Ovechkin showing his true colors...

[Mountaineer]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=159636&hubname=nhl

Ovechkin a team player? Doesn't look like it. Guess he hasn't heard the expression "There's no "I" in team."

Sounds like someone who used to play here in Pittsburgh...A certain someone who now plays for the Rangers....

Crosby may not be as dynamic (not yet, at least), but I'll take him any day of the week over Ovechkin.

[Pitts]

This is now the 3rd time this story's been posted (and, it's in the wrong forum).

[jimjom]

So let me get this straight...Alexander Ovechkin sounds like MICHAL ROZSIVAL?

[Jim]

But Crosby is the bad seed...

[wondermoose]

There may be no I in TEAM, but there is a ME and that serves the exact same purpose.

[bill from turtle creek]

Give the kid a break. He's a mere child, and he'll grow up. Our own child is not without his faults, either. Neither one of them is an adult yet.

[pcm]

seeing as Ovechkin is the caps, its hard to fault him for trying to take the game into his own hands.

p.

[Pitts]

Now if Crosby could just pad his stats without whining, he'd be perfect!

[wondermoose]

I think Sid should try for the goal more often like he was doing early in the season, trying to explode through the defensemen. Sure, he only scored once or twice, but he was getting pretty darn close, and it was drawing a ton of penalties. I think he's starting to get discouraged to try and score on his own now.

[Ginger]

Give the kid a break. He's a mere child, and he'll grow up. Our own child is not without his faults, either. Neither one of them is an adult yet.

I was thinking the same thing. If this were Crosby, then everyone here would *excuse* him for being a kid. But since it's Alex & he's a Cap, then we should lynch him for wanting to stay out there & help his team.

I say shoot him & be done with it!

[NIN]

Good for the Caps, and let this be a lesson to all of the young hot shots out there. You know who you are....

[scals37]

Give props to the Caps coach in this case... ballsy decision in some ways 8)

[Jim]

seeing as Ovechkin is the caps, its hard to fault him for trying to take the game into his own hands.

p.

He is not trying to take the team into his own hands like a leader... From the games I have seen... I doubt he really cares about the rest of the team. He only has one thing in mind, and that is his point total. Now that is just my opion, so nobody go off on the typical "How do you know what he is thinking" bs...

[Pitts]

Now that is just my opion, so nobody go off on the typical "How do you know what he is thinking" bs...

Couldn't be the fact that he stands at the redline while his team is killing a penalty, would it??

[NIN]

seeing as Ovechkin is the caps, its hard to fault him for trying to take the game into his own hands.

p.

He is not trying to take the team into his own hands like a leader... From the games I have seen... I doubt he really cares about the rest of the team. He only has one thing in mind, and that is his point total. Now that is just my opion, so nobody go off on the typical "How do you know what he is thinking" bs...

Yeah but seriously, how do you know what he is thinking?

[Jim]

I am Pensychic.

Eh.. sad attempt to try to put Pens into Psychic...

[Tocchet]

Give props to the Caps coach in this case... ballsy decision in some ways

Seeing how the coach is at fault for partially creating the situation -- putting Ovechkin on the ice to kill a penalty -- I'm not sure how you can applaud him for anything.

Seriously, the coach puts his franchise player at risk by having AO kill penalties (e.g., blocking a point shot and breaking his foot), and the coach knew full-well AO's penchant for offense over defense. Despite this knowledge, Hanlon then penalizes the kid for trying to create offense, which is, I would assume, the very reason that the coach put AO on the penalty kill in the first place (it sure as heck isn't AO's defensive prowess!).

[Pitts]

Give props to the Caps coach in this case... ballsy decision in some ways

Seeing how the coach is at fault for partially creating the situation -- putting Ovechkin on the ice to kill a penalty -- I'm not sure how you can applaud him for anything.

