Yes.  Bradley did what every player should do when they see their most important player about to risk injury.

Posted by Heaton on 01/13/10 at 09:20 AM ET

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What he/She said, As much as I Despise Ovechkin , If I Craps fan(Shudder) I wouldn’t want him fighting & breaking his hand

Posted by Evilpens on 01/13/10 at 09:25 AM ET

Matt Bradley made Ovi look like a bitch. Let the lad fight his own battles.

Posted by Cameron from Boston on 01/13/10 at 09:26 AM ET

I agree, Bradley did the smart thing overall.

That said, so did Ovechkin.  You can’t just ASSUME that someone is going to do your dirtty work for you, and the fact that he had the gloves off, AND EVEN FLIPPED HIS HELMET OFF so that there was no visor, tells me he really was ready to go.

By the way, I think it’s absolute crap that Iginla regularly fights and is praised for it, but when a Kovalchuk or Ovechkin wants to rumble everyone screams “YOU’RE TOO IMPORTANT TO FIGHT!”.  Double-standard, anyone?  Amazing how it’s ok for a Canadian to do it (or Lecavalier, yet another Canadian), but if a Russian wants to somehow there’s something wrong with it.

Posted by Primis on 01/13/10 at 09:27 AM ET

Absolutely he did the right thing. You can’t let Ovie fight against there agitator and hurt his hand. It’s like like he was going to fight Zidlicky or something…Downie can actually fight, and even though Ovie is bigger and may have held his own, leave that too the grinders.

Posted by Pat on 01/13/10 at 09:37 AM ET

I really like what bradley does there…. but there are not enough teamates to stick up for all the crap OV needs to answer for.  At some point, he is going to have to fight.

Who knows, Bradley may have just saved Russia’s gold chances.

Posted by gretzky_to_lemieux on 01/13/10 at 09:39 AM ET

Matt Bradley made Ovi look like a bitch. Let the lad fight his own battles.

Nah.  Ovy showing that he was willing is enough.  Bradley did what every player should, no questions asked.  If Bradley watches Ovy fight and get injured, Bradley is the bitch.

Posted by Heaton on 01/13/10 at 09:53 AM ET

He did exactly what he should do there.

Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 01/13/10 at 10:15 AM ET

Another question, is that an instigator?  Because he didn’t start the fight, he just took it over.

Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 01/13/10 at 10:16 AM ET

Absolutely not. Downie’s the kind of player who can’t rest until he exacts vengeance. You’ll remember that Downie introduced himself to the NHL with an unnecessary hit on Dean McAmmond that could have killed him. What most people don’t remember is that the hit was an overreaction to Cody Bass boarding him moments before.

There were a whole host of incidents like this with Downie in Juniors.  Player x does minor thing y to Downie that was kind of dirty. Downie sits in the weeds, overreacts and sucker punches player x at a faceoff, pummels him when he’s down and hurts him.

Ovechkin tried to take out Downie’s knee. Downie picks a fight as retribution and gets jumped by Bradley. I think if Ovechkin and him had fought it would have been over. the look on Downie’s face as he goes to the box tells me this is not over.

If Bradley’s idea was to keep Ovechkin from getting hurt, I don’t think he accomplished that. Not with this particular guy. Right or wrong, there’s really no telling what Downie does in the next few games these teams play.

Posted by steve on 01/13/10 at 10:43 AM ET

Sorry it was Schubert, not Bass.

Posted by steve on 01/13/10 at 10:44 AM ET

IMO, that’s Ovechkin’s fight and he should be allowed to tangle if he wants to. It’s a risk, but he’s hot made of glass. I understand why Bradley jumped in, but it’s not how I’d play it.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 01/13/10 at 10:47 AM ET

That was Cooke stepping in for Crosby everyone calls Sid a wuss that someone else is fighting his battles. Since it was Ovi everyone says its fine. Double standard anyone?

Posted by pensfan29 on 01/13/10 at 10:53 AM ET

Also, what madness has overtaken people to call Ovechkin’s hit on Downie that started their first scrum dirty? There was no knee nor charge. He took a run at him because he was angry, but it was perfectly cleanly performed.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 01/13/10 at 11:08 AM ET

Bradley did what he should to protect Ovechkin, but it does make Ovechkin look bad that his teammates feel he needs protecting whether he was willing or not.  We’ve seen Iginla and LeCavalier fight so it isn’t unheard of letting your star player show he can take care of himself.  Ovechkin is a big tough kid and looks like he should be able to handle himself, he’s not built like Gretzky.

Having said that, Ovechkin’s original hit was clean so I don’t know why he had to waste his time proving something to Downie. Not sure what the call on the ice was, but since Ovie accepted the challenge, Bradley should have received a thrid man in. Again, more of this nonsense that every time you take a hit you need to drop the gloves. When did it change that being tough was the ability to take a hit, to being tough is refusing to take any kind of hit?

