This is one of the best Art Ross/Rocket Richard races in a long time

[Tofveve]

They said he could be anything...

If those photos are real he's the greatest upset story in history.

 

[Tofveve]

If Johnny Gaudreau plays like he did last night he's got as good a chance as anyone. It's amazing how many great passes he's able to make in only a single shift when he's feeling it - the puck just follows him around.

That said, I would think McDavid will heat up down the stretch - he's due. Smart money is probably on him. It's amazing how much offense those two Pacific stars can create on their own. They are the only two guys in the top 10 without a teammate in the top 30 . . .



They'll fix it. It was the right call based on the call on the ice.

Most games Johnny singlehandedly generates a minimum 4 or more grade A chances. I could see him winning it still for sure.

 

[Tofveve]

He's so one dimensional he leads all flames forwards in +/- since he entered the league.

Was going to mention something about his +/- . Most people are clueless about the full package he actually is but rather parrot negative false assumptions.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

If the flames had any and I mean any semblance of a powerplay Gaudreau would have another 10-15 points (since it should run through him).

Alas our PP is complete and utter trash so he has to get all his points 5 on 5.

If the Sabres had ANYBODY on there team, Eichel would have 15 more points too. And that would make Eichel the leagues leading scorer. I mean nothing against Johnny Hockey, he's amazing but Ferland is serviceable and that Sean Monahan guy is not bad. Jack has a washed up Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons.

 

[bobholly39]

How's he slowed a bit? he has the 2nd most points(1 behind Malkin) since Janurary 1st and has points in all games except 1.

he had like 13 points in 5 games
and since has 11 points in 8 games.

That's slower?

In comparison Malkin had 13 poionts in last 5 games, including 9 goals.

 

[JPeeper]

If the Sabres had ANYBODY on there team, Eichel would have 15 more points too. And that would make Eichel the leagues leading scorer. I mean nothing against Johnny Hockey, he's amazing but Ferland is serviceable and that Sean Monahan guy is not bad. Jack has a washed up Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons.

Such a wasted talent. Dude is special and could be a top 5 talent in the league and will waste his entire career rotting in Buffalo.

 

[Toene]

-To answer this correctly, when Wayne was at his peak in the early 80's, the NHL was averaging 4 goals per game every game. In the last 10 seasons currently, the average NHL goals per game has been below 2.8 in 8 out of the last 10 years, so scoring for the entire league is way down in comparison to when Wayne was putting up his video game numbers.

-In the 90's those numbers went from 3.46 all the way to the low of 2.63. That was the worst scoring the NHL has seen occurred in the mid to late 90's and the last 7 seasons in the NHL.

-So Lemieux put up 85 goals in 89, 69 in 93, 69 in 96, and 50 in 97. That's with cancer and a herniated disc in his back.

-In 6 years after 1996, Jagr scored at least 44 per year with a high of 62.

-Selanne broke 50 4 different times with a high of 75. Bure was at 58+ 4 different times.



-Difference is Ovi has been almost injury free his entire career whether that is lucky or whatever the reason. One of the best goal scorers ever? Yes. Better then the 4 players I mentioned, No. Better than the old timers when you could shoot and score a basketball in the net with ease because it was ridiculously easy to score in the late 70's and 80's when Wayne peaked? Yes.

I kind of agree with you but you have to take into account the depth and speed of today's NHL. Bottom-6ers and third pairing guys are miles better than they used to. The fact that the only other player to post 60 goals since the last lock-out is Steven Stamkos and he did it once tells you all you need to know. Compared to his peers, Ovie is a way better goal-scorer than Lemieux, Jagr and Selanne just because he's so ahead of the rest of the league. So yeah youve got to take the scoring into account, but you cant ignore the competition. Ovie is simply unnatainable. Put prime Mario and Wayne in today's league and imo Ovie still is comfortably ahead in goal scored. Not as skilled or complete as these guys but in goal scoring alone I tend to think so.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

-To answer this correctly, when Wayne was at his peak in the early 80's, the NHL was averaging 4 goals per game every game. In the last 10 seasons currently, the average NHL goals per game has been below 2.8 in 8 out of the last 10 years, so scoring for the entire league is way down in comparison to when Wayne was putting up his video game numbers.

-In the 90's those numbers went from 3.46 all the way to the low of 2.63. That was the worst scoring the NHL has seen occurred in the mid to late 90's and the last 7 seasons in the NHL.

-So Lemieux put up 85 goals in 89, 69 in 93, 69 in 96, and 50 in 97. That's with cancer and a herniated disc in his back.

-In 6 years after 1996, Jagr scored at least 44 per year with a high of 62.

-Selanne broke 50 4 different times with a high of 75. Bure was at 58+ 4 different times.



