Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[MS]

I mean Ovechkin scored 31 with a horrible support where Dylan Strome is by far the best player.

In a top team with elite playmakers he definitely scores 40+

On a top team a guy playing the way he does would struggle to get a regular shift at ES.

 

[GaboriklessWild]

Ovechkin seems to have given his all with a second-half surge that sent the Capitals into the playoffs. It's also a miracle that this team made the playoffs. No surprise that they were swept by the winner of the President's Trophy.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Ovechkin seems to have given his all with a second-half surge that sent the Capitals into the playoffs. It's also a miracle that this team made the playoffs. No surprise that they were swept by the winner of the President's Trophy.

Or he only cares about the record at this point

 

[GaboriklessWild]

Or he only cares about the record at this point

Well troll. He is only 50 playoff goals behind Gretzky. If he was just going for the record, wouldn't it make sense for him to have scored more against the Rangers?

 

[george14]

Watch the 4 games against NYR and tell me he cares. That was pathetic.

 

[GaboriklessWild]

Watch the 4 games against NYR and tell me he cares. That was pathetic.

Calm down kiddo. The dude is almost 39 years old and he managed to drag his team into the playoffs with Hendrix Lapierre and Sonny Milano on the first line. Beat teams like Pittsburgh and Detroit lol.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Calm down kiddo. The dude is almost 39 years old and he managed to drag his team into the playoffs with Hendrix Lapierre and Sonny Milano on the first line. Beat teams like Pittsburgh and Detroit lol.

You can’t seriously defend OV for his playoff showing. He was atrocious. He was the 7th most utilized forward on the team for the elimination game, with a total of 0 shots on goal. Tells you what to need to know about his effort/performance in the series.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Well troll. He is only 50 playoff goals behind Gretzky. If he was just going for the record, wouldn't it make sense for him to have scored more against the Rangers?

The playoff one is out of reach so he doesn't care anyway

 

[george14]

Calm down kiddo. The dude is almost 39 years old and he managed to drag his team into the playoffs with Hendrix Lapierre and Sonny Milano on the first line. Beat teams like Pittsburgh and Detroit lol.

I am completely calm. It appears you are the only one defending him at this point. He isn't very good anymore but can stand around on a mediocre team and rack up some PP + EN goals. He is really bad 5on5 whether he is 29 or 39.

If you put him on a line with "real" playmakers like you mention, he would get demoted very quickly. Playmakers need their linemates to keep up.

 

[Toby91ca]

Was in controller disconnected mode all playoffs, can't recall a worse performance from anyone with comparable role and ice time.

I didn’t watch game 4 but see his ice time was down significantly

 

[GaboriklessWild]

You can’t seriously defend OV for his playoff showing. He was atrocious. He was the 7th most utilized forward on the team for the elimination game, with a total of 0 shots on goal. Tells you what to need to know about his effort/performance in the series.

It seems to be this message board attracts the trolls. Not surprisingly. Who defends Ovechkin's performance? He was bad. But he is an almost 39 year old player, way past his prime. Who could still have managed to drag his team into the playoffs when almost no one expected it, ahead of teams with much more talent like the Pens, Red Wings or Devils. Guy just ran out of energy and played against a much superior team & constantly against their best defensive players.

I am completely calm. It appears you are the only one defending him at this point. He isn't very good anymore but can stand around on a mediocre team and rack up some PP + EN goals. He is really bad 5on5 whether he is 29 or 39.

If you put him on a line with "real" playmakers like you mention, he would get demoted very quickly. Playmakers need their linemates to keep up.

Ok troll, the guy who has the 4th most EV goals in NHL history and is close to Howe and Jagr who played 300 more games is a bad EV player.

 

[george14]

Ok troll, the guy who has the 4th most EV goals in NHL history and is close to Howe and Jagr who played 300 more games is a bad EV player.

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What in the world does this have to do with this year?

 

[Despote]

Ovechkin's overall game at this stage of his career makes him a liability every time he steps on the ice. Scoring 30 goals being gifted every opportunity isn't that impressive. He doesn't really deserve a spot on the PP anymore, but no chance Caps would ever take him off there until he's broken the record.

It is what it is. For the next couple of years we'll see an old washed up man play 20 minutes a night and all powerplays and EN situations in a chase for the record. The only question is whether he'll end op with more minuses than goals. It's a distraction for the entire franchise. They're stuck in this phase until Ovechkin either breaks the record or retires.

 

[AD1066]

Ovechkin's overall game at this stage of his career makes him a liability every time he steps on the ice. Scoring 30 goals being gifted every opportunity isn't that impressive. He doesn't really deserve a spot on the PP anymore, but no chance Caps would ever take him off there until he's broken the record.

