Even-Strength Monsters

[Ace36758]

The reference to Gary Roberts in the Lemieux thread got me thinking about players who played extremely well at even strength but for whatever reason (lack of pp time, for example) didn't rack up a ton of pp points.

I'm looking for your less obvious examples-we all know Gretzky was the absolute king of even strength, and often the top scorers are the top ES producers. Given this, what are some lesser-known examples of even strength domination (single season or multiple)?

A couple to start off:

The aforementioned Gary Roberts: 67 even strength points in 1991-1992, good for 3rd in the league behind Mario and K. Stevens. He was 2nd in even strength goals with 38. However, he only placed 17th in overall league scoring due to a comparatively lackluster 23 powerplay points. Roberts was also good in 89-90, scoring 65 of his 72 points at even strength (11th in the league).

Petr Nedved: In 1995-1996, Nedved had 76 even strength points, good for 2nd in the league behind Jagr. He had 99 total points, good for 14th in the league.

Alex Tanguay: In 2000-2001, he had 58 even strength points, good for 5th in the league, but only 77 total points, way back in 28th. Tanguay also did well in 02-03, with 52 out of his 67 points at even strength, good for 9th in the league.

What other examples have you got?

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[Nick Hansen]

Henri Richard was the first one I thought of, although I don't have any stats at hand right now. Hopefully someone else can proide it. I just remember reading a discussion on his ES scoring here some time ago, it was remarkable.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

A few guys from the ATD who have reps as "even strength monsters:"

Henri Richard
Norm Ullman
Mark Howe
Borje Salming
Scott Niedermayer
Tony Amonte
Bill Guerin
Dave Balon
Gary Roberts
Vic Stasiuk
Ron Ellis

This list is not exhaustive

 

[quoipourquoi]

Phil Esposito in Chicago is one of the more infamous ones - 52 even-strength points (3rd) in 1967 but just the 8 powerplay points.

Henri Richard in 1964 was 6 points back from the even-strength leader Stan Mikita (54 to 48) but 36 points back from him in the Art Ross race.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

mogilny

1991: 21st in ES points, tied with roenick and coffey (both 90 point players) (58th in overall points)

1992: (was a big PP year for him, even though he was the 5th option)

1993: 5th in ES points. on pace for 3rd (behind mario and yzerman, who played the full 84—everyone he jumps also played the full 84)

1996: 5th in ES points (9th overall)

1997: 18th in ES points (30th overall)

after that, his distribution of ES to PP points was more normal. still maybe worth pointing out that he finished 4th and 7th in ES goals in 2001 and 2003, while finishing 6th and 20th in overall goals, respectively.

 

[Ace36758]

Martin Havlat with the Hawks in 2008-2009 is another-he had 63 EVPs out of his 77 total points (22nd), good for T-2nd in the league, ahead of guys like Crosby and Datsyuk and tied with Ovechkin.

 

[overpass]

Ralph Backstrom in 1961-62. 60 of his 65 points came at even strength, good for second in the league behind Bobby Hull.

Walt Tkazcuk in 1969-70. 64 of his 77 points came at even strength, tying Bobby Orr for the league lead.

 

[NyQuil]

In general, I think the challenge is even greater for defencemen.

One of the interesting statistics from Erik Karlsson's 82 point 2015-2016 season was that 15 goals and 31 assists were at even strength for a total of 56 even-strength points.

His PP numbers were a single goal and 25 PP assists for 26 PP points total.

His 56 EV points would have been tied for 5th in overall defensive scoring, with Mark Giordano.

He lost the Norris trophy that year to Drew Doughty, whose point total was 51 points, 24 of which were on the PP.

In overall even strength point scoring among all skaters, Karlsson was 6th, one point behind Johnny Gaudreau and Blake Wheeler, and trailing the leader Patrick Kane by 14 EV points.

Burns was the next highest even-strength point producer among defencemen, with 43, which was good for T-31st.

 

[seventieslord]

No one's mentioned Jagr yet.

 

[Ace36758]

No one's mentioned Jagr yet.

Jagr's a good mention for his 93-94 season. 99 total points (10th) with 70 EVPs (2nd).

One thing I noticed looking up some 90s stats is that John Leclair was insanely good at evens. From 1995 to 2000, he was 2nd only to Jagr in even strength points (including leading the league in 96-97 with 81 EVP-40 goals, while finishing T-5th in points). Although, he was 3rd in points in this span so he was good everywhere.

 

[seventieslord]

Jagr's a good mention for his 93-94 season. 99 total points (10th) with 70 EVPs (2nd).

One thing I noticed looking up some 90s stats is that John Leclair was insanely good at evens. From 1995 to 2000, he was 2nd only to Jagr in even strength points (including leading the league in 96-97 with 81 EVP-40 goals, while finishing T-5th in points). Although, he was 3rd in points in this span so he was good everywhere.

It's not just 93-94. Jagr was always exceptional at even strength. In Mario's last two Art Ross years, Jagr was already outscoring him at even strength. And I believe it was just 5 years ago he was 1st or 2nd in ESP but nowhere near the leaders in total points.

 

[tabness]

Fedorov in 1993-1994 was on another level in terms of even strength/shorthanded scoring with 81 points (and 11 more shorthanded points) to second place Jagr's 70 (Lindros and Yzerman would have been close to Fedorov had they played full seasons though).

NHL Stats

He only scored 28 powerplay points though, Detroit in that time was usually splitting the talent on the powerplay between him and Yzerman (Yzerman also was quite low in powerplay points the year before because of this) and the powerplay did not go through Fedorov so much when he was on. So while Detroit scored 85 powerplay goals, Fedorov was only on the ice for 51.

 

[MadLuke]

Seem to be a bit of 2 similar but different conversation going on.

Player really good at even strength.

