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Entries with the tag: alex+ovechkin
Video- Ovechkin Has A Few Things On His Mind
by Paul on 01/24/12 at 07:59 PM ET
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Alex Ovechkin answers questions from the media, mostly regarding his suspension and the All-Star game.
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No All-Star Game For Ovechkin
by Paul on 01/24/12 at 12:08 PM ET
Comments (26)
via Katie Carrera tweet,
McPhee says Ovechkin isn’t comfortable participating in ASG as suspended player. Doesn’t want to be a distraction. Ovechkin will not attend.
added 12:20pm, via Darren Dreger tweet,
As we reported last night. The NHL is disappointed Ovechkin won’t be in Ottawa, but won’t discipline him for not going.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: 2012+ASG, Alex+Ovechkin,
Leonsis Does Not Agree With Ovechkin Suspension
by Paul on 01/24/12 at 11:35 AM ET
Comments (7)
from Ted Leonsis of Ted’s Take,
I do not agree in any way with the suspension of Alex Ovechkin for 3 games. I support Alex Ovechkin. He is our bedrock player – our Captain; and he and his family know that we are always here to support him.
The decision has been made; and George McPhee will address the media today with our thoughts and concerns about the suspension.
While there is a lot of emotion and concern today – we have a game to play tonight against perhaps the best team in the league and we then have 2 games on the road against division foes, after the All Star game.
Tonight – we will play without Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Nick Backstrom. These are our three best players and represent a third of our payroll; there is simply no way short term to make up their productivity unless other players step up – and we must be focused on winning and not on being shorthanded. Our team mentality must and will stay positive.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Is Ovechkin Thinking Of Skipping The All-Star Game?
by Paul on 01/23/12 at 10:50 PM ET
Comments (13)
via Bob McKenzie tweets,
Will have video link to Insider Trading soon, but lead item tonight is likelihood of Ovechkin taking himself out of NHL All-Star Game.
Which is to suggest I believe Ovechkin is likely to opt out of ASG tho no decision has been made and will be addressed by Caps tomorrow.
Ovechkin, even tho suspended, is eligible for ASG. Should all get sorted out Tues. Nothing final yet. But, IMO, I’d be surprised if he goes.
Watch Insider Trading at TSN.
added 10:54pm, via Darren Dreger tweets,
If OV skips the All Star don’t expect the NHL to discipline. League obviously wants him in Ott, but won’t make a big deal if he’s a no-show.
In 2009 NHL suspended Lidstrom and Datsyuk for not attending ASG in Mtl. A softer and gentler approach this time around.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Oveckin Suspended Three Games
by Paul on 01/23/12 at 06:24 PM ET
Comments (28)
via Bob McKenzie tweet.
Three game suspension for Alexander Ovechkin.
More as it comes in…
added 6:33pm, Shanahan explains the suspension.
added 6:43pm, you can read the NHL release below…
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Take A Tour Of Ovechkin’s New Home
by Paul on 01/23/12 at 02:50 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Tony Manfred of Business Insider,
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin bought a $4.2 million house in McLean, Virginia earlier this month.
The house features 5 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and a massive 11,000 square feet of space.
take a photo tour of the home…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Video- Did The Refs Miss This Hit By Ovechkin Today?
by Paul on 01/22/12 at 01:56 PM ET
Comments (38)
The recipient was Zbynek Michalek.
added 4:25pm, some folks requested the elbow from Michalek on Hendricks, so the video is posted below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Video- I Felt This Ovechkin Hit
by Paul on 01/15/12 at 09:04 PM ET
Comments (7)
I am sure Tuomo Ruutu did too.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Dorsett Accuses Ovechkin Of Spitting In His Face
by Paul on 01/04/12 at 11:03 AM ET
Comments (10)
from Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch,
Blue Jackets agitator Derek Dorsett practices his art at a high level.
The right shove or jersey tug, the witty insult, the thunderous body check — Dorsett knows the places and time when each is most effective.
So it was curious that Dorsett seemed especially preoccupied with Capitals star Alex Ovechkin during a 4-2 loss on Saturday, considering that Ovechkin wasn’t much of a factor during the first two periods.
“I haven’t told many people this, but he spit in my face,” Dorsett said. “That got me a little more mad.”
Dorsett said Ovechkin spit on him when they were face-to-face during a fracas in which both were given two-minute minors (cross-checking for Dorsett, roughing for Ovechkin) at 2:38 of the second period.
“That’s why I was yelling at the ref so much and yelling at him in the penalty box,” Dorsett said. “That’s probably one of the most disrespectful things someone can do, especially a guy who is the best player in the league. It’s classless. He’s supposed to be a role model for the game. It’s unbelievable.”
added 11:59am, via Katie Carerra of Capitals Insider,
After some confusion over what the word “spit” meant, Ovechkin denied Dorsett’s claim:
“No, no, no. I don’t know. Show me that moment, I want to see it. No.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Derek+Dorsett,
Ovechkin Needs To Bring His Game Every Night
by Paul on 12/21/11 at 02:06 PM ET
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from Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post,
“When he’s getting scoring chances, hitting, bringing that energy, it fires everybody else up,” defenseman Karl Alzner said after a 4-1 victory, perhaps the Capitals’ most thorough of the Dale Hunter era. “He’s the most exciting guy in the league.
