Connor McDavid has started this season in a way that invites unflattering comparisons with pretty much everybody. One fan went looking for the most unflattering comparison available.
“McDavid has more points in 9 games this season than Biz had in his career over 200 games,” the post read.
Paul Bissonnette could hardly dispute the arithmetic, so he went looking for a loophole instead.
“More goals though,” he replied. “I was also a defensive specialist.”
Paul Bissonnette’s three highest-scoring NHL seasons:
| Season | Games | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 41 | 3 | 5 |
| 2012-13 | 28 | 0 | 6 |
| 2013-14 | 39 | 2 | 8 |
How many goals did Paul Bissonnette score?
Across 202 games with Pittsburgh and Phoenix he managed seven, alongside 15 assists and 340 penalty minutes. At the moment he posted that reply, McDavid had six this season, which means the claim was technically accurate by exactly one goal.
The defensive specialist part holds up better than it has any right to. Bissonnette finished his career at plus-seven, including plus-six campaigns in both 2010-11 and 2013-14, which is more than a good number of forwards with ten times his point total can say.
READ MORE: Leon Draisaitl’s brutally honest words on Connor McDavid
The goals advantage didn’t survive the week. McDavid had two more in Thursday’s 6-5 shootout win over Carolina, taking him to eight for the season and 31 points through ten games, and Bissonnette conceded the position himself.
“He’s at 31 now. Need an updated post,” he wrote.
For the record, Bissonnette’s first NHL goal came against Carey Price in November 2009, and his first point was an assist on a Tyler Kennedy goal in January that year. He now co-hosts Spittin’ Chiclets, where the numbers matter rather less.
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