Zdeno Chara about Ovechkin

Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express interviewed Zdeno Chara after Russia - Slovakia game:

What is it like to play against Ovechkin?
Ovechkin is the complete player, who can do absolutely everything on the ice. That's why he is deservedly considered the best hockey player in the world. Ovechkin fights to the end, loves to play physically, and finally, he scored a ton of goals. In short, he makes all those little things that are important on the ice. Today we've managed to complete a very difficult task: not to allow him to score. To do this it was necessary to deprive him of time and space.

What's your opinion about his physical play, one example is his hit when he has sent you to the boards?
In that episode I was finishing my shift and was a little tired. But we must give credit when it's due. He landed some very impressive and really heavy hits in an attempt to start up his team. More than once I've played against him in the NHL. Ovechkin has always demonstrated what the player of his caliber should, he plays like it's his last game.

Do you talk to him?
Off the ice we are actually good friends. But when it comes to the games, we don't spare each other, we fight to the last.

Source: olympiada.sport-express.ru/2010/reviews/4034


VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 18: Alexander Ovechkin of Russia fights with Zdenko Chara of Slovakia during the ice hockey men's preliminary game between Slovakia and Russia on day 7 of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place on February 18, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) via Yahoo! Sports



Ovechkin and Chara after the game at Vancouver Olympics, Feb. 18, 2010, photo Reuters

Man, I love this photo. Chara is my favorite NHL defenseman. Too bad Caps couldn't get him because of the salary cap.


By Slava Malamud, Heavy Medal, The Washington Post, Feb. 19, 2010:

"Ovechkin, Semin and Datsyuk are obviously the best players in the world," Chara said after the game. "It's challenging to play against those guys. But I loved [Ovechkin's hit]. We always battle hard. I was tired and was trying to get the puck out of our zone. I knew he was going to hit me, but I lost my balance and he put me down on the ice. That's what the best players do. We are good friends off the ice but on the ice we compete and go after each other."

"I am always determined to play hard," confirmed Ovechkin. "If there is a chance to hit, why not hit? What else was there to do? I had to fire up the team and I tried to do what I could."

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