THE most jaw-dropping statistic in sports history:
Getting 100 assists in an NHL season is almost impossible. Only 3 people have done it. Arguably the 3 best players ever. Bobby Orr did it once. Mario Lemieux did it once. Wayne Gretzky did it 13 times.
i dont think so. Look to Joe Thornton.
2005/2006 - 96 assists
2006/2007 - 92 assists
You need a pure goalscorer, creative center and some good offensive D-man. Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green.... there is some potential for this. But they must remember to their best seasons.
i dont think so. Look to Joe Thornton.
2005/2006 - 96 assists
2006/2007 - 92 assists
You need a pure goalscorer, creative center and some good offensive D-man. Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green.... there is some potential for this. But they must remember to their best seasons.
And Joe Thornton is probably the greatest playmaker post-expansion after Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr and Oates.
When you're the fifth best at something over a 50 year period it says something. And he STILL couldn't hit 100 assists.
It was 19 and Reggie Leach was on for 22 against in 75.
76 was Clarke's 2nd best year in the ESGA at 22.
While Clarke was the best defensive forward in the league that year it was a bit of a perfect storm situation with the broad street bullies, Calrke's excellence and having the Rifle to help in that category as well.
The "rifle" didn't help at all defensively. Take a look at Reggie's +/- in Oakland before he showed up in Philly and put on a line with Clarke.
To find a record few of us know about you need to look at the obscure ones.
For example, prior to Patrick Roy playing for Colorado he had a terrible, terrible record against the Flyers. I have a hard time looking it up, but I remember it being in the neighbourhood of 1-13-2 or something like that. Honestly, it was that bad. And the Canadiens were always good when he was there and the Flyers were either good or really bad during Roy's tenure as a Hab. If someone can find that, more power to you because it is surreal. Did he hate the colour orange or something?
Ken Dryden, career record of 258-57-74. The incredible part is that he has more career ties than losses. Think about that.
Gordie Howe most seasons as a top 5 scorer - 20 in a row from 1949-'69. Incredible. How many players even play 20+ seasons let alone constantly be among the elite year in and year out. Even Gretzky can't touch this record. And Howe had some Art Ross winning years in there where he obliterated the rest of the field.
Peter Forsberg - 31 points in the 1993 World Juniors in 7 games. Just mind boggling. How do you get those points and not win the Gold? Manny Legace, I guess.
Always found this interesting. We know about Lemieux's 1993 season coming back from cancer. But when he came back he registered 56 points in 20 games. Nearly averaging three points a game at the most critical time of the regular season. Lafontaine, the leading scorer prior to those 20 games had 32 points in his final 20. Lemieux was 12 points behind a lethal scorer with 20 games left and ended up 12 points better at the end of the year. It isnt as if Lafontaine slumped or anything either, he still did alright. I think that just goes to show you how Lemieux could just annihilate the rest of the NHL. On Crosby's first game back in November he had 4 points. There was talk that if he played every game the rest of the season he would play 60 games. It was possible for him to win the scoring title right? Well, until someone actually does that again (Jagr with 63 games in 2000) I think I'll sit back and still marvel at how dominant Lemieux was that season. It just goes to show you how we are all so desperate to see a player dominate the NHL at that pace again.
To find a record few of us know about you need to look at the obscure ones.
For example, prior to Patrick Roy playing for Colorado he had a terrible, terrible record against the Flyers. I have a hard time looking it up, but I remember it being in the neighbourhood of 1-13-2 or something like that. Honestly, it was that bad. And the Canadiens were always good when he was there and the Flyers were either good or really bad during Roy's tenure as a Hab. If someone can find that, more power to you because it is surreal. Did he hate the colour orange or something?
at least he managed to beat them in the playoffs one year.
i couldn't find the info, but was it hayward or roy who played in the wales finals in '87 against the flyers? or did they alternate? i'm just curious what roy's playoff record against philadelphia.
Gretzky stats have been discussed ad nauseum, but the few that always get me are:
-163 assists in a season
-Leading the league in assists 16 of his 20 seasons
-11 100-assist seasons, compared to 1 for Orr and Lemieux (and 0 for everyone else)
at least he managed to beat them in the playoffs one year.
i couldn't find the info, but was it hayward or roy who played in the wales finals in '87 against the flyers? or did they alternate? i'm just curious what roy's playoff record against philadelphia.
Roy was benched for part of the 1987 playoffs. I do believe Hayward played most of that Philly series though. Roy did beat the Flyers in 1989 however.
