Nikita Kucherov is the clear favorite for the Art Ross Trophy

[J bo Jeans]

Does anyone know what the largest gap Mcdavid had between him in the art ross leader so far this season? Was it 22 points?

 

[Video Nasty]

Does anyone know what the largest gap Mcdavid had between him in the art ross leader so far this season? Was it 22 points?

Yes. On January 24, McDavid was 22 points behind MacKinnon.

1. MacKinnon: 82 points in 48 games
2. Kucherov: 80 points in 47 games
10. McDavid 60 points in 41 games

They’ve all played 9 games apiece since then. McDavid has 23 points, Kucherov has 14, and MacKinnon has 9.

In less than a month, which also has a week off due to the All-Star break factored in, McDavid has lopped the lead in half, in just 9 games, without playing more games than his opponents.

And as always, he still has 4-5 games in hand on both.

It’s inevitable folks. Shame the polls still always seem to reach 90% negative when it comes to McDavid pulling off another feat.

 

[mkatcherin00]

McDavid winning the Ross and potting 100 assists would be a site to behold, he would sweep the awards if that was the case.

He does seem to do something different every year lol. "Oh ya, I'll go get 60." It sucks he looked like he just turned it off after. He didn't even look selfish trying to score to end last year.

This year he is racking up assists like nobodys business.

That's the big difference with guys like him and Matthews. He is going to score a ton of goals, but if he is not scoring a goal, he is not doing much else.

 

[TheDoldrums]

That's the big difference with guys like him and Matthews. He is going to score a ton of goals, but if he is not scoring a goal, he is not doing much else.

lol

 

[Video Nasty]

He does seem to do something different every year lol. "Oh ya, I'll go get 60." It sucks he looked like he just turned it off after. He didn't even look selfish trying to score to end last year.

This year he is racking up assists like nobodys business.

That's the big difference with guys like him and Matthews. He is going to score a ton of goals, but if he is not scoring a goal, he is not doing much else.

I think anyone who intently followed the Oilers last season and/or watched their games would tell you that once he hit 60 last season, his focus seemed to shift towards helping his teammates achieve their personal milestones, i.e. Drai’s 50th on the season and 300 career goals, 100 points for Nugent-Hopkins, 300 career goals for Kane, etc. All that before the spotlight inevitably turned back on him for his own 300th.

Many eyerolls occur when I bring it up, but it’s what I saw when watching.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Weird how @Nathaniel isn’t hopping in the second a game is over with the point lead update.

I see an 11 point lead...

 

[KCC]

Yes. On January 24, McDavid was 22 points behind MacKinnon.

1. MacKinnon: 82 points in 48 games
2. Kucherov: 80 points in 47 games
10. McDavid 60 points in 41 games

They’ve all played 9 games apiece since then. McDavid has 23 points, Kucherov has 14, and MacKinnon has 9.

In less than a month, which also has a week off due to the All-Star break factored in, McDavid has lopped the lead in half, in just 9 games, without playing more games than his opponents.

And as always, he still has 4-5 games in hand on both.

It’s inevitable folks. Shame the polls still always seem to reach 90% negative when it comes to McDavid pulling off another feat.

EDM is playing a lot of hockey over the next few months. Something like 37 games in 72 days or something nuts. That could be both good and bad. Bad because it's a lot of hockey and it is taxing but good because players get in a rhythm of playing night in and night out. Players like McDavid more than likely get in a groove the more he has to play. At least it feels like it so it could benefit him.

 

[devo09]

There was a point where McDavid was a +3500 payout to win the Art Ross. Damn that would have been a nice time to place a bet.

 

[The Panther]

Has McDavid decided to win the Ross with assists alone? In his last six games he has 15 assists, no goals and under 2 SOG per game.

Ha! Yes, maybe. Same thing happened to Gretzky in 1985-86. His shots inexplicably stopped going in around January (I think he went something like 10 games without a goal for the first time, ever), so he started throwing up assists like they were going out of style. Had two 7-assist games and ended up with 163 assists -- the then highest-point total of all time (except for himself of course) if he'd never scored a goal all season.

Having watched around 90-95% of McDavid's games over the past five years or so (and several prior to that), I do find his play this season different from the past... a bit. I mean, he's still recognizably McDavid, of course -- no confusing him for anyone else.

