Will Ovechkin hit 20 goals this season?

[Caps8112]

I personally don't agree with what the Pens are doing will lead them to the SC but what does that have to do with what I said?

The production or rather lack of it on the PP by Ovi is just horrible this year so far and it wasn't great last year either.

I get that the Capitals are all in on the record as the owner has stated as such and the TOI and deployment both in offensive zone starts and PP TOI is ridiculously low for the actual production being delivered.

I GET why they are doing it but right now 13 games in he has 4 goals which include 2 ENG, 1 on the PP and one at ES while playing in over 65 minutes on the PP so far and 72% offensive zone starts at ES.

the numbers aren't really lying here.

I’m not arguing against the numbers. I’m saying what can they do differently in the situation they are in. Retire him because they want to start the rebuild now? Whether he scores 70 (not possible) or 17 this season he is under contract. This narrative that it’s only about ovi goals is hilarious. Say they said screw ovi, we are about winning, what would look different for the next two years? Protas on the pp?

 

[Dempsey]

He's on pace for 328 shots, of course he'll score 20 goals. He'll score 30+

 

[Sty1877]

When I saw he scored 2 goals, I knew one of them was an empty net. His record breaking goal will be an empty netter, too.

 

[HTFN]

I personally don't agree with what the Pens are doing will lead them to the SC but what does that have to do with what I said?

The production or rather lack of it on the PP by Ovi is just horrible this year so far and it wasn't great last year either.

I get that the Capitals are all in on the record as the owner has stated as such and the TOI and deployment both in offensive zone starts and PP TOI is ridiculously low for the actual production being delivered.

I GET why they are doing it but right now 13 games in he has 4 goals which include 2 ENG, 1 on the PP and one at ES while playing in over 65 minutes on the PP so far and 72% offensive zone starts at ES.

the numbers aren't really lying here.

Lmfao so playing their best offensive player (regardless of a slump) into form and giving a 38 year old favorable zone starts is selling out and not just good personnel management?

Again, you want him scratched, because ANY use of what he can do is just “selling out for goals”.

Meanwhile nothing about how they’re building their team or signing players indicates they’re doing anything different, and are in fact trying to build a winning hockey team (and doing better than others who get the benefit of the doubt there).

Whiny, feelings based nonsense.

 

[Devonator]

Man oh man...looking at some of the posts here makes me love Ovie all the more!!!

 

[BallardEra]

His record breaking goal will be an empty netter, too.

Would be hilarious just to see the hate that would illicit.

 

[PlushMinus]

Would be hilarious just to see the hate that would illicit.

Especially if he retired immediately after that game

The pearl clutching! "If you remove ENG's from the official totals Gretzky still has the record!" lol

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Would be hilarious just to see the hate that would illicit.

As if the other 800+ goals somehow don’t count

 

[HTFN]

As if the other 800+ goals somehow don’t count

They certainly suggest he doesn't deserve offensive zone starts and should be heavily deployed on defense at 38 so that he can, I don't know... prove something?

 

[SkinsFan09]

I personally don't agree with what the Pens are doing will lead them to the SC but what does that have to do with what I said?

The production or rather lack of it on the PP by Ovi is just horrible this year so far and it wasn't great last year either.

I get that the Capitals are all in on the record as the owner has stated as such and the TOI and deployment both in offensive zone starts and PP TOI is ridiculously low for the actual production being delivered.

I GET why they are doing it but right now 13 games in he has 4 goals which include 2 ENG, 1 on the PP and one at ES while playing in over 65 minutes on the PP so far and 72% offensive zone starts at ES.

the numbers aren't really lying here.

He's old of course they will give him advantageous starts. The team is also devoid of offensive talent.

At this point if they wanted Ovechkin to score on the PP they would change things up.

 

[HTFN]

He's old of course they will give him advantageous starts. The team is also devoid of offensive talent.

At this point if they wanted Ovechkin to score on the PP they would change things up.

If it were all about Ovechkin they’d be rifling through PPD right now trying to find a guy who can give him a pass, because Carlson apparently can’t.

Or something else is going on….

 

[DRW895]

He will hit 20 goals.

How many more times does he play the Islanders? 2 or 3?

Thats like 5 goals right there.

He can hit 40-45, but from time to time he keeps silence against both New Yourk teams.

 

[SkinsFan09]

When I saw he scored 2 goals, I knew one of them was an empty net. His record breaking goal will be an empty netter, too.

Gretzky's 50 in 39 games was an empty netter

 

[FriarChill]

Not sure why so many complain about him scoring empty net goals? Like Gretzky set the record with 0 ENG over his career haha

 

[The Panther]

Gretzky respectfully scored most of his goals on goalies who stayed up, in the 80s where games were regularly 7-6.

