Ovechkin not in the top 50 in goalscoring

[hockeykicker]

6 in 16, good for 70th in nhl. only good news for him is auston isn't playing

you do realize ovie is playing hurt right?

 

[jcs0218]

6 in 16, good for 70th in nhl. only good news for him is auston isn't playing

Auston took his torch away.

 

[illpucks]

you do realize ovie is playing hurt right?

I didn't know that. What happened?

 

[jcs0218]

He isn’t getting nearly as many chances on the PP. They don’t draw many penalties to start with, and so far this season the opposing PKers have worked hard to cut off the passing lane from Carlson. As a result, he’s been getting MAYBE one one-timer off per game? Considering that’s been his bread and butter, it’s unsurprising he’s in a bit of a slump.

I haven't watched many Capitals games to offer an insight on what is happening.

But if teams have started taking away the passing lane and limiting his one-timer chances, then my question is:

What took teams so long?

For about 10 years, if you watch the Capitals PP, it has been quite obvious where they wanted to go with the puck. To the top of the left circle where Ovechkin is waiting.

After getting burned repeatedly, over and over for many seasons, it is amazing that professional hockey coaches wouldn't adapt and take that weapon away. Put a PKer at that spot at all times, even if it means you leave yourself in a 4-on-3 situation elsewhere. Just don't let the same player beat you with the exact same shot from the exact same spot for 10 years.

 

[Riddum]

only a few yrs ago

This was 5 years ago. That's a lifetime for a player. Most guys have a peak of 3 or 4 years. He was already pass his peak at that point and now he's 35. How many guys retain their explosiveness at 35?

 

[authentic]

you do realize ovie is playing hurt right?

Matthews has been playing with a wrist injury all season. The torch is simply not with him any longer.

 

[mcleex]

This guys killing my fantasy team. Took him 5th overall

 

[Dread Clawz]

I haven't watched many Capitals games to offer an insight on what is happening.

But if teams have started taking away the passing lane and limiting his one-timer chances, then my question is:

What took teams so long?

For about 10 years, if you watch the Capitals PP, it has been quite obvious where they wanted to go with the puck. To the top of the left circle where Ovechkin is waiting.

After getting burned repeatedly, over and over for many seasons, it is amazing that professional hockey coaches wouldn't adapt and take that weapon away. Put a PKer at that spot at all times, even if it means you leave yourself in a 4-on-3 situation elsewhere. Just don't let the same player beat you with the exact same shot from the exact same spot for 10 years.

This is what I've asked also, what took so long?

 

[MadLuke]

After getting burned repeatedly, over and over for many seasons, it is amazing that professional hockey coaches wouldn't adapt and take that weapon away. Put a PKer at that spot at all times, even if it means you leave yourself in a 4-on-3 situation elsewhere. Just don't let the same player beat you with the exact same shot from the exact same spot for 10 years.

It must because 4 on 3 has such an high conversion rate by minute that it is worth getting burn by Ovechkin (or if you do anything out of the box as a coach and it fail you get much more blame than loosing doing the usual, making it possible for worst strategy to be used)

 

[Hatfield]

I haven't watched many Capitals games to offer an insight on what is happening.

But if teams have started taking away the passing lane and limiting his one-timer chances, then my question is:

What took teams so long?

For about 10 years, if you watch the Capitals PP, it has been quite obvious where they wanted to go with the puck. To the top of the left circle where Ovechkin is waiting.

After getting burned repeatedly, over and over for many seasons, it is amazing that professional hockey coaches wouldn't adapt and take that weapon away. Put a PKer at that spot at all times, even if it means you leave yourself in a 4-on-3 situation elsewhere. Just don't let the same player beat you with the exact same shot from the exact same spot for 10 years.

Well, to be fair, it’s also been a small sample size. They aren’t getting many PPs. When they do, they often have a hard time entering the zone and setting up (this was especially true earlier in the season). Somehow they’ve still had a good conversion rate though. He seems to be functioning more as a decoy/distraction so far this season.

 

[Hank Plank]

This guys killing my fantasy team. Took him 5th overall

Good because no one wants to hear about your fantasy team.

