Which player is the all-time leader in empty net goals?

[Murky]

Gretzky was good defensively? He didnt play defense.

He wasn't nearly as bad as one might think. His hockey IQ was still there. He wasn't a good defensive forward by any means, but he wasn't a liability like some other offensive stars of the 80's. Anyway, for Wayne there was Kurri for that boring stuff.

 

[myzteriouz]

I think there is usually a negative or sarcastic tone in posts referring to his empty net goals.

Anyways, I'm interested to see exactly how "huge" his percentage of goals are empty netters. Is it that outlandish comapred to other goal scorers either past or present in this league?

Pacioretty has gotten 17 ENG out of his 226 total goals, making his percentage 7.5% of all goals being a ENG...that puts him around the same as Marchand (19 outta 225 8.4%) and Tavares (20 outta 268 7.4%) (tried to find the guys closest to him in GP and Goals scored and ENG scored)

 

[Chet Manley]

I respect the EN goal... finish them! Perhaps these records are attainable if the trend of teams pulling their goalie with 2 to 3 minutes left sticks around.

 

[joe dirte]

He also going to break Gretzky's Ovechkin's goals record

do you really think that?

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I remember reading in Gretz's "My Life In Pictures" book he talked about how he had a knack for the Empty Net goals, and they were a lot harder than people give credit for.

Considering he's the GOAT with or without those goals, there might be something to that.

 

[Blade Paradigm]

I remember reading in Gretz's "My Life In Pictures" book he talked about how he had a knack for the Empty Net goals, and they were a lot harder than people give credit for.

Considering he's the GOAT with or without those goals, there might be something to that.

Empty net goals are actually very pivotal, considering how stressful the situation is for the defending team. The defense is under siege, and the team is desperately trying to hold on to a slim lead.

The quicker the empty net goal can be scored, the quicker the pressure is off. Failure to alleviate pressure means the worst thing in hockey for the defending team -- a tied game heading into OT. Some teams are actually very poor at defending with the empty net; check the 5-on-6 Goals Against category on NHL.com.

Very rarely do spectators see the opposing goaltender leave the crease in the final two minutes and think "this will be easy."

 

[Gabe the Babe]

Luke Glendening 33 goals scored, 8 of which are ENG, basically every 4th goal he scores is an ENG, that's the highest ENG to goals ratio I could find..I'm sure there's probably someone who's scored 1 of his 2-3 goals ENG way down on the list but haven't gone through all the pages

Timander also got 3 ENG of his total of 13, at 23%

edit: went a bit further, and of 2 ENG or more Randy Bucyk got the highest ratio, with 2 ENG and 4 goals total...also see Duncan Siemens have scores his so far one and only goal as an ENG so he's got a 100% ratio

Time to start a hot take thread "Duncan Siemens is the greatest empty net goal scorer of all time. Change my mind."

Duncan Siemens is the best player in NHL history. Let my mans be.

 

[John Matthews]

Gretz really was a greedy SOB wasn't he. Dominating everyone statistically but still had to pad dem stats with the empty netters.

Confirmed Generational ENG sharp shooter.

 

[KCbus]

Some teams are actually very poor at defending with the empty net; check the 5-on-6 Goals Against category on NHL.com.

You have a link for that? It's such an oddball stat, I couldn't figure out where to search for it.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Some rare statistics in that graphic. What blew my mind a little is that despite playing in almost 1,500 NHL games, Gretzky only had 5 penalty shot attempts in his career. Brad Isbister and Ziggy Palffy had that many.

The leaders? Vincent Lecavalier with 13. Ovechkin has 12. And Rick Nash and Pavel Bure are tied at 11.

I would reckon that he still scored on so many times that a PS was awarded that he probably negated more penalty shots than he attempted.

 

[COHawk]

Well no surprise to see Pat Kane up there, will probably be top 10 after his career.

Gretzky scored 56 out of 894 goals, .062 ENG%. Kane has 18 of 311, .057 ENG%. Kane is better than Gretzky.

 

[Andy6]

I don’t know why EN goals are discounted so much. They are among the most crucial goals you can score, and if you were good at scoring them it would directly result in points for your team. If Laine (or Gretzky) can pot them regularly from the neutral zone and end games that way, while other players can’t, why shouldn’t that be a plus for him?

 

[Oddbob]

I don’t know why EN goals are discounted so much. They are among the most crucial goals you can score, and if you were good at scoring them it would directly result in points for your team. If Laine (or Gretzky) can pot them regularly from the neutral zone and end games that way, while other players can’t, why shouldn’t that be a plus for him?

Apparently it is better to miss the empty net, and have the other team come back and tie it up!

 

[MartyOwns]

Having the puck 99% of the time, is the best defense you can have.

- Michael Scott

 

[thedustman]

You have a link for that? It's such an oddball stat, I couldn't figure out where to search for it.

NHL.com - Stats

have the canucks really not let up an empty net goal this year?

wait, never mind, the canucks have not let up an extra attacker goal.

 

[The Roy Of Ottawa]

Even without those 56 empty net goals, Gretzky would still be ahead of Howe in goals.

 

[rent free]

Even without those 56 empty net goals, Gretzky would still be ahead of Howe in goals.

he is the goat for a reason

thats not it though, but he's still the goat

 

[Juxtaposer]

Without looking, I bet Joe Thornton is up there. He loves to pass the puck into the net.

 

[Leonhard Euler]

Quite interesting to see Gretz as far as 21st in GWG. Jags is destroying that

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

Shouldn't we have an adjustment for these ENG totals based on era played in?

I would think that there is more opportunity in today's NHL to score an empty net goal then there was in the past.
With scoring being lower today the opportunity to be down by one goal near the end of the game is higher now.
Also it's only recently (Patrick Roy started this) that teams began pulled their goalies with 2 minutes left in the game, prior to that it was usually done much closer to one minute left in the game.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

I remember reading in Gretz's "My Life In Pictures" book he talked about how he had a knack for the Empty Net goals, and they were a lot harder than people give credit for.

Considering he's the GOAT with or without those goals, there might be something to that.

Gretzky was a weakling.
This was a time of the game that his coach could put him on the ice, without Semenko having to hold his hand, and he wouldn't have to worry about him being hurt because the opposition was more concerned about scoring then they were about hitting Gretzky.
Grant Fuhr deserves a lot of credit for holding the fort while the Oiler's were down a man after the opposition had pulled their goalie and Gretzky was circling in the neutral zone waiting for a pass.

 

[SoldiersOfFilth]

what about the Lucic special

 

[Jumptheshark]

Wayne Gretzky with 56 according to NHL.com

NHL.com - Stats

Yep. Ain't close

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

One day this record will belong to none other than Patrik Laine

Teams pull their goalies more aggressively now. This is a record which could be broken.

 

[Yackiberg8]

Laine's gotta be close at this point