As I mentioned last week, if we are comparing Ovechkin to Gretzky by career games played, Gretzky is now moving from his 4th season in the NHL to his 5th. Gretzky's 320th career game was his first of the 1983-84 season.
That season was special for Gretzky. He tallied his second highest goal total, 87, and his 2nd of 4 seasons with 200 points. He did all of this while playing in only 74 games, his lowest total in his first six season's. As a result Gretzky's 1.176 goals per game and 2.77 points per game in '83-'84 were career highs. You can certainly make an arguement that Wayne Gretzky's 1983-1984 season were his best and possibly, therefore, the best individual season in hockey history. That's a lot for Ovechkin to overcome.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Game Recap 4/3
Alexander Ovechkin continued his scorching scoring pace last night, scoring his 55th goal of the season and adding two assists in a 5-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He has now scored a goal in four consecutive games, and has four multi-point games in his last six games. Ovechkin now has 218 goals for his career.
Ovechkin and the Caps are off today, before hosting the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday at 3 P.M.
Ovechkin and the Caps are off today, before hosting the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday at 3 P.M.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Gretzky's First Four Years vs. Ovechkin's
Tonight's Capitals game was significant, not just because Ovechkin scored, but because it was Ovechkin's 319th game played. This total matches Gretzky's total through his first four years. At the end of the 1982-83 season Gretzky had scored 269 career goals in 319 games.
It's difficult to find something that references the date that season ended. For this article's sake we'll use April 1, 1983
At his current '08-'09 GPG average of .730, Ovechkin will end his fourth year in the NHL with 58 goals giving him 221 for his career. That will place him 48 goals behind The Great One.
It is important to factor age into the debate. At the end of the 1982-83 season Wayne Gretzky was 22 years, 2 months and 5 days old. At the close of the 2008-09 NHL season on April 11th, 2009 Alexander Ovechkin will be 23 years, 6 months and 25 days of age. That will give Gretzky 1 year, 4 months and 20 days on Mr. Ovechkin through 4 NHL seasons. Not only does Ovechkin have to over come Gretzky's 48 goal lead but if he plays to around the same age as The Great One (appox. 38 years, 3 months in April 1999) he'll obviously have to do it in less time. However in the interest of full disclouse Gretzky only tallied 9 goals in his final season at age 37/38. This leaves room for Ovechkin to make up some of the difference in his final season, assuming for the sake of this arguement he only plays until he is 38.
Whether or not we should be comparing Ovechkin's goals to Gretzky's by games or age is a subject of debate we intend to take up in the future.
It's difficult to find something that references the date that season ended. For this article's sake we'll use April 1, 1983
At his current '08-'09 GPG average of .730, Ovechkin will end his fourth year in the NHL with 58 goals giving him 221 for his career. That will place him 48 goals behind The Great One.
It is important to factor age into the debate. At the end of the 1982-83 season Wayne Gretzky was 22 years, 2 months and 5 days old. At the close of the 2008-09 NHL season on April 11th, 2009 Alexander Ovechkin will be 23 years, 6 months and 25 days of age. That will give Gretzky 1 year, 4 months and 20 days on Mr. Ovechkin through 4 NHL seasons. Not only does Ovechkin have to over come Gretzky's 48 goal lead but if he plays to around the same age as The Great One (appox. 38 years, 3 months in April 1999) he'll obviously have to do it in less time. However in the interest of full disclouse Gretzky only tallied 9 goals in his final season at age 37/38. This leaves room for Ovechkin to make up some of the difference in his final season, assuming for the sake of this arguement he only plays until he is 38.
Whether or not we should be comparing Ovechkin's goals to Gretzky's by games or age is a subject of debate we intend to take up in the future.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Game Preview 4/1
Tonight, Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals take on the struggling New York Islanders. So what are the chances that Ovechkin takes another small step towards 895?
The Islanders have allowed 244 goals this season, 5th worst in the NHL. In three games against the Islanders this season, Ovechkin has scored 5 times.
12/4/08: Ovechkin's power play goal in the first period sparked a 5-2 win in Washington
12/16/08: Ovechkin puts the Caps up 4-2 late in the second period. After the Islanders tie, #8 sniped a feed from Nicklas Backstrom with only 10.7 seconds remaining for the winner
1/19/09: Two power play goals, including the winner in OT, provide Washington all the offense they'll need in a 2-1 win.
Ovechkin scored 8 goals in March, including two in his last game. He's partiularly dangerous on Wednesdays, having scored nine goals in seven games.
32 of Ovechkin's goals have come in 36 home games, and the Islanders are far and away the worst road team in the NHL at 9-26-3. This smells like a Capitals win,
Prediction: 4-1 Caps win, Ovechkin puts in two more. With 6 games remaining, Ovechkin needs seven goals to hit 60 for the 2nd year in a row. I say he gets there and it starts tonight.
The Islanders have allowed 244 goals this season, 5th worst in the NHL. In three games against the Islanders this season, Ovechkin has scored 5 times.
12/4/08: Ovechkin's power play goal in the first period sparked a 5-2 win in Washington
12/16/08: Ovechkin puts the Caps up 4-2 late in the second period. After the Islanders tie, #8 sniped a feed from Nicklas Backstrom with only 10.7 seconds remaining for the winner
1/19/09: Two power play goals, including the winner in OT, provide Washington all the offense they'll need in a 2-1 win.
Ovechkin scored 8 goals in March, including two in his last game. He's partiularly dangerous on Wednesdays, having scored nine goals in seven games.
32 of Ovechkin's goals have come in 36 home games, and the Islanders are far and away the worst road team in the NHL at 9-26-3. This smells like a Capitals win,
Prediction: 4-1 Caps win, Ovechkin puts in two more. With 6 games remaining, Ovechkin needs seven goals to hit 60 for the 2nd year in a row. I say he gets there and it starts tonight.
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