Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[Ghost of Murph]

From NHL.com:

"Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (10 goals, 10 assists in 16 games) had an assist to join Gordie Howe (six goals, 18 assists in 1968-69) as the second player 39 or older to record 20 points through the first 16 games of a season"

Gordie had a 44 goal 103 point season after that age. I think Ovi has a good chance of passing the 44 goals, but 103 pts will be tough to beat.

Peak Howe is the player I would most want to see if I could go back in time. Getting to witness Ovi's entire career has been a blessing.

 

[DitchMarner]

Gordie had a 44 goal 103 point season after that age. I think Ovi has a good chance of passing the 44 goals, but 103 pts will be tough to beat.

Peak Howe is the player I would most want to see if I could go back in time. Getting to witness Ovi's entire career has been a blessing.

The funny thing is Howe's 1968-1969 season is actually his highest scoring season and the only NHL season in which he had over 100 points.

I guess that illustrates the flaw in looking at raw statistics without any context. By then, he was old by NHL standards, but schedule length and scoring across the League were increasing.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

I don't get how 1972 Series made Canadians hate Soviets/Russians.

Canadians were playing dirty trying just to bully/injury Soviet players. They tried to hunt down Kharlamov pretty bad & they did it succesfully.

East vs. West. Communism versus Plutocratic democracy.

The hatred was always there on the civilizational level; it merely found unique expression in a sport that was already itself tightly knit into the fabric of Canadian popular consciousness and identity.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

The funny thing is Howe's 1968-1969 season is actually his highest scoring season and the only NHL season in which he had over 100 points.

I guess that illustrates the flaw in looking at raw statistics without any context. By then, he was old by NHL standards, but schedule length and scoring across the League were increasing.

Very much so. Context is what makes Ovi breaking the all-time goals record even more impressive than it already is.

 

[DitchMarner]

Very much so. Context is what makes Ovi breaking the all-time goals record even more impressive than it already is.

Oh, absolutely. Once he sets a new record, I think it'll hold up for a very long time, if not forever.

East vs. West. Communism versus Plutocratic democracy.

The hatred was always there on the civilizational level; it merely found unique expression in a sport that was already itself tightly knit into the fabric of Canadian popular consciousness and identity.

I get where you're coming from (though really, the Soviet Union was more of an American enemy/rival than a Canadian one), but it's funny and ironic how many criticisms about Ovechkin early on were - and I'm not saying I agree with any of these personally - that he was too individualistic, too exuberant with his celebrations etc.

I mean, isn't the West pro Capitalism and individuality (as opposed to being a faceless cog in an intuition that serves the community)?

 

[Optimistic Cynic]

Not to downplay Ovi's stats, but it becomes increasingly foolish to compare today's achievement/stats with anything more than 20-30 years ago. The game and the rules and the equipment have all changed and evolved to the point where you might as well be comparing two different leagues.

 

[User9992]

Not to downplay Ovi's stats, but it becomes increasingly foolish to compare today's achievement/stats with anything more than 20-30 years ago. The game and the rules and the equipment have all changed and evolved to the point where you might as well be comparing two different leagues.

It was easier to score back then before the 'dead puck era'.

I don't like comparing eras but if Ovi played in the same high scoring era as 80's & early 90's he would already went north of 1000 goals even with a lockouts & covid shortened seasons.

 

[AD1066]

It was easier to score back then before the 'dead puck era'.

I don't like comparing eras but if Ovi played in the same high scoring era as 80's & early 90's he would already went north of 1000 goals even with a lockouts & covid shortened seasons.

Adjusted stats are imperfect but I still enjoy them as a rough comparison. Here's Ovechkin's career totals adjusted relative to whatever league-wide scoring was for each year that Gretzky was the same age.

1x 90 goal season
4x 70 goal seasons
9x 60 goal seasons
11x 50 goal seasons
16x 40 goal seasons

That would be far and away the greatest goal-scorer of all-time. Which I believe he is.

