Any reason to think McDavid can beat Crosby this year?

[Plural]

Crosby was 42%, McDavid was a DNF.

Why don't we look PPG to get a better idea?

Here's the PPG leaders and games played for both teams.

Pens: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

Oilers: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

What do you make of those numbers?

 

[daver]

Why don't we look PPG to get a better idea?

Here's the PPG leaders and games played for both teams.

Pens: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

Oilers: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

What do you make of those numbers?

If you want to look at PPG's only, then I think you look at the PPGs of the top point getters. Crosby's PPG vs. the average of the next Top 5 Pens scorers is slightly better than the McDavid's.

 

[Bending and Tending]

Why don't we look PPG to get a better idea?

Here's the PPG leaders and games played for both teams.

Pens: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

Oilers: http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...yoffs=N&threshhold=5&order_by=points_per_game

What do you make of those numbers?

For further context:

McDavid had 1.07 P/GP on a team that had 2.43 GF/GP. 1.07/2.43 = ~44% of the team offense. (Note: GF/GP is for the whole season, not just when McDavid is in the lineup)

Crosby had 1.26 P/GP on a team that had 2.96 GF/GP. 1.26/2.96 = ~42% of the team offense.

Also worth noting: the league GF/GP average was 3.08 in 2005-06 and 2.71 in 2015-16..

 

[daver]

But I'll say that McDavid is doing something that is rivaling Crosby. Which is awesome.

He certainly is making the best debut since Crosby/OV, although one could argue since Malkin.

 

[Plural]

If you want to look at PPG's only, then I think you look at the PPGs of the top point getters. Crosby's PPG vs. the average of the next Top 5 Pens scorers is slightly better than the McDavid's.

It's still super close. Close enough for your point about Crosby being more involved in his teams offence is not true. Not in any meaningful way at least.

 

[Plural]

He certainly is making the best debut since Crosby/OV, although one could argue since Malkin.

Yeah, Malkin was dynamite in his second season. Although his first one wasn't quite as good as Crosby/OV/McDavid on per game basis.

I think McDavid shares Ovechkin's spot as the second highest PPG finish ever for a first year player (Gretzky being obviously the best). That's quite impressive even if it was only for 45 games. It's still a sample size with some meaning. I doubt McDavid drops below 6th-8th if he plays the whole season.

Crosby needs to get back in the game soon or he's going to lose this years trophies to McDavid.

 

[Plural]

For further context:

McDavid had 1.07 P/GP on a team that had 2.43 GF/GP. 1.07/2.43 = ~44% of the team offense. (Note: GF/GP is for the whole season, not just when McDavid is in the lineup)

Crosby had 1.26 P/GP on a team that had 2.96 GF/GP. 1.26/2.96 = ~42% of the team offense.

Also worth noting: the league GF/GP average was 3.08 in 2005-06 and 2.71 in 2015-16..

Thanks. So, they are superbly close. Just as I thought.

 

[daver]

It's still super close. Close enough for your point about Crosby being more involved in his teams offence is not true. Not in any meaningful way at least.

The point was to use this as a possible difference maker if their full season production was similar. We are still waiting to see if it applies.

McDavid is still a prospective Crosby level player, IMO.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

?

How so? Crosby played in a waaay easier league against far inferior players and lit them up like christmas. There's nobody that was in the top 20 scoring from the Q that's even in the NHL.

McDavid put up ridiculous numbers against several players who are now playing in the NHL.

Crosby remains the youngest player in CHL history to win the scoring title at 16 years old.

Won back to back scoring titles by huge margins and remains the only player to win back to back CHL Mvps and is the only player with two in history.

Crosby is easily the best CHL player of all tine

 

[Plural]

The point was to use this as a possible difference maker if their full season production was similar. We are still waiting to see if it applies.

McDavid is still a prospective Crosby level player, IMO.

It wouldn't be any kind of difference maker. Not in a way that would actually settle any debate if they are close in relative offensive numbers.

I agree with your last sentence and I would bet a good amount of money in McDavid falling short of Crosby's all-time rank.

I can see McDavid being as good, or even better at their best. But to match Crosby's consistency? Would not bet on it. Crosby's consistency from the start of his career is Bourque-, maybe even Gretzky-like.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

McDavid's going to generate a tonne of chances for his linemates this season. The one thing I'm not sure of is how much he'll score. He still relies on a lot of breakaway/deking the goalie out moves to score goals, and I'm not sure how many of those he'll get against good teams (Calgary was giving them out like they were free candy).

I think that's one area where Sid still has an advantage as a goal scorer.

 

[Philly85*]

McDavid's going to generate a tonne of chances for his linemates this season. The one thing I'm not sure of is how much he'll score. He still relies on a lot of breakaway/deking the goalie out moves to score goals, and I'm not sure how many of those he'll get against good teams (Calgary was giving them out like they were free candy).

I think that's one area where Sid still has an advantage as a goal scorer.

He absolutely does. I think it's been said before, several times, Sid is a superior goalscorer, with a better shot and nose for the net. Just a better finisher period, he was when he entered the league, and he is now. McDavid absolutely will have to work on his shot and ability to finish if he ever wants to get over the hump and match Sid in this regard.

The one thing I can say confidently though, is that he [McDavid] is faster (both now and comparatively to when Sid was 19-23 years old), and more creative than Crosby has ever been. He's just that fast, and that dynamic. And his shot isn't bad per se but it's not elite, but from the pure amount of chances he'played generate I think he can be a consistent 30g scorer.

 

[Calderon]

McDavid's gone pointless for the last two games. What gives? Has he been unlucky in finishing or have the opposing defenses been able to contain him? Always a huge fan of rare offensive talents, I'm just eager to see him lit it up.