Ovechkin Milestone Thread - Countdown to 894 (Continued)

[DitchMarner]

Yes, but let's keep it at the simple record. People will always bring up "yeah but" type arguments. For example....he's currently 7 ENG's ahead of Gretzky, let's say he doesn't score another one except for goal number 895. Ok, people could say, yeah but Gretzky has 7 more goals still with a goalie in the net....fine...then he scores another 8 goals with a goalie in the net....maybe then people say "yeah, well, he has 27 OT goals....Gretzky didn't get the chance to play 3v3 OT....then you wait for him to score another 27 goals. You'll then have people talking about total goals including playoffs and total professional goals.

Let's just be happy with goals are goals....you can easily suggest Gretzky scored his goals at time when it was easier to score and that offsets all those other comments.

Let's not forget that Ovechkin lost an entire season. I think he could have scored 40 or more in '05 had there been a season.

 

[Dingo]

Let's not forget that Ovechkin lost an entire season. I think he could have scored 40 or more in '05 had there been a season.

and covid, and a half year strike (Gretzky also experienced this in 94)

Ovechkin has missed close to two years, none of which were really in his prime, but, his goalscoring has been consistent throughout. Hard to think he wouldnt have about 950 or so right now.

 

[Firsov99]

Mr. Clutch out there cherry picking for a last minute double empty netter.

Glad to see you back. We missed you!

 

[Dingo]

out of sheer boredom here....

5 pts for first in goals in a season
4 for second
3 for third
2 for fourth
1 for fifth

negating a need to get raw/adjusted numbery. This rates an arbitrary threshold of 'greatness in goalscoring' while also including longevity probably equally.

Alex Ovechkin - 56
Gordie Howe - 53
Bobby Hull - 49
Richard - 45
Phil Esposito - 36
Wayne Gretzky - 30
Mike Bossy - 29
Mario Lemieux - 24
Stamkos - 24
Teemu Selanne - 22
Matthews - 22

i think thats the top ten. i went through most reasonable names since the second world war.

edit - a thought or two -

other than Ovechkin, the top 5 played when there were only 5 other teams (12 for much of Espo's career, yet the same amount of talent, presumably)

Hull and Howe wentto the WHA

Until you hit Lemieux, pay was low and so was the amount of Euros and Yanks

Lemieux not a healthy career (ditto Bure who is just off this list)

Just to observe the change in sheer numbers of players trained to compete across 30+ teams, go down to the most recent great goalscorer, Matthews. He is a great goalscorer. If he AVERAGED 3rd place for the next ten years straight, he would still be behind Ovechkin.

Ovechkin is the greatest goalscorer ever. I don't think its debatable, honestly.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Mr. Clutch out there cherry picking for a last minute double empty netter.

Did you see some of the goalies Gretzky played against? May as well have been empty netters.

 

[Fred22406Capsfan]

OVI!!! Another empty net... oh wait... Yeah, he DOES score with the keep in the net.

 

[pezpunk]

Ovi with another no effort cherry picking empty netter...

Oh wait it was even strength in the first period.

 

[BallardEra]

That one looks like it's coming back. There was a goalie in the net.

 

[Lou Sassole]

Ovi with another no effort cherry picking empty netter...

Oh wait it was even strength in the first period.

On a play he set up with a great pass from his own zone, and add another goalie to the list.

 

[Fantomas]

Impossible. He only scores empty netters.

 

[Koivu11]

He’s gonna do it this season isn’t he

 

[Frosty415]

what a beast

 

[DitchMarner]

Ovi with another no effort cherry picking empty netter...

Oh wait it was even strength in the first period.

It's pretty gutless how certain posters freak out when he scores an empty net goal but don't say anything when he scores an important goal (and he's scored a few recently - there's the one tonight, the two against OTT and the GTG against the Jets).

How insecure can some people be?

 

[pezpunk]

Great example of why assists are total bunk, too. Ovie would have gotten an assist if he hadn’t been the one to score.

Assists are stupid.

 

[freakydallas13]

Let's not forget that Ovechkin lost an entire season. I think he could have scored 40 or more in '05 had there been a season.

Gretzky didn't start playing in the NHL until he was 20, so the full lockout season, another half lockout season in 2015, and half a COVID season collectively Ovi lost probably balance things out.

 

[BallardEra]

49 goals in his last 74 games at the age of 38-39.

 

[kugelbahn]

First OV goal agains an Ivan, goalie scalp #180

 

[BallardEra]

Gretzky didn't start playing in the NHL until he was 20, so the full lockout season, another half lockout season in 2015, and half a COVID season collectively Ovi lost probably balance things out.

Gretzky was 19 when her started in the NHL.

 

[Dingo]

Gretzky didn't start playing in the NHL until he was 20, so the full lockout season, another half lockout season in 2015, and half a COVID season collectively Ovi lost probably balance things out.

not according to hockey reference.

 

[freakydallas13]

Gretzky was 19 when her started in the NHL.

Huh, wonder why I thought it was 20. Ovi probably has about a whole season less games than Gretz in that case.

 

[BallardEra]

Huh, wonder why I thought it was 20. Ovi probably has about a whole season less games than Gretz in that case.

Late January birthday for Gretzky when he turned 20 in his rookie season.