Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[TheSmokingMan]

There is a small possibility he can have this done by end of next season.

Caps need to focus on sourunding the team with playmakers through trade and free agency this summer.

Ovi breaking this record with all the games in one jersey is a much greater accomplishment than 1st/2nd round playoff series. This should be their focus until it gets done

Umm, I'm pretty sure you can do both. When Ovie is scoring the Caps are wining. Coincidence?

 

[Midnight Judges]

Umm, I'm pretty sure you can do both. When Ovie is scoring the Caps are wining. Coincidence?

You're doing it wrong.

When Ovechkin scores, it's because the team did him a favor.

 

[Firsov99]

Would be really nice for him to surpass Crosby in goals total this season.

Now Sid sits at 34.
Scoring more goals than Sid seems like … the right thing to do.

I don’t think it’s really necessary. Not that Ovi has to rub it in Sid’s face. Let Sid do his thing, and Ovi his.

 

[BallardEra]

Age 31-38 seasons goals for Ovechkin in the NHL and since Matthews rookie season:

1) Matthews - 357
2) Ovechkin - 323
3) Draisaitl - 322
4) Pastrnak - 320
5) McDavid - 313

 

[Zuluss]

Just two goals to goal #850. Any day now.

 

[andrjusha]

18th season with 26+ goals, only Howe has more with 19.

17th season with 58+ points, only Howe(21), Francis, Gretzky, Jagr and Sakic have more.

 

[JianYang]

Age 31-38 seasons goals for Ovechkin in the NHL and since Matthews rookie season:

1) Matthews - 357
2) Ovechkin - 323
3) Draisaitl - 321
4) Pastrnak - 320
5) McDavid - 313

Matthews has scored 357 goals after age 31?

Edit, I see what you're trying to say.

 

[cupface52]

Before the break he has an unnaturally low shooting percentage. Now that the percentage is normalizing his production has gone up.

I told you this before. You didn’t listen. Now look at what’s happening.

You’re not going to be shooting at 7 or 8 percent for long. It may happen over a season (though it’s uncommon) but it’s not going to last forever. Not for a premier sniper.

And this is exactly why I hate when people use "on pace" for partial seasons, especially when ignoring underlying stats. 60 points in 40 games with an on ice sh% of 15% when their career average is 10%, they weren't going to finish a complete season scoring at that pace.

A few years back, '22 I believe, Ovechkin was neck and neck with McDavid for the scoring lead halfway through the season. His on ice sh% was around ~18% though, it was obvious he'd have a major slump at some point. Just like Ovechkin wasn't going to be shooting 6% this entire year, he was bound to have a hot stretch at some point and he's having it.

 

[Essenege]

Another W for advanced stats. By all accounts his scoring slump was abnormal as he’s generating only slightly less scoring chances / expected goals then usual. He’s back at his expected goal level (26 goals vs 24.5) which is basically Ovy’s lower bound for a full season (he usually beat it by a 5-15 goal margin)

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

And this is exactly why I hate when people use "on pace" for partial seasons, especially when ignoring underlying stats. 60 points in 40 games with an on ice sh% of 15% when their career average is 10%, they weren't going to finish a complete season scoring at that pace.

A few years back, '22 I believe, Ovechkin was neck and neck with McDavid for the scoring lead halfway through the season. His on ice sh% was around ~18% though, it was obvious he'd have a major slump at some point. Just like Ovechkin wasn't going to be shooting 6% this entire year, he was bound to have a hot stretch at some point and he's having it.

There’s zero wrong with showing ‘on pace’. But when a guy like OV is ‘on pace’ for ten goals then it makes sense to look at the other numbers. If you’re at like 7 percent shooting percentage then you’re either really unlucky or you’re injured.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[gtrower]

He’s more likely to hit 40 than to fail to hit 30 at this point.

He’s more likely to hit 40 than to fail to hit 30 at this point.

 

[Beukeboom]

Now if he plays like this and leads his team to the playoffs while doing it, I have no problem with him breaking Wayne's record.

It's pretty crazy they might make it given the roster.

 

[cupface52]

There’s zero wrong with showing ‘on pace’. But when a guy like OV is ‘on pace’ for ten goals then it makes sense to look at the other numbers. If you’re at like 7 percent shooting percentage then you’re either really unlucky or you’re injured.

Matthews earlier in the year, 15 games ago or so it was nearly a forgone conclusion by many he'd hit 75+ goals. Had he got injured at the end of his streak instead, over half the board would be claiming that for sure he would have had a 75+ goal campaign.

Crosby in '11-'12, 37 points in 22 games. Too many claim it would have been a 130 point season had he remained healthy. His on ice 5v5% was 16%.

'21-22, Ovechkin on Dec 31 had 50 points in 33 games, he also has 38 ESP. McDavid had 52 in 31. 30 ESP. 4th place Stamkos in 4th place had 39 points in 32 games. What if Ovechkin got injured at that point, would people be claiming he would have arguably had the best season by a 36 year old had he stayed healthy?

