Obscure hockey facts/stats (Part 2)

[The Panther]

Zach Hyman has scored more regular-season plus playoffs goals in one season than Alex Ovechkin.

 

[The Panther]

NHL All-time goals leaders on March 9th, 1994:

This was the day Mike Gartner passed Bobby Hull into 5th all-time. (Twelve days later the Rangers traded him to Toronto.)

 

[The Panther]

I guess everyone has seen the photo of Mario Lemieux in the stands right behind the Canadiens' bench the night Guy Lafleur scored his 1000th point.

Here is the film clip of it. You can see Mario (just... he's tall) in the stands behind Lafleur from about 0:40 to 0:42 seconds:

 

[Voight]

Marcel Dionne in 75 became the first player outside of Orr/Esposito to hit 110, 115 and 120 points. Feels totally forgotten because Orr had a monster season that overshadowed everything and then Lafleur started his run.

Dionne is one of the most forgotten superstars in NHL history, mostly because he played for a franchise that was irrelevant during the time period.

 

[Matsun]

Dionne is one of the most forgotten superstars in NHL history, mostly because he played for a franchise that was irrelevant during the time period.

He might've had the worst timed peak ever. He lapped the field by big margins several times but kept facing generational talents or random career years that made his seasons look less impressive.

If Lafleur got injured in 77 Dionne leads the league in goals, assists, wins the Ross by 25 points and it's remembered as one of the best seasons ever, but Lafleur peaked higher.

1976-77	TEAM	GP	G	A	P	PPG
Lafleur	MTL	80	56	80	136	1,70
Dionne	LAK	80	53	69	122	1,53
Shutt	MTL	80	60	45	105	1,31
Macleish	PHI	79	49	48	97	1,23
Perreault	BUF	80	39	56	95	1,19

In 79 Dionne is 22 points ahead of 5th in scoring, but because 3 other forwards had monster years he doesn't stand out.

1978-79	TEAM	GP	G	A	P	PPG
Trottier	NYI	76	47	87	134	1,76
Dionne	LAK	80	59	71	130	1,63
Lafleur	MTL	80	52	77	129	1,61
Bossy	NYI	80	69	57	126	1,58
MacMillan	ATF	79	37	71	108	1,37

In 80 he outscores Lafleur by 12 points and is 31 points ahead of Perreault in 4th. Instead of this being an alltime great season Wayne Gretzky had to enter the league and tie him for the Art Ross.

1979-80	TEAM	GP	G	A	P	PPG
Dionne	LAK	80	53	84	137	1,71
Gretzky	EDM	79	51	86	137	1,73
Lafleur	MTL	74	50	75	125	1,69
Perreault	BUF	80	40	66	106	1,33
Rogers	HAR	80	44	61	105	1,31

In 81 he is 16 points ahead of Bossy but because of Nilssons freak season and being blown out by Gretzky this also becomes forgotten.

1980-81	TEAM	GP	G	A	P	PPG
Gretzky	EDM	80	55	109	164	2,05
Dionne	LAK	80	58	77	135	1,69
Nilsson	CGY	80	49	82	131	1,64
Bossy	NYI	79	68	51	119	1,51
Taylor	LAK	72	47	65	112	1,56

 

[Voight]

Irrelevant now due to his injury, but Ovy had a chance at scoring more goals in less games than the TGO.

 

[The Panther]

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is already 3rd in all-time Edmonton Oilers' games played, behind only Kevin Lowe and Ryan Smyth. But Nugent-Hopkins is already 1st all-time in consecutive seasons as an Oiler (14 consecutive seasons and counting).

No significant NHL-er has EVER played an entire NHL career as an Oiler. Will Nuge be the first...?

 

[The Panther]

(It's December 15th as I type this.)

On December 18th, 1983, Wayne Gretzky scored his 100th point of that season.

Jari Kurri had 66 points at the time, but in terms of non-Gretzky-linemates, the next top-scorer at the time was Bryan Trottier, with 55 points.

 

[Matsun]

On January 4th 1953 -in the middle of his most legendary season, Gordie Howe was leading the league in scoring by an incredible 5 points ahead of Wally Hergesheimer after 35 games and Wally had a game in hand.

Howie did his work in the second half that season.

 

[The Panther]

On January 4th 1953 -in the middle of his most legendary season, Gordie Howe was leading the league in scoring by an incredible 5 points ahead of Wally Hergesheimer after 35 games and Wally had a game in hand.

Howie did his work in the second half that season.