 

[mcleex]

Good because no one wants to hear about your fantasy team.

And I don't wanna hear you

 

[illpucks]

This was 5 years ago. That's a lifetime for a player. Most guys have a peak of 3 or 4 years. He was already pass his peak at that point and now he's 35. How many guys retain their explosiveness at 35?

he caught bear last yr

 

[jcs0218]

Maybe Wayne Gretzky has cast a spell on Ovechkin.

 

[Pi]

I hate Ovechkin as much as the next Pens fan but its obvious to anyone not hiding under a rock that his numbers are suffering just as much as from the new division alinement as it is due to aging.

Likewise I expected Mcdavid and Matthew's to put up carrer years but their numbers would be no where near as impressive if they weren't playing against North division opponents all year round. Must be nice playing the worst defensive team assembled in decades - the Ottawa Senators, 10 times a year

I'm glad this season is only 56 games as it'll limit the overall impact of this years final numbers on a players career in hindsight. Because whatever stats they put will not be an accurate or legitimate measure of their talent.

You do realize that McDavid has 2 Art Ross trophies prior to this divisional alignment and that Matthews was the best ES goal scorer in the league right?

Guys like Crosby and Ovechkin absolutely destroyed horrible teams like the Leafs, Oilers, Islanders etc in their prime when those teams were bad...I didn't see anyone subtracting from their points.

Main difference is that guys like Draisaitl, Marner, Matthews, McDavid are entering their primes and Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby are 4-5 years past their prime.

McDavid had the same # of points last season after the same # of game played. JFresh (great Twitter follow for data analytics) showed that Matthews has maybe one or two more goals because of playing in the North division.

Rangers, Devils, Sabres aren't exactly what I'd call good hockey teams. It's Father time catching up to those players.

 

[Osprey]

Age doesn't seem like a good excuse when:
1) He scored 48 goals in only 68 games last year.
2) Dustin Brown is 1 year older and has almost twice as many goals.

 

[Peter Puck]

I haven't checked yet. How close is the 2nd highest scorer in the East to Ovechkin?

 

[Dread Clawz]

Maybe Wayne Gretzky has cast a spell on Ovechkin.

I never thought he was gonna reach it anyway, it just seems unattainable to me.

 

[Shaman464]

Ovie would have 30 goals if he played in the Canadian division. But being in a division that plays competent team defense, its amazing how teams can plan for guys like Ovie.

 

[illpucks]

I never thought he was gonna reach it anyway, it just seems unattainable to me.

Gretzky also jinxed Patrick Kane and said he hope he breaks his point streak and he'd be at the game

 

[Gargyn]

Well, Cale Makar is 56th for defencemen goals scored.

 

[rea]

Glad this jinx post came up, y'all know he's gonna go en fuego now and still somehow retain his rocket Richard trophy

 

[Hughes86Hischier13]

he looked off in the devils game.

 

[Confused Turnip]

he looked off in the devils game.

He was injured by a shotblock in the previous game, missed practice day before and was a game time decision. Pretty sure he played hurt.

 

[Willy Styles]

You do realize that McDavid has 2 Art Ross trophies prior to this divisional alignment and that Matthews was the best ES goal scorer in the league right?

Guys like Crosby and Ovechkin absolutely destroyed horrible teams like the Leafs, Oilers, Islanders etc in their prime when those teams were bad...I didn't see anyone subtracting from their points.

Main difference is that guys like Draisaitl, Marner, Matthews, McDavid are entering their primes and Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby are 4-5 years past their prime.

McDavid had the same # of points last season after the same # of game played. JFresh (great Twitter follow for data analytics) showed that Matthews has maybe one or two more goals because of playing in the North division.

Rangers, Devils, Sabres aren't exactly what I'd call good hockey teams. It's Father time catching up to those players.

People have a selective memory when it comes to things like this, Ovi would have like 5, 4-goal games a season. Matthews is a way more consistent scorer and can score from virtually anywhere on the ice. I don't think we've seen a goal scorer as versatile as Matthews in a long time.

Anyways Russian Machine Never Breaks! I'm sure Ovi will pot at least 35.