Is OV a playoff choker?

[Hint1k]

Top 3 play-off performers (active players only):
Tarasenko - 0.5 goals per game
Kucherov - 0.49 goals per game
Ovechkin - 0.47 goals per game
Active NHL Players - Playoff Goals per Game Leaders

There is the obvious reason why Canadian mass media do not use this main stat and prefer to use a secondary stat - points per game.

 

[KJoe88]

OV is not a choker.

The Caps are chokers.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Its a team sport. It takes a team to win.

This...Ovi is not a choker. He produces in the post-season. At a reduced rate, as do most players since...playoffs.
It's just hard to do it as a winger in the post-season. Kane did because he had Toews cleaning up for him, Kessel had Malkin and so on.

I mean, you can rag on Ovi all you want but he never had a super elite centre like a Crosby or Toews or the upcoming Matthews or so on. And the D corps was a solid high-end TV dinner, not an elite assembly. So no, he's not a choker, just an elite player in bad circumstances.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

WTF does any of this mean?

Choke = hes said to choke in the playoffs
Dirty jerz = New Jersey, some people call it that because they think its dirty when in reality NJ is one of the nicest states in the country yet folks think no one wants to play/live here
And hed replace Hall as 1LW.

It wasnt that confusing I didnt think lol

 

[Caps8112]

No, see the excuse is that it’s a team game unless the Caps actually win a cup, then he gets credit for it.

you mean how Crosby gets all the credit while all of his championships Malkin was the better player and his gold medals came from playing on a team that needed him in no way to win gold. Yep

 

[aufheben]

That’s an unfair way to look at this considering 4 of those Game 7’s were against Henrik Lundqvist.

 

[Beau Knows]

you mean how Crosby gets all the credit while all of his championships Malkin was the better player and his gold medals came from playing on a team that needed him in no way to win gold. Yep

For sure Canada would have won in 2010 without Crosby scoring in overtime in the gold medal game, that was such a huge blowout win for Canada that they couldn't have possibly lost that game...

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

No but his team is

 

[PenguinSpeed]

 

[Demandedace]

Kuznetsov and Holtby were the reasons the Caps lost last year. Kuzy had like two points the entire playoffs and Holtby was not good, if either of them had been passable we would have at least made the third round - Ovie is NOT to blame

 

[kmart]

wants to talk about ov chocking then proceeds to compare stats from the big3. which is flawed anyway since 2 of them play on one team.

 

[DDRhockey]

Backstrom needs more criticism.

You mean 2 points in 12 games kuznetsov

 

[Atas2000]

He cares more about international competitions than the cup. It was a mistake giving him the C

So he is true to his colors and knows what's important? The mistake was to give him the joke of a team that never was built to win.

 

[Atas2000]

Why has this all-time great never once elevated his play and lifted his team past the second round? Not even talking about winning the Stanley Cup, but just getting past the second round. Don't act like the Caps are getting blown out 8-0 every game and Ovechkin is completely helpless.

If he "elevated his play" he would be not human anymore. What do you guys want from him? Playing D and G too?

 

[CatOTails]

It gets simply frustrating when OV gets all the blame.
Backs, Kuz, Holtby? Hello?
1 a/b centers should at least sometimes produce like ones and your Vezina-caliber goalie must step up in key games.

 

[Holtbyisms]

oh lawd... Datsyuk must be a playoff choker too since he's .2 ppg less than Ovechkin in the payoffs, right?

 

[Kalv]

Its a team sport. It takes a team to win.

Exactly. So comparing those game 7 stats is very questionable, and especially when there is so marginal difference.
You have to look at other things - does he kills penalties, does he clog opposing top lines in their D zone, etc. The PPG stat won`t show it.

Remember Max Talbot scoring two goals in that game 7? Must be the greatest player ever! Or, you know - others played the tough minutes for him to get open.
Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn`t skip a beat if it was your favorite team playing Washington in game 7, score is tied with one minute to go and WSH goes on a PP with Ovi on the left side.

Ok, I already got myself too deep into this.

So: Ovi is not a PO choker, he is a great player! Probably greatest winger of this generation. But he is sort of one dimensional (SORT OF) - so he needs a great supporting cast to do the other things, and he has got unlucky with that.
Centers play a much bigger and fundamental role on a team and it shows when things are on the line

 

[Paul4587]

Switch Backstrom and Malkin in 2009 and I have a feeling the Caps have a cup that year and not the Pens.

