Do you think McDavid is having the best season of the 2000s or the new divisions are the reason?

[Black Kevin]

McDavid is going to suffer an ankle injury or something stupid like that during the first period of the last game of this season and ends up with 99 points this year.

Next year he'll start the season with that said stupid injury and ends the season with ~100 points. Haters will say this year's success was all because of trash North Division. Calling it.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

Yes, because you get to feast on shittier teams.

That's my point lol

The West also has the 3 best teams in the Western Conference from last year, plus Minnesota who was comparable to the best North team, so not sure how you pretend that your "point" somehow proves something. What's the excuse for why they were so much better than the Canadian teams last year? Or the year before? Or the excuse for why Minnesota was only 2 points behind Edmonton last season, before they added Kaprizov and found decent goaltending?

 

[authentic]

Yes, it’s the clear best season In 25 years. Nothing else is really close quite honestly

Crosby's 95 points in his first 56 games in 2006-07 wasn't close? Ovechkin's 88 points and 42 goals in his first 52 games in 2009-10 wasn't close?

 

[Fataldogg]

New divisions are not the reason. Why is Draisaitl scoring at a lower clip than last season? Draisaitl should be doing better because of the division based on that argument..

McDavid is improving because he is becoming more effective as a player on an annual basis.

 

[Future GOAT]

The backflips some are prepared to do in order to avoid accepting the accomplishment is impressive.

TBF It's largely staunch Crosby stans and a few senior citizens who are still living in the glory days of yore.

 

[Steve]

TBF It's largely staunch Crosby stans and a few senior citizens who are still living in the glory days of yore.

I don’t know, it’s this the North division sucks thing. The absolute acceptance that the defence is terrible instead the offence being exceptional is odd - the truth probably lies in the middle.

You could also call me a Crosby fanboy and IMO McDavid has a long way to go before his career is seen in that light, but what he’s doing is remarkable. (Same with Matthews but that’s another contentious story)

 

[Shaman464]

I don’t know, it’s this the North division sucks thing. The absolute acceptance that the defence is terrible instead the offence being exceptional is odd - the truth probably lies in the middle.

You could also call me a Crosby fanboy and IMO McDavid has a long way to go before his career is seen in that light, but what he’s doing is remarkable. (Same with Matthews but that’s another contentious story)

The North as a group has the weakest defensemen as a whole. There is some amount of his point total that is a result of not having to go against the best defenders in the game for a whole season. The question is what percentage of his points are accounted for because of that.

 

[authentic]

I don’t know, it’s this the North division sucks thing. The absolute acceptance that the defence is terrible instead the offence being exceptional is odd - the truth probably lies in the middle.

You could also call me a Crosby fanboy and IMO McDavid has a long way to go before his career is seen in that light, but what he’s doing is remarkable. (Same with Matthews but that’s another contentious story)

Also the North Division isn't even averaging the most goals per game despite all the offensive talent it has, so that argument can't be taken seriously anymore.

 

[NoName]

This is a wild and wacky season, but honestly... yes. The stats he is putting up this season are at a pace that we haven’t seen since peak Lemieux, Yzerman and Jagr at the cusp of the dead-puck era.

 

[authentic]

This is a wild and wacky season, but honestly... yes. The stats he is putting up this season are at a pace that we haven’t seen since peak Lemieux, Yzerman and Jagr at the cusp of the dead-puck era.

Yzerman was putting up no such thing at the cusp of the dead puck era. 1989 sure, totally different story.

 

[winnipegger]

Just on talent alone Mcdavid is the best since Mario. Let's see if he can win something. And it really is up to him to win something. He is carrying that team on his lanky, talented back .

 

[Zerotonine]

Crosby's 95 points in his first 56 games in 2006-07 wasn't close? Ovechkin's 88 points and 42 goals in his first 52 games in 2009-10 wasn't close?

Weren't half of Crosbys points from the pp that year as well?

 

[pcruz]

According to Leafs media, Auston Matthews is having the best season of ALL TIME. Behold Leafs Nation:

Ahh yes, the official media source for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Editor in Leaf actually has an office within the Scotiabank Arena (he's still allowed to call it the ACC).

