Brianland

The most points in the league (112) — and winner of the Art Ross Trophy.

Most goals in the league (65) — winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Most goals in a season by a Left-Winger in NHL history — 65.

The first player in 12 years to score over 60 goals.

He led his team from dead-last / 15th place in his conference on Dec. 30th to 3rd place by season’s end. The first team in NHL history to be in last place at the midway point of the season to then win their Division — just 3 months from the deepest hole to the top of the heap.

Led the NHL in points in the last month of the season — the final playoff push for all teams & players — with 31 points; and had 10 multi-point games in his final 16.

Led the NHL in power-play goals (22).

Led the NHL in even-strength goals (41).

Led the NHL in game-winning goals (11).

Led the NHL in lead-changing goals (30).

Led the NHL in multi-goal games (13).

Led the NHL in 4-goal games (2).

Led the NHL in “late-game pressure goals” with 29 (defined by the league as overtime or third period goals when the score differential is 2 or less goals).  And naturally led the league in late-game pressure points with 44.

Led the league in game-winning goals in the third period (5).

Led the league in third period goals overall (26).

Also led the league in opening period goals (17).

Led the league in shots (441) and shots-per-game (5.3). This is the second most shots ever taken by a player in the history of the NHL. Only Phil Esposito had more — once. (Since coming into the league, he has more 10-or-more shots in a game (18) than the next 4 players combined.)

As Dr. Phil (Esposito) put it recently: “Alex is going to get over 550 shots in a season, and when he does he’s going to score 85 or 90 goals. They say Gretzky’s [goal] record is not going to be broken. Well, when I got 76, they said ‘Nobody will ever get 77.’ Records are made to be broken. And Ovie shoots enough that he’s going to do that. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy as physical as he is that scores like he does. He’s playing smarter now, and he’s just getting better and better and better.”

And he’s 22 years old.

And over his first 3 seasons he’s only missed a single game.

(How do you say, “Yikes!” in Russian?)

And along with all of the above, out of the 955 players in the league this season …

only 10 threw more bodychecks than he did;

only 8 had more takeaways from other players;

only 5 had a better plus/minus! (and this on a team that was dead-last for half the season);

and only 1 had more hat-tricks.

and did i mention he’s only 22?

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For more hockey stories . . . check out the time I snuck onto the Penguins team bus during the playoffs.

Or the description of Blue Heaven at Madison Square Garden.

Or this amazing primer of Everything You Need to Know about hockey at the Olympics.

Or the complete printable Olympic team rosters with positions, stats, jersey numbers and everything for all the main teams.

Or there’s this nice printable one-sheet of the Penguins playoff roster.

Or a similar printable one-sheet for the Red Wings playoff roster.

Or a riff on how Canada’s flagship broadcast Hockey Night In Canada has suddenly become good again.

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by Brian Hassett           karmacoupon@gmail.com              BrianHassett.com