Will the Russian machine overcome his emotions?

 
I hope so. Alex will go out, score hat-trick for his gramps and will top the NHL goal scorers. That's the plan. The game is not always follows it, :-) but let's hope it will.


By Luis M. Alvarez -- Associated Press Photo


Tocchet: Ovechkin is league's best
TampaBay.com, Jan. 1, 2008:

With all apologies to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, whom Lightning coach Rick Tocchet includes as two of the game's top three players, Washington's Alex Ovechkin is the best, Tocchet said.

Beyond the skills and the stats -- Ovechkin enters the game tied for second in the league with 25 goals, third with 49 points and first with 227 shots (62 more than second-place Dustin Brown) -- there is this:

"Ovechkin just doesn't sit on the outside and take one-timers," Tocchet said. "He's in front of the net. he goes behind. He does a lot of wraps. He's a special player because he's an aggressive player. That's why I think he's the best player, because he's an aggressive player. He's not just a pure sniper who sits on the outside all day."

Tocchet said he hopes the Lightning does not treat him with too much respect.

"The last time Ovechkin, the first five minutes hit three of our players hard, and I didn't see much reaction, which wasn't something I liked," Tocchet said of the last time the teams played. I don't want our team to go into that mode of we'll play off him. I want us to be aggressive. I don't want turnaways on him. I want to see guys hitting him. This is division rival. We're not here to sit around and watch these guys. We have to be very physical against them."

By Corey Masisak, TWT, Jan. 1, 2009:

While 2008 was grand for the Caps, 2009 and beyond could be even better. In the immediate future, the team is likely to begin having more of its players in good health (because of injuries, the Caps have used more players than any other team in the league) and the schedule sets up very nicely.

Between Thursday and the end of February, the Caps will play 15 of their next 25 games at Verizon. Then Washington closes the season with 17 of its last 19 contests against teams that did not make the playoffs a year ago.

Translation: A strong finish to the season should be expected, as should the status befitting a legitimate contender to win hockey's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup.