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

BurnabyJoe7

Derek Ryan is a top 6 forward change my mind
Apr 12, 2019
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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.
What a stupid argument.

Ottawa was the only team in the north who didn't make the play-ins last year while the West has 3 and the East has 2. Imagine if McDavid got to feast on the 3 California teams 24 times this year.
 

Deep Blue Metallic

Bo knows hockey.
Mar 5, 2021
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I'm startled that supposedly serious hockey fans on here don't get what's going on.

Rantanen's a superb player. He's light-years from Connor. I'd wager he'd laugh at someone trying to compare him to McDavid. He's arguably the 3rd best positional player on his own team. SMH.
 

Daximus

Wow, what a terrific audience.
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Oct 11, 2014
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Pacific going to be hot garbage next season. Hold on to your butts.

That's the thing he's moving into the division where the Oilers are probably at worst the 3rd best team in that division, who knows about Seattle, but more likely the 2nd best team. It's pretty likely he runs through any team not name Vegas there. Between Calgary, Van, SJ, LA and Anaheim he might actually have some easier matchups there.
 

Bluesguru

Registered User
Aug 10, 2014
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Divisional play no doubt has skewed some of the player stats. There’s guys having goal totals that they wouldn’t normally have. Like Erickson-Ek, he’s got 16 or 17 now. Lot of guys have inflated numbers. And some team win totals as well.
 

OvieGreat8

Registered User
Apr 17, 2021
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108
His "normal" division is crap too.

Look at his stats vs Montreal.
Average.

Its not about how bad the teams are its the style of play.

Plus there's no far travel and most players don't care since its corona.
Basically exhibition.

Zero chance he puts up the same stats in the East.

Same goes for Matthews.
 

Deep Blue Metallic

Bo knows hockey.
Mar 5, 2021
4,760
5,772
What a stupid argument.

Ottawa was the only team in the north who didn't make the play-ins last year while the West has 3 and the East has 2. Imagine if McDavid got to feast on the 3 California teams 24 times this year.
And Arizona.

The whole argument is pointless when all games have been within each division.
 

Deep Blue Metallic

Bo knows hockey.
Mar 5, 2021
4,760
5,772
His "normal" division is crap too.

Look at his stats vs Montreal.
Average.

Its not about how bad the teams are its the style of play.

Plus there's no far travel and most players don't care since its corona.
Basically exhibition.

Zero chance he puts up the same stats in the East.

Same goes for Matthews.
I'm gonna chug a fifth to get on your level. brb.
 
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Future GOAT

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Apr 4, 2017
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What a stupid argument.

Ottawa was the only team in the north who didn't make the play-ins last year while the West has 3 and the East has 2. Imagine if McDavid got to feast on the 3 California teams 24 times this year.
It shouldn't come as a surprise. He's not a poster known for making particularly smart arguments.
 

Garbageyuk

Registered User
Dec 19, 2016
5,522
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I'm startled that supposedly serious hockey fans on here don't get what's going on.

Rantanen's a superb player. He's light-years from Connor. I'd wager he'd laugh at someone trying to compare him to McDavid. He's arguably the 3rd best positional player on his own team. SMH.
I didn't compare him to McDavid. I listed him as an example among many over the years to score at a crazy pace for a good chunk of the season before coming back down to Earth. McDavid is the best player in the league currently, but no, I don't believe he'd sustain this pace over a full normal season. I'll believe it when I see it.
 

majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
24,179
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The division talk is getting overrated. Not everyone in the North is setting records or even personal bests.

McDavid has taken another step. His defensive play is the biggest part of it. Best season by any player in 25 years.
 

The Panther

Registered User
Mar 25, 2014
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His "normal" division is crap too.

Look at his stats vs Montreal.
Average.

Its not about how bad the teams are its the style of play.

Plus there's no far travel and most players don't care since its corona.
Basically exhibition.

Zero chance he puts up the same stats in the East.

Same goes for Matthews.
You must be fun at parties.

And the president of the "alternative facts" club.
 

The Panther

Registered User
Mar 25, 2014
19,110
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McDavid was averaging 1.52 PPG last season, while playing ALL the teams in the NHL, and that was before the Oilers had any offense whatsoever from their defense.

This year, with both Barrie and Nurse in the top-10 NHL defense scoring, McDavid is averaging 1.78 PPG, or 1 more point every four games than last year.

And it's hard for people to believe he could sustain that over 82 games?

The average clubs' goal-scoring this season is 2.86 and last season it was 2.97, which pretty much kills any suggestion that it's "easier" to score this year.

As for travel, as usual, it's harder for the western-based clubs than the eastern-based clubs. The Oilers have had their schedule changed and messed up twice because of other teams' Covid-related issues. (They spent a week in Montreal, didn't play, went to Toronto, then overnight back to Montreal to play one game -- which they were too gassed to show up for -- then back to Alberta, etc.).

People trying to come up with desperate excuses to limit McDavid's season remind me of Stan Fischler vs. Bobby Orr in the 70s and Gretzky in the 80s. It's not going to age well.

McDavid is about to win his third scoring title in five years, and it likely would be in four in five, and possibly five in five, if not for injuries.
 

majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
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Divisional play no doubt has skewed some of the player stats. There’s guys having goal totals that they wouldn’t normally have. Like Erickson-Ek, he’s got 16 or 17 now. Lot of guys have inflated numbers. And some team win totals as well.

