Snap shots are most effective 20-40 feet from the net, but still play 2 nd fiddle to wrist shots overall. That is, you need to be skating towards the goalie to get the shot off with enough acceleration and speed. When it comes to snap shots, players need to be in stride if they are the puck carrier. So, what is the ideal shot? Or better yet, let’s ask the question this way. Beyond that (50-60 feet range), its an extremely close 2 nd place.įor perspective, the shortest distance from the blue line to the net is 64 feet and 70+ feet by the boards. In fact, the ideal shot dominates goals scored anywhere from the goal line up to 50 feet away. Well, let’s make one thing clear from the start – the answer does NOT entail an “it depends” response. So, does it mean that the slap shot is the best way to score goals at the NHL level? You’d also know that he has the best chance of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals from all currently active players. If you’re avid hockey fan, you already know how Ovechkin scores the bulk of his goals – on the powerplay, between the point and high circles, off-wing on the left-hand side with his one-time slapper. There were 732 different players who scored last season, led by Alex Ovechkin with 51 goals. That amounts to a team average of 2.98 goals per game over 82 games. There's a reason the contemporary opinion was so incredibly strong towards Howe.The NHL set a record for most goals scored in the 2018-19 season with 7577 (excluding the 77 goals awarded for overtime wins). When he was leading those 60s Wings in points he was also their best defensive forward. But Howe spent his prime as one of the best defensive forwards in the world. Sure, for a Gretzky or Lemieux or McDavid or Hull that's really the meat. Looking at Howe from a purely offensive standpoint misses important details.

He spent most of his career without Lindsay, Kelly, or Sawchuk. That's all post peak post Sawchuk post Lindsay. And another 5 years getting significant Hart votes. He had a further 5 years as a Hart finalist. Yet he still won an Art Ross and 3 Harts. Between 1958 (after Lindsay and Sawchuk left) and 1970 he finished first amongst Wings in Hart voting 12 of 13 years. People were already calling him the best hockey player of all time while the team was all still together.īetween 19 he lead the Wings in points 17 of 20 seasons, most by wide margins. He lead the team in points the last 5 years of their crazy 7 year run. A dynasty destroyed not because of aging, but managament.īut yet, Howe reigned supreme. The team was on top of the world after winning the 1955 Stanley Cup. Bowman (in the Dyden book) identifies them as the best team of all time outside his 70s Canadiens.

Sawchuk had arguably the greatest playoff peak for a goalie. Kelly got more Hart votes than Howe twice. I don't want to downplay those early 50s Wings. They were even great before Howe broke out. The early 50s Wings were stacked and understandably won 4 Cups in 6 years, while leading the regular season 7 years in a row.

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