Will Ovechkin hit 20 goals this season?

[Mulletman]

Man you are so right Kuz plays a whole 3 seconds more per game.

But I whole outmullet you Mulletman.

But Ovi plays 7 seconds more at ES and Kuz plays 1:58 SH.
NHL Stats

Well given his production......... why wouldn't it be?

Who on the caps would you play instead of Ovechkin? They have no other options. The only other somewhat good forwards besides Ovechkin that they have are Strome and Wilson. The caps held on to Backstrom and Oshie for too long. Both should've been traded after the cup win.

Despite Ovechkin's decline he's still the best forward in Washington and will most likely lead the team even while falling short of 60 points.

 

[Toby91ca]

Well Ovechkin still leads his team in points with 24 points in 36 games and he doesn't even get the most icetime of all the forwards: NHL Stats
Ovechkin's icetime is actually down this year compared to the amount he usually plays.

Ovechkin has played more minutes than any forward on his team and far more PP minutes

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Well Ovechkin still leads his team in points with 24 points in 36 games and he doesn't even get the most icetime of all the forwards: NHL Stats
Ovechkin's icetime is actually down this year compared to the amount he usually plays.

That's a 55-point pace. It is atrocious for a player of that caliber and tells you how little offense there is on the team.

 

[Midnight Judges]

The Capitals are playing Hunter hockey again. Get a lead and turtle.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

why would someone like him change sticks from whatever he's used and has worked his whole career?

 

[filinski77]

Frankly I don't really care, if people have a critical look at Ovechkin in his career then they are vilified by a few posters adnauseam anyway.

Also his usage this year compared to his actual production and play has become embarrassing.

Oh, you care A LOT. You take up a ton of your own time to just make posts that simply put him down and shit on him. It's quite obvious to anyone.

Also with the talk of crossbars and post Ovi has 3 posts and 1 crossbar and is in the lower half of each category.

Facts matter.

Completely irrelevant to anything I said, or to the comment you made that was simply just bashing him.

 

[wetcoast]

Oh, you care A LOT. You take up a ton of your own time to just make posts that simply put him down and shit on him. It's quite obvious to anyone.

You are misinterpreting what I said as I don't care about the posters like MJ and company that go ballistic when one brings up actual facts which back up the eye test.

If one pushes back against the actual facts it says something.

Completely irrelevant to anything I said, or to the comment you made that was simply just bashing him.

No you are right it was another guy who is really pushing it and not realizing that it actually doesn't help the case for Ovi this season.

I also don't get this pushback from posting actual facts which to you means bashing him.

His usage,TOI and production are all part of the record and to call it bashing is maybe why people push back is a sarcastic way eh?

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Well Ovechkin still leads his team in points with 24 points in 36 games and he doesn't even get the most icetime of all the forwards: NHL Stats
Ovechkin's icetime is actually down this year compared to the amount he usually plays.

He is a measly 3 seconds behind Kuznetsov while also playing the vast majority of their power play minutes.

There is no one else on the Capitals more suited and put into better positions to score points than Ovechkin is.

 

[njdevils1982]

why would someone like him change sticks from whatever he's used and has worked his whole career?

i'll guess that he's used many different kinds of sticks over the last 19 years

 

[Toby91ca]

He is a measly 3 seconds behind Kuznetsov while also playing the vast majority of their power play minutes.

There is no one else on the Capitals more suited and put into better positions to score points than Ovechkin is.

3 seconds less than Kuznetsov on a per game basis, but he's played about 80 more total minutes than Kuznetsov, 74 of which are PP minutes.

Was listening to the radio for a few minutes today, not sure who it was as I don't listen to talk sports radio that much anymore (not commuting in my car much)....anyway, guy mentions his chaotic Ovechkin dream scenario as he's struggling to get to the record. Malkin gets traded to WSH to help him get to the record. Female that was on with him suggested that's interesting, but mentioned that they do need that additional threat on the PP with OV, but doesn't see Malkin as a that pure playmaker...she suggested Crosby (interestingly enough, Crosby scores more goals than Malkin, but he is seen as much more of a playmaker than Malkin). The guy suggests that is just stupid, no way that would happen....which of course she suggests that's what would make it "chaotic". She added a wrinkle though....it wouldn't be Crosby going to WSH, but OV coming to PIT.

Super unrealistic, but would be a pretty crazy story.

 

[villacco]

wait what?! ..declined a ‘bit’ ? ..he’s on pace for 14 after popping 42 last season . Might be the biggest ‘decline’ in recent NHL history

His shooting percentage is so low. His overall game declined a bit, like every year.
He is not looking much worse than last year on 5 vs. 5
His shot is off, but he is still shooting a lot.
So no, he is not the biggest decline in years. Not even close

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Wayne could have tried to hang around to break 900 goals, but he had class and retired when he still had some gas in the tank but was obviously a shadow of what he once was.

If Ovechkin needs to limp passed the finish line, he should absolutely not break the record that way. It would tarnish his legacy, imo

Barry Sanders could have destroyed the rushing record books in the NFL. Instead, he gifted the rushing yards record to Emmitt smith. I hope Emmitt sends Barry a new car every year as a thank you.

Be a Barry

He’s still effective just not as much as before. He’s leading his team in points last time I checked it’s not like he’s useless. He should retire when he can’t hang not retire when ‘ his PPG isn’t as good’

 

[Strangle]

He’s still effective just not as much as before. He’s leading his team in points last time I checked it’s not like he’s useless. He should retire when he can’t hang not retire when ‘ his PPG isn’t as good’

Gretzky scored 62 points in 70 games his final year. You’re totally missing the point you quoted

 

[DRW895]

Ovechkin in 2024:
a) GW against pengiuns
b) helpers that ended goalles streaks of Kuznetsov vs NJD and Strome vs CAR.
c) still leads in points among all Capitals.
Haters: "Ovechkin is a problem".
This hell gonna end, but when?