 

[um]

The funny thing is Howe's 1968-1969 season is actually his highest scoring season and the only NHL season in which he had over 100 points.

I guess that illustrates the flaw in looking at raw statistics without any context. By then, he was old by NHL standards, but schedule length and scoring across the League were increasing.

Sam thing happened for Ovie with scoring increasing in his later years.

Like you said, without context Ovie’s 21-22 season looks equal to his 14-15 season.

It feels like Ovie played through 3 eras now. I wonder how(e) many Howe played in?

 

[Hippasus]

Sam thing happened for Ovie with scoring increasing in his later years.

Like you said, without context Ovie’s 21-22 season looks equal to his 14-15 season.

It feels like Ovie played through 3 eras now. I wonder how(e) many Howe played in?

High-scoring expansion-era late 60s to early 80s, rough-and-rugged late 40s to mid 60s. Two?

 

[Warh1ppy]

Yeah, they’re made by a small entrepreneur who runs an online store called “Pro Stock Hockey Sticks”.

What's the story behind it? Wooden shaft? Compostite?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

What's the story behind it? Wooden shaft? Compostite?

They’re composite sticks, very similar in feel to what you might expect from Bauer or CCM pro stock sticks from a few years ago.

I believe CCM stopped making the stick Ovi liked, so this guy in Winnipeg replicated it and put some custom touches on it like his #8 trademarked logo.

Here is an article about it:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-alex-ovechkin-explains-switch-sticks

 

[HTFN]

They’re composite sticks, very similar in feel to what you might expect from Bauer or CCM pro stock sticks from a few years ago.

I believe CCM stopped making the stick Ovi liked, so this guy in Winnipeg replicated it and put some custom touches on it like his #8 trademarked logo.

Here is an article about it:

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-alex-ovechkin-explains-switch-sticks

Amazing business sense there.

"Hey, want to be the brand synonymous with the greatest goal scorer of all time? The product he chose to chase the goal record? He keeps saying he likes these and doesn't want us to change them... yeah, me neither, scrap all his sticks"

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[hockeykicker]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1858319392737526006

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Ovy looks to be in great shape.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

30 goals away

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Ovi ties legend Marty Necas in goals this year.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1858319392737526006

He will absolutely break this record

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ovi ties legend Marty Necas in goals this year.


He will absolutely break this record

Something about wearing 8s on their jerseys, right?

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Adjusted stats are imperfect but I still enjoy them as a rough comparison. Here's Ovechkin's career totals adjusted relative to whatever league-wide scoring was for each year that Gretzky was the same age.

View attachment 931513

1x 90 goal season
4x 70 goal seasons
9x 60 goal seasons
11x 50 goal seasons
16x 40 goal seasons

That would be far and away the greatest goal-scorer of all-time. Which I believe he is.

I think your math is pretty much bang on. Your calculation has Ovechkin about 22% ahead of Gretzky in adjusted goals (1,044 / 853 = 22.4%).

The method used on the History forum has Ovechkin at approximately 946 (936 through the end of last year plus 10 so far this season) compared to Gretzky at 784. 946 / 784 = 20.7%.

Rounding to the nearest percent, it's almost identical (22% vs 21%). There's no point in quibbling over a percent or two in either direction (as this is obviously intended as a high-level ballpark calculation), but your approach looks reasonable.

Ovechkin has already long since passed Gretzky in any reasonable calculation of era-adjusted goals (which is why I find the race for 894, although superficially interesting, doesn't have a lot of intrinsic value).

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

2 tonight. GOAT goal scorer and not even remotely close

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

29 goals away now as he snipes Samsonov for his 2nd of the game!

 

[SkinsFan09]

Vintage missile perfectly placed for goal No. 2 tonight.

 

[pezpunk]

Ovi got his second of the night, after taking a nasty blocked shot and preventing a sure Vegas goal with his stick.