Quote:
Originally Posted by powderjunkie
Absurd take
50s: 2.63
60s: 2.94
70s: 3.25
80s: 3.81
90s: 3.18*
00s: 2.79*
10s: 2.80
last 5 years: 3.08
*'90-96: 3.32
*'97-04: 2.66
*'05-'10: 2.91
Gretzky's Career: 3.50 (3.71 for the first 15 years)
Ovi's Career: 2.90 (2.85 for the first 15 years)
Our current 'high scoring era' is essentially the median since '67. The first 14 years of Gretzky's career were all in the top 15 years all time. Every year of ovi's career until the last 3 were below median.
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It's not that scoring wasn't high in the 80's, it was. Rule changes and the way the game has changed and evolved has allowed the scoring to come up, not to the high scoring era, but at least keep pace.
We all joke around about how McDavid benefits from a slight tug on the jersey and it's a PP. Years ago you literally were hacking players, holding onto them and actually stopping their progress. NHL players who play now and played in that era talk about it all the time.
Cleaning the ice multiple times a period helps with offense, 4 on 4 and 3 on 3 OT results in more offense. No red line allows more offense. The lack of hitting in today's game vs years ago has changed it completely. Imagine massive D men smoking Ovi as hard as possible all the time at his age without a strong enforcer.
I love Ovi and he is a dominate scorer. If we transplanted him into the 80's with everything from that era too, he would be a strong scorer without a doubt. If we actually elevated Gretzky in today's game with everything that everybody benefits from today, I am sure he would still be #1 and as dominate as before too.