 

[coooldude]

Haters: "Ovechkin is a problem".

There is some Ovie hate in here, and there's some Ovie simping, but a lot of it is not that at all.

He's had a legendary career, but it's going to end some time, and his goal scoring pace is down, and there's still a pretty long way to go to the goals record. there's a lot of grey area as to whether his SH% and resulting fewer goals are bad luck, or slower shot velocity, lower accuracy... And what is realistic given what the eye test and new skating speed and burst data show, which is that he's slowing down, even if he's still WSH's leading points scorer.

This thread has devolved in the last few pages as to whether he's completely cooked or not, blah blah, but there has been a lot of interesting discussion about whether he's reasonably going to break the record... Interspersed with not thoughtful one liners and dumb posts.

I realize "a lot of interesting discussion interspersed with not thoughtful one liners and dumb posts" basically describes the entire boards, but oh well.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Gretzky scored 62 points in 70 games his final year. You’re totally missing the point you quoted

What’s the point ? Lol. Why is Gretzky relevant. I’m just saying he’s still an effective nhl er but just because he’s not in his prime doesn’t mean hang them up

 

[george14]

Ovechkin in 2024:
a) GW against pengiuns
b) helpers that ended goalles streaks of Kuznetsov vs NJD and Strome vs CAR.
c) still leads in points among all Capitals.
Haters: "Ovechkin is a problem".
This hell gonna end, but when?

This is a whiny post. An overwhelming majority of people are looking at this reasonably. He will get his goals, as he should, given his TOI and most importantly his PP + EN TOI.

 

[BallardEra]

For a guy lacking in goal scoring this season he really made a great pass to Strome for his goal today.

 

[Strangle]

What’s the point ? Lol. Why is Gretzky relevant. I’m just saying he’s still an effective nhl er but just because he’s not in his prime doesn’t mean hang them up

What do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

He’s the one Ovechkin is chasing for the record. Gretzky is the entire reason there is a thread about how many goals Ovechkin will score this year

And Gretzky retired with grace, instead of chasing the honor of being the only person to ever score 900 goals in the NHL.

If Ovechkin holds on year after year just to catch Gretzky, it would be disgraceful. Gretzky didn’t keep playing when he was still a top-6 player just to pad his stats.

That’s what ovie would be doing.

So what do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

 

[coooldude]

What do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

He’s the one Ovechkin is chasing for the record. Gretzky is the entire reason there is a thread about how many goals Ovechkin will score this year

And Gretzky retired with grace, instead of chasing the honor of being the only person to ever score 900 goals in the NHL.

If Ovechkin holds on year after year just to catch Gretzky, it would be disgraceful. Gretzky didn’t keep playing when he was still a top-6 player just to pad his stats.

That’s what ovie would be doing.

So what do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

You're absolutely right that Gretzky is relevant, but I really don't understand the fixation on what is honorable vs. disgraceful. Plenty of players in plenty of sports hold on for a little longer than they maybe should for one last chance at a record/etc. Peyton Manning won a super bowl with a metal rod for a neck, and while people grumbled about it for a little bit, nobody except the hate-iest of haters are still talking about it.

I wouldn't fault Ovie for sticking around to beat the record. Maybe if like 50% of the goals were EN and otherwise he's playing 4th line minutes, but even so, he had to get this close to even sniff at the record in a much more competitive era, so there wouldn't be an asterisk for me.

I just don't think the odds are currently in his favor, and personally, love the player and guy, and hate the politics, so it's tough for me to say what I want to happen... you're right though that the thread exists to debate this and Gretzky is not only relevant but kind of the whole point.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

What do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

He’s the one Ovechkin is chasing for the record. Gretzky is the entire reason there is a thread about how many goals Ovechkin will score this year

And Gretzky retired with grace, instead of chasing the honor of being the only person to ever score 900 goals in the NHL.

If Ovechkin holds on year after year just to catch Gretzky, it would be disgraceful. Gretzky didn’t keep playing when he was still a top-6 player just to pad his stats.

That’s what ovie would be doing.

So what do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

That's completely irrelevant to my post. I'm not talking about Gretzky and never did. I said AO is still an NHLer. You posting all this nonsense about Gretzky has no parallel to my post and it's kinda weird bro

 

[Strangle]

That's completely irrelevant to my post. I'm not talking about Gretzky and never did. I said AO is still an NHLer. You posting all this nonsense about Gretzky has no parallel to my post and it's kinda weird bro

You originally quoted me in a post about players holding on too long (I reference Gretzky and Barry sanders both)

Maybe go back and follow the discussion to refresh your memory

 

[jcs0218]

why would someone like him change sticks from whatever he's used and has worked his whole career?

Him changing sticks shows that his current goal-scoring slump this season is starting to get to him mentally.

 

[Midnight Judges]

For a guy lacking in goal scoring this season he really made a great pass to Strome for his goal today.

Very unselfish pass there.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

What do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

He’s the one Ovechkin is chasing for the record. Gretzky is the entire reason there is a thread about how many goals Ovechkin will score this year

And Gretzky retired with grace, instead of chasing the honor of being the only person to ever score 900 goals in the NHL.

If Ovechkin holds on year after year just to catch Gretzky, it would be disgraceful. Gretzky didn’t keep playing when he was still a top-6 player just to pad his stats.

That’s what ovie would be doing.

So what do you mean by asking ‘why is Gretzky relevant’?

Fair points, but you have to admit bailing on his contract would not be retiring with grace. If he needs to sign some 1-2 year money tour for the record after this contract then I would agree with you.