It is what it is. For the next couple of years we'll see an old washed up man play 20 minutes a night and all powerplays and EN situations in a chase for the record. The only question is whether he'll end op with more minuses than goals. It's a distraction for the entire franchise. They're stuck in this phase until Ovechkin either breaks the record or retires.

A lot of pearl clutching about the Capitals management in this thread. "He's a detriment to his team. Won't somebody think of the rebuild?"

Nobody expects him to be a dominant player at this age. He has delivered everything and more that was expected of him when he was drafted, and now the franchise is showing loyalty and helping him chase one of the most impressive records in league history.

The fact that he seems likely to do it is apparently upsetting to a lot of people. Feels disingenuous to frame it as something other than that.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Was in controller disconnected mode all playoffs, can't recall a worse performance from anyone with comparable role and ice time.

And yet the Capitals still eliminated your boy Crosby. Sour grapes.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Ovechkin's overall game at this stage of his career makes him a liability every time he steps on the ice. Scoring 30 goals being gifted every opportunity isn't that impressive. He doesn't really deserve a spot on the PP anymore, but no chance Caps would ever take him off there until he's broken the record.

Where is this excellent pp player on the Capitals roster who deserves to displace the greatest powerplay goal scorer of all time?

The Capitals eliminated your Penguins and that's what your post is really all about.

 

[ViD]

Ovechkin's overall game at this stage of his career makes him a liability every time he steps on the ice. Scoring 30 goals being gifted every opportunity isn't that impressive. He doesn't really deserve a spot on the PP anymore, but no chance Caps would ever take him off there until he's broken the record.

what are you even talking about ? He was on a 55 goal pace in the second half of the season and he does not deserve a spot on PP anymore?? He’s by far their best shooter even at 39 and fat

 

[TheGuiminator]

The fact that Ovechkin is gonna break Gretzky's record makes me sick and is a disgrace to hockey

Ovechkin adds little to no value to his team at this stage of his career, but his coaching staff will keep shoving him down people's throat by giftting him every opportunity possible on the PP, EN situations and top minutes.

Caps made the playoffs, but as we all saw, they had no business being there. They got exposed, and rightly so, got the ugliest sweep in recent years.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

The caps were so thin, that the main strategy for the rangers was to shut down Ovechkin…

 

[Fitzy]

Teemu Selanne and Mark Recchi, two of the forwards with great longevity, still were no where near their peak from 37 onwards. (Although granted Selanne did have one of the best 40+ age seasons we've ever seen)

People just aren't used to seeing role-player Ovechkin yet as a 30 goal PP specialist. It's one of the reasons why a lot of star players retire well before they have to, because it can be uncomfortable knowing how limited you are compared to what you used to be able to do.

We as NYR fans watched a very old Mark Messier stick it out until he passed Gordie Howe and gave him a good sendoff. I don't think there's any shame in having Alex play a 2 year farewell tour, break the record, and retire the most consistent goal scorer in NHL history.

 

[Dingo]

very unpopular opinion here, but i want the Caps to give Ovie the Ray Bourque treatment and let him play his last two years with some talent. I think he still makes the right team better as a second line LW and a powerplay fixture.

 

[Fitzy]

very unpopular opinion here, but i want the Caps to give Ovie the Ray Bourque treatment and let him play his last two years with some talent. I think he still makes the right team better as a second line LW and a powerplay fixture.

I think that'll be completely up to AO.

I'm sure if he wants it, they'd move him. If he wants to stay, my guess is they'd accommodate that too.

 

[DRW895]

It`s hard to believe 38 years old Ovechkin declined to 28 years old Malkin leven 0+0 against Rangers and very close to 31 years old 100 point RS Crosby with 0+1 against Islandes

 

[Cas]

I think most players trying to break a major counting-stat record, or reach a major milestone, in any sport, aren't contributing all that much to their teams as they approach said record. They're just there for the chase.

Pete Rose was almost useless as he chased Cobb. Rickey Henderson as he chased down both Cobb (runs scored) and Ruth (walks) and the 3000 hits mark. Hank Aaron when he went back to Milwaukee, having broken Ruth's HR record but was still chasing his RBI record. Lots of pitchers with the 300 win mark (consider Early Wynn).

None of those records or milestones are considered any less legitimate for the players in question having stuck around as bit players or shells of their former selves to get there. Very few records or major milestones are reached by players when they're still in their prime.

 

[wetcoast]

It`s hard to believe 38 years old Ovechkin declined to 28 years old Malkin leven 0+0 against Rangers and very close to 31 years old 100 point RS Crosby with 0+1 against Islandes

The reason it's hard to believe is because you are equating counting stating with actual level of play which were 2 different things.

Ovi just plain looked out of place this series and anyone thinking otherwise would be wise to not try getting to cute by half.

Ovi has had a great ride and some great seasons and great playoffs but he absolutely looked cooked this series plain and simple.