I recall that Gordie's 1968-69 post-expansion season (when he scored over 100 points) was similar, in that he was just good in the first half and then went gangbusters in the latter half, only being outpaced a bit by Esposito, as I recall.

I wonder if that was typical of him...?

Definitely in a league that's as high on 'grind' and travel as the NHL, this ability to "out-endure" and out-distance other competitors is a huge factor. Gretzky was much like this, too, as he didn't have an 'off' switch whether it was game one or game sixty-eight on a Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg...

 

[Matsun]

I recall that Gordie's 1968-69 post-expansion season (when he scored over 100 points) was similar, in that he was just good in the first half and then went gangbusters in the latter half, only being outpaced a bit by Esposito, as I recall.

I wonder if that was typical of him...?

Definitely in a league that's as high on 'grind' and travel as the NHL, this ability to "out-endure" and out-distance other competitors is a huge factor. Gretzky was much like this, too, as he didn't have an 'off' switch whether it was game one or game sixty-eight on a Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg...

Howe and especially Hull started that year really strong actually. Esposito went godmode after a while and left everyone in the dust though.

1968-69 until Dec 26	GP	G	A	P	PPG	PACE	G	A	P
B.Hull	31	22	26	48	1,55	76	54	64	118
Howe	32	16	29	45	1,41	76	38	69	107
Esposito	32	22	19	41	1,28	76	52	45	97
Pappin	32	19	21	40	1,25	76	45	50	95
Mikita	30	13	27	40	1,33	76	33	68	101
Berenson	33	18	19	37	1,12	76	41	44	85
Ullman	32	16	20	36	1,13	76	38	48	86
Beliveau	31	14	22	36	1,16	76	34	54	88
Cullen	33	10	25	35	1,06	76	23	58	81
D.Hull	32	17	17	34	1,06	76	40	40	81
In 21st place
Orr	32	10	19	29	0,91	76	24	45	69

1968-69 after Dec 26	GP	G	A	P	PPG	PACE	G	A	P
Esposito	42	27	58	85	2,02	76	49	105	154
Hodge	43	36	28	64	1,49	76	64	49	113
B.Hull	43	36	23	59	1,37	76	64	41	104
Howe	44	28	30	58	1,32	76	48	52	100
Counoyer	45	27	31	58	1,29	76	46	52	98
Mikita	44	17	40	57	1,30	76	29	69	98
Ratelle	42	21	32	53	1,26	76	38	58	96
Mahovlich	44	33	18	51	1,16	76	57	31	88
Gilbert	41	17	31	48	1,17	76	32	57	89
Delvecchio	44	11	39	50	1,14	76	19	67	86
In 32nd place
Orr	35	11	24	35	1,00	76	24	52	76

1968-69 after Nov 16	GP	G	A	P	PPG	PACE	G	A	P
Esposito	59	42	68	110	1,86	76	54	88	142
Hodge	60	41	38	79	1,32	76	52	48	100
Howe	61	38	41	79	1,30	76	47	51	98
Hull	60	45	31	76	1,27	76	57	39	96
Mikita	61	23	52	75	1,23	76	29	65	93
In 19th place
Orr	52	17	36	53	1,02	76	25	53	77

I'm thinking about making a thread about that Esposito year because I kind of think it might be one of the best seasons ever? It wasn't like Orr upped his production during Espositos super stretch (that happened next season).

 

[WalterLundy]

Irrelevant now due to his injury, but Ovy had a chance at scoring more goals in less games than the TGO.

View attachment 939910

Dan Riccio didn’t do his homework though. Gretzky actually scored his final (894th) goal in game 1479. Ovi would need 894 in 1478 or 895 in 1479. 26 in 34 games or 27 in 35. Still A chance technically but hard to bet on considering that’s a 63 goal pace needed as a 39 year old.

 

[frisco]

Irrelevant now due to his injury, but Ovy had a chance at scoring more goals in less games than the TGO.

How does the injury count against Ovechkin? Isn't the GP number personal games played not team GP? When Ovechkin returns from his broken leg then the clock starts counting again.

My Best-Carey

 

[Crosby2010]

November 18th is a strange day in Washington sports history:

November 18th, 1985 - Joe Theismann breaks his leg on that famous tackle by Lawrence Taylor
November 18th, 2018 - Alex Smith breaks his leg in a similar fashion to Theismann
November 18th, 2024 - Alex Ovechkin breaks his legs.

Two Redskins QBs, and a star Capitals forward all broke their legs (two of them well known injuries) on November 18th, decades apart