Player really good at even strength without being has good (or used) relatively on the PP.

Early Jagr would count for both, Bobby Clarke/Lindros/Forsberg for sure for the even strength monster.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Martin Havlat with the Hawks in 2008-2009 is another-he had 63 EVPs out of his 77 total points (22nd), good for T-2nd in the league, ahead of guys like Crosby and Datsyuk and tied with Ovechkin.

That's actually insane lol

 

[sr edler]

Henrik Sedin when he had his 112 point Hart winning season had 83 even strength points.

On the power play that year he had 27 points, 1 more power play point than teammate Ryan Kesler. Also had two shorties.

 

[The Panther]

Gretzky is the king, of course! (Not that he was bad on the PP, either.)

1979-80
ES points = 100
ES + SH points = 102
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 6th

1980-81
ES points = 104
ES + SH points = 111
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 5th

1981-82
ES points = 147
ES + SH points = 155
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1982-83
ES points = 132
ES + SH points = 142
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1983-84 (missed 6 games)
ES points = 135
ES + SH points = 158
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1984-85
ES points = 146
ES + SH points = 164
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1985-86
ES points = 143
ES + SH points = 161
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1986-87
ES points = 124
ES + SH points = 137
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 1st

1987-88 (missed 16 games)
ES points = 91
ES + SH points = 100
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 12th

1988-89
ES points = 100
ES + SH points = 115
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 4th/5th

1989-90 (missed 7 games)
ES points = 96
ES + SH points = 102
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 9th

1990-91
ES points = 103
ES + SH points = 104
Where he would rank in the NHL scoring race with no PP points: 7th


To put this into perspective: If Gretzky had never taken a shift on the Power Play in his career, and retired at age 26, he'd be tied for 1st for the most Art Ross trophies in history (with Howe and Lemieux).

Can't make this stuff up.

 

[The Panther]

Doug Gilmour is a weird one in that he had some big PP-scoring seasons, and then other small-PP scoring seasons, both within his prime. As with Gary Roberts, I guess there was only so much PP-time to go around on those ridiculously stacked Flames' teams c.1988 to 1991-ish.

1988-89
Overall: 26th
ES scoring: 17th
PP scoring: 72nd

1990-91
Overall: 26th
ES scoring: 12th
PP scoring: 98th

You can see why he wasn't crying when he left Calgary!

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Henrik Sedin when he had his 112 point Hart winning season had 83 even strength points.

On the power play that year he had 27 points, 1 more power play point than teammate Ryan Kesler. Also had two shorties.

yeah, this is another one for that perception vs reality thread. for some reason the world thought the sedins were PP reliant players, which is just do you even pacific standard time? their style relies on using the cycle game to turn a 5-on-5 into a 5-on-4. given the space to operate when they are on the PP, they are working without their greatest weapon. i mean, their passing on the PP is also high level, but it's not all time calibre the way their cycle game was.

anyway,

2009: daniel 8th in ES points, henrik 10th; daniel 55th in PP points, henrik 42nd (tied for 13th in overall scoring)

2010: daniel 4th in ES points (while missing 19 games), henrik 1st; daniel 62nd in PP points, henrik 19th (11th and 1st overall)

2011: this was the year their PP was rolling—they finished 1st and 5th respectively in ES and PP points (1st and 4th overall)

and then afterwards, like most aging ES monsters, their ES/PP ratio starts to even out, if not go the other way — henrik was 12th, 9th, and 7th respectively in 2012 (this was the year daniel got concussed); and in their last high level scoring season, 2015, they were 9th and 15th at ES, tied for 17th on the PP, 8th and 10th overall.

 

[Ace36758]

I found another interesting one from 1993-1994. Marty Straka had 60 even strength points, good for 9th in the league, but only 64 (!) total points (77th). PP time was hard to come by on that Pens squad.

 

[Troubadour]

Lindros and Jagr.

 

[Troubadour]

And I believe it was just 5 years ago he was 1st or 2nd in ESP but nowhere near the leaders in total points.

If you mean 15/16, he was 7th in ESP, 3rd in ESP/60 (although that is one of the dumbest stats I can think of).

 

[MS]

1974-75 was the pinnacle of the French Connection years in Buffalo as they reached the Cup Final against Philly.

ES performances on that team :

Gilbert Perreault - 59 points, +1
Rene Robert - 59 points, +7
Rick Martin - 58 points, +5

Don Luce - 59 points, +61
Craig Ramsay - 50 points, +51

The performances of Luce/Ramsay in that season (and they weren't much worse in other years) are some of the most underrated great seasons in NHL history because they didn't have flashy PP points added to throw them into the top 10 in NHL scoring.

 

[scott clam]

Doug Gilmour is a weird one in that he had some big PP-scoring seasons, and then other small-PP scoring seasons, both within his prime. As with Gary Roberts, I guess there was only so much PP-time to go around on those ridiculously stacked Flames' teams c.1988 to 1991-ish.

1988-89
Overall: 26th
ES scoring: 17th
PP scoring: 72nd

1990-91
Overall: 26th
ES scoring: 12th
PP scoring: 98th

You can see why he wasn't crying when he left Calgary!

1990 was the weird year in the middle where he saw a lot off pp action.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

1990 was the weird year in the middle where he saw a lot off pp action.

I wonder how that ties into his whole feud with Risebrough partly because he wasnt getting the powerplay time he thought he deserved by 1992

 

[scott clam]

I wonder how that ties into his whole feud with Risebrough partly because he wasnt getting the powerplay time he thought he deserved by 1992

1990 was the last year with Crisp as head coach, and the reduction in pp minutes was absolutely a factor.

Risebrough never liked Gilmour though, going all the way back to when Gilmour was with St. Louis, and Risebrough was still playing with the Flames.