Better 36-year-old season: Crosby 23-24 vs Ovechkin 21-22

[wetcoast]

Excluding EN situations, no forward has been on ice for more EVGA than Crosby in 23-24.

Here's how their numbers stack up in the respective seasons:

Crosby EVGA 79 (3.74/60)
Ovechkin EVGA 61 (3.14/60)

Source: evolving-hockey.com

This is another one of thsoe lies, dam lies and staticstics type of arguments.

Crosby is often out there taking defensive zone starts due to his faceoff prowess and Ovi plays sheltered MPG

Here are their offensive zone starts at ES

Crosby 62.6
Ovi 75.1

Let's look at Takeaway/giveaway while we are here.

Crosby 68-41
Ovi 32-50

But MJ will say what about hits, lets look at them along with blocks.

Hits

Ovi 156
Crosby 97

Blocks

Crosby 37
Ovi 27

CF%

Crosby 55.2% (second on his team after his linemate Guntzuel)

Ovi 50.8 middle of the pack on his team.

But some guys are going to focus on goals and forget about everything else I guess.

 

[Regal]

Excluding EN situations, no forward has been on ice for more EVGA than Crosby in 23-24.

Here's how their numbers stack up in the respective seasons:

Crosby EVGA 79 (3.74/60)
Ovechkin EVGA 61 (3.14/60)

Source: evolving-hockey.com

Crosby also has a horrible on-ice save percentage. His expected goals aren’t good, but they’re not bottom of the league bad.

 

[Video Nasty]

It’s certainly a pick ‘em. Ovechkin had the best half of play between the two, but I like the all the way through consistent season Crosby has had this year. Ovechkin fell off a cliff in the second half of 2021-2022. I picked Crosby with this one.

 

[Despote]

Crosby also has a horrible on-ice save percentage. His expected goals aren’t good, but they’re not bottom of the league bad.

EV xga/60 in the seasons in question
Crosby 3.2
Ovechkin 2.74

 

[Regal]

EV xga/60 in the seasons in question
Crosby 3.2
Ovechkin 2.74

Wasn’t comparing them, was talking in general.

Though things like GAR/xGAR and RAPM numbers that factor in team suggest they’re about the same in defensive impact

 

[authentic]

It’s certainly a pick ‘em. Ovechkin had the best half of play between the two, but I like the all the way through consistent season Crosby has had this year. Ovechkin fell off a cliff in the second half of 2021-2022. I picked Crosby with this one.

Yeah I am almost rethinking choosing Ovechkin now and if I were to take one for the playoffs I think it's Crosby without hesitation.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

gotta go with 50 goals
amazing season from both these guys.

 

[ricky0034]

Ovechkin had Kuznetsov and Carlsson soaring over 70 points and was (as usual) very reliant on the PP for a third of his production. Dude has never played a lick of defense. He came a distant 10th in Hart voting with a couple votes thrown his way, presumably by Washington media.

Only Malkin is sniffing 60 points for the Pens this year and barely 20% of Crosby’s production is on the PP. Sid will finish high in the Selke voting and could end up as high as 5th in the Hart race by single-handedly dragging an awful Penguins team into playoff contention.

The answer is 87 by a clear margin, as it always is with these two.

have fun watching everyone slowly forget about your favorite overhyped 2 time Art Ross winner over the coming decades(same number as Martin St. Louis) as Ovechkin takes the all time goal record and carves out an actual legacy for himself

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Too close to call. Both were outstanding. If I had to choose, I'd go with the center over the winger.

 

[wetcoast]

have fun watching everyone slowly forget about your favorite overhyped 2 time Art Ross winner over the coming decades(same number as Martin St. Louis) as Ovechkin takes the all time goal record and carves out an actual legacy for himself

Kind of like how Morenz is forgotten and everyone remembers Nels Stewart as the better player right?

Plus I love the only 2 times Art ross winner like MSL.

Exactly how many times has Ovi won the Art Ross?

Just saying.

 

[ricky0034]

Kind of like how Morenz is forgotten and everyone remembers Nels Stewart as the better player right?

Plus I love the only 2 times Art ross winner like MSL.

Exactly how many times has Ovi won the Art Ross?

Just saying.

