Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[Greatzsky 99]

When Ovy breaks Gretzky's record, will he then be equal to Sid for who had he better career?

Sid has more cups but Ovy is going to be the all time leader in goals in NHL history.

Honestly i think this is a good take, put them equal, i personally just hate the Goat debates in all sports, just brings out the crap inside everybody, i like it more when Greatness is celebrated. Where ever it is, even if "my" guys rival does it.

This is easily best thread here now for me, just has that vibe that we are all cheering and celbrating, ive gotten smitten by your enthusiasm, gives me positive energy and joy, thnaks guys!

this thread will be legandary when he passess(knock on wood) Wayne.

Lets Govi!!!!

 

[Kcoyote3]

Personally, for me, just saying, IMO because the goalie lifted his pad off the ice and Ovi didn’t elevate it, it’s kind of like shooting into an empty net. Shouldn’t count.

 

[pezpunk]

Personally, for me, just saying, IMO because the goalie lifted his pad off the ice and Ovi didn’t elevate it, it’s kind of like shooting into an empty net. Shouldn’t count.

You let us all know how your appeal to the NHL stats board turns out. Thank you for your service determining which goals do and do not count.

 

[PM88RU]

TBH can’t imagine why would Ovi decide to stay after that contract expires.

By the end of the next season he will have reached every goal, completed fantastic career, lifted a Cup.

Remarkable legacy.

1000 goals isn’t challenging enough. In today’s NHL, 895 is the number everyone is looking at, whatever number more than that is achieved by the time he retires, doesn’t matter much.

He’s a challenge driven man.

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

Honestly i think this is a good take, put them equal, i personally just hate the Goat debates in all sports, just brings out the crap inside everybody, i like it more when Greatness is celebrated. Where ever it is, even if "my" guys rival does it.

This is easily best thread here now for me, just has that vibe that we are all cheering and celbrating, ive gotten smitten by your enthusiasm, gives me positive energy and joy, thnaks guys!

this thread will be legandary when he passess(knock on wood) Wayne.

Lets Govi!!!!

These debates have been around since they both got to the league. Most folks who got too concerned with that could not see the forest from the trees; we've all been blessed with seeing two extraordinary careers play out fully and might even witness previously unbreakable records broken.

In 20 years, people will be arguing about how legit was Ovechkin and he played in a high scoring era. Crosby is no "insert player x born in 2025". For all of us old farts who will still be around we will talk about how amazing it wad to see them play and that there's never going to be anyone like either of them again.

And round and round we go.

 

[BallardEra]

From the start of careers until age 29 season:

For Gretzky:

706 goals in 895 games for 64.7 goals pace over 82 games


For Ovechkin:

475 goals in 760 games for 51.3 goals pace over 82 games


From age 30 and on until the end of his career, Gretzky scored 188 goals in 592 games.

26.0 goal pace over 82 games.


Since Ovechkin's 30th birthday, he's scored 397 goals in 689 games.

47.3 goal pace over 82 games.

 

[BallardEra]

I think the best home bets to see #895 would be March 30th against Buffalo which is 34 games from now and April 4th against Chicago which is 37 games from now.

 

[Susannah]

It would be great to see Ovechkin score his 900th goal against Pittsburgh during that last regular season game. I am sure entire arena will cheer for Ovechkin.

 

[authentic]

There's a difference between having constant back pain and having an one-off injury.

No doubt about that one.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

He's actually doing it , incredible

 

[FrozenJagrt]

and if your that young how would you know? you are just assuming, well evrybodys ignorant when they are young, i thought i knew more than my parents when i grew up. now i know thry were right evrytime, and i was just a fool

Oddly, I've found that as I've gotten older I've discovered my parents weren't nearly as smart as I thought they were. I'm rapidly approaching middle age and it turns out my parents both had some disturbingly unintelligent views when they were my age. But they did the best they could with what they had, and that's all that matters.

