Alex Ovechkin scores 40 goals for the 10th season

[MartinS82]

I swear to god John Carlson has the easiest damn job in hockey.

Not disagreeing, but the Kings broadcast focused on Carlson and his assists on the two PP goals. Each time he subtely looks the players off (and isn't looking at OV to his left) and delivers a perfect pass to in Ovenchkin's wheelhouse.

 

[Daximus]

I can only imagine what would have happened if he didn't lose a season and a half. He could likely have been a lock for at least 30 in his rookie year and likely another 20 or so in the shortened season. So he could easily have another 50 on the resume if not more. Hopefully he can get to at least 10-50 goal seasons. If he does it this year only needs 2 more.

 

[Hatfield]

Not disagreeing, but the Kings broadcast focused on Carlson and his assists on the two PP goals. Each time he subtely looks the players off (and isn't looking at OV to his left) and delivers a perfect pass to in Ovenchkin's wheelhouse.

He still hasn't mastered it the way Mike Green did. Actually Carlson was really bad at putting those passes in the right spot for a long time after taking over on the 1st PP unit.

 

[authentic]

He has not reached Crosby's offensive peak and perhaps never will. Another thing he may not reach is Crosby's elite all around game that accompanied his offensive peak or Crosby's level of play in the playoffs.

You, like many others, seem to think that his age allows for baseless speculation as to how good he can get and that will automatically translate into the playoffs.

He absolutely deserves to be considered in the same tier of Crosby and OV after four the first four years of their respective careers but he has not reached their peaks.

I never said he reached their peaks, I said he's not far off.

 

[JasonRoseEh]

Not disagreeing, but the Kings broadcast focused on Carlson and his assists on the two PP goals. Each time he subtely looks the players off (and isn't looking at OV to his left) and delivers a perfect pass to in Ovenchkin's wheelhouse.

Which is something he hasn't been doing most of the year. Mike Green was always incredible at it and while I don't think Carlson is quite as good, he's the key to the PP with his decision making. With Carlson starting to be a bit better in that respect you're starting to see the PP play better and it has been absolutely awful for the better part of the year.

 

[crosbyshow]

The second best scorer of all time in my view.

The best for me: Lemieux

690 goals in 915 games......and he missed 5 1/2 season during his prime (24 to 35 years old)

It's sad because he would have scored ..... almost 1000 goals

 

[Portable Mink]

Except he hasn't been great at it for most of the year and the PP has suffered. Only recently has he started looking off defenders and juking to just freeze the PK long enough, Carlson has been pedestrian for the most part, hope he's just saving it.

Also, it's incredible how much Ovechkin is carrying this Capitals team. 42 goals and the only player on his team in the top 25 in points. Without him this isn't a playoff team, how many players are carrying the offensive load as much as Ovechkin is? I doubt there's 3 in the league.

Which is something he hasn't been doing most of the year. Mike Green was always incredible at it and while I don't think Carlson is quite as good, he's the key to the PP with his decision making. With Carlson starting to be a bit better in that respect you're starting to see the PP play better and it has been absolutely awful for the better part of the year.

As a Caps fan, I think Carlson has been fantastic this season.
He has more assists on Ovi goals than Green did too.

A lot of teams shadow Ovi on the PP. I think the issue more is zone entries and that the Oshie/Wilson spot isnt being utilised enough when they are shading Ovi.

 

[Hippasus]

But it's also worth noting what team he is on.

You're right, but in 16-17 the Oilers were a top-10 team. Since then they've been a bad bubble team.

 

[Bouboumaster]

He's a f***ing beast

 

[me2]

I thought he'd slow down at some point, but nope.

The legend rolls on.

 

[Voight]

Who remembers those Spring 2017 threads about how he was done and was no longer elite? Good times!

 

[Voight]

 

[WingsFan95]

2 more to match Gretz? Funny enough if he gets two more 40 seasons and plays to 40 it's going to be a near certainty he passes 894.

 

[King Mapes]

You're right, but in 16-17 the Oilers were a top-10 team. Since then they've been a bad bubble team.

Because of goaltending. Talbot had a career year then the wheels fell off

 

[Sam Spade]

Who remembers those Spring 2017 threads about how he was done and was no longer elite? Good times!

I just know a whole lot of players were better than him, including Anze Kopitar. That was a good thread.

 

[Hippasus]

Because of goaltending. Talbot had a career year then the wheels fell off

They had defense and forward depth to some degree.

I think McDavid would need a memorable showing in the playoffs in order to really be on the tier of early Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin. Or start to put together a career with an extensive prime, like Ovechkin currently is with 10-40 goal seasons.

 

[illpucks]

2 more to match Gretz? Funny enough if he gets two more 40 seasons and plays to 40 it's going to be a near certainty he passes 894.

