No. Its never about "love or hate" with us old timers.
Just hockey banter.
But if the Gretzky love keeps you up at night, I suppose I get where you are coming from.
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Ovechkin Milestone Thread - Countdown to 894 (891 and counting)
- Thread starter hangman006
- Start date
Just hockey banter.
But if the Gretzky love keeps you up at night, I suppose I get where you are coming from.
Susannah
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- Dec 3, 2019
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I am only saying the post about playoff goals between the two was a meaningless post.
Just adding to the conversation. It was pointed out to me that Gretz has scored 55 more goals in the NHL than OV.
Firsov99
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- Feb 17, 2006
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They are far-fetched. It’s pure genetics. His Dad started turning grey very early in his life. You can, actually, find photos of Ovi’s family - when Ovi was in early teens - and you can already see some grey in his Dad’s hair.
Grate n Colorful Oz
Get busy livin
You're gonna derail this thread with a grand and ignorant reduction. It's as much related to gene expression and stress plays a major role. Your personal anecdotes or those of others mean zilch and if you had bothered reading a bit further, you would see I already have a similar story to tell. My own grandfather was entirely white when he turned 30. His son, my father, was almost entirely gray at 50. I on the other hand am heading torwards 50 soon enough and I'm still almost entirely black/brown.
Just for fun, tap "gray hair epigenetics" in a google AI search.
COHawk
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SJSharksfan39
Registered User
It's at home for one, and you think he's going to get 5 goals in the next two games? He might do it on Sunday in which case this is a mute point other than the NHL are blacking out history (Every game is historic until he does it) because they are dumb and have been really dumb for the last decade.
Firsov99
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Well, of course, I oversimplified. This is a hockey forum after all.
Yes, technically, epigenetics could have played a role too. But, seriously, I am a bit puzzled by your scientific pivot after your earlier statement that rumors about Ovi being older might be true. Unless, of course, we should consider “rumors” as a part of the scientific method also?
And here’s another “personal anecdote” for you. I grew up in the former USSR in the 80s. Children that played team sports - typically, after regular school hours at specific “sports schools” - were mainly categorized into strict age groups. If a player was very talented, he could be moved to an older age group. But the other way around? Moreover, the very late USSR was quite an organized bureaucracy, so chances of Ovechkin being considerably older are close to “zilch”.
Grate n Colorful Oz
Get busy livin
Well, of course, I oversimplified. This is a hockey forum after all.
Yes, technically, epigenetics could have played a role too. But, seriously, I am a bit puzzled by your scientific pivot after your earlier statement that rumors about Ovi being older might be true. Unless, of course, we should consider “rumors” as a part of the scientific method also?
And here’s another “personal anecdote” for you. I grew up in the former USSR in the 80s. Children that played team sports - typically, after regular school hours at specific “sports schools” - were mainly categorized into strict age groups. If a player was very talented, he could be moved to an older age group. But the other way around? Moreover, the very late USSR was quite an organized bureaucracy, so chances of Ovechkin being considerably older are close to “zilch”.
Just saying it's multi factorial, but the most probable cause is usually age and stress, meaning it's not far fetched because age plays such a significant role.
Firsov99
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It’s far-fetched because it’s nonsensical.
Let’s presume that he was born in 1983. Have you played competitive sports as a child? Do you realize how huge of a difference two years are at this stage? It would be impossible to hide, and it would be zero sense for talent development to play in younger age group.
Fantomas
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Yes, my love for Gretzky does keep me up at night, thank you for asking.
Hangman001
Your Third or Fourth Favorite HFBoards Admin
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Next one to talk about playoff scoring gets five points and a thread ban.
"Adding to the conversation", my ass.
"Adding to the conversation", my ass.
Dingo
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- Jul 13, 2018
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that was the mid 90s part of the game
None of the truck drivers playing in the 80s could catch anyone who could skate.
It shows up in everyone's numbers, unless we want to pretend that Rick Vaive was a better goal scorer than Crosby.
Video Nasty
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A few things here.
Gretzky scored his 894th goal in his 1479th game, so that’s over.
Ovechkin will of course become the defacto leader from 895 goals onwards.
Gretzky also took the time to hand out almost 2000 assists, while carrying out his centering duties.
