Breaking down goaltending by the numbers
Having pointed out the problems with Hockey-Reference’s adjusted points formula and made the case for an improved version of adjusted scoring, it’s time to look at the question of where Alex Ovechkin should rank on the all-time list of goal scorers. As my title already gives away, when the era biases in the adjusted metrics are corrected, it turns out that Ovechkin’s numbers, while unquestionably outstanding, are no longer the best.
That on its own does not necessarily mean that Ovechkin isn’t #1. All scoring stats, adjusted or not, should be viewed in context, with understanding of a player’s usage, role and team situation. Ovechkin also has plenty of years ahead of him, and there is a reasonable case to be made that relative dominance is more difficult in the current era. I’ll show here why I think others are more deserving of the greatest of all-time mantle based on my adjusted goal calculations, but opinions can certainly differ. A