Hughes vs Makar -- Battle of the Titans

[HKSR]

Ok, maybe they're both a little small to be called titans, but they're pretty mighty in terms of hockey prowess.

 

Yes, Hughes is currently the league's top scorer (which is incredible!), but don't look now, but Makar is on an absolute tear with 9 points in his last 3 games (16 in his last 7 games).  He's only 3 points behind with 2 games in hand.

 

Hughes:  8 goals and 30 points in 19 games (on pace for 34 goals and 129 points!)

Makar:  4 goals and 27 points in 17 games (on pace for 19 goals and 130 points)

 

Pretty amazing to be watching these 2 light up the league as defencemen.  I can't remember the last time I've seen a defenceman lead the league in scoring nearly a 1/4 of the way through the season.  If Makar and Hughes keep pushing each other, wouldn't surprise me to see both of them in the top 3 by season's end. 

 

Watching history unfold in front of our eyes folks.

 

[Jess]

Yeah, I saw it right from the rookie year. The NHL was blessed with three insane talents in one year with Hughes, Fox, and Makar, though Fox was a step behind Hughes and Makar as a rookie. Add in guys like Dahlin, McAvoy, and Heiskanen and it's a bit crazy how many good defensemen have entered the league recently.

[Coconuts]

In before Alf calls Makar a bustaroo 

[Coconuts]

In all seriousness though, they'll likely be tethered to each other for most of their careers by fans given how phenomenal they both are and their Calder rankings.

 

Quinn just pulled of a pretty crazy stat but Makar is right behind him, needs three points in two games to do it too. Considering they play us and a lousy Minnesota team next there's a strong chance he does it too. That isn't a knock on us, the Avs simply score goals and I'm not expecting us to shut them out: they're third in goals scored, fourth in shots on goal per game and they're twelfth in shooting percentage. Only knock offensively is their powerplay, tied for nineteenth. Wild on the other hand, they're on a five game losing streak and the Avs likely roast em. 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Coconuts

[Miss Korea]

23 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

Yeah, I saw it right from the rookie year. The NHL was blessed with three insane talents in one year with Hughes, Fox, and Makar, though Fox was a step behind Hughes and Makar as a rookie. Add in guys like Dahlin, McAvoy, and Heiskanen and it's a bit crazy how many good defensemen have entered the league recently.

Adam Fox is always a step or two behind because he's an extremely slow player.  One of the slowest defencemen in the league, actually.  But that also makes him one of the most unique D-men in the league who slows the game down until he can get all his teammates involved.

 

He is like the defenceman version of Mark Stone.

[Nucker67]

Put Hughes on the Avs and he'd break all the records and win the Norris

 

Put Makar on the Canucks and he doesn't win the Norris, always in the shadow of Hughes

 

Hughes is the best Dman in the league and will be for years.

[Jess]

25 minutes ago, Nucker67 said:

Put Hughes on the Avs and he'd break all the records and win the Norris

 

Put Makar on the Canucks and he doesn't win the Norris, always in the shadow of Hughes

 

Hughes is the best Dman in the league and will be for years.

 

The Canucks have a better record than the Avs right now. Not sure that story holds up this year.

[Elias Pettersson]

Huggy is the best player in the NHL right now.  He has better numbers than Makar.  He is the MVP of the league.  He actually has a chance to do what only Bobby Orr has ever done.  Win the Art Ross, the Hart, the Norris and the Conn Smythe, as well as the Stanley Cup...

Edited November 21, 2023 by Elias Pettersson

[nergish]

The only advantage Cale ever had was his shot, and having like 10% more heft.

Now that Huggy has improved his shooting (and is as confident in his own shot as he is in deferring to a pass), he's become truly unstoppable. 

 

I get that he will always be an "undersized offensive defenseman" to the untrained eye, but it was abundantly clear years ago that this is not Tyson Barrie we're talking about. Huggy's combination of hockey IQ and raw skills is unlike anything I've ever witnessed.

 

I remember back in the early 2000s how we were hoping and praying that one day Scott Niedermayer would sign in VAN. Well, we've drafted and developed our own.

Considering how young Hughes still is, it's going to be scary how dominant a player he'll be as a grizzled veteran.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by nergish

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Huggy is the best player in the NHL right now.  He has better numbers than Makar.  He is the MVP of the league.  He actually has a chance to do what only Bobby Orr has ever done.  Win the Art Ross, the Hart, the Norris and the Conn Smythe, as well as the Stanley Cup...

 Cale Makar has 9 points in the last 3 games.  He is on the sauce again.  He wants to be... the first defenceman to be first to 30 points since Quinn Hughes.

 

The rivalry is back and I want to see the fireworks show tomorrow. 

[Ronaldoescobar]

Makar catching up and should surpass Hughes in points soon enough. Avs are just too stacked (despite the respective records so far this year)

[DownUndaCanuck]

Makar has caught up really quickly but boy did he look stupid on that goal that cost his team the game, defensive mess. On the whole though he's been his usual dominant self. I think it's a testament to Hughes to say that he's been playing like prime Makar of late. 

 

We'll see who races away later in the season, long way to go and anything could happen. I think a lot of it really comes down to the overall team success as well.

[Elias Pettersson]

3 hours ago, Ronaldoescobar said:

Makar catching up and should surpass Hughes in points soon enough. Avs are just too stacked (despite the respective records so far this year)

 

Canucks have more firepower than the Avs this year.  Miller, Hughes, Petey and Boeser have a combined 109 points.  Makar, Rantanen, MacKinnon and Nichushkin combined have only 87 points.  Plus we have Hronek with 18 points.  Devon Toews only has 11.

 

Canucks are #1 in the NHL in goals scored with 78 goals.  The Avs are 4th with 65 goals...

