Player Discussion Alexander Ovechkin (Vol. 4)

[um]

Since January 27th, Ovechkin has 13 goals in 21 games and 23 points.

He has the 4th most goals and 15th most points in the league since that date.

View attachment 838154

Look at Hyman's Cy Young numbers. Damn.

 

[EHCler]

Great to see OV and the whole team picking up their game lately.
Given current pace expect OV to score 30 plus und Caps making the playoffs.
Not the easiest schedule but 9 home games (6 away) left und no more travel to the west coast.

 

[kicksavedave]

I still think his back was messed up, and the 10 days off gave him time to actually rest. Remember he wasn't really taking slapshots for the first two months of the season.

Wasn't it also back issues that finally brought Gretzky to retire? Hoping whatever Ovi is dealing with is short term, not major/chronic. Health is the only thing that will keep him from 900.

 

[BallardEra]

8 goals in his first 43 games.
15 goals in his last 22 games.

Needs 7 in his last 14 games to hit 30.

 

[usiel]

8 goals in his first 43 games.
15 goals in his last 22 games.

Needs 7 in his last 14 games to hit 30.

Definitely pretty clear that when the team finally started playing well AOs goal scoring picked up. Caps just did not look good for the first half of the season and without the Outlaw's play would not be where they are now standings-wise.

 

[BallardEra]

Ovechkin is now at 320 goals after the age of 30:

Most NHL Goals After Age 30 | StatMuse

Gordie Howe has gotten the most career goals by a player older than 30, with 383 scored.

www.statmuse.com

 

[Corby78]

On fire and loving it. 25-30 goals around Christmas time seemed impossible.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Meant to post this here but I accidentally posted it on the main board. :

I'm rooting for him. If he can get another 10 this season (might be asking too much? Idk) he would only need two 20 goal seasons to grab the all the time.

I just think it would be a great achievement this day & age considering the lost games because of the lockout and covid.

 

[BallardEra]

8 goals in his first 43 games.
16 goals in his last 23 games.

16 goals in his last 23 games is the 5th most goals in the league over that span.

Also has 27 points over those 23 games.

 

[TheSmokingMan]

I've noticed Ovie picking up the physical play a lot in the last few weeks. That part of his game wasn't really present earlier in the season. I was starting to get worried it wasn't coming back, but it looks like he's back to being his old bull in a china shop self!

 

[Jags]

I'm rooting for him. If he can get another 10 this season (might be asking too much? Idk) he would only need two 20 goal seasons to grab the all the time.

And it's great that the young guys have coalesced around him. Finally having the dead weight out is allowing for the youngsters to grow, and they're all showing something. It'll help Ovi these last years having that youth, scrap, and energy throughout the lineup, and we should have some cap space to throw around, too.

 

[Calicaps]

Meant to post this here but I accidentally posted it on the main board. :

I'm rooting for him. If he can get another 10 this season (might be asking too much? Idk) he would only need two 20 goal seasons to grab the all the time.

I just think it would be a great achievement this day & age considering the lost games because of the lockout and covid.

People forget that he lost ~2 seasons to lockouts and covid. He'd be well past Gretz and sailing toward 1,000 career red lights by now if not for that. And yeah, it makes this chase that much more noteworthy.

If he can break the record, I want him to push for the last 5 to stand alone at 900.

 

[BallardEra]

18 in his last 24 games.

 

[Silky mitts]

18 in his last 24 games.

Kuznetsov’s last game as a Cap was the first game of this run

 

[kicksavedave]

Kuznetsov’s last game as a Cap was the first game of this run

Ovi was just standing around waiting for Kuzy to do something. He finally gave up and said "f***it, I'll do it myself".

 

[Silky mitts]

Ovi was just standing around waiting for Kuzy to do something. He finally gave up and said "f***it, I'll do it myself".

You see him talking to his center on the bench constantly during this run because there’s a possibility his words will result in actions by the person

 

[Raikkonen]

While its hard to understand why didnt he score more in the first half of the season... we shouldnt forget that such big negative runs are probable for the remaining of his contract.

If he get to 30 or 30+ this season it will be enough to score about 25 for two more seasons but we are watching how really tough it would be. Small injuries, some other things - and he's not there

Back to believing he will do it though

 

[Corby78]

While its hard to understand why didnt he score more in the first half of the season... we shouldnt forget that such big negative runs are probable for the remaining of his contract.

If he get to 30 or 30+ this season it will be enough to score about 25 for two more seasons but we are watching how really tough it would be. Small injuries, some other things - and he's not there

Back to believing he will do it though

He already only needs 25 for the next two seasons. I also would be shocked if he didn’t play a year after this contract if he was couple short. Get his last 6-7 and then retire.

 

[TJHKY]

If Ovi score 6 more in 12 games, that will be total 854.

Two more seasons for 40 goals to catch Great one, that is very promising.

 

[kicksavedave]

While its hard to understand why didnt he score more in the first half of the season... we shouldnt forget that such big negative runs are probable for the remaining of his contract.

If he get to 30 or 30+ this season it will be enough to score about 25 for two more seasons but we are watching how really tough it would be. Small injuries, some other things - and he's not there

Back to believing he will do it though

I tell this story occasionally, but I had dinner with Brooks Laiche as a work thing around 2015 and one of the questions he was asked was about how performances vary. His response was that good NHL players don't just suddenly suck - if a guy is struggling its almost always because he's hurt. NHL players are tough, they don't want to come out of the lineup, but they are often playing at 60-70-80% because of an injury that's not really disclosed.

A good guess here is that Ovi's back was acting up, maybe a knee or possibly he got a wrist slash that needed time to heal. Once he's healthy he's back to being Ovi again. There's almost no way that his increase in production recently is just random variance, or him just deciding to play better. His slump was almost certainly him being hurt.

If he stays healthy he'll get close to 1000, certainly pass 99. He could pot 40 next year and no one should be surprised. If he's healthy.

 

[Calicaps]

You see him talking to his center on the bench constantly during this run because there’s a possibility his words will result in actions by the person

Also because his centers have often been 22 or 24 years old. He's teaching.

 

[bacchist]

People forget that he lost ~2 seasons to lockouts and covid. He'd be well past Gretz and sailing toward 1,000 career red lights by now if not for that. And yeah, it makes this chase that much more noteworthy.

If he can break the record, I want him to push for the last 5 to stand alone at 900.

Pretty interesting that he could end up breaking Gretzky's record in fewer games. It will be close, either way.

 

[bacchist]

I tell this story occasionally, but I had dinner with Brooks Laiche as a work thing around 2015 and one of the questions he was asked was about how performances vary. His response was that good NHL players don't just suddenly suck - if a guy is struggling its almost always because he's hurt. NHL players are tough, they don't want to come out of the lineup, but they are often playing at 60-70-80% because of an injury that's not really disclosed.

A good guess here is that Ovi's back was acting up, maybe a knee or possibly he got a wrist slash that needed time to heal. Once he's healthy he's back to being Ovi again. There's almost no way that his increase in production recently is just random variance, or him just deciding to play better. His slump was almost certainly him being hurt.

If he stays healthy he'll get close to 1000, certainly pass 99. He could pot 40 next year and no one should be surprised. If he's healthy.

Healthy Ovi can score 50+ still on a team with other threats.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Imagine if they can plug Leonard in as his RW. Soon as after college season this year.

 

[Raikkonen]

If he stays healthy he'll get close to 1000, certainly pass 99. He could pot 40 next year and no one should be surprised. If he's healthy.

Yes, but thats the thing: the injury probability rises.