“When,” Alzner added after a pause, “he’s on his game.”
And there’s the rub.
Ovechkin has only been “on his game” a handful of times this season. So few, in fact, it would be wise not to let one good performance fool you.
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Video- Phaneuf And Ovechkin Battled All Night Long
by Paul on 12/10/11 at 12:06 AM ET
Comments (2)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Dion+Phaneuf,
Chris Neil Gets Two For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
by Paul on 12/07/11 at 08:41 PM ET
Comments (8)
Neil hit Alex Ovechkin in the corner, Oveckin came back with a stick blade to the midsection of Neil.
No penalty for Ovechkin.
added 10:01pm, via Ian Mendes tweets,
Neil on Ovechkin: “It was almost like a pitchfork right in the gut…we make mistakes out there and so do the refs.”
Ovechkin on Neil incident: “I’m not that kind of player…who would spear someone.”
added 11:54pm, Another video with the opposite angle can be watched below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Chris+Neil,
Alex The Once Great
by Paul on 11/30/11 at 10:20 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Bruce Arthur of the National Post,
It’s getting harder to remember what Alexander Ovechkin was, even if it surfaces in flashes of memory, in bursts of passion, in flares rather than fireworks. He’s still good. He’s still capable of greatness. He’s still the guy who used to be considered the best, most thrilling, most refreshing player in hockey.
But all that has been submerged under layers of sediment, and the Ovechkin we see today is not the same player who duelled Sidney Crosby in 2009, both of them atop their games and The Game, separated only by a rookie goalie who got shaky at the wrong time. It could make you sick, to borrow a phrase, how far he done fell.
“I think Alex, when he scored 65 goals [in 2007-08], was as good as any person or any player’s gonna get for a long time, as far as goal-scoring goes.” Bruce Boudreau told a Washington radio station that after being fired by the Capitals this week. He was fired because great swathes of his team appeared to quit on him, more or less, Ovechkin included. That minus-4 in Buffalo, a minus-3 in a 7-1 loss in Toronto, the eight goals and 18 points and minus-6 in 23 games. He shoots less. He plays less. He is less. He is only 26.
Answer me this. You are the team captain, your coach just was replaced and what do you do? Tweet about your new girlfriend is not on my list.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Boudreau Talks Ovechkin
by Paul on 11/29/11 at 05:55 PM ET
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from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
Boudreau said Ovechkin called him after the news of Boudreau’s firing. Boudreau said the two spoke for 15 minutes on Tuesday and the star winger thanked his former coach for his time with the Capitals.
“And I told him I loved him and blah, blah, blah, all the regular stuff,” Boudreau said.
Ovechkin is off to a slow start with just eight goals in 22 games and the team struggling after a 7-0 start.
But Boudreau dismissed the notion that the two were feuding.
“It’s so far from the truth,” Boudreau said. “I we got along, I think, famously.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bruce+Boudreau,
Ovechkin Out Of Gas?
by Paul on 11/27/11 at 04:01 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,
Where’s the snorting bull? He always seemed stronger than everybody else. What about now?
It’s as if he has taken a vow to never bring us out of our seats again. We’ve seen precious few breathtakingly try-and-stop-me rushes down the wing, fewer shots unleashed, very little joy to his game.
Is Ovechkin trying to show up Boudreau? he will, of course, lose this battle if this keeps happening because Capitals owner Ted Leonsis gave his meal ticket a $124-million US contract a few years ago?
“The thing you always saw in Ovechin was his engine. It ran and ran and ran,” said one mystified NHL general manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“He had this incredible passion to his game. Where has it gone?”
more plus additional NHL talk…
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Capital’s Problems Start With Ovechkin
by Paul on 11/21/11 at 02:21 PM ET
Comments (7)
from Mike Wise of the Washington Post,
The Washington Capitals have mortgaged their strong start to the season with passion-less play over the past month, exemplified by Saturday night’s listless effort in Toronto. The Caps have lost seven of their last 11 games, mixing in the occasional stand with mucho malaise, so naturally, all the tired cliché are being dragged out for Coach Bruce Boudreau.
“He’s lost the locker room.” Really? Did the players and their cubicles magically go poof, like a misplaced set of car keys? “They’ve stopped playing for him.” I’m imagining a players-only meeting ending with the team captain proclaiming, “That’s it; we all agree: We need to lose one for Coach tonight.”
The truth is, only one person is emotionally missing from the Capitals’ locker room, and everyone inside that cocoon knows who it is. It’s the guy who looks like a shell of his former self, who hasn’t scored in four games and doesn’t even look interested in playing hockey right now. Until Alex Ovechkin finds himself, finds the electrifying player he once was and backpacks this team to the Stanley Cup finals, everyone’s employment with the organization is in jeopardy.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Ovechkin And Boudreau Not Seeing The Game The Same Way
by Paul on 11/20/11 at 07:48 PM ET
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from Tari El-Bashir of the Washington Post,
NHL coaches don’t get canned for losing games. They get fired for losing touch with their team and repeatedly getting stonewalled by the team captain.