I mean he's won 9 Rockets which happens to be the most ever

how many Norris Trophies has Hasek won?

 

[Roksta]

Can't go wrong with both.

I'd take Sid for carrying the pens on his back during their playoff push

Ovechkin's season was frontloaded (Impressive stretch tho) but he kinda fell off at the end

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

EV xga/60 in the seasons in question
Crosby 3.2
Ovechkin 2.74

What are you implying?

 

[biturbo19]

I'd say Crosby has had the better season, comprehensively, all things considered. What Ovechkin did as a goal-scorer was remarkable at that age, but i don't think he was really driving play, taking care of both ends, or dragging other players with him anywhere near the same level at that point. Heck, half those goals were just literally standing in his shooty spot on the Powerplay and letting it rip. Which was still impressive at his age...but Crosby is actually really driving the bus for his team. And scored more points, without the benefit of a Powerplay that was particularly functional at any point in the year.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I'd say Crosby has had the better season, comprehensively, all things considered. What Ovechkin did as a goal-scorer was remarkable at that age, but i don't think he was really driving play, taking care of both ends...

Crosby's defense was terrible this season. Like, really really bad.

 

[nowhereman]

Hooray for blatant falsehoods.

"Remember that one time OV backchecked a few years ago? What a time to be alive!"

 

[Midnight Judges]

"Remember that one time OV backchecked a few years ago? What a time to be alive!"

Ovechkin has never played as pathetic of defense as Crosby did this season. What was he on the ice for - 96 goals against or something like that?

Crosby and Karlsson are a match made in heaven ....for opposing offenses.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Ovechkin will go down as one of the more criminally overrated players to ever play.

If anything he's underrated. The burden put on him by that franchise is insanely high. When he doesn't play the Capitals are a sub-500 disaster. When Crosby doesn't play, over a massive sample size the Penguins are still an elite team.

Came here to say something like this

Never been more sure that someone on HFBoards was going to come into a thread to say the exact thing I figured they'd say then this. Taking over for daver.

 

[wetcoast]

If anything he's underrated. The burden put on him by that franchise is insanely high. When he doesn't play the Capitals are a sub-500 disaster. When Crosby doesn't play, over a massive sample size the Penguins are still an elite team.



Never been more sure that someone on HFBoards was going to come into a thread to say the exact thing I figured they'd say then this. Taking over for daver.

Well you got the like you wanted and that poster was spot on.

 

[biturbo19]

Ovechkin has never played as pathetic of defense as Crosby did this season. What was he on the ice for - 96 goals against or something like that?

Crosby and Karlsson are a match made in heaven ....for opposing offenses.

Blaming Crosby for Karlsson being completely ass and incapable of playing defence doesn't seem all that fair to me. But whatever.

 

[wetcoast]

Blaming Crosby for Karlsson being completely ass and incapable of playing defence doesn't seem all that fair to me. But whatever.

It's not like that poster is trying to be fair here so there is that.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Blaming Crosby for Karlsson being completely ass and incapable of playing defence doesn't seem all that fair to me. But whatever.

I didn't blame Karlsson for Crosby sucking defensively. Crosby has done that all by himself for many years.

 

[biturbo19]

I didn't blame Karlsson for Crosby sucking defensively. Crosby has done that all by himself for many years.

The actual NHL players seems to disagree. But that's okay i guess.

 

[Midnight Judges]

The actual NHL players seems to disagree. But that's okay i guess.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle for the facts and stats supporting my position, and debunking yours.

 

[Toby91ca]

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle for the facts and stats supporting my position, and debunking yours.

Why is it that you seem to know so much more about Crosby's lack of defense that pretty much everyone else around the game? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

In terms of this poll....I honestly don't know, it's pretty even, similar to their entire careers. For their careers, I have Crosby ahead, but I think their 36 year old seasons are even closer. Do you vote OV because he scored 50? Maybe, but goal scoring is his claim to fame and Crosby scored 42 so far for a guy that isn't goal scoring first, so not a huge deciding factor for me. Do you give it to Crosby for scoring a few more points and being a bit higher on the scoring list? Again, not a huge deciding factor as it was pretty close either way. Do you vote Crosby because he did it playing for a worse team or OV because he played for a better team that he would have had influence over them being better?