Hockey Hall of Fame forward Mike Bossy died at the age of 65 on Friday after a long battle with lung cancer per Sportsnet. Bossy smoked regularly in his early years.
Bossy scored 573 goals in 752 NHL games and helped lead the New York Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1979 to 1983. Bossy is arguably the purest and most proficient goal-scorer of all time.
Early Friday, Alex Ovechkin arrived in Los Angeles for the 2017 All-Star Weekend and has kept himself busy ever since. In the afternoon, Ovechkin filmed a commercial for Beats By Dre.
In the evening, Ovechkin traveled to the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles ahead of the NHL’s Top 100 Ceremony. While he had a free moment before the ceremony, Ovechkin, who is expected to be on that prestigious list, posed with his Olympic gold medal-winning mother Tatyana, his wife Nastya, his older brother Mikhail, and his father Mikhail.
Photo: Julio Cortez
Alex Ovechkin can score goals. Everybody knows that. His lamp-lighting ability is unmatched in this generation (sorry, Stamkos). And as Ovechkin takes aim for Peter Bondra’s Capitals franchise goal record (472, just 23 away), I asked myself how the Russian machine stacks up against the league’s all-time greats.
By 9 years ago
Photo credit: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin probably won’t hit 50 goals in 50 games. Even with his four-goal night against the Tampa Bay Lightning the other night, his chances of hitting 50 goals in his last 50 regular season games seems unlikely. Going by the NHL standard (and arbitrary) definition of 50 goals in a team’s first 50 games of a season, it’s even more unlikely.
But that shouldn’t lessen what he’s is doing right now. Ovechkin’s 2013-14 season could be historic yet.
By 10 years ago
Could Ovi join Maurice Richard as one of five players to score 50 in 50?
Alex Ovechkin kept his pace for an 82-goal season intact against the Islanders which got me thinking: is 50 in 50 even close to a reality?
50 goals in the first 50 games is a rare feat indeed. It has only been done by five players: Maurice Richard in 1945. Mike Bossy in 1982. Lemieux in 1989. Brett Hull did it twice, and in back-to-back seasons no less (1990-1 and 1991-2). The Great One accomplished the feat three times: 1982, 1984 and again in 1985. So why not Ovechkin?
To estimate his chances I will use something called a Monte Carlo simulation. It starts with me using the shots on goal and shooting percentage for Ovechkin since he made his debut in the league 5 years ago to the last game of the regular season in 2009-10. Only regular season games were counted. For instance, he has only been held to zero shots on goal 3 out of 396 games, or .76% of the time. He has shot 20% in 32 of his regular season games, or 8.08% of the time.
Using this data, and Excel’s random number generator, I simulated goal-scoring totals for 50 games. Then, I ran this 50-game season 10,000 times and calculated the results.
Before I reveal the chances, take a guess at what you think they are. I’ll wait….
Ok, now that you have your guess, let’s look at the numbers.
By 13 years ago