This season, he obviously struggled in the first 14 games or so. Then, he turned it on offensively (24 points in next nine games). Then, as the Oilers went on a huge winning streak, McDavid's scoring slowed down. Then, suddenly a 6-assist game. Now, he's in some sort of middle-ground where he's probably still the best offensive player but doesn't seem to score as consistently as prior.

Regardless of his scoring a lot or a little, this season he has not been attacking the net as much, and he isn't shooting with the same authority as just last season. He doesn't seem as confident to shoot. Is it related to an arm/wrist lingering injury? I don't know.

But McDavid is also at the point in his career where the individual awards matter very little. He knows that his legacy will inevitably be partly determined by his team's success. The Oilers and the new coach are experimenting with ways to win right now, and McDavid is focused on the post-season.

 

[Drytoast]

He does seem to do something different every year lol. "Oh ya, I'll go get 60." It sucks he looked like he just turned it off after. He didn't even look selfish trying to score to end last year.

This year he is racking up assists like nobodys business.

That's the big difference with guys like him and Matthews. He is going to score a ton of goals, but if he is not scoring a goal, he is not doing much else.

Matthews has a better 200 foot game then McDavid. As was pointed out to you by another poster with video evidence and stats to back it up.

I don't know what more to tell you except to say you are wrong. You are parroting the idiotic talking point that Matthews is just a goal scorer, which is laughable.

 

[Calderon]

Ha! Yes, maybe. Same thing happened to Gretzky in 1985-86. His shots inexplicably stopped going in around January (I think he went something like 10 games without a goal for the first time, ever), so he started throwing up assists like they were going out of style. Had two 7-assist games and ended up with 163 assists -- the then highest-point total of all time (except for himself of course) if he'd never scored a goal all season.

Are you sure it happened organically like that, mid-season, do you have a source? I have a faint memory of maybe having read somewhere that it was rather premeditated, a challenge he had set for himself to try and amass 160+ assists for 2.0+ apg as he took pride in being a great setup man.

 

[The Panther]

Are you sure it happened organically like that, mid-season, do you have a source? I have a faint memory of maybe having read somewhere that it was rather premeditated, a challenge he had set for himself to try and amass 160+ assists for 2.0+ apg as he took pride in being a great setup man.

That's become a popular narrative, but I don't really think so. Gretzky said, I think, either after that season or years later that he set the goal of getting two assists per game. But I suspect he shifted his thinking in that direction mid-season.

Here are the NHL overall scoring leaders on January 24th 1986 (47-48 games in):
1. Gretzky 130 PTS
2. Lemieux 82 PTS
3. Coffey 76 PTS
4. Naslund 75 PTS
5. Stastny 74 PTS

Here are the goal scoring leaders on that same day:
1. Kerr 39
2. Gretzky 37
3. Kurri 35
4. Bossy 34
5. Goulet / Savard 33

So, although Gretzky's goal scoring is down a bit from the superhuman totals of 1982-1985, he's still second in NHL goals (easily 1st in ES goals) and is pacing for 62 goals.

Then, here are the NHL overall scoring leaders after January 24th (final 32-33 games played):
1. Gretzky 85 PTS
2. Coffey 62 PTS
3. Lemieux 59 PTS
4. Kurri 59 PTS
5. Bossy 51 PTS

But then check the NHL goals leaders after January 24th:
1. Kurri 33
2. Bossy 27
3. Ciccarelli 26
4. Coffey 25
5. Anderson 23
. . . . . . . . .
30. Gretzky 15

 

[Macheteops]

Ha! Yes, maybe. Same thing happened to Gretzky in 1985-86. His shots inexplicably stopped going in around January (I think he went something like 10 games without a goal for the first time, ever), so he started throwing up assists like they were going out of style. Had two 7-assist games and ended up with 163 assists -- the then highest-point total of all time (except for himself of course) if he'd never scored a goal all season.

Having watched around 90-95% of McDavid's games over the past five years or so (and several prior to that), I do find his play this season different from the past... a bit. I mean, he's still recognizably McDavid, of course -- no confusing him for anyone else.

This season, he obviously struggled in the first 14 games or so. Then, he turned it on offensively (24 points in next nine games). Then, as the Oilers went on a huge winning streak, McDavid's scoring slowed down. Then, suddenly a 6-assist game. Now, he's in some sort of middle-ground where he's probably still the best offensive player but doesn't seem to score as consistently as prior.

