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Ovi Watch!

Bones45

Bones45

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Dec 7, 2005
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So the hockey world has been ablaze with Ovi moving up to soon tie and then pass The Great One......and naturally, the internet has had comparison after comparison, after comparison between the two. Some comments valid, others..... laughable..... But curious to see what everyone else thinks around this.

We've all seen Ovi play for decades... he's definitely slowed down over the past years (then again,,,, so have I) and as a result his game has changed quite a bit. I was lucky enough to watch Wayne from his first Cup till his retirement.

Its VERY difficult to compare the two players, yet some people think its a "runaway" for 99. I don't get it. Here's my thoughts and happy to hear everyone elses...

Ovi is plays in a much different league than 99 did. Very different D back then. Defensemen were pylons. Nowadays the entire game is based around defensive systems. Players are bigger -- much less space on the ice.... Goalies are bigger, stronger, faster, much better than Gretzky’s era. I think Ovi was the better all around player. Better skater. Played D (IIRC, 99 played nearly no D) and Ovi , back in the day… used to blast people with hits.

And let’s not forget— look the roster 99 played with vs the teams Ovechkin played with. Edmonton was an All Star team year after year, after year. Damn, even PK could've had 30+ goals playing with Kurri, Coffey, Messier and Gretzky.

I have no problem with the comparison. It’s valid. And if I’m starting a team from scratch, I’ll take Ovi in his prime over Gretzky. No hate on 99 of course -----

And everyone is entitled to his opinion… but I’ve seen them both play and I’ll take 8. :)

Get em Ovi!


alex-ovechkin-smiling-practice.jpg
 
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TSN has an article today saying Ovi has one more chance against CHI to break Gretzky's record in less games played. The next game they will have played the same number of NHL games.

I'm wondering why they're acting like he needs to break the record in less games? If he breaks it in the same number of games played, is there going to be an asterisk somehow? :huh: :skeptic:
 
Comparing different eras of the game is always difficult and I'm not sure it's fair to the older players. McDavid is the most talented player the NHL has ever seen, but to put him above the greats is too much at this point for me.

Ovechkin is interesting because he's had a lot of ups and downs during his career. When he first burst onto the scene he was incredibly dynamic and was a more well rounded offensive player. He was fast, could handle the puck, make amazing passes, and of course score (and it a lot of different ways). As time went on and the league got faster I think he stopped being as dynamic of an offensive player. We haven't seen him stickhandling past guys on the regular for quite some time. He's incredibly strong, durable, and will throw monster hits.

During the middle of his career there were serious questions about his ability as a leader and his ability to actually win. Those Washington teams were winning the Presidents trophy and getting knocked out in the second round every year. It's odd you mention defense in a positive light when he's got one of the most iconic clips of all time with him playing no defense (the controller disconnect). His defensive play was always knocked, until Trotz came along and got that whole team to buy into the defensive system in order to win.

I won't spend too much time on Gretzky, but there's a massive difference between them (aside from the winning and points), and it's that Gretzky actually changed the game (like Bobby Orr did as well). That's huge. The way people approached the game changed significantly after Gretzky came along. I'm not sure the same can be said about Ovechkin. He's an all time great, but what about the game has he changed exactly? I'm not even sure Ovechkin is the best player of his generation, let alone all time. Crosby has won more and has 20 straight point per game seasons. He has every piece of hardware you can get, and is still dynamic even today. His ability to adapt to the game surpasses Ovechkin's for me, he's a goal scorer sometimes and a playmaker at other times.

Ultimately, I like to compare greatness of players based off how they competed against their peers. There's a video showing a recent NHLer playing with equipment from the 70's or 80's and legitimately having trouble. There are rule changes, strategy changes, equipment changes, and even nutritional/health changes over the course of time that really impact how long and how well some players can perform. Gretzky was so far ahead of everyone else during his time, at everything, that there's no doubt in my mind that he's the greatest. Ovechkin was better than everyone at exactly one thing, though it is a pretty important thing.

Gretzky is, and forever will be, the greatest hockey player to ever exist. Nobody else will ever be that much further ahead than their peers.
 
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PK Cronin said:
Gretzky is, and forever will be, the greatest hockey player to ever exist. Nobody else will ever be that much further ahead than their peers.
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IDK about the "forever" part, but I agree with that statement otherwise. Gretzky was a freak.
 
Most fun player I've ever gotten to watch. Just a beast of a hockey player, did it all with grit, anger and mostly with an excited smile on his face. Refreshing to see such a happy personality.

Crosby is the better overall player and McDavid is more talented/explosive but man have I loved watching Ovi play hockey. Super unfortunate that it has come at the expense of the NYI a bunch of times.
 
doublechili said:
IDK about the "forever" part, but I agree with that statement otherwise. Gretzky was a freak.
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Without a massive rule change I don't see how anyone would be able to have that kind of gap again, but maybe I shouldn't have said forever. That's a really long time, almost as long as the time span Lou will be at the helm of the Islanders.
 
