Everyone wants to talk about Ovechkin's scoring prowess, but here's how much better Matthews has been
Alex Ovechkin is widely regarded as the best goalscorer of this generation, and for good reason. He's the only player within reach of Wayne Gretzky's 894 career NHL goals and he actually stands a halfway decent chance at breaking it.
Auston Matthews, on the other hand, is the next generation of elite NHL goal scorer. While Ovechkin started his career during a time where the goalies were still transitioning into the traditional butterfly stance, Matthews has come in during a time where goaltender athleticism and skill level is at an all-time high. And yet still, he scores at will. In 2021-22, Matthews became the first NHL player in a decade to reach the 60-goal plateau -- something Ovechkin hasn't done since 2007-08.
Just how incredible is Matthews' scoring frequency? Well, Maple Leafs Hotstove's Kevin Papetti did a deep dive on the Ovi vs Auston debate on Tuesday. Here's what he discovered.
"Since he entered the league, Auston Matthews has scored 1.65 goals per 60 minutes at 5v5.
Over that time, Ovechkin is second among players with 2000+ minutes (1.26 G/60).
Based on Matthews' career average 5v5 minutes/GP, he could go scoreless for ~127.5 GP and still be in first"
Over that time, Ovechkin is second among players with 2000+ minutes (1.26 G/60).
Based on Matthews' career average 5v5 minutes/GP, he could go scoreless for ~127.5 GP and still be in first"
Granted, Ovechkin is more than a full decade older than Matthews, but even still, Ovechkin is considered the benchmark for NHL goal scoring. Right now, we're seeing a passing of the torch for sure. What a time to be a Leafs fan!
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 27 | 201 ANSWERS Everyone wants to talk about Ovechkin's scoring prowess, but here's how much better Matthews has been Who is the better goal scorer? | ||
| Auston Matthews | 155 | 77.1 % |
| Alex Ovechkin | 46 | 22.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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