James Tanner: PLUS/MINUS: OV Gets 50, Sens, Leafs, Coyotes, Etc. The best and worst of the week in the NHL.

Only four players with 40 or more goals

James Tanner: PLUS/MINUS: OV Gets 50, Sens, Leafs, Coyotes, Etc.
The best and worst of the week in the NHL.
- James_Tanner

So you want the NHL to go back to the dead puck era. Great plan. Need more hooking and holding. So instead of blocking a shot, you want players to water ski each other. Never change Tanner.

James.

OV is a unique talent, and the best goal scorer in his era, but best goal scorer ever? Please.

Mario will never be touched in that area, and its not even close.

Then consider that he did what he did with an ailing back. Then consider that he scored when it counted, in the playoffs when the team absolutely needed it and is STILL the all time leader in playoff goals per game. OV is SIXTEENTH.

Sorry James. Until OV shows he can score in the clutch, in the playoffs, when the Caps need that big goal, he's not on Mario's tier. He's not even on the level of Bossy either.

So you want the NHL to go back to the dead puck era. Great plan. Need more hooking and holding. So instead of blocking a shot, you want players to water ski each other. Never change Tanner.
- tomburton99

No, the dead puck era wasn't because of hooking and holding. It only seemed like that because that was the easiest answer.

It's way harder to place limits on coaching and goalie equipment.

But, face the facts, taking that stuff out of the game only made it more dangerous and did nothing about scoring. It was the NHL equivalent of cutting off the nose.......to use a garbage cliche.

The NHL needs to slow the game down because it is too dangerous without benifit. Are games any better now than they were before the first lockout? No they are not.

Scoring is not up, only injuries. Obviously it was a good try - but as could be expected - the easy answer did not work.

James.

OV is a unique talent, and the best goal scorer in his era, but best goal scorer ever? Please.

Mario will never be touched in that area, and its not even close.

Then consider that he did what he did with an ailing back. Then consider that he scored when it counted, in the playoffs when the team absolutely needed it and is STILL the all time leader in playoff goals per game. OV is SIXTEENTH.

Sorry James. Until OV shows he can score in the clutch, in the playoffs, when the Caps need that big goal, he's not on Mario's tier. He's not even on the level of Bossy either.
- Emperor Filonius

Completely disagree. The best goal scorers in NHL history are 1. Ovechkin 2. Gretzky. 3. Mario.

No, the dead puck era wasn't because of hooking and holding. It only seemed like that because that was the easiest answer.

It's way harder to place limits on coaching and goalie equipment.

But, face the facts, taking that stuff out of the game only made it more dangerous and did nothing about scoring. It was the NHL equivalent of cutting off the nose.......to use a garbage cliche.

The NHL needs to slow the game down because it is too dangerous without benifit. Are games any better now than they were before the first lockout? No they are not.

Scoring is not up, only injuries. Obviously it was a good try - but as could be expected - the easy answer did not work.
- James_Tanner

The game is better. How many Chris Simon's, Donald Brashear's etc on the ice now, few if any. Nobody wants to watch soccer on ice. Putting back in hooking, holding and the 2 lines brings the game back to an era that stunk.

The NHL needs to find a way to limit shot blocking.

The NHL needs illegal defense rules.

The NHL needs to allow MORE hooking and holding.

The NHL needs to drastically decrease the size of goalie equipment.

The NHL needs to completely eliminate fighting.

The NHL needs to drastically increase the penalties for suspendable plays.

First two suggestions are completely moronic. No way to implement them without drastically altering the game.

Defenders get away with way too much already. There are hundreds of infractions that get ignored in a NHL game. Slashing, hooking, holding, holding the stick, interference are ridiculously common and rarely enforced. Institute IOC hockey rule standards. That alone would open up ice and increase scoring.

Goalie equipment is way too large. Save percentages are astronomically high. A lot of that is the equipment.

I'm fine with fighting. I hate players getting jumped on clean hits.

DoPS is a joke. Dangerous plays by enforcers on elite players are actually rewarded. Might as well try to injure top opposing players because the punishments for such plays are too lenient.

Should never win the Norris by playing forward but being called a defenceman.

Of course he has the most points ( for a D )...he's wrongly used and they lose because of it, they run their whole game through EK and obviously it's not working. (Not even close to being contenders ) I don't want to hear...it's his teammates after you claim QOC and QOT mean nothing and that most players in the league are equal.

Cheers.

Completely disagree. The best goal scorers in NHL history are 1. Ovechkin 2. Gretzky. 3. Mario.
- James_Tanner

1) Bossy
2) Lemieux
3) Ovechkin
4) Bure
5) Gretzky

1) Bossy
2) Lemieux
3) Ovechkin
4) Bure
5) Gretzky
- LeftCoaster

That's close to what my list would be as well. I would definitely have Bossy, Lemieux, Ovechkin top 3 ahead of Gretzky.

