Will Ovechkin hit 20 goals this season?

[coooldude]

It's awesome. Ovechkin is such a GOAT that ppl need to find weird reasons for his decline at 38. Drinking, poor conditioning, nutrition?

Players with poor off-ice habits aren't in the NHL in their mid/late 30s, no matter how good they are. Not happening in today's game.

Take it from a fitness nut in his 40s; the body's ability to regenerate itself can fall off a cliff at that age, quickly.
Father time is undefeated.

But have you heard about Ovie's pre-game meal?

Father time is undefeated, but you're sorely mistaken that 100% of the league are good eaters and taking care of themselves. Ovie is such a legend that he has done everything he has done, while caring little about eating lean proteins and steamed veggies and avoiding alcohol (none of which he does). The Father Time cliffs come faster and furiouser when you're bombing cheesy carbs as your pregame snack, and tossing back cold ones and vodkas as your postgame celebration.

 

[centipede2233]

But have you heard about Ovie's pre-game meal?

Father time is undefeated, but you're sorely mistaken that 100% of the league are good eaters and taking care of themselves. Ovie is such a legend that he has done everything he has done, while caring little about eating lean proteins and steamed veggies and avoiding alcohol (none of which he does). The Father Time cliffs come faster and furiouser when you're bombing cheesy carbs as your pregame snack, and tossing back cold ones and vodkas as your postgame celebration.

Well I think ovie needs to alter his diet and start doing hot yoga if he wants the record. I thought there was no chance ovie wouldn’t get the record, for the first time I’m having some doubts…I mean when nhl players hit a cliff, it’s literally a cliff. Players don’t typically just taper off. They either stay elite until they retire or hit a cliff and keep playing cause they are a serviceable nhler (Perry)

 

[authentic]

Came here to say at the beginning of the season when the Capitals played in the windy city tonight that thought both guys would be leading their teams in scoring.

Here are their lines after tonight.


27-11-12-23

25-5-11-16

Who would have most people picked with the first stat line between the 2?

It happens that it belongs to Bedard and he now has the torch of mostly exciting goal scorer in the NHL.

We literally saw a transfer of power here.

That power already transferred to Matthews a while ago

 

[powerbomb]

A dozen games now, one goal to show for it. Jarry has the same number as OV in fewer games

It’s just bizarre. Another day, another high scoring Caps win, another goose egg for Ovechkin

 

[I am toxic]

// Players don’t typically just taper off. They either stay elite until they retire or hit a cliff and keep playing cause they are a serviceable nhler (Perry)

 

[Artorius Horus T]

It is crazy how they are winning (yeah, the Blackhawks, but still) with Ovechkin not scoring and taking that much ice time and PP time. I would never have predicted that.

Heyy, they have a new star player Dylan Strome with 12 goals this season
thats why caps are winning

 

[Wally1112pac]

This season it looks like AO is hunting Gretzky's assist record rather than goal record.

 

[wetcoast]

That power already transferred to Matthews a while ago

Hey this is an Ovi thread, since when did we let facts get in the way of a new narrative?

That and half the boards can't stomach any Maple Leafs and Bedard is the new sheriff in town....get with the program man....

 

[SkinsFan09]

The "Capitals are selling out for the goal record" narrative continues to look stupid as they win without Ovechkin producing.

 

[Toby91ca]

This season it looks like AO is hunting Gretzky's assist record rather than goal record.

Think his 36 assist pace isn't going to break any records

The "Capitals are selling out for the goal record" narrative continues to look stupid as they win without Ovechkin producing.

But their record is a bit misleading right now....their schedule has been incredibly easy and they are a minus on goal differential.

 

[SkinsFan09]

But their record is a bit misleading right now....their schedule has been incredibly easy and they are a minus on goal differential.

It's definitely some smoke and mirrors but a lot of that is the first 5 games of the season when they were clearly adjusting to a brand new system they were a minus 12 - looked HORRENDOUS. Since then they are plus four which is probably more accurate. Not world beaters, but slightly above average as Carberry figures out lines and what buttons to push.

 

[Misery74]

Think his 36 assist pace isn't going to break any records


But their record is a bit misleading right now....their schedule has been incredibly easy and they are a minus on goal differential.

So far, just beat the Knights, LA, NYR, NJD (2x). They need play the same schedule everyone else plays.

The coach has these guys winning. If Ovechkin turns in around, or even just a middle of the road PP, these guys got something.

 

[surixon]

I'm not sure if he'll hit 20 anymore. I've watched the past number of games and he looks like an absolute shell of his former self. Slow, behind the play and not at all dangerous.

 

[Toby91ca]

I'm not sure if he'll hit 20 anymore. I've watched the past number of games and he looks like an absolute shell of his former self. Slow, behind the play and not at all dangerous.

I'm seeing the same thing....haven't watched all 25 games, but the last few...seems pretty non-existent on most shifts and even on the PP, when you expect him to at least get lots of shot attempts, those aren't event happening very much.....probably more to do with the entire team's crappy PP right now though, he never really quarterbacked the PP, he got himself into that position and guys fed him....so PP woes probably isn't much on him.

 

[surixon]

I'm seeing the same thing....haven't watched all 25 games, but the last few...seems pretty non-existent on most shifts and even on the PP, when you expect him to at least get lots of shot attempts, those aren't event happening very much.....probably more to do with the entire team's crappy PP right now though, he never really quarterbacked the PP, he got himself into that position and guys fed him....so PP woes probably isn't much on him.