-Difference is Ovi has been almost injury free his entire career whether that is lucky or whatever the reason. One of the best goal scorers ever? Yes. Better then the 4 players I mentioned, No. Better than the old timers when you could shoot and score a basketball in the net with ease because it was ridiculously easy to score in the late 70's and 80's when Wayne peaked? Yes.

I hope this was meant as a joke because Ovechkin is in a different stratosphere compared to Jagr, Selanne and Bure as a goal scorer.

 

[Smeagoal]

Thread needs more Kessel pics :')

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

If the Sabres had ANYBODY on there team, Eichel would have 15 more points too. And that would make Eichel the leagues leading scorer. I mean nothing against Johnny Hockey, he's amazing but Ferland is serviceable and that Sean Monahan guy is not bad. Jack has a washed up Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons.

I've never known eichel to be a guy who plays well with other good players. He's too puck dominant.

 

[KIRK]

Prediction: Malkin wins both the Art Ross and Richard

Speaking as a Pens fan and with the proviso that it would be nice to see Phil win the Art Ross as a middle finger to all the people in the hockey world who have given him crap, it would be nice to see Malkin win both.

If it happened, that would be 3 Art Ross (joining the list of 8 in NHL history with at least 3, and the only one post lockout), a Conn Smythe, a Rocket, a Calder, 3 cups.

Who knows, maybe it would push him to #100 all time?

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

McDavid now 3 points back.

Clench your sphincters.

 

[Laineux]

With games on hand to everyone in the top 10 as well.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Thread needs more Kessel pics :')

As you wish

 

[Laineux]

If Edmonton's powerplay gets going like it has the last couple of games, I think McDavid will run away with it. He had like a 20 game stretch with no powerplay points and is still 10-15 powerplay points behind most others in the race.

 

[Thenameless]

He's gonna be at it for quite awhile if he doesn't decide to retire early. People scoff at the chance of him breaking 99's goal record...I think it's still very doable.

It's not impossible but I wouldn't consider it "very doable" either. 894 goals in the NHL might be harder than you think.

 

[Akrapovince]

As an Oilers fan, I was reluctant to accept McDavid’s flu as an excuse for his “lacklustre” production by his standards during that time.

Looking back at that with his recent play, it’s pretty amazing the totals he has accumulated this season. Incredible.

Kind of want Stamkos and Kuch to start heating up again though, was fun to watch.

 

[psycat]

Who do you take before him in this list :

Gretzky
M. Lemieux
M. Richard
Hull Sr
Bossy
Hull Jr
Malone
Iginla


I only take the first four but even then Im not sure. Imo prime Ovie was exactly what the legendary Rocket is praised for. A player of pure strength, speed and skill that can score almost whenever he wants to.

65 goals in this era when you have goalies posting numbers over .920 is madness.

The first 4, if any, obviously. The others aint really that close(except maybe Bossy). That said it's still very much debatable. Throw in the fact that someone like Gretzky probably would have scored alot more if he "only" hade like 50 assists per year and it's even more debatable.

 

[BallardEra]

If Edmonton's powerplay gets going like it has the last couple of games, I think McDavid will run away with it. He had like a 20 game stretch with no powerplay points and is still 10-15 powerplay points behind most others in the race.

Have to agree. Crazy to see that Kessel has 33 PP points and McDavid only has 14.

 

[djpatm]

Goal from the Chicago game was awarded to Gaudreau so he's also now at 62 points tied for 4th and 4 points behind 1st.

That's 5 players all within 4 points of 1st. Still anyones race with that much time left.

 

[allan5oh]

Wheeler likely won't win this one, but it would be absolutely criminal if he didn't win the Hart

 

[KIRK]

Wheeler likely won't win this one, but it would be absokurely criminal if he didn't win the Hart

One thing he has going for him is that he's the guy. In Pittsburgh, it's Sid, Geno, and Kessel canceling out each other. And, with TB, people can say 'well, Kucherov has Stamkos'. That said, Wheeler getting into the top 10, preferably close to top 5, will help his case exponentially.

 

[authentic]

Wheeler likely won't win this one, but it would be absokurely criminal if he didn't win the Hart

Really? His team is stacked and he is not the best player in the league.

 

[Frosty415]

I really hope McDavid wins it.

I have a few threads bookmarked from posters (the usual suspects) who bash McDavid constantly and have been saying all year how he won't come close to the art ross trophy.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Would love to see the pens get 3 guys in the top 5. Believe it's only happened a few times in history. Lemieux-Jagr-Francis pens and Gretzky-Kurri-Coffey oilers did it for sure...and i believe a couple of the old Montreal and Detroit teams from the 50s.