On January 5th I wrote a blog here called ‘Easy Ryder’ – a blog that was a bit of fun. I was looking at the statistical weirdness of comparing the Stars’ Michael Ryder to the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin!
Why was this weird you may ask?! Well Ovie is a superstar – a household name in the hockey world. Ryder is an honest hockey player, a household name in my native Newfoundland. Back then in January, both players were tied on 17 goals apiece. I joked that maybe Ryder would outscore the mega-star Ovechkin. I intimated that the Russian would trade his statistical prowess in for the Newfoundlander’s Stanley Cup ring.
Fast Forward to March 19th, and I thought an update was overdue in this odd pairing of NHL players. Let’s be honest – many of us would take Ovechkin over Ryder in a heartbeat – even with them being tied back then. He’s just recognized as one of the NHL’s best – Ryder on the other hand is not as well known or as heralded.
So where are these two unlikely linked athletes now – and how do they match-up?
I couldn’t have made this up if I tried folks! As I write this – here’s their particulars:
Ovechkin – 68 games played, 30 goals, 24 assists, 54 points, -9.
Ryder – 72 games played, 30 goals, 24 assists, 54 points, +20.
Come on! Are you kidding me. My two-horse personal scoring race is in a deadlock?! Are these two guys toying with me? Could my rantings back then come true – could Michael Ryder outscore the Great Eight?
Well it’s coming down to around ten games to go for most NHL teams at this point, and I have to say that I’m rooting for the Stars’ number 73. It has been an interesting sidebar for me in the second half of the regular season. It has made both Stars and Caps games a little more relevant for me down the stretch here. I wonder what the odds would have been in Vegas at the start of the 2011/12 season that this could actually happen?! I wish I had put $100 on my fellow Newf back then.
Keep it tuned here – I will continue to monitor the developing story and keep you updated on this ‘David vs Goliath’ situation. I know you are as intrigued as I am now!
You can follow Murph on Twitter @MurphOnIce
Ryder’s putting up numbers and keeping pace with Ovie in points is impressive. The bigger number is the tie breaker, +20 to -9? I’ll take my odds with Ryder on the ice.
Great comparision Aaron,I would also bet on Ryder this year.When Ryder shows up he is one of the best players in th NHL.However he has a tendency to float,look at his history.In Montreal star for a couple of years, then no effort traded to Boston,again star for a couple of years then float,no effort.This year he has something to prove,working hard and getting good results.Lets wait and see if history repeats itself.I for one hope not as he is a good player,when he wants to be.