Seriously, the coach puts his franchise player at risk by having AO kill penalties (e.g., blocking a point shot and breaking his foot), and the coach knew full-well AO's penchant for offense over defense. Despite this knowledge, Hanlon then penalizes the kid for trying to create offense, which is, I would assume, the very reason that the coach put AO on the penalty kill in the first place (it sure as heck isn't AO's defensive prowess!).

Maybe he's trying to turn Ovechkin into a "more complete player" like that whiner up north!

[Reilly]

Give props to the Caps coach in this case... ballsy decision in some ways

Seeing how the coach is at fault for partially creating the situation -- putting Ovechkin on the ice to kill a penalty -- I'm not sure how you can applaud him for anything.

Seriously, the coach puts his franchise player at risk by having AO kill penalties (e.g., blocking a point shot and breaking his foot), and the coach knew full-well AO's penchant for offense over defense. Despite this knowledge, Hanlon then penalizes the kid for trying to create offense, which is, I would assume, the very reason that the coach put AO on the penalty kill in the first place (it sure as heck isn't AO's defensive prowess!).

[Ginger]

Give props to the Caps coach in this case... ballsy decision in some ways

Seeing how the coach is at fault for partially creating the situation -- putting Ovechkin on the ice to kill a penalty -- I'm not sure how you can applaud him for anything.

Seriously, the coach puts his franchise player at risk by having AO kill penalties (e.g., blocking a point shot and breaking his foot), and the coach knew full-well AO's penchant for offense over defense. Despite this knowledge, Hanlon then penalizes the kid for trying to create offense, which is, I would assume, the very reason that the coach put AO on the penalty kill in the first place (it sure as heck isn't AO's defensive prowess!).

AO is definitely not a PK player & Hanlon is usually wiser than that. A brain burp I guess. I admire Hanlon greatly but I don't know what he was thinking here.

Jim says:

He is not trying to take the team into his own hands like a leader... From the games I have seen... I doubt he really cares about the rest of the team. He only has one thing in mind, and that is his point total. Now that is just my opion, so nobody go off on the typical "How do you know what he is thinking" bs...

Oh really? So you see it one way & the rest of the hockey world sees it another.
Well the Caps players aren't aware of this. They constantly talk about how he's a tremendous team guy & is always huddling with them in the locker room & encouraging them with praise for what they're doing.

March 18, 2006

What can you say about Alex Ovechkin?

“Ovie is a punishing, [physical] guy. Everything he says in the media, everything he says to his teammates is about winning, the team. He gets the puck, goes hard; and when he doesn’t have the puck, it’s forechecking, bang, crash. He’s come to us as close to perfect as there is.â€￾
-- Head coach Glen Hanlon, Star Tribune, Dec. 11, 2005

“If I lived in Washington, I would pay whatever the season ticket was to watch this kid play. He's a special player, a unique player who comes around once every 10 years.â€￾
-- Philadelphia Flyers head coach Ken Hitchcock, Nov. 2, 2005

•

“Ovechkin isn't the best player since Bobby Orr, obviously. Only the most exciting.â€￾
– Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, Feb. 26, 2006

•

“He can make chicken soup out of chicken (bleep). … I just think he’s got everything you could want. He’s a great skater, he’s a great stickhandler, good one-on-one and he’s got a really good work ethic.

“He’s the best player consistently. What he’s done with that team? To be able to put up those numbers … but I don’t think he’s all about the numbers, either.â€￾
– Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Sun, March 12, 2006

•

“He might be the best. He doesn't just score. He goes in the corners. He blocks shots. He skates hard. He does a little of everything.â€￾
– Darius Kasparaitis, Toronto Sun, Feb. 23, 2006

•

“Well he’s got 42 goals. He’s a special hockey player for his age. He’s got a drive and a fire and plays with a passion that, when you combine it with his skill level, is quite a package. To have it at his age is another more remarkable step. He’s going to be around for as long as he wants to be, really. He’s going to put up some numbers that might be quite staggering.â€￾
-- New York Islanders head coach Brad Shaw, March 6, 2006