Signs of the disconnect between the two have been impossible to ignore:
*Boudreau moved Ovechkin to the wall on the power play. Ovechkin has said he feels more comfortable on the point.
*Boudreau and his coaching staff have repeatedly implored Ovechkin to change his strategy on the attack for more than a year. Go wide instead of cutting to the middle, they’ve told him. Use teammates instead of squeezing off low-percentage shots. Their words, though, have fallen on deaf ears.
*Boudreau and his staff have begged Ovechkin to be more responsible in the defensive end, yet he still routinely floats in Washington’s zone and leaves it prematurely. Through the season’s first 18 games, he has a team-worst plus-minus rating of minus-6.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bruce+Boudreau,
Play Ovechkin
by Paul on 11/20/11 at 05:58 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
So I look at Alex Ovechkin’s pedestrian numbers and forget the seven goals and 14 points in the first 17 games. The one that leaps off the page as most pertinent and most inexplicable is the 18:43 of ice time per game that as of Friday ranked — get this — 67th in the league among forwards who have played at least 10 games.
Then I hear Bruce Boudreau, the coach responsible for that astounding stat, talk about how using four lines makes the Capitals a better team and my thoughts turn to Al Arbour, who back in the day cut Mike Bossy’s minutes so he could get Hector Marini on the ice more often, but wait, no, that didn’t happen, and of course that didn’t happen, are you crazy?
Unless Ovechkin simply is not in good enough condition at the age of 26 to play approximately the 23:03 a match he averaged over the course of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons during which he was the NHL’s most electrifying athlete, then limiting his ice time so people such as Cody Eakin or Joel Ward can get a few extra spins is strategy from another planet that is doomed to fail.
continued plus some goalie interference talk too…
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Has It All Been One Big Tease?
by Paul on 11/18/11 at 03:23 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
Life is all about expectations and in the case of Alexander Ovechkin, he’s not meeting them and he’s certainly not exceeding them.
Whatever it is we thought Ovechkin would become, whatever it is he teased us with, it hasn’t happened away from the commercial world. It hasn’t happened where it’s mattered most, on the ice, in games, where he gets the opportunity to strut his stuff.
This was supposed to be a 1 and 1a gathering of stars in the National Hockey League. That’s been the sell. Turn on one commercial and you see Sidney Crosby. Turn on the other, and there’s Ovechkin. Only one problem in Ovechkin’s situation. The guy doing adds from Mr. Big isn’t playing like Mr. Big.
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Shots Not There For Ovechkin
by Paul on 11/13/11 at 05:23 PM ET
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from Chuck Gormley of CSNWashington,
Through 15 games, Ovechkin has seven goals, seven assists and is a minus-1. That projects to 38 goals and 38 assists for 76 points, which are respectable numbers for most players not named Ovechkin.
“He’s frustrated,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “You can see the frustration on his face. He wants to score so badly. He’s scored seven on the road and none at home. I’m sure he’d prefer to score a few at home in front of the 18,000 people who come and adore him every night. It’s not for lack of trying.
“So, what do you do? You usually take your frustration out on something and he hits. It’s a talent that he has and it’s one of the things that makes him who he is. He’s a scorer, but he’s also a power forward who is physical. There aren’t too many guys who have that rare combination. He’s had some good looks and some good shots.”
So why the drop in production? The biggest indicator is the dramatic drop in shots and rise attempts that don’t reach the net.Ovechkin is tied for 38th in the NHL with 50 shots. It’s a category in which he has led the NHL in each of his previous six seasons.
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Ovechkin- Not What He Once Was
by Paul on 11/11/11 at 02:24 PM ET
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from Shannon Proudfoot with Christine Simpson in Washington of Sportsnet,
When sculptors from Madame Tussauds meet with a celebrity to create a wax doppelgänger, it’s usually the eyeballs that freak the famous out. Not Alex Ovechkin. A team of artists met the Washington Capitals superstar this summer, and when they pulled out a foam-lined metal case of acrylic eyeballs—complete with veins made of red silk thread—he plucked himself a pair, squished them into his eye sockets like a kid in a magic store and started mugging for the cameras.
In a league where most players give the impression they’d rather have their face driven into the boards than deal with one more microphone or camera, Ovechkin comes off as the only one who would probably enjoy testing his comedic timing as host of Saturday Night Live. Since he blew into the NHL following the 2004–05 lockout, he’s livened up the joint with both his freak-of-nature on-ice talents and his flamboyant personality, willingly playing the clown in a class that badly needed one. He is the anti–Sidney Crosby—bombastic rather than humble, brash instead of low-key, saying and doing interesting things rather than the right things—and he’s been no less essential to selling the game. But now, with the gaudy offensive numbers he posted in his first five NHL seasons declining to mere mortal levels, his team faltering in the playoffs and the league relying on him for a personality injection, the NHL’s king has become something more akin to its court jester.