Roy was benched for part of the 1987 playoffs. I do believe Hayward played most of that Philly series though. Roy did beat the Flyers in 1989 however.
In the Regular season, between 87/88 & 95/96, Roy went 1-8-6 against the Flyers. During that time, the Flyers finished above the Habs in the standings twice (94/95 & 95/96).
EDIT: Looked it up on Hockey Summary Project. For his regular season career as a Hab, Roy went 1-10-7 against the Flyers.
In the Regular season, between 87/88 & 95/96, Roy went 1-8-6 against the Flyers. During that time, the Flyers finished above the Habs in the standings twice (94/95 & 95/96).
EDIT: Looked it up on Hockey Summary Project. For his regular season career as a Hab, Roy went 1-10-7 against the Flyers.
I knew I wasn't crazy!
Oh my goodness, all I have to say about that is.........why? Philly was not a good team from about 1990 until 1995. True, the Spectrum was always an intimidating place even when they had a bad team but some of those losses would have happened at home in Montreal too.
For a goalie so good like Roy to have a record so bad against a team who was terrible for part of it makes you wonder if there was something psychological there. Honestly.
Then again, The Penguins in recent years seem to have a problem with the lowly Islanders for whatever reason. Losing back to back games this week........somehow.
Bill Mikkelson's -82 in 74-75 is underrated for most unbreakable I think. Too much parity now for something that rough? With lower scoring and extensive minor league systems (25ish players on call) I just don't see how that will be touched anytime soon.
The "rifle" didn't help at all defensively. Take a look at Reggie's +/- in Oakland before he showed up in Philly and put on a line with Clarke.
I wasn't implying that he helped defensively but rather hinted at two points by mentioning Leach.
1) He was on for only 22 ESGA so obviously there is more to that stat than just the player and
2) Clarke and Leach enjoyed a great chemistry which coincided with Clarke's 2 best offensive seasons.
Clarke still had 5 elite type 2 way seasons aside form these 2 but the "jaw-dropping" nature of his ESGA stats, like most others in this thread also ahve an element of luck and opportunity intersecting as well.
The whole idea that a player (Gretzky) could have more assists than anyone else had points. It's one of those things that nobody could've imagined in their wildest dreams before.
Although there is no doubt Gretzky's stats overall in his career (especially his assists) towers over any other statistics in the league's history...as a fan and stats nut, the most jaw dropping statistic for me personally is Mario Lemieux's 1992-93 season:
1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 60 GP 69 Goals 91 Assists 160 Points
If you projected the totals over a full NHL season he would have had this:
84 GP 96 Goals 127 Assists 223 Points
Which would have set new NHL records for goals and points in a season. Even Mario in an interview was quoted he felt "i would have broke some of Wayne's records that year if I didn't have cancer"..
Other impressive highlights of that season was that Mario recorded 101 points before New Years day. And approx. 1 month into his cancer treatment he was still leading the league in scoring ahead of Pat Lafontaine.
I know Gretzky fans and Lemieux fans will continue to argue who's better but for me personally, Mario's 1993 season will go down as the most "jaw dropping statistical season ever" for me.
Nolan Ryans 383 strikeout season is absolutely insane. For you non-baseball fans, nowadays 200 k's is elite. He pitched a ton of innings and his k/9 was 10.6 which would still be reachable today but pitchers are limited to how many innings they can pitch so it's a record that I don't think will be broken but Randy Johnson came pretty damn close a decade ago.
The fact that Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Mario Lemieux could all have 100 assists with the red line in play. They could all easily have had 120+ if there wasn't a two line pass rule.
Gordie Howe most seasons as a top 5 scorer - 20 in a row from 1949-'69. Incredible. How many players even play 20+ seasons let alone constantly be among the elite year in and year out. Even Gretzky can't touch this record. And Howe had some Art Ross winning years in there where he obliterated the rest of the field.
Peter Forsberg - 31 points in the 1993 World Juniors in 7 games. Just mind boggling. How do you get those points and not win the Gold? Manny Legace, I guess.
You cant compare NHL in 1949-'69 time period and now. Its a great performance, but the competition was not so big as is now.
In regard of Forsberg. Look to the game between Sweden and Japan. In this game he collected 10 points! In thios time they learned to play hockey in Japan.
The fact that Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Mario Lemieux could all have 100 assists with the red line in play. They could all easily have had 120+ if there wasn't a two line pass rule.
