[27-JAN-2017] #OviWatch, etc. etc.

This week on #OviWatch...

Our Hero now has 23 goals in 49 GP this season, scoring his 23rd last night against the New Jersey Devils. That was his 548th career goal, tying him with Michael Goulet. 

Goulet was born on April 21st 1960 in Péribonka, Quebec, Canada; he was drafted 20th overall in 1979 by the Quebec Nordiques, and played for the Nordiques, until he was traded to the the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1988-89 season. A severe concussion ended his career during the 1993-94 season. Goulet now works as a scout for the Calgary Flames. In 1996 and 2001, he was Director of Player Personnel for the Colorado Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup. His #16 was retired by the Nordiques on March 16, 1995, one year to the day after his concussion. 

Ron Francis - One of the 100 Greatest Players in NHL History

Ron Francis, with 549 goals, is next in line at #27. Born on March 1st 1963, he was drafted 4th overall by the Hartford Whalers in 1981, and played for the Whalers (1981-1991), Penguins (1991-1997), Hurricanes (1998-2003), and ended his career after 12 games with the the Maple Leafs after the 2003-04 season. He announced his retirement on September 14, 2005. 

In the all-time NHL regular season games played list, Francis sits at #3, with 1,731 games played in his career (only Gordie Howe, with 1,767, and Mark Messier, with 1,756, have more). Jaromir Jagr, with 1,679 games played, needs to play the remaining 32 games this season and 20 more next season to tie him. He won two Stanley Cups, both with the Penguins (1991 and 1992), was the NHL Plus-Minus award-winner and was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1995; the Lady Byng Trophy in 1995, 1998, and 2002; and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2002. He was inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2006, he became the Carolina Hurricanes' Director of Player Development, and now serves as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the team. He lives in Raleigh with his wife, Mary Lou; their daughter, Kaitlyn; and their two sons, Michael and Connor. 

#20.....Mark Recchi..........577 G..........1652 GP

#21.....Mike Bossy...........573 G...........752 GP

#22.....Mats Sundin..........564 G..........1346 GP

#23.....Joe Nieuwendyk.......564 G..........1257 GP

#24.....Mike Modano..........561 G..........1499 GP

#25.....Guy Lafleur..........560 G..........1126 GP

#26.....John Bucyk...........556 G..........1540 GP

#27.....Ron Francis..........549 G..........1731 GP

#28.....Alex Ovechkin........548 G...........888 GP

#28.....Michel Goulet........548 G..........1089 GP

#30.....Maurice Richard......544 G...........978 GP

#31.....Stan Mikita..........541 G..........1394 GP

#32.....Keith Tkachuk........538 G..........1201 GP

#TrotzWatch

Head Coach Barry Trotz has a record of 691-533-60 in 1409 games played. This puts him 7th on the list.

1. Scotty Bowman.........1244 wins in 2141 games
2. Joel Quenneville.......831 wins in 1508 games
3. Al Arbour..............782 wins in 1607 games
4. Ken Hitchcock..........781 wins in 1453 games
5. Lindy Ruff.............722 wins in 1461 games
6. Dick Irvin.............692 wins in 1449 games
7. Barry Trotz............691 wins in 1409 games

8. Pat Quinn..............684 wins in 1400 games

#HoltBEASTWatch

Our HoltBEAST has 6 shutouts, in sole possession of the #1 shutout record in the league for the 2016-17 season today. S/T to NHL.com for the imagery. He is also in second place in Goals Against average (1.96, tied with Jimmy Howard), 3rd place for svae percentage (.930), and fifth place for wins (24). 

#BackyWatch

Nick Backstrom has 34 assists, tying  him for second in the league. Yep, that's right, he's in second place in the LEAGUE. Connor McDavid has 42 for first, and Backy is tied with Patrick Kane. 

[11-JAN-2017] #NickyWatch and other milestones - He did it too!

On January 7th against the Ottawa Senators, Nicklas Bäckström scored his 500th assist, on a game-winning goal scored by TJ Oshie in a 1-0 blanking of the Senators that would mark goaltender Braden Holtby's second consecutive shutout. 

S/T to Ben Raby (@BenRaby31) who Tweeted:

That, by the way, is combined. 

The #HoltBEAST's shutout streak would continue for 169:12, a career best mark. 

Meanwhile, in #TrotzWatch:

Head Coach Barry Trotz has tied Pat Quinn on the all-time wins list at #8 with 684 wins.