He may not play past 35.

 

[King Mapes]

They had defense and forward depth to some degree.

I think McDavid would need a memorable showing in the playoffs in order to really be on the tier of early Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin. Or start to put together a career with an extensive prime, like Ovechkin currently is with 10-40 goal seasons.

I'll respectfully disagree. Ovechkin only made it once his first 3 years and didn't get out of the first round and correct me if I'm wrong but I think he only had one playoff round win his first 6 years in the playoffs. If you point to his goal totals, I'll just point to McDavids point totals and Art Ross trophies. I think he's comparable to early Ovechkin, in a bit of a worse situation. Completely different players but I mean starting off great but little success, though Edmonton is much worse than Washington in how it's run.

Caps even entered some of those years as a one seed if I remember right and got bounced by Montreal first round. So if we're judging off playoff success, you can't use Ovechkin as an example as better than McDavid.

 

[Hippasus]

I'll respectfully disagree. Ovechkin only made it once his first 3 years and didn't get out of the first round and correct me if I'm wrong but I think he only had one playoff round win his first 6 years in the playoffs. If you point to his goal totals, I'll just point to McDavids point totals and Art Ross trophies. I think he's comparable to early Ovechkin, in a bit of a worse situation. Completely different players but I mean starting off great but little success, though Edmonton is much worse than Washington in how it's run.

Caps even entered some of those years as a one seed if I remember right and got bounced by Montreal first round. So if we're judging off playoff success, you can't use Ovechkin as an example as better than McDavid.

We can reasonably see to the end of their fourth seasons. Then we have Ovechkin's higher level of offensive performance relative to his peers, his signature goal-scoring season with 65 goals in 07-08, and his signature playoffs series of 2009 against Pittsburgh with two points per game versus McDavid's two Art Rosses and two to three 100 point seasons.

 

[King Mapes]

We can reasonably see to the end of their fourth seasons. Then we have Ovechkin's higher level of offensive performance relative to his peers, his signature goal-scoring season with 65 goals in 07-08, and his signature playoffs series of 2009 against Pittsburgh with two points per game versus McDavid's two Art Rosses and two to three 100 point seasons.

Exactly. Ovechkin was winning Rockets, McDavid has been winning Art Ross trophies. His PPG wasn't 2 though it was 1.5 but you were basing McDavid off team success so Ovechkin, despite having a much better team, wasn't going far either.

 

[Hippasus]

Exactly. Ovechkin was winning Rockets, McDavid has been winning Art Ross trophies. His PPG wasn't 2 though it was 1.5 but you were basing McDavid off team success so Ovechkin, despite having a much better team, wasn't going far either.

Ovechkin had two points per game in the Pittsburgh series. I probably should have said three 100 point seasons for McDavid. But still, I'm pretty sure a competition between peers analysis involving goals plus assists (which is not the same as a points analysis) would actually bear out my claim in favor of Ovechkin over McDavid for the first four years.

EDIT: One thing that should be taken into account to make it fair for McDavid would be to compare player ages between the two so that they are the same age. This would mean one would probably be better off holding off until McDavid has had more seasons.

 

[JasonRoseEh]

As a Caps fan, I think Carlson has been fantastic this season.
He has more assists on Ovi goals than Green did too.

A lot of teams shadow Ovi on the PP. I think the issue more is zone entries and that the Oshie/Wilson spot isnt being utilised enough when they are shading Ovi.

While he hasn't been Niskanen bad, he hasn't been near what he was last year. His points are whatever but too often he's just listless out there, but that's not just a Carlson problem.

 

[txpd]

He may not play past 35.

I really don't think that is very likely. As recently as last season Ov said he wished he had signed a longer contract.

 

[Tmu84]

I can only imagine what would have happened if he didn't lose a season and a half. He could likely have been a lock for at least 30 in his rookie year and likely another 20 or so in the shortened season. So he could easily have another 50 on the resume if not more. Hopefully he can get to at least 10-50 goal seasons. If he does it this year only needs 2 more.

Or if Ovie had started his career as 18 year old in the NHL like Crosby. European players often are at slight disadvantage here, because rarely they have the chance to start career at 18 year old, imho.

 

[BallardEra]

Just did some stats digging on Ovechkin that I'd like to share.

During his first 7 seasons he scored 339 goals in 553 games. He was scoring at a .613 goals per game rate.

At this point he was coming off a 32 goal season in year 6 and a 38 goal season in year 7.

He was 555 goals! behind Gretzky and people would laugh at the notion that he'd ever catch him. Most thought Ovechkin's best days were clearly behind him and that his 50 goal days were done.

In the next 7 seasons after that and up to today, he has scored 310 goals in 509 games. This is at a goals per game rate of .609.


He now stands at 245 goals behind Gretzky's record of 894.