On a couple of points I agree completely - Goalie eq is just ginormous - they look like transformers out there - and coaches challenge just needs to be streamlined so we don't get these huge delays - which in some cases don't resolve anything - Fighting ... I don't know - staged fights Yes - spontaneous have to stay IMO - take fighting out and you get more of what happened to Tyler Johnson yesterday and Garbutt - because the league has totally abdicated its responsibility on suspensions - there has to be some kind of deterrent for those kinds of idiotic plays - just a ton of no respect between players and cheap shots galore recently -

1) Bossy
2) Lemieux
3) Ovechkin
4) Bure
5) Gretzky
- LeftCoaster

Lemieux behind Bossy?

Lemieux
Gretzky
Ovie


IMO

That's close to what my list would be as well. I would definitely have Bossy, Lemieux, Ovechkin top 3 ahead of Gretzky.
- jfkst1

Gretzky has 92 goals, 50/39 and is all time leader. 5th is just insane.

Grimes, the smiths AND joy division !!?

Absolute home run today James

Plus - Day without a terrible Tanner blog

Minus - Day with Tanner's useless drivel disguised as a blog is posted

Gretzky has 92 goals, 50/39 and is all time leader. 5th is just insane.
- James_Tanner

He played on the greatest NHL dynasty during the highest scoring era. Lemieux was a more efficient goal scorer over his career. That's a fact. Still think Gretzky was better overall but not the better pure goal scorer.

Some good ideas. More hooking and holding isn't one of them

Way too lazy to look up career splits, but I Wonder if someone wants to pinpoint some of the scoring trends during crunch time/playoffs for those guys considered the obvious greats. I think there's something to be said about being effective in important games

Gretzky has 92 goals, 50/39 and is all time leader. 5th is just insane.
- James_Tanner

People can use excuses and background noise all they want, but 50 goals in 39 games is hard to even to even fathom

Lemieux behind Bossy?

Lemieux
Gretzky
Ovie


IMO
- Garnie

Bossy had 573 goals in 732 games, that's a ten year career.

Gretzky had 596 goals in 738 games his first ten years.

Lemieux had 494 goals in 599 games his first ten years in the league.

Pavel Bure had 384 goals in 595 games his first ten years.

Ovechkin had 475 goals in 760 games his first ten years.

It's so close that it's purely subjective. Yes goaltending wasn't the greatest in the early to mid 80's but there's some crap #1's out there right now too!

I use first ten years because it's typically the most productive.

I'm not huge on the NHL banning fighting but the NHL has to give stricting penalties to guys starting fights after a clean hit (Ie. Byf on Hoffman), and eliminate goon vs goon fighting.

Good fighting is like Okposo vs Niskanen in the 2013 playoffs.

CAREER STATS
GP G A PTS +/- PIM PPG SHG SOG TOI
2015 ARI 72 28 19 47 4 98 12 0 170 17.00
2014 ARI 79 14 22 36 -29 65 5 0 189 18.00
2013 PHO 69 23 24 47 -7 34 10 0 167 18.00
2012 PHO 48 13 14 27 6 37 0 0 129 18.00
2011 PHO 79 22 28 50 -8 48 5 0 226 19.00
2010 PHO 72 20 40 60 5 67 11 0 221 19.00
2009 PHO 82 18 37 55 3 41 5 0 234 19.00
2008 PHO 82 31 42 73 5 72 10 0 230 20.00
2007 PHO 80 28 50 78 4 59 9 2 243 20.00
2006 PHO 73 27 28 55 -14 73 11 0 209 20.00
2005 PHO 82 30 36 66 -9 123 17 0 254 19.00
2003 PHO 79 27 41 68 -11 47 9 2 254 21.00
2002 PHO 82 21 37 58 3 86 7 0 225 18.00
2001 PHO 81 20 29 49 11 61 6 0 205 18.00
2000 PHO 76 26 37 63 0 89 6 1 220 19.00
1999 PHO 81 26 25 51 6 66 1 1 221 16.00
1998 PHO 79 6 16 22 -5 54 0 0 156 0.00
1997 PHO 33 5 6 11 -3 35 0 0 42 0.00
1996 PHO 63 4 8 12 -3 49 0 0 100 0.00
1995 WPG 74 7 10 17 -9 101 1 0 106 0.00
Career 1466 396 549 945 -51 1305 125 6 3801 15.00

When will the Yotes' Doan nightmare ever end!
400 goals? 500 goals? Why can't this guy make way for someone else already?

James I think this is the second time I've ever agreed with you, but yes the game is too fast now and not in a pull you out of your seat sort of way. The players move around quickly but it no longer adds any excitement to the game because everyone moves quickly. The light, ultra stiff skates have made even bad skaters like Stoll and Jagr be able to keep with the play more or less. I personally would like to see the NHL put weight limits on equipment in general. I'd actually like to see the NHL mandate a leather/mesh skate like players wore in the late 90's. Turning radius was tighter and players actually tried to make moves one on one to beat a d. In todays game a player charges straight ahead and the moment a D gets in front of them they pull up and sit waiting for someone to pass to. The game is faster but less maneuverable. I also think they should mandate wooden blades for sticks again. This sounds archaic but I thought the game was more entertaining in the early 90's.

The game was at its best from 05-12ish when it was at its fastest. Very dangerous but scoring was up and play was lightning quick.

Grab and clutch is back to a degree. What degree who knows. I'd like anyone dare explain what an interference penalty is in this league anymore