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Afternoon Line
by Paul on 11/02/11 at 02:13 PM ET
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Was the Ovechkin that we saw in last year’s HBO special on the Penguins and the Capitals the ‘real’ Ovechkin, or was Ovechkin playing the jocular Ovechkin he wanted people to see? It’s impossible to know with cameras rolling.
Was the grumbling “fat f—-” Ovechkin more real? Who knows? It’s like we’re putting the guy together in an editing bay.
Our ability to insert ourselves into the lives of sports figures will only increase — they’re pushing the ball forward themselves online. But it’s not clear if we know any more about them because of it.
Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star where you can read more on this and a great Gordie Howe/Red Kelly story too.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Tension Between Ovechkin And Bourdreau?
by Paul on 11/02/11 at 03:15 AM ET
Comments (5)
from Katie Carrera of Capitals Insider,
“I thought other guys were better than him and I thought there was just a chance that other guys might score the goal,” Boudreau said. “I’ve got to put out the guys that I think are going to score the goal and 99 percent of the time Alex is the guy I think is going to score the goal. I just didn’t think Alex was going to score the goal at that time tonight. You go with your gut feeling, thinking that line is going pretty good and I got lucky.”...
Boudreau said he couldn’t put a finger on what was wrong exactly with Ovechkin. “I don’t know,” Boudreau said. “It just wasn’t working for him.”
But another video clip that was part of the national broadcast of Tuesday’s game, showed Ovechkin on the bench during the timeout the Capitals called during the stoppage in play with 1:02 remaining where the star left wing looked displeased and mutters what appears to be an expletive.
You can see the video clip and judge for yourself here. The instance on the bench begins at the 53 second mark of the video.
Also, make sure to check out what Mike Keenan has to say about Ovechin below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bruce+Boudreau,
The Ovechkin Show Lands In Vancouver
by Paul on 10/28/11 at 10:21 PM ET
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from Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail,
Two years ago, in just his second regular-season game at the Canucks’ home arena, Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet, not registering a shot on goal until late in the third period. A few months later, playing for Russia at the 2010 Olympics, Ovechkin recorded four points in four games, and delivered a hellacious hit on Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic, but his country went meekly into the night, embarrassed 7-3 by Canada in an elimination game.
“My job is to play hockey,” Ovechkin said when asked if Vancouver hockey fans had seen the best of him. “I’m not a clown who makes jokes and [does] funny things. But if I can [entertain] than I’m going to do it, so we’ll see what happens.”
Neither head coach is anxious is to see what happens in this contest between the defending Western Conference champions and an Eastern Conference heavyweight.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Could Ovechkin Be Slowing Down?
by Paul on 10/13/11 at 09:09 AM ET
Comments (5)
from Dan Daly of The Washington Times,
Ovie missed some time before the opener because of the death of an uncle. And yes, the season is still young. Heck, in other years we wouldn’t have given it a second thought if he hadn’t put the puck in the net in the first two games. But this isn’t like other years. This is the year after he finished 14th in the league in goals — he had never been out of the top four before — and only managed seven on the power play.
Ovechkin’s famous boast is that “Russian machine never breaks.” But “Russian machine” may, at some point, start getting fewer miles per gallon. Are we at that point now? Is Ovie no longer an unstoppable force of nature? Has he devolved into a lower life form — from superstar to very good hockey player?
Asked to evaluate his performance this season, Ovechkin said, “I think minus-2 is not that good. But I have a couple of chances to score goals. If one goes in. … I think our line has to play better 5-on-5. [It was on the ice for two even-strength goals by the Lightning.]”
Ovechkin is closing in on his 500th NHL game, hard as it is to believe. You wonder about the toll those games have taken, given how physically he plays and how much of a target he is. Granted, he’s 26, but is it possible he’s a high-mileage 26 - 26 going on 30?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Who Do You Think Will Win This Battle?
by Paul on 10/12/11 at 05:24 PM ET
Comments (7)
from Chuck Gormley of CSNWashington,
Bruce Boudreau raised a few eyebrows Monday night when, just two games into the season, he said he expects more out of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and is unwilling to accept excuses.
On Wednesday, Ovechkin was asked to comment on his coach’s evaluation of his play and was terse with his responses.
“I think everybody can be better,” Ovechkin said after Thursday’s practice, where he was matched with center Nicklas Backstrom and new right wing Troy Brouwer. “I think that has to be between me and him and I don’t want to comment on it.”
Asked if he agrees with Boudreau’s assessment, Ovechkin replied, “I just said I don’t want to comment on it.”
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bruce+Boudreau,
A Look At Ovechkin
by Paul on 10/04/11 at 06:36 PM ET
Comments (4)
from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
Look at the players taken first overall right around him: Marc-Andre Fleury (2003), Crosby (2005) and Patrick Kane (2007) have already been critical components of a Stanley Cup champion team. Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Malkin and Jonathan Toews are franchise players of Ovechkin’s generation who’ve done it, too. And Stamkos also trends upward.
It is ludicrous to solely blame him for Washington’s failure to carry the Cup, so far. And I cannot disagree enough with the idea that Ovechkin doesn’t want to win. But why have many of the players listed above soared while he has stagnated? Because he has not invested enough in improving his game or learning how to win.
