What other NHLers think about Ovechkin's physical play

 Source: Corey Masisak, TWT, Jan. 25, 2009 "Ovechkin's physical play earns respect, rancor"

Ovechkin has collected 28 minor penalties this season - seven more than any of his teammates and a personal high for a single season. That total is tied for fifth in the league, behind only Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf and Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell among forwards.

Chicago Back Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell:

I think he plays on the edge, but I think that is how he has to play to be who he is. When you play on the edge and play that many minutes, sometimes you might do some stuff that other guys don't like or the league doesn't like or whatever. But if he were my teammate, I wouldn't want him to change.

Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal:

He's one of those guys who plays hard, but I don't think you would consider him a dirty player or anything like that. ... He likes to play with a physical edge, and any player like that can sometimes get over the edge a little bit, but that's part of it. Obviously we'd love to have him on our team because he can really change the momentum with his offense or his physical play.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle:

I saw it on a replay [of the hit on Heward] and I didn't think it was that bad, but obviously the end result was. Obviously the guy plays with a lot of intensity and he's bigger and faster than a lot of the guys on the ice, so maybe sometimes that is a recipe for disaster for the other guy.

Los Angeles' Dustin Brown (has the most hits in the NHL since the beginning of last season):

The hit he gave me [Nov. 20], the puck wasn't anywhere near me, but it is hard to say. He got a penalty and I ended up scoring, so I was fine with it. I play the same way, and if you play physical sometimes there are going to be hits that are maybe not the cleanest hits. That's just the nature of the game - sometimes you might get there a second late. I think he plays the game hard, and if it gets under people's skin, then that's probably better for him.

Ovechkin's feud with Richards, meanwhile, goes back to an incident in the world junior championships. After Ovechkin nearly crunched Carter in the neutral zone this month, his Flyers teammates were not pleased. After the game, Carter told reporters, "We knew he was going to be running around a bit."

Carter used the same phrase Saturday when asked about Ovechkin - though he also said he didn't have a problem with it.

Mike Richards should hear this, JEFF CARTER HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH IT.


MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Eastern Conference All-Stars Jeff Carter of the Philadelphia Flyers and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals warm up during the McDonalds/NHL All-Star open practice as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

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