Regardless of his scoring a lot or a little, this season he has not been attacking the net as much, and he isn't shooting with the same authority as just last season. He doesn't seem as confident to shoot. Is it related to an arm/wrist lingering injury? I don't know.

But McDavid is also at the point in his career where the individual awards matter very little. He knows that his legacy will inevitably be partly determined by his team's success. The Oilers and the new coach are experimenting with ways to win right now, and McDavid is focused on the post-season.

This is how I see it too. He's still McDavid but he isn't creating a scoring chance every shift like it almost seemed in previous years

He doesn't always seem to push the play like before. You'll see a lot more dump-ins nearing the end of his shift instead of forcing a potential scoring chance but at the risk of getting caught out there for an extended time

 

[Calderon]

Imagine if this is a sudden and rather mysterious, permanent decline akin to what Ovi underwent after the winter Olympics 2010.

 

[jcs0218]

McDavid will win.

The Hockey Gods up in heaven, such as Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard, will conspire against Kucherov and force him to lose.

This will be their way of teaching Kucherov to respect the All-Star Game Skills Competition.

 

[authentic]

This is how I see it too. He's still McDavid but he isn't creating a scoring chance every shift like it almost seemed in previous years

He doesn't always seem to push the play like before. You'll see a lot more dump-ins nearing the end of his shift instead of forcing a potential scoring chance but at the risk of getting caught out there for an extended time

Imagine if this is a sudden and rather mysterious, permanent decline akin to what Ovi underwent after the winter Olympics 2010.

He has 67 points in his last 34 games while playing the best defensive hockey of his career and scoring more at even strength. Don’t believe there is any decline there seeing as how he started the season playing hurt.

 

[The Panther]

Scoring leaders since Nov. 24th, ranked by PPG:

1. McDavid 1.97
2. MacKinnon 1.79
3. Kucherov 1.76
4. Matthews 1.44
5. Kaprizov 1.36

So, McDavid has scored at a 162-point pace over the past three months, higher than his overall pace last season.

 

[crowfish]

I see an 11 point lead...

Check your rearview mirror

 

[Schennanigans]

There’s no clear favourite if McDavid is playing. Dont care if it’s a 29 point lead.

 

[wetcoast]

View attachment 822632

Is that Forsberg number correct?

I mean he was great but that just doesn't seem right.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Is that Forsberg number correct?

I mean he was great but that just doesn't seem right.

Its because Lemieux got hurt. He had something like 65 pts in the first 41 games that year, he cooled down but he ended with 91 in 67. Forsberg won the AR with 106 that year in 75 games, and I think he missed time in the first half.

So While lemieux was off to a torrid start, Forsberg was missing time, and once Lemieux went down with an injury Forsberg came back and took off

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Matthews has a better 200 foot game then McDavid. As was pointed out to you by another poster with video evidence and stats to back it up.

I don't know what more to tell you except to say you are wrong. You are parroting the idiotic talking point that Matthews is just a goal scorer, which is laughable.

This year McDavid has been the better 200ft player.

McDavid also has a highlight reel of good defensive plays, and it would be alot longer than 60 seconds.

 

[authentic]

Its because Lemieux got hurt. He had something like 65 pts in the first 41 games that year, he cooled down but he ended with 91 in 67. Forsberg won the AR with 106 that year in 75 games, and I think he missed time in the first half.

So While lemieux was off to a torrid start, Forsberg was missing time, and once Lemieux went down with an injury Forsberg came back and took off

Lemieux had 63 points in his first 34 games, when he was 37

This year McDavid has been the better 200ft player.

McDavid also has a highlight reel of good defensive plays, and it would be alot longer than 60 seconds.

Per game?

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Lemieux had 63 points in his first 34 games, when he was 37



Per game?

Some games, yes.

 

[wetcoast]

Its because Lemieux got hurt. He had something like 65 pts in the first 41 games that year, he cooled down but he ended with 91 in 67. Forsberg won the AR with 106 that year in 75 games, and I think he missed time in the first half.

So While lemieux was off to a torrid start, Forsberg was missing time, and once Lemieux went down with an injury Forsberg came back and took off

Oh okay that makes sense because I checked the top 4 scorers that year and didn't see that number.