He also took nearly 2000 fewer shots.
Video Nasty
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That should clue you in on how suspect adjusted stats are more than anything really.
Doesn’t it fail a simple sniff test and seem odd that the numbers are trying to tell us that Gretzky was closer to Selanne, Iginla, and Crosby, three players who only combined for just one goal scoring title more than Gretzky himself, who also owned the overall record until Ovechkin breaks it, led the league in goals 5 times in 6 years only interrupted by the season he decided he wanted to average 2 assists per game instead, while having the two highest individual seasons and four of the top 10?
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BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
Greatzsky 99
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- May 9, 2022
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I just cant stand adjusted stats. Edmontons 4 Stanley cups are 2.67 cup now, era adjusted? its just endless debates.
OnT: Boston seems to be in a slump, 891 and maybe 892 coming tonight!
Not sure what your point is, Gretzky played in a era where no goalie heard of the butterfly style, nor did goalie equipment allow them to play that sort of style. 60 goals seasons were common place from average players.
Any time McDavid gets compared to anyone from the 80s, you say 80s were weak competition. Now that Ovechkin is getting compared to Gretzky from the 80s, you completely flip flop.
MayonnaiseOreo
I Hate the Flyers
Yes but Gretzky played during a time when you could just pass the puck into the net. Comparing eras is difficult but it's also a fact that Ovechkin has played during a time when it's much more difficult to score goals than in the '80s and early '90s.
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
Ovechkin is already the greatest goal scorer of all time , the record is just a little extra gravy for the curmudgeons to have no argument whatsoever. Time is ticking , they need to get their final little shots in before it's unanimously too late to even make any sort of argument held by a minority of people
Video Nasty
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Might want to tighten up your writing and aim for precision and clarity, rather than speaking in broad generalizations and outright lies, particularly when it comes to the McDavid portion of your piece.
1. Yes, stand up was the standard during those early Gretzky years and butterfly wasn’t, but it’s an exaggeration to say goalies had never even heard of it, considering Hall’s experimentation in the 50s and Esposito dropping to his knees during the 70s, and how widespread it became during just a few short years. My point isn’t that a couple of Hall of Famers thought outside the box, but more the fact that past players weren’t idiots who didn’t care about their craft enough to the point where they had never even “heard” of such a style.
2. Commonplace from average players? You said it, not me. There were 19 sixty goal seasons between 1979-1980 through 1989-1990 (Gretzky’s first 11 seasons). Here’s the breakdown on who did it between 1980-1981 through 1986-1987 when Gretzky led 5 times and put up some of the numbers I mentioned.
Gretzky x5
Bossy x4
Kurri x2
McDonald x1
Maruk x1
I’m seeing Gretzky himself, a teammate, and another of the greatest goal scorers making up 11 of 13 instances. For sake of the argument, I’ll label the other two players as average, though I don’t really believe they were average, and we still have perfect storm career years persist to this day. Either way, it doesn’t seem remotely commonplace for average players to score 60, as you yourself put it.
Lemieux, Yzerman, Hull, and Nicholls make up six other occurrences from 1987-1988 through 1989-1990. One of the four greatest players ever, a top 25 ish player in Yzerman, a usually recognized elite goal scorer in Hull, and a good player who happened to be a teammate of Gretzky.
3. Don’t just make stuff up. I’m not going to roll over like most of the weak competition of 2025 HFBoards. Gretzky and Lemieux are the only players from that era that McDavid ever gets compared to, and they’re always ahead.
TLDR: In the words of Sol Stein, aim for precision and clarity in your writing.
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BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
Alex Ovechkin’s greatest feat? Mixing ordinary with extraordinary on the way to NHL immortality
His long connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin complicates Alex Ovechkin's legacy in the eyes of some.
www.nytimes.com
Randyne
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Randyne
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Cheatcode. You have a puck behind the net - prepare to get a hit. But not for Gretzky. He could sleep there with the puck. It's not skill it's the fakest record ever.
Suter was the only one who tried to stop this nonsense, but it was in Canada cup. In NHL Gretzky was untouchable:
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Video Nasty
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I’ll edit that. Unfortunately it only helps my post look better since I omitted Gretzky’s 5th occurrence.