Let’s use Crosby as an example. Every summer, he’s concentrated on something to make his game better. As a rookie, his faceoff percentage was 46 per cent. Last year, he was 14th in the NHL at 56 per cent before the injury. When he thought he was becoming too easy to defend, he worked on his shot to become a more dangerous scorer.
Where do you look at Ovechkin and say, “Wow, he’s really improved at that in five years?”
more plus 30 Thoughts too…
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Ovechkin Chat
by Alanah McGinley on 10/03/11 at 11:02 AM ET
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From Chuck Gormley with CSN Washington:
CSN: It’s been said that players don’t achieve greatness until they’ve won a championship. Do you believe that?
AO: Of course, when you win you are king of the world. But if you know my personality, I’m a winner and one day I’m going to raise the Cup. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t be here. I would stay in Russia, stay with my parents, stay in my house and have a good time there. But I’m here and I want to win the Stanley Cup. This is my dream. That’s why this team is built right now to be a champion.
CSN: Do you believe this team is closer to winning a Stanley Cup than at any time since you’ve been here?
AO: We have to create together the opportunity. We are a team picked to win the Cup.
For more Ovechkin, Dave Lozo at NHL.com has a slightly unconventional look at AO today.
Update 3:30pm ET: From Jesse Spector via Twitter, news today on AO—
Alex Ovechkin heading to Russia after the death of a close relative. Condolences to @ovi8
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Tags: alex+ovechkin,
Ovechkin’s Day with GQ Russia
by Alanah McGinley on 09/19/11 at 03:29 PM ET
Comments (1)
Found at Alexander Ovetjkin (thanks to a pointer from Lindsay Applebaum at Capitals Insider) a video and a few words from GQ Russia:
In early September we spent the whole day on the ice and in the locker room with Alexander Ovechkin, who flew to Moscow to shoot his first advertising campaign for Nike.
Александр Овечкин для NIKE from GQ Russia on Vimeo.
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Tags: alex+ovechkin, gq, nike,
Ovechkin Now With Bauer Hockey
by Paul on 09/06/11 at 03:16 PM ET
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WASHINGTON – September 6, 2011 – Bauer Performance Sports (TSX: BAU) and Bauer Hockey, Inc. today announced that Washington Capitals star captain Alex Ovechkin has joined the company’s roster of athletes, becoming the latest elite player to ink an official endorsement deal with the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of hockey equipment. Ovechkin has signed a long-term deal with the company and will exclusively wear Bauer on-ice equipment beginning this season.
Bauer Hockey and Ovechkin have also teamed up to donate 108 sets of equipment to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex and the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association in Washington as well as 108 sets of equipment to the Dynamo Hockey School in Alex’s hometown of Moscow, Russia.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bauer+Hockey,
Looking on the Left
by Ian Gooding on 09/04/11 at 11:00 AM ET
Comments (4)
We continue our preview of the top players at each position with a look at the left wing. In my auction league with bidding that is taking place all month, I am currently looking for a low-cost left wing option, of which there are plenty. But here are the options that you can reasonably pay top dollar for or feel comfortable drafting with an early-round pick.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bobby+Ryan, Daniel+Sedin, Dany+Heatley, fantasy+hockey, Henrik+Zetterberg, Ian+Gooding, Ilya+Kovalchuk, left+wing, Patrick+Marleau, Pavel+Datsyuk, The+Goods, Zach+Parise,
Video- (Will) This Year Be Different?
by Paul on 09/02/11 at 09:53 PM ET
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An Ovechkin teaser.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Ovechkin Joins The Nike Team
by Paul on 09/02/11 at 05:52 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Tarik El-Bashir of Capitals Insider,
The Capitals’ star left wing has signed a long-term endorsement deal with Nike, his IMG agent, David Abrutyn, confirmed to me late Thursday. Ovechkin’s previous endorsement deal with CCM expired earlier this week.
“I can confirm that Alex has signed a long-term global partnership with Nike,” Abrutyn said. “Alex is going to be supporting all of the products that Nike makes — apparel, footwear, performance apparel, casual wear, accessories and other elements of the Nike family of products. So he will be wearing their performance product when he’s playing and practicing, when he’s training and in his lifestyle.”
“From a lifestyle standpoint,” Abrutyn added, “everybody knows that Ovi has a unique fashion sense.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Guess The Announcement
by Paul on 09/01/11 at 08:56 AM ET
Comments (14)
ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will make a special announcement during his first official media availability session before the upcoming season on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Ovechkin on Crosby
by Alanah McGinley on 08/29/11 at 01:58 PM ET
Comments (5)
From Dmitry Chesnokov at Yahoo!‘s Puck Daddy:
What can you say about Sidney Crosby who still cannot recover from the concussion? He may miss even this season.
“God willing it won’t be true. Right now Crosby is one of the best hockey players in the world. If he leaves, it will be a huge loss for people and for the sport in general. I will be very upset.”
But it was former Washington Capitals forward David Steckel who gave him the concussion. You are responsible for his action as his captain.
