Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[McShogun99]

What was Lemieux weakness? Besides cancer?

Probably smoking and not working out.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Wow, I’ve heard a lot of things about the guy who did everything he could for the franchise he loved, including saving it in bankruptcy to keep it in Pittsburgh, but ‘quitter’ has never been one of them.

The way people perceive Lemieux today is much, much less critical than it used to be. The "quitter" opinion was not an uncommon view at one point. As a young player he was known for his lack of commitment to fitness, he was always regarded as soft (as was Gretzky) compared to the Trottier/Gilmour model of star center, he suffered from a long list of frustrating/nagging injuries during an era when playing through injury was the expectation, and he talked openly about quitting the game because of the abuse he had to take from opponents. That all added up to a pretty mainstream opinion that he was a prima donna whose commitment to the game wasn't reliable from one day to the next.

Winning two Cups, coming back from cancer, coming back multiple times from retirement, and saving the team as an executive erased most of that criticism. I don't see a lot of it on here anymore, but the post you quoted is an artifact of what was once a fairly mainstream (and not entirely groundless) view of Lemieux.

 

[M2Beezy]

THERE IT IS!!!!!

The GREAT 8!!!!!!

You just love to see it!

Man I love this player

 

[TJHKY]

#767
Third overall

 

[TJHKY]

 

[SI90]

Nice he’s stepped in the league as a teenager he hasn’t skipped a beat. Hasn’t slowed down. Just lethal year in and year out.

 

[Misery74]

Pretty amazing gift to us Caps fans.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[Mikeshane]

I'm not sure what's more amazing, OV scoring that many goals or his ability to stay healthy enough to play enough games to score all those goals.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Imagine having 4 years left on your contract and only trailing the Great One and Mr. Hockey on the all-time list. I'm 99% sure there won't be another Ovi in my lifetime (and I'm 25). Players as talented, physical and durable as Ovechkin simply don't exist.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

Regardless of everything else, OV is a hockey legend and we are lucky to have witnessed his career.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[Selanne00008]

Eye on the prize.
Cup
50G season?
800/801
Greatness

 

[Fallschirmyager]

That's an awesome message from Jagr

 

[Backcheckmonster3]

Yeah! The Great Russian passes Jagr!

 

[Leafslet]

lol what a legend

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Jagr is a beauty as well. I know most other Caps fans harbor resentment for the way his days in Washington ended, but how can you not like the guy now? Just like Ovi, pure passion for the game and determination to be the best.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Greatest goal scorer in history. I can only imagine what his numbers would have been had he played in the golden puck era of the 80's. Loved watching him play when he was a rookie, love watching him play at age 36. Doubt we see another one as good as Ovie.

 

[ElLeetch]

I'm not sure what's more amazing, OV scoring that many goals or his ability to stay healthy enough to play enough games to score all those goals.

He doesnt play D or do anything else other than wait for PP opportunities. Makes its easy to avoid injuries.

 

[Foots]

Congrats Ovi!

 

[BallardEra]

Needs 13 goals in his last 21 games to hit 50.

Gonna be close.

 

[gtrower]

Epic reaction from Jagr. All time. The highest of class. Love that guy.

 

[Firsov99]

He doesnt play D or do anything else other than wait for PP opportunities. Makes its easy to avoid injuries.

I think it’s pretty obvious that you haven’t been watching the Caps play during Ovi’s career. And it’s ok considering that you are a fan of another team.

Only 10 of his goals out of 37 are PPGs this season. He hasn’t hit the 20 PPG mark in quite a while. I would disagree that he doesn’t play D, but I acknowledge that Ovi is below average in this department.

In my view, two factors have helped him to avoid injuries: body constitution (the generic factor) and also his physical game adjustment. He has been MUCH more selective in regard to his physical play for some time now. He realizes that his body wouldn’t recover as fast had he been throwing his body around as if he were still in his twenties.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Here's an obscure milestone that Ovechkin achieved tonight - he's now been on the ice for 2,000 (actually 2,001) goals for. This puts him 31st all-time (going back to 1960, when they started tracking this stat).

Also, Ovechkin is now less than 10 minutes away from becoming the all-time leader in powerplay ice time (going back to 1998, when they first started tracking this)

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Here's an obscure milestone that Ovechkin achieved tonight - he's now been on the ice for 2,000 (actually 2,001) goals for. This puts him 31st all-time (going back to 1960, when they started tracking this stat).

Also, Ovechkin is now less than 10 minutes away from becoming the all-time leader in powerplay ice time (going back to 1998, when they first started tracking this)

no nerding out at all. lol That is interesting though. What is the record and by whom?