Will Ovechkins greatness surpass Crosby???

[bobbyking]

assuming Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's all time goals mark. I don't think people understand how remarkable this is considering how many games Ovechkin has missed as well. Combining this with one of the most dominant 3 year peaks in hockey history. his conn smythe might have made it more possible then once thought.

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[Stealth JD]

All-time rankings will probably have Crosby as the better overall player, and more valuable. Ovechkin has the longevity and consistency to end with the more gaudy numbers; but like Hank Aaron isn't considered a 'greater' player than Babe Ruth, it's an angle one can use to at least make the argument.

 

[bobholly39]

Majority of hockey world seems to place Crosby ahead. I know i do. But - a lot of people also place Ovechkin ahead. If you like goals and longevity and peak, there are certainly arguments to get you there.

Where i have a problem is people who say 895 goals will somehow change their all time ranks.

If you have Crosby ahead at 880 goals - well he'll still be ahead at 895 goals. 15 goals dont change that.

 

[PostBradMalone]

If you have Crosby ahead at 880 goals - well he'll still be ahead at 895 goals. 15 goals dont change that.

If Crosby somehow scores 300+ goals over the last 300 games of his career then maybe this would be a logical argument. As it is, he won’t finish anywhere close to Ovi.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Ovechkin is the better player. Accolades and longevity prove it.

Greater player? Close. Crosby won on stacked team Canada teams. He got a lifetime achievement CS in 2016. In 2017 he deserved the CS.

Overall, cups are a team accomplishment.

Ovi is my pick.

 

[bobholly39]

If Crosby somehow scores 300+ goals over the last 300 games of his career then maybe this would be a logical argument. As it is, he won’t finish anywhere close to Ovi.

I'm obviously talking about Ovechkin's goal totals.

If when Ovechkin reaches ~880 career goals, you believe Crosby ranks higher all time. Well - Crosby will still rank higher all-time when Ovechkin reaches 895 goals.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Ovechkin is a one-of-a-kind talent. Nobody has ever done the things that he is doing.

There already is another Crosby.

 

[Gurglesons]

Depends on how you view goals.

 

[tacogeoff]

already has. Ovi's legacy will be much greater than Crosby's legacy when we look 50 years down the road.

 

[dr robbie]

With ~90% of their careers over and both past their peak, I just don't see a logical way Ovechkin can surpass Crosby. I know people get all caught up with recency bias and I'm not trying to dismiss what an accomplishment the all time goal record would be if he gets it, but their legacies are practically cemented at this point. Their cakes have already been baked, we're just seeing the icing being put on them now.

 

[Toby91ca]

Ovechkin is a one-of-a-kind talent. Nobody has ever done the things that he is doing.

There already is another Crosby.

Huh?

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever Crosby did. 50 years from now people will pick up the NHL record books and see OV with the most goals ever, only 900+ goal scorer, almost double the individual awards, etc. That's greatness.

 

[norrisnick]

With ~90% of their careers over and both past their peak, I just don't see a logical way Ovechkin can surpass Crosby. I know people get all caught up with recency bias and I'm not trying to dismiss what an accomplishment the all time goal record would be if he gets it, but their legacies are practically cemented at this point. Their cakes have already been baked, we're just seeing the icing being put on them now.

The premise that odds are slim that anything moving forward will move the needle is true. That Crosby is currently and definitively ahead is in doubt.

 

[Signupnow]

Huh?

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever Crosby did. 50 years from now people will pick up the NHL record books and see OV with the most goals ever, only 900+ goal scorer, almost double the individual awards, etc. That's greatness.

I think this sums it up and the thread can be locked.

 

[norrisnick]

Huh?

McDavid

 

[nbwingsfan]

assuming Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's all time goals mark. I don't think people understand how remarkable this is considering how many games Ovechkin has missed as well. Combining this with one of the most dominant 3 year peaks in hockey history. his conn smythe might have made it more possible then once thought.

Unfortunately there will still be a ton of people saying Crosby > Ovi because three cups to one. That shouldn’t matter nearly as much as people make it to be and Ovi will have the greater career when/if he beats Gretzky.

One will have an all time record that many thought unbreakble, and the other wont

 

[93LEAFS]

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever Crosby did. 50 years from now people will pick up the NHL record books and see OV with the most goals ever, only 900+ goal scorer, almost double the individual awards, etc. That's greatness.

Ovechkin doesn't have a bigger moment if you want to go down that path than Crosby's golden goal in 2010.

 

[nbwingsfan]

With ~90% of their careers over and both past their peak, I just don't see a logical way Ovechkin can surpass Crosby. I know people get all caught up with recency bias and I'm not trying to dismiss what an accomplishment the all time goal record would be if he gets it, but their legacies are practically cemented at this point. Their cakes have already been baked, we're just seeing the icing being put on them now.

The icings my favourite part of the cake though…

Ovechkin doesn't have a bigger moment if you want to go down that path than Crosby's golden goal in 2010.

I’m not sure if one goal (in an otherwise rather pedestrian Olympic Games) is more memorable than breaking an “unbreakble” record to anyone outside of some Canadians

 

[93LEAFS]

The icings my favourite part of the cake though…


I’m not sure if one goal (in an otherwise rather pedestrian Olympic Games) is more memorable than breaking an “unbreakble” record to anyone outside of some Canadians

He did it against the states in OT in one of the most watched Hockey games ever. Crosby managed to win a lot more in his career between best on best and at the NHL level. That does a ton for his legacy historically.

 

[norrisnick]

He did it against the states in OT in one of the most watched Hockey games ever. Crosby managed to win a lot more in his career between best on best and at the NHL level. That does a ton for his legacy historically.

Crosby doesn't win shit if he were born in Vladivostok. International accolades playing for Canada is easy mode.

 

[ottawa]

Majority of hockey world seems to place Crosby ahead. I know i do. But - a lot of people also place Ovechkin ahead. If you like goals and longevity and peak, there are certainly arguments to get you there.

Where i have a problem is people who say 895 goals will somehow change their all time ranks.

If you have Crosby ahead at 880 goals - well he'll still be ahead at 895 goals. 15 goals dont change that.

This post makes literally no sense...Crosby is miles behind Ovechkin in goals so that just destroys your entire argument.

 

[abo9]

In terms of Greatness I think Ovechkin takes it.

He'll have his name at the top of the record books for one of the most, if not the most, important record of the NHL. And he dominates most if not all other sub-records regarding goalscoring.

Rewriting the record book is simply legendary.

once the two of them are retired for 5-10 years, who do we think will the new generation of hockey players look up to catch? They'll look at NHL records and want to beat Ovechkin's goalscoring total, while Crosby will be im the record book between two other hall of famers not named Gretzky.

While Crosby might have been the better overall player, I think his legacy will end up being more of an "oral" one - what a winner he was! But it's hust not the same as having your name as the "one to beat"

 

[TooManyHumans]

If I am starting a team and can take either of them at the beginning of their careers, I take Crosby and it isn't even a tough choice.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Ovechkin is a one-of-a-kind talent. Nobody has ever done the things that he is doing.

There already is another Crosby.

???

 

[nbwingsfan]

He did it against the states in OT in one of the most watched Hockey games ever. Crosby managed to win a lot more in his career between best on best and at the NHL level. That does a ton for his legacy historically.

Yeah but again do you really think one single goal beats out an all time NHL record that most considered unbreakable?

That’s a pretty tough argument to get behind