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Capitals Honour Alex Ovechkin For Passing Gordie Howe On All-Time Goal List



Watch as the Washington Capitals and NHL honour forward Alexander Ovechkin for scoring the 802nd goal of his career to pass Gordie Howe to sit second, behind only Wayne Gretzky, on the all-time goal list.

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47 Comments

  1. No other player in the modern NHL era has even come remotely close to Ovechkin when it comes to goal scoring. Even Wayne Gretzky 'The Great One' himself clearly admitted in a 2019 interview: "I played in the right era, it's harder to score now than it was when I played." Back in the 80's there was an average of almost 8 players per season who scored 50 or more goals. In the modern NHL era after the 2004/2005 lockout, that same average has fallen to an average of just 2 players per season.

    The statistical average number of goals scored per game per team in the 14 NHL seasons between 1979 to 1993 when Gretzky played his first 14 seasons was 3.74 goals. The statistical average number of goals scored per game per team in the 14 NHL seasons between 2005 to 2019 when Ovechkin played in his first 14 seasons was 2.84 goals. That's a 32% difference which means that it is statistically 32% more difficult to score goals in the modern era compared to back in the 80's and early 90's.

    When people only look at a 1:1 goal comparison between Gretzky's total goals and Ovechkin's total goals, its like comparing a sprinter who is running on flat level surface to that of a sprinter running uphill on an incline. Ovechkin's modern era goal total needs to be calibrated by a factor of 32% in order to properly compare to Gretzky's goal total: 819 goals x 1.32 = 1081 goals > Gretzky's 894 goals. And that's even before adding in the 50+ goals Ovechkin would have certainly scored in the 2004/2005 lockout season, not to mention the 2 recent shortened seasons due to the pandemic.

    It really puts into perspective what Ovechkin has achieved in the modern NHL era while even having played one less season than Gretzky, and Ovechkin still has 5 or 6 seasons left to play still. It's like catching up to the fastest sprinter in history after having a late start, while running against an incline, and then passing that fastest sprinter while there is still a quarter length of track remaining.

    Just look at the difference between goalies from the 80's and goalies in the modern NHL era. Look at the difference in their size of pads, height, reach, flexibility, technique, and skill. Most goalies from the 80's played worse than today's amateur beer league goalies. During Gretzky's first 14 seasons, the average NHL goalie save % was 0.879 and the average GAA was 3.65, which is unheard of among today's modern era NHL goalies, except maybe in the minors. Also, no players bothered to block shots back in the 80's, imagine how many more goals Ovechkin would have if players today played 80's style defense and did not bother to block shots.

    Gretzky also played on a decade-long dynasty team in an era that had no salary cap. The 80's Oilers Dynasty fab 5 would have never been allowed to exist on the same team after the salary cap was put in place starting in 2005 during Ovechkin's first season. Ovechkin played every single season under a limiting cap which made the league way more competitive and evenly distributed, Gretzky never did, not even a single season.

    Also, Gretzky had the luxury of having his two on-ice bodyguard thugs (Semenko and McSorley) with him all throughout the 80s and the first half of the 90s. Semenko and McSorley constantly intimidated other players and made sure nobody touched Gretzky whenever he had the puck which allowed Gretzky to make all those plays and rack up all those points. Back in the 80s and early 90s, Gretzky was the NHL's official Golden Boy and nobody was allowed to lay a hand on him.

  2. Ovechkin would already be knocking on Gretzky's door right now if it wasn't for NHL lockouts and the pandemic. That's a fact.

  3. At present, Gretzky has played 148 more games than Ovi, and has 75 more goals.
    Ovi averages 2 goals per game.
    To say the impossible is on the horizon is not an understatement.

  4. The real question is can he beat Wayne. 2 more injury free seasons and he'll have it

  5. If that the ceremony he get for passing the 2nd all time then imagine when he'll pass gretzky 😅. Insane player ovi, a goal scorer, a train with two legs! Everyone love you!

  6. Most 40 goal seasons:

    1. Ovechkin – 13 *
    2. Gretzky – 12
    3. Dionne – 10
    4. Lemieux – 10
    5. Bossy – 9
    — Gartner – 9

    * 6 after turning 30 years old

  7. As long as he supports Putin committing war crimes, I really don't care how many goals he scores, he's still a scumbag.

  8. The franchise is going to waste the next 2-3 seasons just so Ovi can pass the record. He says he wants to win another cup but he plays 0 D.

  9. NHL is frantically trying to whitewash Ovechkin who is a public supporter of an international criminal and modern day Hitler.
    Ovechkin’s friendship with Putin is his legacy.

    Looks like Ovechkin’s entire family is safe in USA capital
    It’s time to come clean, Ovi,
    You are a stain on our beloved sport

  10. Саня молодчик ! Я знаю и верю рекорд будет побит,осталось совсем немного Казахстан с тобой Александр ВЕЛИКИЙ!!!

  11. У него уже 820 шайб, охренеть. Только вчера грубо говоря ждал, когда до Ягра доберëтся или ещë мгновение назад ждал, когда 800 забьëт, а уже 820. Хочу, чтобы он стал первым, кто забьёт 900!

  12. Очень рад за Саню, и очень рад тому что это всё можно наблюдать в живую.

  13. Очень круто. Это лучшее вложение Вашингтон за последние 20 лет😊🔥👍

  14. Спасибо, Дружище, за то, что приносишь в этот мир столько здорового позитива..Удачи, дальнейшего движения Вверх, ну и нам всем приятного просмотра! Вперед!!!

  15. He still has Putin in his profile pictures… No respect for this despicable person just because he can shoot a puck, but has no ethics

  16. Glorifying a Russian player with his president who has a warrant out for his arrest , get them out of the NHL go home , fight for your country in a war that should not be , go perish on the frontlines like your comrades , I don't condemn Russian people I condemn the ideology of Russians , videos like this want to make me barf on the NHL logo at center ice in front of a capacity crowd

  17. Happy to see Mark in attendance for the honor. Grodie was an icon here in Detroit, he would've been proud to see his record broken for the good of the game. What a sight it will be to see Wayne pass the torch in the next couple of seasons

  18. Просто лучший и все тут!!! Саня!! Я тебя узнал в 2005 году!!! И ни на что не променял🔥🔥🔥. Ты лучший🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

  19. The Caps went all out. This was awesome. Mark Howe is awesome too. He's been at all the celebrations celebrating Ovi breaking his father's record. Class act

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