The Panther
Registered User
Since Yzerman in 1988-89 often gets brought up in diverse threads, it started me thinking: How do we go about evaluating Yzerman in 1988-89?
While he was obviously one of the greatest players of his era and probably a 'Tier-2' or at worst 'Tier-3' all-time center, let's just focus on his 1988-89 season. Where do you rank it in Yzerman's career, and/or in all-time seasons by forwards?
This is of course the year when he scored 155 points, still the most by any player in one season who isn't Wayne or Mario. 65 goals (24th most all-time, most-ever by a Red Wing), and there are only (I think) 11 players who have scored more goals than that in one year. Then, his 90 assists that season rank 26th all-time (30th, if per game is considered). But, it's more impressive than that sounds because only 9 players have ever had more assists in a season (and one, Lafontaine, needed four more games to get to 95).
What perhaps makes Steve's 155 point-season all the more remarkable is that he did it with little scoring talent in teammates. While there was one other elite talent at center (Adam Oates, although he hadn't peaked yet), the only scorers of note at wing were Gerard Gallant -- who had four good seasons between 1986 and 1990... all when he played on Yzerman's wing -- and veteran Paul MacLean. And that's it.
How did Yzerman's 155 points break down over the season? He had 37 points in the first 20 games, 45 in the next 20 games [i.e., 82 points at mid-season], 37 in the next 20 games, and 36 in the last 20 games [i.e., 73 points in the second half]. Despite a bit of a slow-down in the latter half of the season, his biggest game was a 6-point game in Edmonton on March 15th, and the next biggest game was a 5-pointer in Boston on January 14th (so, these two biggest nights were both on the road). He also had seven 4-point games (the Wings' record in these 4+ point games was 6-0-3). Conversely, he was shut out completely in 10 of the 80 games he played (the Wings' record in these games was 2-5-3). You might expect that Yzerman really feasted on the weaker Norris division, but that wasn't the case -- he had a higher scoring pace against ALL the other divisions. Notably, against the Patrick division, he had 43 points in 18 games (he scored 7 goals in 3 games against Philly).
As we know, however, despite these remarkable stats, Yzerman finished only 3rd in League scoring (to Lemieux and Gretzky) and 3rd in goals (to Lemieux and Nicholls). About his 82 points at mid-season: at the same stage (40 games played), Lemieux had 113 points; Gretzky (in his first year in L.A.) had 88 points; and Nicholls had 86.
It's weird to think of it, but Yzerman was actually in 4th in scoring at mid-season...
Is there any way to be more critical of Yzerman's record-setting season (aside from the more evident superlatives)?
1988-89, while not quite as high-scoring overall as six or seven years earlier, is the only season in history where three players scored 150+ points... and FOUR did it! And despite Yzerman's huge season, Detroit actually fell 13 points in the standings, from 93 points to 80 (.500 even). After a solid 17-9-4 start in the first 30 games, they went a rather poor 17-25-8 from mid-December to the end of the season, when they were then eliminated in 6 games by Chicago. So Yzerman's increased production wasn't reflecting in wins.
My feeling about that season that is Demers and Yzerman had a really good relationship by 1988, and that Demers probably tempered his 'defence-first' attitude in regards to Yzerman that year. What I mean is, Demers probably gave Steve more of a green-light to open up and score as much as he could, knowing that the Wings' lacked offensive depth. It all paid off for Yzerman, of course, though I guess the Wings just didn't have enough depth to support his talent up front.
Anyway, most points ever by a non-Wayne/Mario player... and yet at the same time he scored only 5 more points (and 5 fewer goals) than Bernie Nicholls.... it's kind of an odd season in relative terms.
Do you think 1988-89 is Yzerman's best season? And how do you rank it among, say, post-expansion seasons by forwards?
While he was obviously one of the greatest players of his era and probably a 'Tier-2' or at worst 'Tier-3' all-time center, let's just focus on his 1988-89 season. Where do you rank it in Yzerman's career, and/or in all-time seasons by forwards?
This is of course the year when he scored 155 points, still the most by any player in one season who isn't Wayne or Mario. 65 goals (24th most all-time, most-ever by a Red Wing), and there are only (I think) 11 players who have scored more goals than that in one year. Then, his 90 assists that season rank 26th all-time (30th, if per game is considered). But, it's more impressive than that sounds because only 9 players have ever had more assists in a season (and one, Lafontaine, needed four more games to get to 95).
What perhaps makes Steve's 155 point-season all the more remarkable is that he did it with little scoring talent in teammates. While there was one other elite talent at center (Adam Oates, although he hadn't peaked yet), the only scorers of note at wing were Gerard Gallant -- who had four good seasons between 1986 and 1990... all when he played on Yzerman's wing -- and veteran Paul MacLean. And that's it.
How did Yzerman's 155 points break down over the season? He had 37 points in the first 20 games, 45 in the next 20 games [i.e., 82 points at mid-season], 37 in the next 20 games, and 36 in the last 20 games [i.e., 73 points in the second half]. Despite a bit of a slow-down in the latter half of the season, his biggest game was a 6-point game in Edmonton on March 15th, and the next biggest game was a 5-pointer in Boston on January 14th (so, these two biggest nights were both on the road). He also had seven 4-point games (the Wings' record in these 4+ point games was 6-0-3). Conversely, he was shut out completely in 10 of the 80 games he played (the Wings' record in these games was 2-5-3). You might expect that Yzerman really feasted on the weaker Norris division, but that wasn't the case -- he had a higher scoring pace against ALL the other divisions. Notably, against the Patrick division, he had 43 points in 18 games (he scored 7 goals in 3 games against Philly).
As we know, however, despite these remarkable stats, Yzerman finished only 3rd in League scoring (to Lemieux and Gretzky) and 3rd in goals (to Lemieux and Nicholls). About his 82 points at mid-season: at the same stage (40 games played), Lemieux had 113 points; Gretzky (in his first year in L.A.) had 88 points; and Nicholls had 86.
It's weird to think of it, but Yzerman was actually in 4th in scoring at mid-season...
Is there any way to be more critical of Yzerman's record-setting season (aside from the more evident superlatives)?
1988-89, while not quite as high-scoring overall as six or seven years earlier, is the only season in history where three players scored 150+ points... and FOUR did it! And despite Yzerman's huge season, Detroit actually fell 13 points in the standings, from 93 points to 80 (.500 even). After a solid 17-9-4 start in the first 30 games, they went a rather poor 17-25-8 from mid-December to the end of the season, when they were then eliminated in 6 games by Chicago. So Yzerman's increased production wasn't reflecting in wins.
My feeling about that season that is Demers and Yzerman had a really good relationship by 1988, and that Demers probably tempered his 'defence-first' attitude in regards to Yzerman that year. What I mean is, Demers probably gave Steve more of a green-light to open up and score as much as he could, knowing that the Wings' lacked offensive depth. It all paid off for Yzerman, of course, though I guess the Wings just didn't have enough depth to support his talent up front.
Anyway, most points ever by a non-Wayne/Mario player... and yet at the same time he scored only 5 more points (and 5 fewer goals) than Bernie Nicholls.... it's kind of an odd season in relative terms.
Do you think 1988-89 is Yzerman's best season? And how do you rank it among, say, post-expansion seasons by forwards?