[Alflives]

3 hours ago, Ronaldoescobar said:

Makar catching up and should surpass Hughes in points soon enough. Avs are just too stacked (despite the respective records so far this year)

Makar is a great player. Hughes, now he has a good partner (Makar has Toews) is proving equally as great. IMHAO Hughes is actually more impactful than Makar because he is a passer of the puck. Makar is a skater of the puck. IMHAO Makar will suffer more nasty injuries because of how he needs to play (carrying the puck) to be impactful. His knees are at serious risk. Last game Makar chickened out on a play chasing behind his net for a puck. It was a horrible turnover that cost his team the game. It’s in his head now. He’s playing scared. He knows it’s  a dangerous style he plays. Hope I’m wrong. But (sadly) think I’m right. 

[D.B Cooper]

Makar is at 27 points in 17 games.  
Chances are he is going to tie or beat the record Quinn just set with the 30 points. 
These two are incredible. 
Should be a fun battle to watch for years to come. 

[Elias Pettersson]

47 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Makar is a great player. Hughes, now he has a good partner (Makar has Toews) is proving equally as great. IMHAO Hughes is actually more impactful than Makar because he is a passer of the puck. Makar is a skater of the puck. IMHAO Makar will suffer more nasty injuries because of how he needs to play (carrying the puck) to be impactful. His knees are at serious risk. Last game Makar chickened out on a play chasing behind his net for a puck. It was a horrible turnover that cost his team the game. It’s in his head now. He’s playing scared. He knows it’s  a dangerous style he plays. Hope I’m wrong. But (sadly) think I’m right. 

 

This is the key.  Makar has had Toews for several years now.  Hughes finally has a legit partner in Hronek.  So naturally his game has taken off.  IMO Hughes is at Makar's level and they will battle it out for the Norris this year...

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Canucks have more firepower than the Avs this year.  Miller, Hughes, Petey and Boeser have a combined 109 points.  Makar, Rantanen, MacKinnon and Nichushkin combined have only 87 points.  Plus we have Hronek with 18 points.  Devon Toews only has 11.

 

Canucks are #1 in the NHL in goals scored with 78 goals.  The Avs are 4th with 65 goals...

4th place is still strong.  And I think we are starting to see our team's production regress to something a bit more reasonable.  Bear in mind that Colorado has only faced San Jose once and they have yet to play against Edmonton.  I fully expect the Avalanche to win their division.  On the other hand, Vancouver has been blessed with some insane finishing (plus elite goaltending) and I'm happy we have bagged a lot of points early on.

 

 

18 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

This is the key.  Makar has had Toews for several years now.  Hughes finally has a legit partner in Hronek.  So naturally his game has taken off.  IMO Hughes is at Makar's level and they will battle it out for the Norris this year...

 

Hronek deserves a lot of credit and I pray to the heavens he re-signs for under $6.5M.  But Quinn's shot.  Where the hell did that shot come from...

[Drakrami]

8 hours ago, Nucker67 said:

Put Hughes on the Avs and he'd break all the records and win the Norris

 

Put Makar on the Canucks and he doesn't win the Norris, always in the shadow of Hughes

 

Hughes is the best Dman in the league and will be for years.

Except.. all NHL players who has played against Makar doesn't agree with you. 

[higgyfan]

12 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

4th place is still strong.  And I think we are starting to see our team's production regress to something a bit more reasonable.  Bear in mind that Colorado has only faced San Jose once and they have yet to play against Edmonton.  I fully expect the Avalanche to win their division.  On the other hand, Vancouver has been blessed with some insane finishing (plus elite goaltending) and I'm happy we have bagged a lot of points early on.

 

 

 

Hronek deserves a lot of credit and I pray to the heavens he re-signs for under $6.5M.  But Quinn's shot.  Where the hell did that shot come from...

 

Practice, practice, practice.  All summer long. Kid wants to be the best.

[Alflives]

48 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

This is the key.  Makar has had Toews for several years now.  Hughes finally has a legit partner in Hronek.  So naturally his game has taken off.  IMO Hughes is at Makar's level and they will battle it out for the Norris this year...

IMHAO z Makar will be on the sidelines for too many games to be in the best D conversation. His career, as an elite pkayer, will be a short one. 

[Miss Korea]

7 minutes ago, Alflives said:

IMHAO z Makar will be on the sidelines for too many games to be in the best D conversation. His career, as an elite pkayer, will be a short one. 

Nobody wants the league's best to miss games.

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

Nobody wants the league's best to miss games.

League’s second best. Hughes is the more impactful player. 

[higgyfan]

3 minutes ago, Drakrami said:

Except.. all NHL players who has played against Makar doesn't agree with you. 

 

Wow!  C'mon now Drak.  I'll bet you have a link for that lofty information. 

[Elias Pettersson]

20 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

Nobody wants the league's best to miss games.

Alf is technically correct. Makar is injury prone and has already missed over 50 games in his short career. It’s the way he plays the game. Same with Bobby Orr. 
 

Hughes plays a game where he doesn’t get hit a lot and skates away from most problems. Hughes will be more of an Ironman similar to Ray Bourque. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Elias Pettersson

[Alflives]

8 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Alf is technically correct. Makar is injury prone and has already missed over 50 games in his short career. It’s the way he plays the game. Same with Bobby Orr. 
 

Hughes plays a game where he doesn’t get hit a lot and skates away from most problems. Hughes will be more of an Ironman similar to Ray Bourque. 

Yup. It’s the Bure syndrome. Some guys are at their best while carrying the puck. Makar is absolutely the best since Orr at attacking with puck on stick. But this makes him (especially his knees) vulnerable to injury. He either changed how he plays (won’t happen; he’s an Alfa and they die before changing) or he gets his knees destroyed.