•

“He is young, but he's already a great player. I think he's going to have a huge future. The way he skates, the way he throws the hits. He has size. He has power. What I really like about him: It doesn't matter what the score is. He goes out there and plays hard every shift.â€￾
– Pavel Bure, Washington Post, Feb. 14, 2006

•

“Right now, there's no question he's the most exciting [player].â€￾
– Wayne Gretzky, Feb. 22, 2006

•

“I love the kid. He's the only one I’ve coached against who has scored against me and blew me a kiss.â€￾
– Wayne Gretzky, Feb. 22, 2006

•

“I always felt like Ovechkin was a little bit like Gordie Howe. He can beat you physically and he can beat you with his skill. I always thought that Gordie was the player that he reminded of.â€￾
– Philadelphia Flyers head coach Ken Hitchcock, Feb. 12, 2006

•

“This guy is a tremendous player. He's got more moves, and you think you know one move and he pulls another one on you. We had a couple of defensemen that got beat one-on-one, just cleanly. And then you look at that shootout goal he scored, jeez...it was just off his stick like a rocket.â€￾
-- St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Kitchen, Jan. 19, 2006

•

“You know, he's a phenomenal player, and he's been a tremendous influence in the game. It's great to see, because he is that good.â€￾
-- Wayne Gretzky, Jan. 16, 2006

•

“We were in our OLN studio last night with our three analysts when word was passed down: ‘Wait until you see this highlight. It may be the best goal this year.’ Our jaws dropped. Oh my god. It’s one of the greatest goals of all time. We are starting to talk about him for the Hart Trophy.â€￾
-- Bill Clement, Jan. 17, 2006

•

“He is an incredible talent. It’s great to see when a guy comes into the league and is so excited about everything, [you can see it] in his body language. He reminds me of when I played in my first year.â€￾
-- NHL rookie goal and point record holder Teemu Selanne, in the Washington Post, Jan. 15, 2006

•

“It’s just amazing that this guy is so entertaining and I hear more and more players kind of talking about this guy like they’re fans of his.â€￾
-- Detroit Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan, Jan. 17, 2006

•

“He’s definitely one of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen. He’s an all-around player. He can score, he can pass, and he doesn’t shy away from the rough stuff, either. He’s the total package. He’s a shooter. A lot of guys come over from Russia and they’re more playmakers first than shooters. He’s a pure goal scorer. He likes to shoot. He looks to shoot all the time.â€￾
-- Boston Bruins forward Sergei Samsonov, Dec. 27, 2005
•

“Ovechkin’s off-the-chart likability factor will serve him well, to say nothing of his gotta-see-it goal celebrations.â€￾
-- Mark Brender, The Hockey News, Jan. 24, 2006

•

“The next morning in Columbus, as I got out of bed to answer the wakeup call, the left side of my body was bruised and sore like I had been in a car crash. I guess you could say I was ‘Ovechkinned.’â€￾
-- St. Louis Blues defenseman Eric Weinrich, on stlouisblues.com, Jan. 22, 2006

•

“Is Alex Ovechkin the most outstanding player you’ve seen in the NHL this season? By a mile for me.â€￾
-- TSN’s Dave Hodge, Jan. 22, 2006

•

“I’ve never seen anything or anyone like him. The whole Washington organization and the whole city should thank, I don’t know, somebody. Because guys like Alex don’t come around often. He’s incredible.â€￾
-- Dainius Zubrus, in the Washington Post, Jan. 15, 2006

•

“He’s a star, there’s no question. He’s quick, he’s dangerous. We really had to pay attention to him all night. We tried to get Chara and Phillips against him as often as we could. He’s an exciting player. There should be more people coming to the building to watch this guy play, because he is a star.â€￾
-- Ottawa Senators head coach Bryan Murray, Jan. 4, 2006

