Ovie, just joined some of the greats last night by scoring 50+ goals in 6 different seasons and all this before turning 30 years old. Now if the Capitals could just win in the post season!!! theScore
I was commenting to a friend that I remember when the NHL was probably 95% Canadian and 5% American. Now, there are so many Europeans playing in the league, and more Americans than in the past, that I wonder if Canadian participation is even above 50%! And of course, for many years, Russian participation in the league would have been unthinkable. But look at Russian participation since the fall of the Soviet Union!
Without a Cup win, despite his individual accomplishments (and, undoubtedly, he will be in the HoF), he will almost surely feel incomplete. Caps, for some reason, can't get the job done. And, Ove, in the playoffs, usually doesn't put the numbers on the scoreboard that he needs to. McPhee was a mentor of mine in Junior hockey, and he put together a great squad in Washington. But, the coaching/management, player personnel and strategy changes have caused the organization big issues. Ove is certainly a franchise player, but the truth is until he puts a cup in his bag he'll be on this list... NHL: The Top 50 Players Who Never Won a Stanley Cup | Bleacher Report CW
Maybe this is the year. I'm in Washington Capitals country now with my sister and her husband. It's great being able to watch hockey again, it's very difficult to get the broadcasts in the UK and I've been out of touch with the sport for over a decade - all the guys I used to idolise have all retired. Alexander Ovechkin is a terrific player. My brother-in-law tells me the current coach is allowing him to play more naturally, whereas the previous coach tried to modify his playing style and was putting him off - which might have contributed to some of the previous years without Stanley Cup success. I've also really enjoyed watching Backstrom, Brouwer, Johansson, and Ward. Holtby is a very good goalie too. All the best, Andrew.
Not everyone can win a cup. And it takes a complete team effort. He will go down as one of the best ever to play in the NHL.
They've been comparing him to Gretzky down here. Is that warranted in your opinion? All the best, Andrew.
That is a tough one. Gretzky played with an all-star cast (Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Glen Anderson, Mark Messier, etc...). Ovie hasn't had anyone. I would say that Ovie is the better pure goal-scorer, but Gretzky is a better play-maker.
Officially, they're now the Craps! Can't win one out of three games to advance? Sad... Exactly why Ovechkin, who produced little in the series, will be a great individual player but likely won't ever be in the same league as a Gretzky. Or even Super Mario. They both had the advantage of superb supporting casts, but the Craps can't find ways to win when they need to. Congrats to NYR. TB looks tough ahead. And, can't wait to watch ANA v. CHI. That will be a super series. CW
After watching both eastern semis, the Bolts are at least a full step faster than a pretty quick Rangers squad. And they are well coached...the Habs literally made it across the redline about 25 % of the time they had to break out of their own end thanks to neutral zone clampdown. I don't see how Ducks-Hawks does not go 7 games...will mediocre Chicago goalkeeping be the difference?
I am in the midst of an argument with a RABID NYR fan who contends that Orpik'***** on Boyle was illegal. He thinks it'll be reviewed and Orpik will be suspended. I'm honestly not partisan between the two teams. My opinion is that the hit was hard but fair. Orpik's skates did not leave the ice surface until the contact itself. Boyle skated into the hit, and his head was low, as he was bent over. There was no "targeting" of the head by Orpik. There was contact with Boyle's head, but it was incidental only and, arguably, is a possibility in a contact sport. Avoidable? Sure. Orpik could have pulled up, and he does have a bit of a history, but this is professional hockey and not tiddlywinks. Certainly don't want to see Boyle (or anyone) injured, but hits like this are not illegal because someone's bell gets rung. The commentators are characterizing the hit as "predatory", but the Craps are a physical team. And, if you play them, you have keep your head on a swivel. Anyone have any thoughts on this hit? CW
Orpik has more than a little history...ask Eric Cole and several others. Some people think the Pens lost a lot of their soul when they let him go. I think the call in a game the middle of the season might have gone either way...Boyle contributed to this by skating hard down the wing with his HEAD DOWN. I do not think the head was targeted, although it looks as if Orpik's skates leave the ice. This was third period in a game 7. In the old days, nothing short of manslaughter was called in that situation.
I thought Joel Ward was pretty good through the whole of the Caps' playoffs. Great work ethic on the ice, won back possession loads of times, and was in the right place for several important goals. He's my favorite Capital. One issue I saw was that the Caps had a tendency to cluster on one side of the ice. For both goals against in Caps-Rangers Game 7, they were all concentrating very hard on the puck on one side of the ice and not on the attacker in loads of space standing behind them near the goal. Similarly, when attacking, that sort of goal wasn't something the Caps have often achieved themselves because when the puck is on the left wing the whole team is left of center with nobody exploiting any space on the right - consequently, they get closed down rapidly in the attacking zone. It was also very rare that the Caps would actually skate the puck into the attacking zone, they'd invariably voluntarily relinquish possession by dumping it in to behind the goal from the blue line, even if it looked like even numbers attackers-defenders on the charge. I screamed at the TV a couple of times: "Go with it, skate it in, don't just dum- NOOOOOO!" My sister and her husband are distraught at the exit of the Capitals. I think Ovechkin's unfulfilled guarantee of the Game 7 win will be remembered more than the amazing goal he scored in it, which is a shame. All the best, Andrew.
I agree, broadly, with that analysis of the Craps style-of-play. I felt they had significant difficulty breaking out, and the puck often didn't get past the blue line at times. No line changes and fatigue result. I also agree that practically each and every time they got it past the red line they dumped the puck instead of carrying it in and setting up. I realize the cycling style has overshadowed the static set-up, but the Craps didn't seem to control the puck well at all. Maybe they're looking to force turn-overs in the defensive end and are emphasize that by dumping and chasing, but I can't count how many times I watched them get the puck and then, within one pass, turn it back over. In contrast, NYR did a much better job of breaking out, passing and looking for the off-side trailing player in 3-on-2 situations. CW
Many people knew the Bolts had a high powered offense and PP, but I don't think there were a lot of predictions for 5 and 6 goals against Rangers in the conference finals.
Personally, I like the way the series are both shaping up. It's a real goal-fest, which makes it more exciting than a battle of the defensive shells. I think Lundvist felt pretty bad after last night's performance, but Bishop only did one goal better. Yes, both teams could benefit from tighter, more disciplined play, but things happen fast on the surface. And, I felt ANA looked better than CHI the other night. Lots of posts and crossbars. Still, CHI came away with the win. Good puck right now. CW
I am thinking a Ducks-Bolts final although the TV people want the rangers. On another note, it was GREAT to hear John Forslund do the play by play on the last rangers-TB game. He is so superior to Kenny Albert who is not a hockey guy...and that screamer Doc Emerich...do we really needed the first shot on goal in the first minute of the game to sound like a Stanley Cup winner???