It's just disingenuous to credit players for having high ppg for a partial season and using that as a comparison to full seasons. It's essentially punishing players who play the entire, or at least the vast majority of the season.


Hopefully Ovechkin can start out hot next year and hit 40+ goals. Would love nothing more to see him have one more big season.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

He’s literally scored 500 goals since he was “solved”

The man who solved Alex Ovechkin

The amount of theories behind the Washington Capitals’ underachievement are only eclipsed by the amount of theories surrounding the decline in Alex Ovechkin’s production over the last few seasons. Everybody has one. No one knows for certain. But in both … <a...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[BallardEra]

He’s literally scored 500 goals since he was “solved”

The man who solved Alex Ovechkin

The amount of theories behind the Washington Capitals’ underachievement are only eclipsed by the amount of theories surrounding the decline in Alex Ovechkin’s production over the last few seasons. Everybody has one. No one knows for certain. But in both … <a...

sports.yahoo.com

Oh man.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

He’s literally scored 500 goals since he was “solved”

The man who solved Alex Ovechkin

The amount of theories behind the Washington Capitals’ underachievement are only eclipsed by the amount of theories surrounding the decline in Alex Ovechkin’s production over the last few seasons. Everybody has one. No one knows for certain. But in both … <a...

sports.yahoo.com

Haha, that's a great one! My favorite is this one from Adam Proteau, 10 years ago.
Credit to @AlexBrovechkin8 for digging up this gem the other day.

Alex Ovechkin to KHL would be blessing in disguise for Capitals

At first blush, the idea of Alex Ovechkin leaving the NHL to go play in the Kontinental League seems screwy. Unfortunately, after nine NHL seasons, Ovechkin has failed to live up to expectations – if not as an individual, then certainly as the driver of a team. And to Adam Proteau, a Russian...

thehockeynews.com

 

[Bijelo]

You're doing it wrong.

When Ovechkin scores, it's because the team did him a favor.

Doesn't know if you have right.

 

[Zuluss]

He’s literally scored 500 goals since he was “solved”

The man who solved Alex Ovechkin

The amount of theories behind the Washington Capitals’ underachievement are only eclipsed by the amount of theories surrounding the decline in Alex Ovechkin’s production over the last few seasons. Everybody has one. No one knows for certain. But in both … <a...

sports.yahoo.com

It's funny that Kirk Muller who this piece credits for "solving" Ovechkin, is now an assistant coach for Caps.
I guess up until mid-season nobody told that Muller guy he does not have to hold Ovechkin back any longer and is supposed to be a help and not a hindrance

 

[BallardEra]

“Playing his 73rd career game against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers, Ovechkin scored career goals No. 54 and 55 and points No. 99 and 100.”

 

[22FUTON9]

Not gonna lie, I thought he was completely done earlier this season. IIRC he was extremely unlucky but still, he looked slow af.
Just incredible how he keeps on doing this. Hopefully he starts off a lot better next year

 

[Demandedace]

Not gonna lie, I thought he was completely done earlier this season. IIRC he was extremely unlucky but still, he looked slow af.
Just incredible how he keeps on doing this. Hopefully he starts off a lot better next year

A big factor of that was he was likely playing with some sort of injury, but more likely was not as physically fit as usual due to having been in Russia grieving over his father. Then, he came back and was saddled with a crippled Backstrom and a completely checked out Kuznetsov as his centers, he was in no way set up for success earlier this season.

The Caps are now having a youth movement and he's getting to play with their speed/skill to open up the ice a bit and Strome is having himself a hell of a year to make space for Ovi as well. Add into that the four goals called back that Ovi had earlier this season in addition to his normal pipes/crossbars and it makes sense that he looked so bad and un-Ovi-like

 

[potatowejj]

That second goal he scored today was pretty dirty. Vintage Ovie dangle.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

I remember getting laughed at in the “Ovi won’t hit 20 goals” thread for saying he’d hit 30… Not quite there yet but I’m pretty damn confident he’ll get to that, which is insane considering how poorly he started the season. Think he breaks the record next season.

 

[Randyne]

#9 All-time by Primary points:

#	Player	GP	G	A1	Primary P
1​	Wayne Gretzky	1487​	894​	1324​	2218​
2​	Gordie Howe	1767​	801​	746​	1547​
3​	Jaromir Jagr	1733​	766​	684​	1450​
4​	Mark Messier	1756​	694​	751​	1445​
5​	Marcel Dionne	1348​	731​	662​	1393​
6​	Ron Francis	1731​	549​	797​	1346​
7​	Mario Lemieux	915​	690​	654​	1344​
8​	Steve Yzerman	1514​	692​	650​	1342​
9​	Alexander Ovechkin	1414​	848​	426​	1274​
10​	Phil Esposito	1282​	717​	556​	1273​