“It was an unintentional collision. One hundred percent! A game play. Moreover, the next game a Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman had a rough play against Crosby behind the net. You can’t get away from episodes like this in hockey.”
read on for discussion on the weight-gain issue, and other topics
*thanks to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the pointer
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alex+ovechkin, sidney+crosby,
Does Ovechkin Have More To Give?
by Paul on 08/19/11 at 07:49 AM ET
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from Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post,
It was clear from watching HBO’s “24/7” last winter that a major difference between Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin is dressing room presence. Crosby was almost another coach in the room, praising, offering tips, being involved in the conversation. Ovechkin was nearly silent.
No, it’s not all about talking, and no, English is not his first language. But Ovechkin has enough of a command of the language now to use it to light a fire under guys, to offer compliments and criticisms. The fact is, he has, until now, chosen not to.
It’s clear that Boudreau expects more of him this season than just 81 hard games, and it’s high time someone did. Boudreau said he wants Ovechkin to take his role as team captain “a step further” and he wants to establish “a more serious tone” in the dressing room. He also said, “I fully expect Alex Ovechkin to come back into camp mean as a bear.”
If he doesn’t, if nothing changes with the Caps on and off the ice this season, Ovechkin won’t be the only one feeling mean as a bear. Caps fans (and Jason Reid) love him, but they won’t be patient forever.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Another Case For Number One
by Ian Gooding on 08/18/11 at 08:40 AM ET
Comments (10)
Is Sidney Crosby still the number one pick in fantasy leagues?
Mere hours after my posting suggesting that Crosby should be the first overall pick, Josh Rimer’s tweet about Crosby’s unlikeliness to be in the Penguins’ lineup to start the season was making the rounds.
Filed in: Fantasy Hockey and Gaming, thegoods13 | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Corey+Perry, Daniel+Sedin, fantasy+hockey, Henrik+Sedin, Josh+Rimer, Martin+Brodeur, Ray+Shero, Sidney+Crosby, Steven+Stamkos, Tim+Thomas,
Boudreau Talks Ovechkin
by Paul on 08/10/11 at 11:54 AM ET
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from Tarik El-Bashir of Capitals Insider,
“The whole leadership role is taking on a different [meaning] to him now,” Boudreau said Sunday in St. Catharines, Ont., where the coach was hosting his 29th annual Golden Horseshoe Hockey School. “We’re not all 22-year-old guys anymore. He’s the captain. I think he’s a great captain on the ice because no one works as hard as him, and no one wants to win more than him.”
“He’s going to take it a step further. That’s maturity. It’s not anything more than that.”
Since getting the ‘C’ in January of 2010, Ovechkin has definitely been of the lead-by-example variety. To me, it sounds like Boudreau implored him to be more assertive and vocal — and less concerned about hurting feelings — both in the dressing room and, if need be, in front of the cameras and mics, too.
“It’s hard sometimes to go up there and criticize your teammates,” Boudreau said, before pointing out, “His English is getting better. His knowledge of North America is getting better. That’s going to have an effect. They’ll follow his lead.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Bruce+Boudreau,
Video- Matt Cooke Called For Tripping Alex Ovechkin
by Paul on 02/06/11 at 04:04 PM ET
Comments (29)
from Katie Carrera of Capitals Insider,
Ovechkin played another shift before the contest expired and appeared fine afterward but Coach Bruce Boudreau didn’t mince words when asked about the hit in his post-game press conference.
“It was Matt Cooke. Need we say more? It’s not like it’s his first rodeo,” Boudreau said. “He’s done it to everybody and then he goes to the ref and says: ‘What did I do?’ He knows damn well what he did. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s good at it and he knows how to do it. He knows how to pick this stuff. We as a league we still buy into this that oh it was an accidental thing.”
Colleague Greg Schimmel went to the Penguins dressing room afterward and got the Pittsburgh take on the hit by Cooke. Both Cooke and Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma downplayed the contact.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Matt+Cooke,
Finances Dictate Sabres’ Roster Moves
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/23/11 at 10:47 AM ET
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from Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News,
Understand, the beef here isn’t about Adam, Kennedy, Niedermayer or Gerbe in particular. It’s about management’s approach in general. The Sabres are hoping to make the playoffs, but there’s a big difference between hoping to reach the postseason and doing what’s required to get there.
Almost every move General Manager Darcy Regier has made since the lockout has been based on attrition, not competition, and money, not winning. The Sabres too often this year looked like they were going through the motions, much like Regier did last summer. Their awakening going into the all-star break could be too late.
more, including other notes from around the league…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Brad+Staubitz, Bucky+Gleason, Buffalo+News, Chris+Tanev, Darcy+Regier, Jan+Hejda, Luke+Adam, Rick+Dudley, Tim+Kennedy,
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Lightning/Capitals, 1/12/11
by Jon Jordan on 01/13/11 at 10:38 AM ET
Comments (4)
Yesterday, the aim here was to reaffirm the realistic goal of a Southeast Division championship for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Keeping pace with the three-time defending champion Washington Capitals through 43 games was enough, at face value, to establish that. But, in shutting out the Caps for a second consecutive meeting and, really, dominating last night’s game throughout, the Lightning have taken things a step further.
