Can we now finally retire Kolzig and Bondra's numbers?

BackToTheBasics

Registered User
Dec 26, 2013
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why don't you look up the season before and see who was assisting on his goals then. Its also worth noting that Backstrom was on the 4th line or playing wing until December that season
What does that have to do with his 65 goal season? I'm not implying that Backstrom hasn't helped him score throughout his career but Ovechkin is a 50 goal scorer with or without him. Backstrom on the other hand is probably a Toews level player without the playoff pedigree without Ovie playing on his wing.
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
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New Bern, NC
[QUOTE="BackToTheBasics, post: 140697217, member: 215089" Backstrom on the other hand is probably a Toews level player without the playoff pedigree without Ovie playing on his wing.[/QUOTE]
That's ridiculous.
 

RandyHolt

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Nov 3, 2006
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Don't some value snipers more then say, cerebral, or strong defensive minded centers? Ovi is a sniper and our undisputed best player. Nick and Pete are completely different players in different eras. Bondra was stuck on D first teams, Nick got Bruce and Ovi and finally a wide open offense.

I know which player got me out of my seat. This all coming from a guy that considers Gus one of my favs of all time.
 
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maacoshark

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Jul 22, 2017
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Don't some value snipers more then say, cerebral, or strong defensive minded centers? Ovi is a sniper and our undisputed best player. Nick and Pete are completely different players in different eras. Bondra was stuck on D first teams, Nick got Bruce and Ovi and finally a wide open offense.

I know which player got me out of my seat. This all coming from a guy that considers Gus was of my favs of all time.
Bondra was on defence first team but didnt play defence himself
 

Corby78

65 - 10 - 20
Jan 14, 2014
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I wish it were easy to remove the Ovi factor/PP dominance out of his assist record.

I wonder how many assists Bengt would have had with Ovi on his wing for almost his entire career. Or Juneau. Ridley, Pivonka, Oates and friends.

Ovi is the only no brainer in the history of our org. If we haven't retired Bonzai, I can't sign off on Nick just yet.

Two wrongs don't make a right...
 

RandyHolt

Keep truckin'
Nov 3, 2006
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Two wrongs don't make a right...

And it's wrong to retire numbers of all good players.

I am just not a fan, and would rather commemorate former players for what they are, people, not a number. I'd like to see far more players respected - maybe 20 players jerseys up in the rafters, in a raft of honor. The number, stripped off and replaced with the years with the team.

Sure, we as fans associate players with their number, but it's not about what us fans think. The Great 8 - nope, that was actually Bob Rouse Alexander Ovechkin. IIRC he actually preferred #32, and may still be his fav for all we know.
 

BackToTheBasics

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Dec 26, 2013
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[QUOTE="BackToTheBasics, post: 140697217, member: 215089" Backstrom on the other hand is probably a Toews level player without the playoff pedigree without Ovie playing on his wing.
That's ridiculous.[/QUOTE]

What's ridiculous about it? Unless you think Backstrom is a consistent 70-80 point player without Ovechkin which I don't. He hasn't proven that he can carry a line all by himself and this year isn't doing him any favors. If you remove the easy secondaries that he gets from Ovie's blasts on the PP, he's basically a 60 point player. He's also been quite underwhelming in the playoffs with the exception of a few decent showings. I don't think the comparison is far off.
 
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BackToTheBasics

Registered User
Dec 26, 2013
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Well, of course. Most people have a pretty high opinion if their own opinions.

Yet you still haven't stated what's so ridiculous about Backstrom not being better than one of the NHL's top 100 greatest players without Ovechkin. :sarcasm:
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
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New Bern, NC
Yet you still haven't stated what's so ridiculous about Backstrom not being better than one of the NHL's top 100 greatest players without Ovechkin. :sarcasm:

This one of those opinion things where there is no point arguing. Adam Oates was an elite passer. He is a legit hall of famer. He didn't carry a line on his own. Nicklas Backstrom is widely considered by the players on the team to be the best player on the team. Not 8. Most of the time Backstrom has played in the league the entire league has been trying to keep the puck away from Ov. They game plan him every game. Yet Backstrom continues to get him the puck anyway. Now, I see that as elite evidence. You don't. Lets move on
 

BackToTheBasics

Registered User
Dec 26, 2013
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776
This one of those opinion things where there is no point arguing. Adam Oates was an elite passer. He is a legit hall of famer. He didn't carry a line on his own. Nicklas Backstrom is widely considered by the players on the team to be the best player on the team. Not 8. Most of the time Backstrom has played in the league the entire league has been trying to keep the puck away from Ov. They game plan him every game. Yet Backstrom continues to get him the puck anyway. Now, I see that as elite evidence. You don't. Lets move on

Last season was the only season where I can remember players on the team referring to him as the teams' best player and it was true last season. Does that still make him the best player this year or the years prior to last season? Of course not.

Anyways, your second point is hardly proof of anything as Backstrom rarely gets Ovechkin the puck where it's literally a tap-in. But anyways, let's move on.
 

maacoshark

Registered User
Jul 22, 2017
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That's ridiculous.

What's ridiculous about it? Unless you think Backstrom is a consistent 70-80 point player without Ovechkin which I don't. He hasn't proven that he can carry a line all by himself and this year isn't doing him any favors. If you remove the easy secondaries that he gets from Ovie's blasts on the PP, he's basically a 60 point player. He's also been quite underwhelming in the playoffs with the exception of a few decent showings. I don't think the comparison is far off.[/QUOTE]
I think Backstrom helps inflate Ovi's numbers a lot more than Ovi does for Backstrom. Backstrom is the real deal.
 

Skrudland2Lomakin

Registered User
Jan 1, 2011
7,676
5,658
Cup is secured, a banner will be raised. Last time I posted my breakdown on why they were worthy of number retirement as compared to the existing class I was met with a lot of posters who said that Ted was waiting raise a SC banner.


So, next season, do we finally see these guys get their due respect? Seems like both are highly active with the organization still.


EDIT: really done goofed that title
 

BiPolar Caps

Registered User
Feb 9, 2010
9,568
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NOVA
I'm for this! Also let's take down all the other Caps banners indicating the various division or conference championships. The only two banners that should be hanging are of course the SC Champions 2018 and Presidents Cup Championship years. SE, Metropolitan or Patrick Division winners means nothing and has been a magnet for derisive comments from other fan bases. Those Division winning banners can either be put behind the glass and put on display on the Capital One Arena concourse or appear somewhere on the walls or rafters at Kettler.
 

Skrudland2Lomakin

Registered User
Jan 1, 2011
7,676
5,658
I'm for this! Also let's take down all the other Caps banners indicating the various division or conference championships. The only two banners that should be hanging are of course the SC Champions 2018 and Presidents Cup Championship years. SE, Metropolitan or Patrick Division winners means nothing and has been a magnet for derisive comments from other fan bases. Those Division winning banners can either be put behind the glass and put on display on the Capital One Arena concourse or appear somewhere on the walls or rafters at Kettler.
I think you can keep up the Conference titles, winning the conference in '98 is still a huge part of this teams history. It'd be weird to take that down while putting up Bondra and Kolzig
 

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