1. Wayne Gretzky* 68 1981-82
2. Brett Hull* 57 1990-91
3. Wayne Gretzky* 55 1983-84
4. Wayne Gretzky* 54 1984-85
Jari Kurri* 54 1984-85
6. Steve Shutt* 52 1976-77
Teemu Selanne 52 1992-93
8. Reggie Leach 51 1975-76
9. Phil Esposito* 50 1970-71
Phil Esposito* 50 1973-74
11. Alexander Mogilny 49 1992-93
Lanny McDonald* 49 1982-83 13. Steven Stamkos 48 2011-12
14. Mario Lemieux* 47 1992-93
Mike Bossy* 47 1981-82
Wayne Gretzky* 47 1982-83
17. Jari Kurri* 46 1985-86
18. Tim Kerr 45 1983-84
Brett Hull* 45 1991-92
Steve Yzerman* 45 1988-89
Brett Hull* 45 1989-90
Pavel Bure 45 1999-00
Mike Bossy* 45 1983-84
Guy Lafleur* 45 1977-78
25. Rick Martin 44 1973-74
26. Michel Goulet* 43 1982-83
Alex Ovechkin 43 2007-08
Michel Goulet* 43 1983-84
29. Guy Lafleur* 42 1976-77
Wayne Gretzky* 42 1986-87
Mike Bossy* 42 1978-79
Peter Stastny* 42 1982-83
Stephane Richer 42 1989-90
Frank Mahovlich* 42 1968-69
35. Reggie Leach 41 1979-80
Mike Bossy* 41 1982-83
Teemu Selanne 41 1997-98
Danny Gare 41 1975-76
Keith Tkachuk 41 1996-97
Mario Lemieux* 41 1988-89
Bernie Nicholls 41 1988-89
Bob Carpenter 41 1984-85
Jaromir Jagr 41 1995-96
44. Mike Bossy* 40 1984-85
Jean Ratelle* 40 1971-72
Pavel Bure 40 1992-93
Rick Middleton 40 1982-83
John LeClair 40 1996-97
Mark Messier* 40 1981-82
Wayne Babych 40 1980-81
Alexander Mogilny 40 1995-96
Marcel Dionne* 40 1978-79
53. Ken Hodge 39 1970-71
Glenn Anderson* 39 1983-84
Guy Chouinard 39 1978-79
Pat LaFontaine* 39 1989-90
Teemu Selanne 39 1996-97
Danny Gare 39 1979-80
Mike Rogers 39 1979-80
Guy Lafleur* 39 1978-79
Bobby Hull* 39 1971-72
John Ogrodnick 39 1984-85
Sergei Fedorov 39 1993-94
Steve Yzerman* 39 1989-90
Mike Bossy* 39 1985-86
66. Gary Roberts 38 1991-92
Ziggy Palffy 38 1996-97
Mike Bossy* 38 1980-81
Evgeni Malkin 38 2011-12
It's worth noting that in 81/82, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, the league was WAY higher scoring than today. Goalies were much worse, and team defense was worse as well. In 81/82 the average game had 8.03 goals per game, today the average game has 5.47 goals per game, that's 47% more goals in 81/82 than today! You have to take 80s scoring numbers with a MASSIVE grain of salt, hockey was a very different sport back then, way more run-and-gun/offense first. Three different players scored 60+ goals in 81/82, and Dennis Maruk was 4th in points in the leauge with 136 points.
Anyways, EXTREMELY impressive accomplishment by Stamkos, especially given how tough it is to score goals in today's NHL. He's the only player in the top 25 on that list other than Bure to put up those goals in a season where the NHL averaged under 6 goals per game. He's still not better than Malkin, but he's DAMN good, and certainly the best goal scorer in the league right now.
It's worth noting that in 81/82, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, the league was WAY higher scoring than today. Goalies were much worse, and team defense was worse as well. In 81/82 the average game had 8.03 goals per game, today the average game has 5.47 goals per game, that's 47% more goals in 81/82 than today! You have to take 80s scoring numbers with a MASSIVE grain of salt, hockey was a very different sport back then, way more run-and-gun/offense first. Three different players scored 60+ goals in 81/82, and Dennis Maruk was 4th in scoring in the NHL with 136 points.
The fact there's 47% difference in goals per game is irrelevant; for all we know, even strength scoring between now and then is identical, and the 47% difference was all because of powerplays. You can look those things up (I don't care enough to), but if you're talking about even strength goals only, you have to compare to league-wide even strength scoring of the early 80s.
Plus, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, there were a lot more powerplays... Meaning there was less even strength time to go around..
The fact there's 47% difference in goals per game is irrelevant; for all we know, even strength scoring between now and then is identical, and the 47% difference was all because of powerplays. You can look those things up (I don't care enough to), but if you're talking about even strength goals only, you have to compare to league-wide even strength scoring of the early 80s.
Plus, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, there were a lot more powerplays... Meaning there was less even strength time to go around..
Don't have ES scoring stats, unfortunately, if you know where to get them then be my guess. I would put my life savings on ES scoring being way down this year from 1981/82, though.
It's worth noting that in 81/82, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, the league was WAY higher scoring than today. Goalies were much worse, and team defense was worse as well.
And yet, take away Gretzky's influence, and there isn't a single person from that era in the top 10.
Not one.
Something is clearly not adding up with the "80s were crap" fable....
Plus, when Gretzky scored 68 even strength goals, there were a lot more powerplays... Meaning there was less even strength time to go around..
Actually, there were fewer PP. Edmonton was almost always at the bottom of the league for the number of PP they were given. In 1985-86, they were dead last. It was the late 80s & early 90s that was the "happy whistle" era. Especially in Pittsburgh
And yet, take away Gretzky's influence, and there isn't a single person from that era in the top 10.
Not one.
Something is clearly not adding up with the "80s were crap" fable....
I'm not saying "the 80s were crap," just that scoring was incredibly high in the 80s. It was a different style of hockey back then, very end to end, teams focused much more on offense than defense relative to today, and goaltenders were a lot easier to beat, so scoring was way higher. It's worth noting that, of the top 18 ES goal scoring seasons on this list, 9 were put up between 81/82 and 85/86. Yeah, most of those were Gretzky and Kurri, but there's also Kerr, McDonald and Bossy. It was an EXTREMELY high scoring era, as you can see here:
I'm not saying players in the 80s were bad, just that numbers from that era (or from any era) need to be put into context. It was way easier to score goals back then than it is today, and I don't see how any logical person could think differently.
I'm not saying "the 80s were crap," just that scoring was incredibly high in the 80s.
And yet, unless you were Wayne Gretzky, it was just as hard (or harder) to hit that many ES goals then, relative to now.
Clearly, the "scoring was higher" meme is flawed in a pretty fundamental way.
Quote:
I'm not saying players in the 80s were bad, just that numbers from that era (or from any era) need to be put into context.
The "context" is that, outside The Gretzky Factor, not one top-10 name on that list is from the 80s.
Not one.
The premise is just plain flat out wrong.
About all that can be said is that scoring huge amounts of goals was extremely difficult then, just as it is now, but scoring second- and third-tier numbers of goals was easier.