The road to the Southeast Division championship goes through Tampa.
Clearly, nothing’s been settled yet. 38 games remaining games for each club – with two more against each other – dictates as much. But the tides have turned in the Lightning’s favor since the acquisition of Dwayne Roloson, who has now blanked Washington twice in a week for his new club.
The difference between being outscored 12-3 in two losses to the Capitals earlier in the year and not allowing a single goal in two since goes far beyond a goaltending upgrade.
“We were trying to play their game,” Tampa Bay head coach Guy Boucher said of the first two meetings with Washington this year, “And, to be honest with you, at their game, they’re better than us.”
“We focused a lot less on the other team (in the two wins) and a lot more on ourselves.”
In doing so, the Bolts have flipped the script on their division rivals and sit alone atop the Southeast standings.
And while Washington has struggled to find consistency during a shift in identity from the offensive dynamo they’ve been in recent years, Tampa Bay has continually improved all season long.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Dwayne+Roloson, Guy+Boucher, Mattias+Ohlund, Sean+Bergenheim, Semyon+Varlamov, Steven+Stamkos, Victor+Hedman,
Southeast Crown a Realistic Goal for Tampa Bay - Beyond That?
by Jon Jordan on 01/12/11 at 09:37 AM ET
Comments (2)
The question was posed recently in the St. Pete Times and Paul recently brought it to the attention of the KK faithful as well, soliciting some interesting responses but, with first place in the Southeast Division on the line again tonight, with the Washington Capitals (and their identical 55-point total) in town for the first time this season, it deserves some revisiting:
Could the Tampa Bay Lightning truly be a contender for the Stanley Cup this season?
Well, yeah… I suppose anything is possible.
But since the original question was actually, “Is it premature to call the Tampa Bay Lightning a Stanley Cup contender?” then, well…
Yeah. It is.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Martin+St.+Louis, Steven+Stamkos, Steve+Yzerman,
Bolts, Caps Set to Square Off in Washington With First Place (and More) on the Line
by Jon Jordan on 01/04/11 at 12:09 PM ET
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Roughly half-way through the 2010-11 NHL schedule, what was once known as the “Southleast” Division is no more. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Atlanta Thrashers are all slotted in playoff position presently and the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are just below the eight seed cut line, in ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Tampa, Washington and Atlanta comprise half of the Eastern Conference’s top-six and all five Southeast teams together make up exactly fifty percent of the East’s top-ten. That’s no small feat and certainly worthy of some commendation therefore.
Tonight, the Lightning and Capitals will focus only on each other as they meet in Washington, even in the points department, with first place in the division and the chance to match idle Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s conference-leading 53 points on the line.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Dwayne+Roloson, Michal+Neuvirth, Semyon+Varlamov, Simon+Gagne, Steve+Downie,
Past the Quarter Poll: Southeast Division Team Ratings from JJ
by Jon Jordan on 12/08/10 at 12:54 PM ET
Comments (1)
We’re past the quarter pole, so maybe this is a bit late but it still seems like a good time to me to hand out some assessments to all five Southeast Division clubs. Besides, what’s this quarter pole anyway? Divide the NHL season in equal fours and the resting #StamkosMath calculator tells me that we’d have to stop things at the ten-minute mark of each team’s 21st game of the year to truly be one quarter of the way through. And that just seems troubling.
We’ll go with JJ Ratings rather than the standard report cards because one, everyone else seems to do the report card thing and two, handing out school-type grades gives me terrible nightmares. (Trust me.) Instead, each club’s JJ Rating will reflect their performance on a scale of one to ten (and, since I’ve become a big fan of complicating things, we’ll allow for partial points as well).
Here we are, anywhere from 26-29 games into the 2010-11 slate for the Southeast squads – as good a time as any (maybe just because I say so) to see where we are versus where we thought we’d be, as well as where we might be headed.
We’ll tackle this alphabetically (Ooh… Suspense!)
Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, David+Booth, Dustin+Byfuglien, Eric+Staal, Jeff+Skinner, Martin+St.+Louis, Mike+Green, Ondrej+Pavelec, Steven+Stamkos, Tomas+Vokoun,
Washed Up in Washington: 6-0 Beating Shows Bolts Have a Long Way to Go
by Jon Jordan on 11/27/10 at 11:23 AM ET
Comments (2)
Past the so-called “quarter pole”, 23 games into the 2010-11 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are undoubtedly in pretty good shape. At 13-8-2 for 28 points, they rank second in the Southeast Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference and appear, at this early stage of the season, to have the makings of a team that can qualify for postseason play and, potentially, make some waves.
But, after last night’s 6-0 pasting at the hands of the division stalwart Washington Capitals, they also, undoubtedly, still have a long way to go before they can stake a legitimate claim to being an upper echelon team like their foes of a night ago.
Really, the Bolts are right where we’d thought they’d be from the start – second in the division and good enough, as they were in their first meeting with the Caps two weeks ago (a 6-3 loss), to hang with the class of the division for a time and give them somewhat of a push. But, last night, they weren’t even close, proving that, though they do have a formidable 1-2 punch in Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis to rival Alexes Ovechkin and Semin for the offensive Washington dynamo, they don’t have the firepower through and through – from up front and on the back end – to keep up with the Joneses (or the Backstroms, the Greens and so on and so forth).