•

“Those are things you don't teach. Those are the kind of things that are in the belly of a guy. That’s what makes him special. When he scores, look at his facial expressions. That comes from inside and that’s why he’s a special player. He has great skill and is really determined.â€￾
-- Florida Panthers head coach Jacques Martin, Miami Herald, Dec. 1, 2005

•

“He has size, strength, vision and speed – and he shoots the puck dead-on. He’s only 20 years old and he’s a major force. When he matures, he’ll be dominating.â€￾
-- Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Bob Clarke, Baltimore Sun, Nov. 30, 2005

•

“I’ve never seen anything or anyone like him. The whole Washington organization and the whole city should thank, I don’t know, somebody. Because guys like Alex don’t come around often. He’s incredible.â€￾
-- Center Dainius Zubrus in the Washington Post, Jan. 14, 2006

•

“He was a force out there. I think at times we stood around and were in awe of him.â€￾
-- Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle, Jan. 13, 2006

•

“I was pretty impressed by him. I think I had a different perception of the player he is. He sure works hard. Maybe I expected something different, just flash and strictly an offensive guy.â€￾
-- Anaheim forward Joffrey Lupul in the Los Angeles Times, Jan. 14, 2006

•

“There’s a hunger and a passion that you can see from the press box. In a lot of ways he reminds me of a young Peter Forsberg. He likes to put a hit on people and he isn’t about to let anybody take any physical liberties with him. If you hit him, he’s probably not going to go down and you better keep your head up because he’s coming right back at you.

“It seems like many nights he’s just picking the team up on his shoulders and carrying them, often to victory. He’s scoring big goals. The magnitude of what he’s accomplished isn’t just in the fact that he’s scoring lots of goals, he’s scoring goal-scorer’s goals in the best league in the world.â€￾
-- Phoenix general manager Mike Barnett in the Arizona Republic, Jan. 16, 2006

•

“Have you seen some of Ovechkin's on-ice moves? He's so electric, you'd swear he was abandoned as a baby and raised by a pack of Solid Gold Dancers. The NHL is lucky to have his skills, and luckier to have his swagger.â€￾
-- Adam Proteau, The Hockey News, Dec. 14, 2005

•

“Ovechkin is a truly magical player on the ice, a creative, thoughtful individual who cannot wait to share his triumphs with teammates, a player who seems destined to lead his club to lofty heights with his passion for the game and devotion to it.â€￾
-- Dave Fay, The Hockey News, Oct. 4, 2005

•

“He has every skill imaginable, none more pronounced than the true goal-scorer’s sense of what’s possible and what can be made that way. Imagination.â€￾
-- Mike Ulmer, Toronto Sun, Oct. 27, 2005

•

“His NHL-high five shootout goals were delivered with his signature lifting of his left leg as he barrels toward the net. (He’s the dog, you’re the hydrant.)â€￾
-- Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, Jan. 9, 2006

•

“If you can't get to the arena, take note for when an Ovechkin will be on your TV and take some time -- even if it's just a period. Truly, you won't regret it and he will give you at least one moment to remember.â€￾
-- Kara Yorio, The Sporting News, Nov. 14, 2005

•

“My first impression of him? Wow! He was one of those rare, spectacular players who does everything. The thing that stuck out immediately was his commitment to play both ends of the ice. He wasn’t just a young player who was good offensively. He worked just as hard on defense, and that’s rare.

“I just know what I saw when I scouted him, but I still don’t know how to describe it. He’s like a Jaromir Jagr who likes to play defense. I’d watch this kid take every stride he could to get back into a play. There are a lot of kids with talent, and this kid’s talent level is well above almost everybody else. But there are very few of them committed to play the complete game.