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 01/13/10 at 11:28 AM ET

Also, what madness has overtaken people to call Ovechkin’s hit on Downie that started their first scrum dirty? There was no knee nor charge.

Don’t know about charge, but I don’t see how someone can dispute that Ovechkin kneed Downie, intentional or otherwise.

It’s not suspension-worthy but there’s no arguing that it didn’t happen as it’s unmissable.

Hint: it’s at the 2 second mark.

Posted by steve on 01/13/10 at 12:13 PM ET

“That was Cooke stepping in for Crosby everyone calls Sid a wuss that someone else is fighting his battles. Since it was Ovi everyone says its fine. Double standard anyone? “

Exactly

Posted by Greg on 01/13/10 at 12:27 PM ET

It’s not kneeing if you hit with the whole front of the body as well as the leg. Incidental contact of the lower parts of the body is going to happen on hits.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 01/13/10 at 12:33 PM ET

It’s not kneeing if you hit with the whole front of the body as well as the leg. Incidental contact of the lower parts of the body is going to happen on hits.

50.1 Kneeing - Kneeing is the act of a player or goalkeeper leading with his knee and in some cases extending his leg outwards to make contact with his opponent.

Ovechkin’s leading with his knee. Downie’s left leg seems to take more impact than his shoulders.

Once again, it’s at the 2 second mark.

Posted by steve on 01/13/10 at 12:48 PM ET

Ovechkin’s legs are planted as he coasts into the hit, he is not leading with the knee (his knees are under his center of gravity) and he is not extending his leg at time of the hit (they are planted in a wide stance).  If anything Downie moves to avoid the shoulder him which causes his left leg to take more of the impact. I can’t see a ref ever calling that a kneeing penalty.

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 01/13/10 at 01:22 PM ET

Alex has said time and again that his fighting ability is Semin-esque. If you’re teammate you need to protect him from himself. Crosby is a bitch because he’s a ball puncher.

Posted by eric on 01/13/10 at 01:35 PM ET

That was Cooke stepping in for Crosby everyone calls Sid a wuss that someone else is fighting his battles. Since it was Ovi everyone says its fine. Double standard anyone?

Posted by pensfan29 on 01/13/10 at 10:53 AM ET

it’s not a double standard,most people like Ovechkin,his teammates, as you can see, also like him,while Chrotchby isnt even a person,but a product, you cant care or have compassion for an object,at least, I cant

anyway,this isnt the 19th century,Ovies job is mainly to score goals,not act like an highschooler,fighting with some cementheads
notice how Oechkin didnt even try to punch that idiot in the balls,just saying

Posted by Edillac from jesenice,europe on 01/13/10 at 01:35 PM ET

If Bradley watches Ovy fight and get injured, Bradley is the bitch.

Isn’t he alredy?  I think he got DROPPED by Carcillo a month ago.  I wonder if he’s going to call in sick on Sunday.  He should. 

And before all the Craps fans start chiming in… Let me tell you this:  EVERYONE in that arena knew that Carcillo’s haymaker was on the way WELL before it arrived.  The ref knew it, the grizzmonger in seat 403 B 11 knew it, Coatsey knew it, Jizz knew it, Ovie knew it, Richie knew it and Bradley knew it.  Bummer for him that he failed to protect himself. 

And to the Bolts fans, why were you dolts booing Ovie?  He was ready to roll.  The boos should have been left for Bradley.  He’s the prick in this situation.

Posted by ProjectMayhem on 01/13/10 at 02:24 PM ET

Since I don’t have an image capture utility right now, I can’t capture and imbed it, but if you slow the video down frame by frame, Ovechkin’s knee is out further than his body (leading, not under his center of gravity) and makes contact first.

Is this statement true “It’s not kneeing if you hit with the whole front of the body as well as the leg. Incidental contact of the lower parts of the body is going to happen on hits. ” No.

Is this suspendable? No. Is it intentional? Probably not. Is it a penalty? Marginal. Is Downie right to take exception? Hell, yes. Did Bradley make things worse? we shall see.

Posted by steve on 01/13/10 at 02:46 PM ET

A frame by frame analysis showing his knee is “slightly “in front of his body doesn’t constitute “leading” with the knee or extending the leg (which Ovechkin has done in the past, but not in this case). In order to skate your knee is always slightly bent forward otherwise you would be on stilts.  If anything, it is the angle that they are at that causes Ovechkin’s one leg to arrive before the other.

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 01/14/10 at 10:18 AM ET

When asked if Ovie kneed him, Downie said he couldn’t say, he’d have to check the replay.  Enough of an answer for you?    That’s why we pay for our tickets instead of being paid for our advice.

Posted by Jac from baltimore on 01/15/10 at 05:06 PM ET