I think we are seeing just how important an elite passer and QB in Backstrom was to that pp. You still need to be able to get Ovie the puck in his wheelhouse to optimize his shot.

 

[njdevils1982]

I'm not sure if he'll hit 20 anymore. I've watched the past number of games and he looks like an absolute shell of his former self. Slow, behind the play and not at all dangerous.

I'm seeing the same thing....haven't watched all 25 games, but the last few...seems pretty non-existent on most shifts and even on the PP, when you expect him to at least get lots of shot attempts, those aren't event happening very much.....probably more to do with the entire team's crappy PP right now though, he never really quarterbacked the PP, he got himself into that position and guys fed him....so PP woes probably isn't much on him.

i like ovi but i have to triple down on these two comments... watched the last couple games (skipped hawks game) and looks completely a non-factor in every which way. will not make 20 this season nor reach gretzky. i thought he still had it in before this season but the ship is taking on water and going down fast.

 

[BE Friend]

It's a Christmas Miracle ! A GR8 thing to see.

 

[Toby91ca]

i like ovi but i have to triple down on these two comments... watched the last couple games (skipped hawks game) and looks completely a non-factor in every which way. will not make 20 this season nor reach gretzky. i thought he still had it in before this season but the ship is taking on water and going down fast.

It's hard to say....if this was a guy who had 500 goals and playing out remaining years of his career....who seem pretty normal for retirement to come end of this year. Gretzky retired 2.5 months after his 38th bday, most guys don't make it that long and some play a lot longer of course....but vast majority retire much sooner. Ovechkin is now just about 3 months past his 38th bday, so already played longer than Gretzky. However, he's not a guy with 500 goals, he has 800+ and is less than 70 goals from an all time record, so when retirement comes probably looks a lot different for him. You can also look at this as just a really bad slump and things will turn around, but that becomes less likely the older he gets. As stated time and time again though, goal scorers tend to score in bunches, so he may pot a few in a short time frame....not going to see big time numbers anymore if I were to guess though.

 

[Rebels57]

If Ovechkin plans on playing until he passes Gretzky, he needs to change his fitness routine and slim down.

 

[Toby91ca]

If Ovechkin plans on playing until he passes Gretzky, he needs to change his fitness routine and slim down.

I have no idea how fit or unfit Ovechkin is.....if he's not as fit as he could be, then yeah, this could help, but getting older is getting older, he's never going to get speed back. I've been watching some of the Spittin Chicklets stuff recently for some reason as I stumble upon it on Youtube so I watch the next one and then next one. Saw the one with Crosby then MacKinnon the other day (as an aside, really good interviews.....very different than what you'd get in a regular interview with a reporter....anyway)....this was from 4 years ago I think, so Crosby would have been 32 and they asked him about an area of his game he needs to work on and he talked about speed and was quite a matter of fact about it....as you get older, you simply lose your speed, doesn't mean you are slow, but you simply aren't as fast as you were before so you need to make adjustments to your game. So....this was coming from Crosby when he was 32, Ovechkin is 38, I'm guessing we can forget about any improvements coming from getting more of a speed edge......understanding that's not exactly what you suggested, but that's what I think about when people talk fitness, but suppose that could be more about endurance than speed.

 

[BallardEra]

I think we are seeing just how important an elite passer and QB in Backstrom was to that pp. You still need to be able to get Ovie the puck in his wheelhouse to optimize his shot.

Backstrom has pretty much been a non-factor when Ovie scored 50 and 42 before this season.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I don't watch Cap games too often so I might be way off base here, but the one thing that gives me optimism with Ovi still is that he is shooting at just 5.6%. His previous career low is 10.5%, and he averages around 14%. I know he has lost a step, but that still seems unsustainably low.

There are 296 Forwards in the NHL with at least 30 or more SOG so far. Ovechkin is 271st among those skaters by shooting %.

 

[Toby91ca]

I don't watch Cap games too often so I might be way off base here, but the one thing that gives me optimism with Ovi still is that he is shooting at just 5.6%. His previous career low is 10.5%, and he averages around 14%. I know he has lost a step, but that still seems unsustainably low.

There are 296 Forwards in the NHL with at least 30 or more SOG so far. Ovechkin is 271st among those skaters by shooting %.

The negative view you can take on shooting % and not expecting it to increase too much is back to the decline thing....he's not generating or getting as many chances so he's shooting more at times he wouldn't before because it's not as great a scoring chance, but the chances are fewer so he has to shoot when he has the opportunity and shot isn't as good as it was, so........that said, that's a bit of a reach, I don't necessarily see all that.....but at the same time, I'm not overly optimistic either of the shooting % all of a sudden increasing a lot

 

[Beau Knows]

The negative view you can take on shooting % and not expecting it to increase too much is back to the decline thing....he's not generating or getting as many chances so he's shooting more at times he wouldn't before because it's not as great a scoring chance, but the chances are fewer so he has to shoot when he has the opportunity and shot isn't as good as it was, so........that said, that's a bit of a reach, I don't necessarily see all that.....but at the same time, I'm not overly optimistic either of the shooting % all of a sudden increasing a lot

The other thing is that he could always score from farther away from the net than most other players, so he'd take a lot of shots from places you wouldn't normally expect to score often.

If he's lost enough on his shot, it's possible that that kind of shooting % could be sustainable if he doesn't get close to the net than he used to.

 

[MMANumminen]

Nope, he's fat and washed out