“Yeah, no question he’s the best player I ever scouted in 25 years.â€￾
-- Rick Dudley in the Washington Times, Oct. 5, 2005

•

“What makes him so special is the fact that he’s a great team player. He works hard. He makes hits. He blocks shots. He gives pep talks to his teammates. And on top of all that, he’s an awesomely skilled player. He has great speed and hands. He’s a big guy who can stand his ground. He knows how to play every aspect of the game.â€￾
-- Chicago Blackhawks scout Sakari Pietila in the Washington Times, Oct. 5, 2005

•

“I played against him in the World Championships the past few years, and he’s one who wants to score every single shift. He’s a very dangerous player, and from what I’ve been told he’s a very hard-working guy. As good as he is, he’s not cocky and that’s good from a young guy. The scary thing? He's only going to get better.â€￾
-- Florida Panthers captain Olli Jokinen, Miami Herald, Dec. 1, 2005

•

“It's not just that Ovechkin is supremely skilled, which he is. It's not just that he seems, eerily, to be where the puck is an instant before it arrives. The kid may be only 20 but he's also a showman, demonstrative without being obnoxious. Only seconds into his first game, on his very first shift, he delivered a big hit, a KO that made you go, ‘Ooooh.’ He skates away from defensemen, hits like a freight train, finishes scoring chances. Well, there was that breakaway goal he let slip away on a deke, but let's not get picky.â€￾
-- Michael Wilbon, Oct. 6, 2005

•

“I think [the Caps] are approaching it the right way. You can see them coming together as a team. To start becoming successful you need to do it as a team. Even the young kid [Alex Ovechkin], some guys may think he just goes it about his own way, [but] you can see him buying into the team concept. That's the key.â€￾
-- Tampa Bay head coach John Tortorella, Oct. 28, 2005

[url]file:///E:/Ovechkin%20photos/Kudos%20from%20around%20the%20league.htm[/url]

[Pitts]

WOW! I think you win the longest post award!

[rasbatch]

who really like oven chicken?

[ExPatriatePen]

Ginger,

Hey SC and AO are kids and kids make mistakes (Just ask the families of Michele Briere or Dan Synder). They're not perfect, but one of the things that fans do is over emphasise the good AND the bad.

You want to make millions as a hockey player? Then the thousands I pay toward that affords me the benefit of airing my opinion.

Sid yaps to much. Period. Having said that, I'm damn glad I didn't have national exposure when I was 18 and had "a baby's brain and an old man's heart". But then again, I wasn't making a million dollars a year as a public sports figure.

AO's actions the other night were just plain selfish. You've played goal, what do you think was going through Olaf Kolzigs mind whle AO sat back at the redline waiting for an outlet pass that never came?

The quotes you compiled aside, you don't win the respect of your teammates giving up on a game and deciding to pad your own stats.

[Ginger]

Ginger,


AO's actions the other night were just plain selfish. You've played goal, what do you think was going through Olaf Kolzigs mind whle AO sat back at the redline waiting for an outlet pass that never came?

The quotes you compiled aside, you don't win the respect of your teammates giving up on a game and deciding to pad your own stats.

ExPat;
I understand how you'd perhaps see that but if he's out of his element (& he was & I'm sure Kolzig was thinking that same thing) then he doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing out there.

You said it perfectly; both he & Sid are kids; they do what they do best, not always what they're supposed to be (or expected to be) doing. Let me ask you this; have you ever seen him on the PK before? 'Cuz I've watched a lot of Caps games & I can't recall him ever being put out there like that.
I think this is a pure case of inexperience in a given situation.

I'm probably biased, but if that's the *only* mistake he's made in his career so far, I gotta be a little forgiving. I'm getting good practice at that following the Pens.

[ExPatriatePen]

I think this is a pure case of inexperience in a given situation.

Good point. I think that may have been close to his first PK shift As a Capital

None the less, EVERY article I've read about it says that Hanlon repeatedly told him to shorten his shifts and not to disregard playing in his own end.

I'll tell you what, I'll give him a pass on this one (I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that EPP's letting one go ) but trust me, they'll be a link to this post down the line when he does it again.

I gotta tell you, from the interviews I'm seeing with him, and the way he plays, he looks more like Jags everyday.

He's definately the most fun player to watch in the league this year.