1. Scotty Bowman.........1244 wins in 2141 games
2. Joel Quenneville.......828 wins in 1997 games
3. Al Arbour..............782 wins in 1607 games
4. Ken Hitchcock..........776 wins in 1445 games
5. Lindy Ruff.............719 wins in 1453 games
6. Dick Irvin.............692 wins in 1449 games
7. Pat Quinn..............684 wins in 1400 games
8. Barry Trotz............684 wins in 1400 games

interesting that he has a near-exact tie with Quinn, who has 1556 points to Trotz's 1552. Tonight, Trotz has the chance to pass Quinn and start gunning for Irvin. It will be the Caps' 7th win in a row if they pull it off. 

The NHL record is 17 wins in a row; the Caps shut down the Columbus Blue Jackets at 16... and the Pens are on a 5-game streak of their own. Something breaks tonight... 

[11-JAN-2017] #OviWatch - HE DID IT!

Our Hero, the Gr8 Alex Ovechkin, has tied Maurice "the Rocket" Richard at 544 goals. He accomplished this feat, in Montreal on Monday, January 9th in a 4-1 victory against Les Habitants, in their home barn, Centre Bell. 

Tonight, the Caps face the Pittsburgh Penguins and their streaking Captain, Sidney Crosby (26G, 18A this season) at the Verizon Center. Pittsburgh's #87 has been cast as Ovi's arch nemesis - or, rather, Ovi has been cast as his - since the pair first played against each other in the NHL, and yet, it does not seem fair to either of them to pit a playmaking center against a sniper who plays left wing; the comparisons seem to be apples and oranges, to anyone who understands how the game is played.

This, unfortunately, does not stop NBC and Pierre Maguire (dubbed the Craig's List Dildo) from making the comparison every chance they get. Looks like I'll be "watching" the game with John Walton and the Caps' radio feed tonight.

Three NHL players are poised to break 1000 points this season; Ovi, unless something drastically bad happens, should be the first of the class. Standing at 999 points going into tonight's game, he is sixth among active players in points scored. The top ten (among active players), from NHL.com, are:

01. Jaromir Jagr..........1893 points in 1671 games
02. Joe Thornton..........1367 points in 1408 games
03. Jarome Iginla.........1284 points in 1513 games
04. Marian Hossa..........1114 points in 1274 games
05. Patrick Marleau.......1055 points in 1452 games
06. Alex Ovechkin..........999 points in  879 games
07. Henrik Sedin...........996 points in 1209 games
08. Sidney Crosby..........982 points in  740 games
09. Daniel Sedin...........965 points in 1186 games
10. Shane Doan.............956 points in 1506 games

Shane Doan, with 11 points in 40 games this season, is unlikely to break the 1000-point line this season; Daniel Sedin, with 23 points in 43 games might. Crosby is almost certain to join the club, as is Henrik Sedin, but Ovi will hopefully be the first of them. 

If Crosby gets there first, the Penguins fans and NBC will be insufferable.

They might all shut up if the Caps win the cup this year.

After all, the Cubs won the World Series... anything is possible! 

[09-Jan-2016] #OviWatch

With 543 career goals, Alex Ovechkin is one goal short of tying the late, great, Maurice "Rocket" Richard for 29th on the all-time goal-scorer's list. If he accomplishes this tonight, in Montreal, he will do it in 99 fewer games than it took Richard to accomplish his 544 goals. 

Maurice Richard was born August 4, 1921 in Montreal, Quebec. He played 18 seasons for his hometown Habs, and after the 1943-44 season, wore uniform #9 to match the birth weight of his daughter, Huguette Richard. 

A series of injuries kept Richard from serving in the Canadian military during the Second World War, and forced him to change his skating style to compensate for a deformed left ankle, the result of a break that had not properly healed. 

Richard was the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 50 games, a feat unmatched until the 1980-81 season, when Mike Bossy (21st all-time) would duplicate it. The trophy for most goals in a regular season is named for Maurice Richard; Ovi has the distinction of winning that trophy six times, including the last four seasons in a row. 

Maurice Richard passed away on May 27, 2000 at the age of 78. He was honored with a state funeral. 

Maurice Richard - One of the 100 Greatest Players in NHL History

#20.....Mark Recchi..........577 G..........1652 GP

#21.....Mike Bossy...........573 G...........752 GP

#22.....Mats Sundin..........564 G..........1346 GP

#23.....Joe Nieuwendyk.......564 G..........1257 GP

#24.....Mike Modano..........561 G..........1499 GP

#25.....Guy Lafleur..........560 G..........1126 GP

#26.....John Bucyk...........556 G..........1540 GP

#27.....Ron Francis..........549 G..........1731 GP

#28.....Michel Goulet........548 G..........1089 GP

#29.....Maurice Richard......544 G...........978 GP

#30.....Alex Ovechkin........543 G...........878 GP

#31.....Stan Mikita..........541 G..........1394 GP

#32.....Keith Tkachuk........538 G..........1201 GP