Ovechkin Milestone Thread - Countdown to 894 (Continued)

Pretty sure the players aren’t the ones making the ovi lawn decorations

The organization needs to make sure this circus doesn't become a huge distraction. This is a good team and their thinking needs to be exclusively on winning the cup. Fortunately Carbury is an excellent coach.
 
I doubt teams, unless he's like 2 goals away are going to play him any different than normal. So, these next 8-10 games, I don't foresee him getting shadowed. But, when we get down to the final 6/7 games I can see some teams wanting to keep their goalie out of the history books. Edm and Ranford was the team when he broke Howe's point record. McLean and the Canucks when he broke the goals record.

I don't see what anyone is going to do differently. Everyone and their dog knows Ovie scores lots of goals. It's not as if opponents are fine with it or they're not trying or something.
 
Eminem would say: What the f*** is this shit?
Yeah, Matthews has a theoretical chance, but won't get there due to longitivity issues.

But the rest? Guys with .500 goals percentage halfway trough their careers should somehow play 1600 games and have a way higher percentage in their 30s?

Either basic math or common sense would absolutely speak against it.
 
Epic troll job. Point, really? Rantanen?
- Incorrect very easily researchable data (like Mcdavid single season goals PR)
- Including much talked-about players that are obviously not on track to contend for a goals record so far
- Aqueous descriptions of the players with little focus on their goal-scoring skills

It's not a troll job, but a barely edited ChatGPT answer.
 
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Speaking of ChatGPT. I asked AI for statistics on the drop-off in goals per game over a career, and here's Gretzky, Jagr and Ovechkin (as of 2023 in its data). I asked it to use their first 80+ game season and their last 70+ game season to keep it realistic:

Gretzky: 0.625 goals per game -> 0.33 gpg
Ovechkin: 0.64 gpg -> 0.55 gpg (2022-23. This is 0.65 this season)
Jagr: 0.44 gpg -> 0.33 gpg

And using Top 5 (Hull, Dionne), the average drop-off has been about 0.2 gpg compared to the player's first full season.

So if we assume a 1400 game career, here's what the AI would project to some active players, with a linear downwards trend in gpg according to the above:

Draisaitl: 490 goals
MacKinnon: 490 goals
McDavid: 518 goals
Matthews: 686 goals
 

The NHL has already planned everything. As soon as Ovechkin is four goals away from setting a new record—when he scores his 891st—a large caravan led by Wayne Gretzky will follow Ovechkin and the Capitals on their travels. Cameras will be added for game broadcasts, and as soon as the historic goal is scored, a seven-minute ceremony will begin. Wayne Gretzky and Commissioner Gary Bettman will be in attendance.
 
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The NHL has already planned everything. As soon as Ovechkin is four goals away from setting a new record—when he scores his 891st—a large caravan led by Wayne Gretzky will follow Ovechkin and the Capitals on their travels. Cameras will be added for game broadcasts, and as soon as the historic goal is scored, a seven-minute ceremony will begin. Wayne Gretzky and Commissioner Gary Bettman will be in attendance.

Please please please break the record by scoring 5 goals in one game Ovechkin.

It would be absolutely hilarious - NHL plans on getting the parade out in every game when he gets within 4 (after his 891th goal) if he does it unexpectedly with a 5 goal game before they can get going :laugh:
 
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In my opinion - in order of likelihood:

1. Auston Matthews. Age for age, he's already ahead of Ovechkin. Now - what are the odds he ages out as good as Ovechkin as a goal-scorer in his 30s? Definitely not good, but higher scoring era is likely to help him in raw goals. I'm not saying Matthews is very likely to surpass Ovechkin - but Auston Matthews certainly is a plausible candidate, since he's pacing him so far.

2. Connor Bedard. I know - off the wall pick. This is entirely based on his age, and his apparent goal-scoring ability/shot. If he realizes his full potential - he's still young enough to have an epic goal-scoring career. Will it happen? Almost certainly not since he's struggling at the NHL level, but it's at least plausible based on age.

3. McDavid. Out of all active players in their primes, he's the only one where it's probably not completely impossible (outside of Matthews of course). But - he's likely too far behind, and would have to age that much better than Ovechkin, and play till very late. Not completely impossible, but extremely unlikely.

Everyone else on the list - no chance. Not even 0.01%.
 
Predicted record breaking goal game
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Predicted record breaking goal game
View attachment 996074

Just looking at that list, I hope it happens on April 13th in Columbus instead, since it's the only one of the four in the screenshot that's not on national TV. I'm sure the league badly wants goal number 895 to be on national TV, so it would be quite a troll job if he did it against Columbus.

Knowing the NHL they'll make that whole game "bonus coverage" on NHL Network, and then parade around like it was on national TV, which is technically true, but a lot of people don't have access to NHL Network.
 
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