Will Ovechkin hit 20 goals this season?

[Sasha Orlov]

What's more crazy is that the 'greatest player ever' could only score 9 goals at Ovechkin's age.

What do you mean by this

 

[coooldude]

Ovechkin's had incredible longevity and success well into his thirties - he's an outlier in a good way. "Faster than people expected" hinges strongly on recency bias.

Fine, add "this year," evidence: this thread.

 

[T REX]

Is there fan voting for this year's all-star game?

If so, don't be surprised to see him voted in by the fans.

So highly doubt the fans vote him in. Not a chance.

 

[heretik27]

Two more years under contract after this one, hope he bounces back because it could be a really ugly end to a HOF career.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Two more years under contract after this one, hope he bounces back because it could be a really ugly end to a HOF career.

I think he has to bounce back somewhat. He's still getting shots and sooner or later some will go in.

The question is will he bounce back enough.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Bryan Hayes at TSN took a lot of criticism for leaving Ovechkin off a Top 50 Players list at the start of the season. Watch this video and Jeff O'Neill was killing him for it.

This is 2 months old, O'Neill should be apologizing to Hayes for his insight.

 

[333359]

After 26 games the "getting a lot of shots, some will go in" argument is getting kind of old.

 

[heretik27]

I think he has to bounce back somewhat. He's still getting shots and sooner or later some will go in.

The question is will he bounce back enough.

Yeah, saw he had like 14 SOG's in one game the other day. I feel like a players shot is always the last thing to go, I'm not convinced he's completely cooked just yet.

 

[Grifter3511]

After 26 games the "getting a lot of shots, some will go in" argument is getting kind of old.

Here's the million dollar question. What will recalibrate first? Ovechkin's shooting % or Canucks PDO?

 

[pi314]

After 26 games the "getting a lot of shots, some will go in" argument is getting kind of old.

He means when the goalie is pulled.

 

[Nasti]

Yeah, saw he had like 14 SOG's in one game the other day. I feel like a players shot is always the last thing to go, I'm not convinced he's completely cooked just yet.

If he‘s not scoring despite 14 shots on goal, perhaps his shot is going.

 

[PlushMinus]

If he‘s not scoring despite 14 shots on goal, perhaps his shot is going.

4th game of the season against Toronto - he had 14 shots and 1 goal.

(Woll was in net - if it had been Samsonov he'd have scored 7)

Hasn't come anywhere close to that number since then.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

My bet would be he plays next year, starts seeing 4th line minutes and PP minutes, scores another 10-15, maybe, and retires.

Ooohhh, super edgy. OV suddenly not going to honor the last year of his contract with the Caps, leave all that money on the table, taking his puck and going home?

This guy knows hockey.

 

[jcs0218]

Love seeing the 0 next to his name after every game. I want him out there at 60 still trying for the record.

Andi Petrillo did a funny impression of what that would sound like at 7:35 of this video:

 

[chauron]

If he‘s not scoring despite 14 shots on goal, perhaps his shot is going.

This might be close, either the shot is gone or he’s slowed down and (when everyone knows what he’d trying to do) he does it too late.

 

[jcs0218]

This might be close, either the shot is gone or he’s slowed down and (when everyone knows what he’d trying to do) he does it too late.

If age has caused Ovechkin's reaction time when receiving a pass to slow down even 1/10th of a second or if age has caused Ovechkin's release of the puck on a one-timer to slow down even 1/10th of a second, either scenario gives goaltenders 1/10th of an extra second to get into position and track the puck.

For most NHL goaltenders, having an extra 1/10th of a second is often all they need to make a save.

This could be the difference between Ovechkin firing one-timers from the top of the circle when he was 25, 30, or even 35 and scoring on them, as compared to Ovechkin doing the same as a 38 year old.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Malkin & Ovi will soon retire. Panarin is 32. Looking at U23/U24 forwards for Russia in the league. Looks pretty thin tbh.

Heck, Russia has not a single top U26 forward

 

[CashMash]

I wanted to see the record broken, but it looks like it's not happening.

He is done.

If I am wrong, I will gladly accept it because this is a sad turn of events.

 

[coooldude]

Ooohhh, super edgy. OV suddenly not going to honor the last year of his contract with the Caps, leave all that money on the table, taking his puck and going home?

This guy knows hockey.

Juvenile sarcasm is easy, bro. What's your take? I'm sure it'll blow all our socks off.

 

[Chet Manley]

Is a drop in shooting percentage a common thing with age? As an old fart, I imagine it's one of the last things to go.

 

[Calderon]

Almost a third of the season gone, Ovi's on peace for 15 goals. The collapse of real. I'm starting to wonder if Ovi himself begins to realise he just can't catch Gretzky, at least not in a manner that's in any way dignified. And... just hang it up before his contract is even up. He's already made something like $150M and at this rate he's going to be humiliated rather than celebrated (talking about just this last stretch here). Soon he'll be in the territory of not being offered an NHL deal at all if he was hypothetically not under contract (see Marleau, Thornton).

 

[YippieKaey]

"My" case for "bro" science? How about "the global consensus" case for "elite athletic performance in every pro league and Olympic program on the planet"? I have no skin in this game, I'm just stating reality. Nobody anywhere is going to encourage drinking and cheesy pasta eating to a pro athlete and the ones that can succeed doing that for a long time are few and far between. As I said before, the fact that Ovie was successful doing so (which is rare) was another reason why he is such a legend and beloved.

I think Ovi knows more about "the global consensus" than you do.....

Dr. Ovechkin? Alex Ovechkin is officially one step away from earning his PhD.

Hockey Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup champion, and doctor? Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is one step away from earning a new,…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[shaner82]

After 26 games the "getting a lot of shots, some will go in" argument is getting kind of old.

But it's true, at least somewhat. Shots will go in, eventually. Not like before of course, but Ovi hasn't forgotten how to shoot. I doubt his shot is much slower than it used to be. I play with guys who can absolutely hammer the puck, and these are guys 2-3 beers deep, working 40 hours at another job, not really playing hockey much, etc. A players shot never really goes away. A little slower release, a little less power on the shot sure, but Ovi had a lethal shot. I'm sure it's mostly there still. I'll be surprised if they don't start going in at some point this year.

 

[Sentinel]

Now on pace for 15. Yikes.

 

[T REX]

I play with guys who can absolutely hammer the puck

Gotta ask...so?