This is the epitome of journalism, though.

 

[authentic]

Weren't half of Crosbys points from the pp that year as well?

Yes, 61 of 120, not sure what it was up to the 56 game mark though. That is a point in McDavid's favour, but Crosby did score more at ES during his shortened seasons in 2010-13, so all in all they are still fairly close at their peaks so far. If McDavid does anything close to this in a full season next year (assuming we have one) then you could comfortably say it's McDavid.

 

[Shanahanigans]

The way some fans of American teams are holding on to this "Canadian Division has no defense" narrative to downplay the accomplishments of players in the division reeks of insecurity. Literally every single stat shows that GF and GA is at the same clip as last year, and the same as the other divisions; and you guys all see this. But don't let actual stats get in the way of your narratives if it makes you feel better I guess.

 

[The Macho King]

New divisions help because the North has either shaky defense, shaky goaltenders, or in a lot of cases both.

Doesn't help that much. McDavid is having a f***ing insane season by any standard.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Ive seen a lot of the Canadian division games and its horrible. Habs, Sens and Flames are bottom 10 teams and Winnipeg isn't much better, especially defensively.

He's good, but he's not 2011 crosby or 65 goals Ovi.

This but he is still just a phenomenal player. I want to see what he does next year with a more normal schedule and more travel etc.

 

[Mrb1p]

This but he is still just a phenomenal player. I want to see what he does next year with a more normal schedule and more travel etc.

He is, clear cut generational talent and he would run away with the award.

 

[SkinsFan09]

65 goals Ovi got to feast on the awful Southeast Division

Also very true. The most incredible part of that season is that he outscored the next closest teammate by 43 points and 39 goals.

 

[SkinsFan09]

He is, clear cut generational talent and he would run away with the award.

You're interpreting my post the wrong way, I don't mean "his stats will be cut in half", I mean "what is he going to do over a normal schedule playing at this level??"

 

[Mrb1p]

You're interpreting my post the wrong way, I don't mean "his stats will be cut in half", I mean "what is he going to do over a normal schedule playing at this level??"

No, I was agreeing with you lol.

 

[authentic]

New divisions help because the North has either shaky defense, shaky goaltenders, or in a lot of cases both.

Doesn't help that much. McDavid is having a f***ing insane season by any standard.

Lol did you happen to see the post right above yours?

 

[SML2]

New divisions.
CMcD playing the same teams so many times has to benefit him. He gets to figure out dmen and goalies with that much repetition and there's really nobody who has figured him out. I would have liked to see him play the Islanders this year though. They are like a boa constrictor. They would make Jaques Lemaire proud. They just get a lead and put the sleeper hold on and it's goodnight nurse.

 

[The Macho King]

Lol did you happen to see the post right above yours?

Save percentage in the North division is at early 90s levels. GF/GA isn't exactly a great metric to use in that case for a ton of reasons (wide disparity in talent most notably). McDavid and the Leafs group are feasting on incredibly bad goaltending.

That's fine. Still impressive as hell and the best season of this century.

 

[North Cole]

Save percentage in the North division is at early 90s levels. GF/GA isn't exactly a great metric to use in that case for a ton of reasons (wide disparity in talent most notably). McDavid and the Leafs group are feasting on incredibly bad goaltending.

That's fine. Still impressive as hell and the best season of this century.

Not sure I agree, tbh. Currently the North division has 9,191 shots against and 885 goals against, for a sv% of 0.904. Overlaying the pacific division over the same stats gives you 12,343 shots against and 1240 goals against, for a sv% of 0.900.

Using the same methodology as last year looking at the Pacific teams - 17,695 SA, 1,677 GA, and a sv% of 0.905, which is 0.001% better than the North this year.

League average sv% for all teams last year was 0.905, this year is 0.904 - so interestingly enough, the north is actually right at league average this year, whereas the Pacific teams this year are sporting a 0.900 sv%, which is 0.004 lower than league average. Still not significant but it is a bigger change than the North vs the Pacific last year. So Pacific sv% has regressed worse year over year, than the Sv% between the North this year vs the whole league last year. I think sv% is pretty early 90's levels, across the whole board TBH and doesn't really explain the divisions scoring.