Ovi can't help that often his supporting cast chokes and his team always ends up playing the Pens the year they win the cup. He's certainly had some down playoff runs but he's also had some incredible playoff runs.

 

[412 Others]

And he choked in 2009. He got stopped by Fleury on a breakaway and turned the puck over at the blueline leading to a Crosby breakaway goal. It was hilarious considering he should have been suspended for his dirty cheapshot injuring Gonchar

ovechkin's '09 series gets pretty glorified in hindsight. the reality is, crosby equaled him in points/goals, and was the much superior player in game 7 when it mattered. ovechkin responded by taking a cowardly run at geno in garbage time, only to miss and take out backstrom.

Later on that summer at the NHL awards show he guaranteed a stanley cup victory for the next season.

 

[Gary Bets Man]

I think consensus here is that he is good to great in playoffs offensively, it's always his defensive game that is hounded on.

I can think of one video from a while back (maybe against penguins) in the playoffs, the winning goal was scored as he coasted just behind the play, no dive or stick or desperation to defend in any way. That's where I remember a lot of that "he can't play D" stuff beginning.

Sorry don't have time for video but surely others remember that.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Narratives are not reality, the fact is, it's a team wide issue, not an AO issue.

AO is probably going to finish as the greatest goal scorer of all time

 

[Binister]

This is truly one of the dumbest threads ever.

It's a team game and Ovechkin has done more than his part in the Caps' playoff runs.

/THREAD

 

[SaltNPeca]

He cares more about international competitions than the cup. It was a mistake giving him the C

lol He might care, but doesn't really perform. See 2010, 2014... absolutely embarrassed in 2010.

"Superstar Alex Ovechkin, in his prime, was leading the way, along with fellow NHL stars Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Andrei Markov and Sergei Gonchar."
LeBrun: Alex Ovechkin and Russia collapse mightily in Vancouver

I could really care less if some clearly talented Russians run up the score against the likes of Latvia or churn out amazing career numbers in the NHL. What matters in Playoffs and Tournament elimination games is the team winning. He is unquestionably one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Go ahead and quote Regular Season and Playoff stats... even post some highlight videos. He is the Captain of the Caps and they've failed to win a Cup despite excellent individual statistics and Regular Season team performances.

I honestly hope he can nonetheless win one in Washington or perhaps join a team where he can play the sniper role. Just look at how Phil fits in Pittsburgh.

 

[MessierII]

I mean his career numbers....goals per game, points per game all dip in the playoffs. How is he not?

 

[Fataldogg]

I was talking about this with some friends and decided to discuss here:

Let's compare his game 7 stats to Crosby and Malkin because these 3 are the 3 best players of their generation:

Ovechkin: 6 points in 10 game 7s (0.6 PPG)
Crosby: 5 points in 7 game 7s (0.71 PPG)
Malkin: 6 points in 7 game 7s (0.86 PPG)
Let's look at their points in potential elimination games (where only they could be eliminated)
Malkin: 14 points in 17 career elimination games (0.82 PPG)
Ovechkin: 20 points in 21 career elimination games (0.95 PPG)
Crosby: 14 points in 17 career elimination games (0.82 PPG)
All three of their stats are very comparable, the only difference is that 2 of the three superstars are on one team. Is he a choker? Or does he not get enough help?

I'd say he is not, however, for a player possessing his talent, he definitely needs to get it done.

He has never gotten enough help. If Ovechkin was drafted by the Penguins instead of Malkin, he would already have a Stanley Cup. Ovechkin as a choker in the playoffs is a fallacy (and I'm glad you found the stats to back it up, saves me a little digging). Team sport.

That's why it makes zero sense to use Crosby's team accomplishments when directly comparing the two. Would Canada have won the last couple of gold medals if you swapped Crosby with another 90-point center from Canada? Yeah, they're far and away the best hockey country. It would be embarrassing if they didn't win. If you put Crosby on Russia, does Russia win? No, their team is simply not good enough.

J.T. Miller has an excellent chance winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As does Ryan McDonagh. They could not do it as Rangers. They're on a different team, it's a different opportunity, and they have a better chance than ever to succeed. J.T. Miller, who has 1 goal in 40 playoff games, has a chance to win a Cup before Ovechkin... think about that.