I would say that's kind of disrespectful, by you. Your math is a little off.

The vast majority of NHL clubs in the 1980s scored between 3.5 and 3.9 goals per game.

Yes, we all know that the goaltending position has improved greatly, regardless.
_________

About Ovechkin, I think he's fine. Before the season, I predicted he'd score around 35 goals, and maybe now I'd dip that down to about 30. But he'll still get his goals.

The issue he's now facing -- as I predicted a couple of years ago -- is that the Capitals appear to be going into the basement a bit. (They don't totally suck or anything, but I'd be surprised if they're truly competitive for the next few years.) So, Ovechkin's choice is to keep playing in his "hockey senior" years for a non-competitive club of guys 10-20 years younger than him, or to retire before he knows if he's truly done and/or has a chance to break the goals record.

Many all-time greats have faced the same dilemma, of course.

 

[hfman]

Like the poster above just stated, at what point does he become too much of a liability?

No team, even the Caps, are gonna keep a 40+ year old who can only score 15 goals while adding nothing else of value.
I'm not sure Ovechkin would even want that,

this is where you're wrong

the Capitals will continue to re-sign him until he breaks the record

Not only is it legendary for Ovie on a personal level to break it but it's also legendary for the Washington Capitals hockey club to have had the highest ever goal scorer playing for their team

There's no debate here. Period.

The Capitals are re-signing him year-after-year until he breaks it.

 

[villacco]

He has the same amount of shots (4 per game) like in the last years. His shooting percentage is unsustainable low. He will score at least 30 goals in a full season. My guess: 35 goals

 

[Signupnow]

I would say that's kind of disrespectful, by you. Your math is a little off.

The vast majority of NHL clubs in the 1980s scored between 3.5 and 3.9 goals per game.

Yes, we all know that the goaltending position has improved greatly, regardless.
_________

About Ovechkin, I think he's fine. Before the season, I predicted he'd score around 35 goals, and maybe now I'd dip that down to about 30. But he'll still get his goals.

The issue he's now facing -- as I predicted a couple of years ago -- is that the Capitals appear to be going into the basement a bit. (They don't totally suck or anything, but I'd be surprised if they're truly competitive for the next few years.) So, Ovechkin's choice is to keep playing in his "hockey senior" years for a non-competitive club of guys 10-20 years younger than him, or to retire before he knows if he's truly done and/or has a chance to break the goals record.

Many all-time greats have faced the same dilemma, of course.

But was there not super teams against bums ? What was the goal average in the stacked teams vs the lower tier teams that drag down those numbers?

 

[alphabetical]

But was there not super teams against bums ? What was the goal average in the stacked teams vs the lower tier teams that drag down those numbers?

The average in the 80s was 3.83 goals per game for each team. I'm including seasons 80-81 through 89-90 because I don't care enough to clip seasons in half. During ovechkin's career, the average is 2.84 goals per game for each team.

If you want to assess the oilers, they had 5 seasons in the 80s where they averaged over 5 goals per game, including one season at 5.58 goals per game.

 

[Peltz]

Plot twist: Wayne Gretzky comes out of retirement and signs a 6 month contract with the Capitals. After a motivational pep talk, the two team up and Ovi scores 71 more goals this season to break the record. Gretzky fades away like a ghost after the last game and nobody ever sees him again.

This is like unironically the plot of the the last Jedi lol

 

[Peltz]

It’s not realistic for a guy who scored at a 47 goal pace just last season, and hit 50 the year before? Ok.

If he can’t nail his one-timer with as much velocity and accuracy as he could last year, then no, it’s not realistic.

He was one of the only players in the league who could beat a goalie without traffic cleanly from the top of the circle. He may not be able to do it anymore.

 

[Peltz]

2 goals in 10 games?

4 goals in the next two games and hes back to 6 in 12 - a 40 goals pace

Of course he needs to score those 4 goals, but his shooting percentage is extrenely low relative to his norm. It wouldnt be too surprising if he did

Why not just expect him to score 30 goals I. The last 10 games then?

 

[YippieKaey]

Hes also 36 on an aging team. Im not going to hold it against him or the team to just pursue that record as they are obviously nowhere near Cup contenders. The biggest shame is Backstrom no longer there to help Ovi on that quest for the record

He's actually 38. Which makes it even more impressive.

 

[abo9]

Why not just expect him to score 30 goals I. The last 10 games then?

Why not eh? 30 goals in 10 games is definitely the same as 4 goaks in 2 games

 

[orby]

Ovi is getting old and playing on a very ordinary team. The goals are likely going to come slower from this point forward. Still, I have to think his early season totals are mostly indicative of a slump. Assuming he plays all 82 games, anything less than 30 goals would surprise me.