His "normal" division is crap too.

Look at his stats vs Montreal.
Average.

Its not about how bad the teams are its the style of play.

Plus there's no far travel and most players don't care since its corona.
Basically exhibition.

Zero chance he puts up the same stats in the East.

Same goes for Matthews.

That's funny, I was just reading about how the Rangers goal totals are inflated because they have the great fortune to share a division with three bottom five defenses.

And apparently Eriksson Ek is only scoring because of the West, and McDavid because of the North. And I've been hearing all year about how awful the Central is.

- good players always tend to score more against weaker teams.
- there are weaker teams in every division (surprisingly evenly spread if you ask me).
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
19,892
5,875
His "normal" division is crap too.

Look at his stats vs Montreal.
Average.

Its not about how bad the teams are its the style of play.

Plus there's no far travel and most players don't care since its corona.
Basically exhibition.

Zero chance he puts up the same stats in the East.

Same goes for Matthews.

Imagine McDavid getting 8 games a year against the awful Red Wings
 

UED

Registered User
May 2, 2021
288
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It’s a mix of both, that being said he’s the same age as Crosby, Jagr, Yzerman and Lemieux were at their peak seasons so there’s a good chance this is McDavid’s peak year, and it’s insane. Crosby never got to continue his peak year and McDavid had only 3 more points than Crosby at the same game mark, but then went on a rampage. Probably decided he wanted to hit 100 points and he’s probably gonna eat the half dead Canucks for breakfast 5 times in a row. Wouldn’t be surprised if he hits 100 and still has a game or two left to sit out to rest for the playoffs.
 

KoozNetsOff 92

Hala Madrid
Apr 6, 2016
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Lol yeah right. Best player in the league, but his "season" isn't even close. OV 07/08 and Malkin 11/12 are the best seasons of the century. At least 10 more I'd rank ahead of this McDavid "season".
 
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TheReelChuckFletcher

Former TheRillestPaulFenton; Harverd Alum
Jun 30, 2011
10,073
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Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC
His ridiculous season is mostly about McDavid being a freak show of speed and skill. I do think, however, that his numbers might've come down only slightly if he had to face the Tampas, the Carolinas, the Colorados, and the Vegases this year. There's a lot of clubs in the North, even good ones like Winnipeg, that have somewhat suspect defenses.
 
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MasterDecoy

Who took my beer?
May 4, 2010
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East 1219 GA / 410 games = 2.97 GA per game

North 1020 GA / 346 games= 2.94 GA per game


Central 1182 ga/ 416= 2.84 per game

west 1171 GA/ 402 = 2.92 per game

even if you take the difference between North and central difference McDavid is still on a 141 pt pace.
and i had to explain to someone that this is a goat-level season. like, you are getting to the point where the only people you are being compared-to are lemieux and gretzky.. if he keeps going, this season is going to be a top 10 all time season for a player.

nuts
 

TopChedder

Registered User
Oct 2, 2013
2,597
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Exactly. Listen as a Nucks fan it hurts to say but there is something different with him this season. He is the best player in the league by a landslide. Sure Drai is a stud but #97 and some seriously good goaltending by Smith has me thinking the Oilers will emerge from the North. It doesn't matter who he plays against, besides the North has some of the best goalies in the league and it hasn't stopped him.

Leafs stopped him pretty easily.

Regardless he is an AMAZING talent and he is entering his peak. The division has helped him a bit though, but he still hits 120+ points this year in a regular season. I am not saying it's the worst division but if you play certain teams over and over you will bank points.
 

Garbageyuk

Registered User
Dec 19, 2016
5,522
5,164
and i had to explain to someone that this is a goat-level season. like, you are getting to the point where the only people you are being compared-to are lemieux and gretzky.. if he keeps going, this season is going to be a top 10 all time season for a player.

nuts
*56 game season. And no, it won't be a top 10 all time season because 100+ points in 56 games has been done 29 times in NHL history, and McDavid is on pace for 99.
 
Last edited:

Garbageyuk

Registered User
Dec 19, 2016
5,522
5,164
McDavid was averaging 1.52 PPG last season, while playing ALL the teams in the NHL, and that was before the Oilers had any offense whatsoever from their defense.

This year, with both Barrie and Nurse in the top-10 NHL defense scoring, McDavid is averaging 1.78 PPG, or 1 more point every four games than last year.

And it's hard for people to believe he could sustain that over 82 games?

The average clubs' goal-scoring this season is 2.86 and last season it was 2.97, which pretty much kills any suggestion that it's "easier" to score this year.

As for travel, as usual, it's harder for the western-based clubs than the eastern-based clubs. The Oilers have had their schedule changed and messed up twice because of other teams' Covid-related issues. (They spent a week in Montreal, didn't play, went to Toronto, then overnight back to Montreal to play one game -- which they were too gassed to show up for -- then back to Alberta, etc.).

People trying to come up with desperate excuses to limit McDavid's season remind me of Stan Fischler vs. Bobby Orr in the 70s and Gretzky in the 80s. It's not going to age well.

McDavid is about to win his third scoring title in five years, and it likely would be in four in five, and possibly five in five, if not for injuries.
There are no desperate excuses needed. It's a 56 game season; therefore, his numbers will be taken with a grain of salt. If he does it next year, he will be given all due credit. Just to be clear: you think he's going to score 145+ points next year?
 

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