Filed in: NHL Teams, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Alex+Semin, Martin+St.+Louis, Mike+Smith, Semyon+Varlamov, Steven+Stamkos,
Is Stamkos the New Face of the NHL?
by Jon Jordan on 11/19/10 at 12:37 PM ET
Comments (12)
That’s the question that The Globe and Mail asks Roy MacGregor, Sean Gordon and Eric Duhatschek today, with varied responses.
More specifically:
Today we turn our attention to Tampa Bay, where Lightning forward Steven Stamkos has 19 goals in 19 games and leads the NHL scoring with 34 points. His strong start comes on the heels of a 51-goal breakout season that saw him share the Rocket Richard Trophy with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
We asked our writers: Is it time to put Stamkos up with Crosby and Alex Ovechkin as the best players in the NHL?
My opinion, though unsolicited for this particular informal poll, is an unwavering YES. Having seen Stamkos transform, first-hand, in his two and less-than-a-fourth seasons in the NHL from a kid with shaken confidence to the game’s most dynamic goal-scorer who seems to improve on a daily basis that we’re seeing now is more than enough to convince me of as much.
And, believe it or not, Stamkos indeed does have - wait for it - some Gretzky in him, on and off the ice, as Duhatschek so wisely observes.
I’m sold. Seems at least one-and-a-half of the three writers polled here are too.
Let the debate begin…
JJ
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL Talk, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Sidney+Crosby, Steven+Stamkos, Wayne+Gretzky,
Alex Ovechkin: The Great
by Paul on 11/12/10 at 06:48 PM ET
Comments (1)
The DVD will be released next week, but watch a sneak preview now.
Amazon (affiliate link) has a great pre-order price on the DVD.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin,
Lightning, Other Southeast Clubs Have Fared About as Expected So Far
by Jon Jordan on 11/09/10 at 12:05 PM ET
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When last the Tampa Bay Lightning were home, a celebration of a hard-fought, come-from-behind, 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins was in order before the Bolts set out on a four-game western road swing. And, after kicking off the trip with a 3-0 win in Phoenix over the Coyotes, at 7-2-1 and atop the Eastern Conference standings, Tampa Bay fans, really, couldn’t have asked for a much better start.
Now, nearly two weeks since that last home game, after an overtime loss in Anaheim and two consecutive regulation defeats following that win in Phoenix, things aren’t as rosy for Tampa Bay and the Lightning look to get back on track tonight against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.
So what are we to make of Tampa’s 7-4-2 start? Hold that thought…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, predictions, Sidney+Crosby, standings, Steven+Stamkos, The+Bolts+Beat,
JJ’s Three Cheers: 11/01/10 - Plus Thoughts on Tampa’s Continued Hot Start and Stamkos Contract Talk
by Jon Jordan on 11/01/10 at 09:21 AM ET
Comments (3)
Perhaps you enjoyed a day of rest from NHL hockey yesterday. Or, more likely, you were angered, annoyed or even lost at some point last night, with not a shot on goal to be had anywhere. (Or maybe, even, you were like me: Incensed at an awful showing in your weekly football picks – and I mean awful – and left without the catharsis of switching to a different sport at day’s end, left only to the comfort of Dexter and his serial-killing ways… Whatever the case may be, we (or I, that is) have some catching up to do with JJ’s Three Cheers overdue from Friday and Saturday.
Now then, quickly, from Friday first:
***Cheers to Atlanta’s Dustin Byfuglien, whose transition back to defense has gone quite well in his new home. On Friday night, Byfuglien netted the O.T. winner in fantastic fashion for Atlanta, on an end-to-end rush reminiscent of legendary offensive defensemen of years gone by, to top Buffalo 4-3. (I’ll link it twice, actually, because you need to make sure you’ve seen this play.)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Claude+Giroux, Dustin+Byfuglien, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jay+McClement, Jeff+Skinner, Steven+Stamkos,
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Lightning/Stars, 10/18/10
by Jon Jordan on 10/19/10 at 10:51 AM ET
Comments (2)
When you get waxed as the Tampa Bay Lightning did Saturday night in Sunrise, 6-0 to the Florida Panthers, all you can ask for is a rebound to the tune of two points in the following game. The Bolts got just that last night against Dallas, so complaints can be held to a minimum. Besides, as head coach Guy Boucher said during the preseason, this team won’t be at their best in the first 5, 10, 15 games of the season. And who would want them to be? Certainly, all would rather a club peak much, much (much, much, much) later, no?
Nevertheless, analyze we must.
Hence, the original: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Adam+Hall, Alex+Ovechkin, Brad+Richards, Brenden+Morrow, Dana+Tyrell, Dominic+Moore, Guy+Boucher, James+Neal, Jeff+Vinik, Michael+Vernace, Mike+Smith, Nate+Thompson, Sean+Bergenheim, Sidney+Crosby, Steven+Stamkos, Toby+Petersen, Victor+Hedman,