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Mr Misunderstood said:
Most fun player I've ever gotten to watch. Just a beast of a hockey player, did it all with grit, anger and mostly with an excited smile on his face. Refreshing to see such a happy personality.

Crosby is the better overall player and McDavid is more talented/explosive but man have I loved watching Ovi play hockey. Super unfortunate that it has come at the expense of the NYI a bunch of times.
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Pretty sure 75% of his goals were against DP. Lol
 
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PK Cronin said:
Without a massive rule change I don't see how anyone would be able to have that kind of gap again, but maybe I shouldn't have said forever. That's a really long time, almost as long as the time span Lou will be at the helm of the Islanders.
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I'm expecting there to be some unstoppable 6'10", 290lb guy who skates like Pavel Bure at some point.
 
Mr Misunderstood said:
Crosby is the better overall player and McDavid is more talented/explosive but man have I loved watching Ovi play hockey. Super unfortunate that it has come at the expense of the NYI a bunch of times.
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That would be a fun thread when the season's over (actually over, not basically over like now). Your favorite all-time player to watch. Maybe have an Islander and non-Islander category. Off the top of my head I come up with Fedorov and Forsberg, but I'd have to give it more thought. For the Isles, Brian Strait, of course. If it weren't for the Kvasha votes there would be no point in even having a poll, right?
 
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doublechili said:
That would be a fun thread when the season's over (actually over, not basically over like now). Your favorite all-time player to watch. Maybe have an Islander and non-Islander category. Off the top of my head I come up with Fedorov and Forsberg, but I'd have to give it more thought. For the Isles, Brian Strait, of course. If it weren't for the Kvasha votes there would be no point in even having a poll, right?
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My quick thought short list:
Ovi
Kariya
Modano
Bure
Iginla
2017 Playoff Karlsson (especially vs. NYR)
Hasek
 
Ovi is the better goal scorer but there is a reason only 2 people are within 1000 points of 99, of all the records Gretzky has i believed the goals were vulnerable because Ovi keeps scoring like he is in his prime, while Gretzky ; after he left the oilers his goals dropped considerably. If 50 in 39 is ever broken then ill believe any record can be broken because to me that is the safest. If ovi scores 1 or 2 tonight you damn sure ill be there on Sunday to potentially witness history and hope we win like 4-1 with the lone goal coming from Ovi to say i was there.
 


They're really putting games where Ovechkin has the chance to break the record on a service you cannot watch unless you have a cable subscription?!
 
Lou is God said:
If any of you have tickets for the Sunday game you might want to consider selling them, the cheapest ticket is now over $700.
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i snoozed and now i am pissed i didnt grab the 150 standing room like an idiot i was thinking i could get them at the same price after the game was finished. My only hope now is if a friend of mine who is a season ticket holder doesnt go so i can get it but thats like slim to none
 
Bought tickets over a month ago figuring the great 8 would be close to breaking the record Sunday. Didn’t think he’d be one goal away!! Heck of a birthday present for my dad, hopefully Ovi makes history.
 
Is Ovie friends with Sorokin it all? If so I doubt he even shoots on Sunday as I am sure he doesn't want him tied to it, and I am sure he would like a Capitals logo on the record breaking puck
 
Green said:
Is Ovie friends with Sorokin it all? If so I doubt he even shoots on Sunday as I am sure he doesn't want him tied to it, and I am sure he would like a Capitals logo on the record breaking puck
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Is that how you'd treat your friends? I'd rifle 14 goals past them if I could, bragging rights forever.
 
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Richie Daggers Crime said:
I think Mario was better and would have been right there in the points race if it weren't for the injuries and sickness.
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I think that Mario was the more obviously skilled player. By "obviously", I mean that he did things that amazed you whereas Gretzky was more subtle most of the time - I remember Gretzky's first year and the first time I saw him play I was expecting this spectacular guy and he didn't blow you away with skill moves like Mario did later. However, Gretzky gets the benefit of coming before Mario and therefore being the more transformative player. There were exceptions, but the game was closer to the rod-hockey, straight line up and down your wing style for the most part (even Lafleur was mostly flying up his wing and letting loose a slap shot), and then Gretzky was all over the place, for example entering the offensive zone and then stopping on a dime and changing direction with skating or a pass.

Anyway, IMO it's close between Gretzky, Mario and Orr (leaving aside older-time players). I give the nod to Gretzky based mostly on the numbers he put up relative to what had been done before him, and the way he contributed to changing the game from mostly north-south to creatively using the ice surface to create time and space. But if Mario came before Gretzky, I might be saying the same thing about him.
 
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