Alex Ovechkin is having a crappy season so far.At least that's what some would believe. While it's true that Alex has two fewer points through 18 games than he did last year and two fewer goals than he had through 18 games in his rookie year, he currently has career-bests (through 18 games) in plus-minus, power-play goals, PIMs and shots on goal and is on pace to have more takeaways and fewer giveaways than in either of his first two seasons and shatter his career-highs in hits and blocked shots.
As if that wasn't enough on its own, Alex is doing it all with very little help - he has scored 29.3% of his team's goals so far this season (as opposed to 19.7% last year and 22.6% in 2005-06). Putting that in perspective, if Eric Staal had scored a similar percentage of Carolina's goals so far this season, he'd have potted 20 already, and would be on pace to challenge the NHL single-season record for goals scored.
So Alex Ovechkin is on pace to have his best all-around season as a pro in a season in which scoring is down League-wide, and is doing so on the slowest-starting team he has played on in his three years in the League while playing (and living) with contract uncertainty hanging over his head.
To paraphrase Jay-Z, the Caps have 99 problems but AO ain't one. Hit me.
H/t to Nate Ewell on the percentage of team's goals stat.
11 comments:
Alexander Ovechkin is on pace for career high shot total; Career high plus minus.
But Alexander Ovechkin is on pace for a career low 91 points.
Just saying.
Scoring down league wide? Sidney Crosby, at the pace he is going and the 18 game point streak, is on pace to shatter his old career numbers.
Malkin is on pace to shatter Ovechkin's career highs, in just his second season.
Just saying.
@ anon #1: But he's on pace for 54 or 55 goals, and he actually has one more point through 18 games than he did in his 106-point rookie year.
Just saying. ;)
@ anon #2: We're not talking about Malkin and/or Sid. But since you brought them up, Crosby is on a 120-point pace - the same total he had last year, and Malkin is on pace to best AO's rookie year total by six points. Where's the shattering?
Hey Anonymous, stop being a hypocrite troll. You were on Japer's other thread as Malkin Fan now you're pretending to be somebody else. You must think we're as dumb as your slow friends up in Pittsburgh. Malkin's played with Crosby as a linemate virtually this entire season. Ovechkin's had Kozlov and Joe Motzko as his linemates. Switch it around and see how many points AO would have. By the way JP, anon #1 and anon #2 are the same people. Just Saying.
b.orr4 is dead right. Pair Ovechkin with either Crosby and Malkin and Crosby or Malkin with Kozlov/Clark/Motzo/Flash, whoever, and we'll see what the point totals look like
Anytime you can throw a Jay-Z reference into a hockey post and it works, I commend you.
Hey Malkin fan (and I know that's you), if Malkin is such a dominant player that he can create offense for his entire team, as you have claimed elsewhere, then why isn't he consistently centering his own line instead of leaching off Crosby most of the time? I suspect Ovechkin would have a fair number of points if he was playing on a line with Crosby.
Ask any general manager in the league...do you want Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin?
I'd bet a shiny nickel that 29 of them wouldn't let the "chkin" get out of your mouth before selecting the latter.
And Ray Shero would at least let you finish the question before thinking about it.
No he wouldn't.
Malkin skates with the best playmaker in a generation and is on pace for 30 goals. Next.
You guys are certainly ganging up on anonymous.
We wait for a response...
My 2 cents:
1) Ovie is doing fine this year with little help and will put up solid numbers - he's also playing both ends better than ever.
2) Ovie and Crosby in the same sentence fine both are on their way to greatness.
3) Malkin's good but not yet ready to be in the same discussion as impact to team as Ovie.
Just saying.
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