 

[BallardEra]

Current career goals per game rate:

Ovechkin - .6018
Gretzky - .6012

 

[pezpunk]

and if your that young how would you know? you are just assuming, well evrybodys ignorant when they are young, i thought i knew more than my parents when i grew up. now i know thry were right evrytime, and i was just a fool

Could not possibly disagree with this harder. Some serious old man yells at cloud BS. Old people are dumb and usually bitter at young people for literally no reason other than they're cranky bastards in physical and cognitive decline.

 

[BallardEra]

Laviolette, who coached Washington from 2021-23, praised Ovechkin's shot as being the best in the world but pointed more to his work ethic than anything else to explain how the scoring has continued.


“He’s a guy that just doesn’t stop,” Laviolette said. “He wants to get better. He’s going to play hurt. He’s going to play injured. He’s going to get out there (and) he’s going to try and make a difference for his team.”


Alex Ovechkin is feeling better as he moves closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record | TSN

 

[Fallschirmyager]

When Ovy breaks Gretzky's record, will he then be equal to Sid for who had he better career?

Sid has more cups but Ovy is going to be the all time leader in goals in NHL history.

That depends on whether you want to speak on team or personal success.

 

[Calderon]

Current career goals per game rate:

Ovechkin - .6018
Gretzky - .6012

Gretzky's slacking, he needs to up his to keep up with Ovi!

Seriously, though, the goal scoring rates you mentioned in the other post paint a picture of two remarkably different, but super elite goal scorers.

One got to enjoy an extraordinary volatile era, a HOF supporting cast that he made good use of with his youthful talent and genius but whose blinding lights dimmed rather quickly; the other a ravaging bull with inexhaustible hunger for goals along with incredible levels of exuberance and (dur)ability and who's just kept going relentlessly, famously even sliding on his back while the older counterpart could only watch in awe.

Two wildly different paths to the same destination — both thoroughly enjoyable.

 

[BallardEra]

Gretzky's slacking, he needs to up his to keep up with Ovi!

Seriously, though, the goal scoring rates you mentioned in the other post paint a picture of two remarkably different, but super elite goal scorers.

One got to enjoy an extraordinary volatile era, a HOF supporting cast that he made good use of with his youthful talent and genius but whose blinding lights dimmed rather quickly; the other a ravaging bull with inexhaustible hunger for goals along with incredible levels of exuberance and (dur)ability and who's just kept going relentlessly, famously even sliding on his back while the older counterpart could only watch in awe.

Two wildly different paths to the same destination — both thoroughly enjoyable.

I grew up watching both play so zero hate from me. Just admiration and appreciation.

 

[kugelbahn]

That depends on whether you want to speak on team or personal success.

Team success includes President trophy, OV has three and working on fourth vs zero for Crosby. Hockey players are playing hard during regular season, we measure them by regular season production, but when it comes to the result of those games, regular season winner gets neglected. This is a legacy thing I think, just like dominance of Ross trophy while Rocket trophy was only awarded since 99. Most of non-NA leagues celebrate regular season champs. I think team success is much closer than most people acknowledge.

 

[Caps8112]

Could not possibly disagree with this harder. Some serious old man yells at cloud BS. Old people are dumb and usually bitter at young people for literally no reason other than they're cranky bastards in physical and cognitive decline.

you must be young .......... I kid

 

[McShogun99]

Ovi potentially breaking the goal record in less games than Gretzky is even more impressive to me considering the eras they played in

 

[BallardEra]

OV right back into his typical form of being invisible all game then going all out for empty net goal

Crosby and Malkin a combined 19 goals after 41 games each.

Ovechkin with 19 goals after 23 games.

You gotta troll better than that dude!

 

[HTFN]

Ovi potentially breaking the goal record in less games than Gretzky is even more impressive to me considering the eras they played in

Whether he actually does it or not, the fact that the numbers will likely be very close is just bananas. Honestly it would be amazing if there were ~100 games between them, but to be on pace is just nuts.

 

[Hanji]

Anybody remember those stupid rumors floating around when Ovi was drafted accusing him of having a fake birth certificate? Granted he was a manchild as a teenager.
It would be hilarious if these were true and he's actually lighting up the league at 42.

 

[BallardEra]

Scatter plot of where his goals have come from:

 

[BallardEra]