner IS without a DOUBT the 3rd best goal scorer in NHL history."

Then I said "Whoop, there it is", as was the style at the time.

"Mike Gartner 3rd all time" never heard that before

 

[Michael Farkas]

"Mike Gartner 3rd all time" never heard that before

Yeah, because it's the dumbest thing to say in the world. Other than starting a sentence with, "you must be a [astrological sign]..."

But, hey, that's the career value. That's the facts. At worst top 5, right?

(Of course not. Don't be such a Capricorn...)

 

[WarriorofTime]

Garner 5th, 9th, 9th, 9th, 10th best goal scoring finishes

Ovechkin 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 9th best goal scoring finishes

To me, Ovechkin's "greatest" goal scorer legacy has been secured for a long time already, no all time total needed, although that certainly doesn't hurt, lol. To the extent you differentiate "best" considering we can't transport players into different eras and you can think what you want and that's why we're here.

 

[TheBig08]

Garner 5th, 9th, 9th, 9th, 10th best goal scoring finishes

Ovechkin 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 9th best goal scoring finishes

To me, Ovechkin's "greatest" goal scorer legacy has been secured for a long time already, no all time total needed, although that certainly doesn't hurt, lol. To the extent you differentiate "best" considering we can't transport players into different eras and you can think what you want and that's why we're here.

imagine if he didn't have those random down years (2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2016-2017). why did he have those anyways was he just having down years or was there a reason?

 

[Bear of Bad News]

If we’re imagining. Imagine if he didn’t have those random “up” years.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I mean, there's also an "Ovechkin crowd" doing similar things.

No there isn’t.

It is not a thread about durability. How good of a goal scorer is Gordie Howe. How good of a goal scorer is Lemieux/Ovechkin/Hull/ whoever else, sure. We can already get a good guess at how good Matthews is as a goal scorer, and if he gets hit by a bus tomorrow his ability doesn't go down.

I assure you, it certainly does, because dead people tend not to score very many goals at all. Nor do disabled people ( in the nhl anyway).

 

[Professor What]

No there isn’t.

Yeah, there is.

 

[Michael Farkas]

The glass certainly isn't reflective...

 

[authentic]

Ovechkin vs those 1980s goal tenders probably would have been hilariously lopsided.

We will never know. All we know is Ovie crushed the hand he was dealt to a degree that there is no argument for any other player as the greatest goal scorer of all time.

I fully agree on both points, I just think Lemieux at his best was the best goal scorer based on ability and thinking of how many assists he was able to score on top of those goals and being a much more efficient shooter I don’t have any doubts about that opinion.