Ovechkin wins Kharlamov's trophy for the fifth time in a row

Place      1 2 3 Total
Ovechkin  17 4 3 62
Datsyuk    3 5 5 24
Kovalchuk  2 5 3 19
Bryzgalov  3 2 3 16
Malkin     0 5 5 15
Semin      0 4 1  9
Varlamov   1 0 0  3
Gonchar    0 0 3  3
Nabokov    0 1 0  2
Afinogenov 0 0 2  2
Khabibulin 0 0 1  1

By Pavel Lysenkov, www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/381186

Pvel Lysenkiov called Alexander Ovechkin in Washington and congratulated him with winning his latest Kharlamov Trophy.

"Uncle Boris was a great guy"

"It's nice that the guys consider me the best Russian in the NHL for the fifth consecutive year," said Alexander Ovechkin. "It is very honorable. Especially since the prize is named after Valery Kharlamov... It so happened that at the beginning of this year his father, Boris Sergeyevich harlamov, had passed away. Uncle Boris was a cool guy. I was very upset when I've heard about it. But life is cruel sometimes.

Why have you placed Ilya Bryzgalov in the first place in your top three?
And have you seen what he did with the Phoenix? He pulled this team to the fourth place in the West. I think that Bryzgalov should get Vezina Trophy as the best goalkeeper this season.

According to our insider, the top three nominees for the Hart Trophy (most valuable player of the season) are Bryzgalov, Crosby and another hockey player, Ovechkin or Sedin. How do you assess the chances of Illya to win Hart?
Here I don't know... You need to wait for the summer, go to Las Vegas for the award ceremony and there you will see it with your own eyes.

What would you say about the Washington's performance in the regular season?
It all turned out well. We passed the season in one breath. We became the best and won the President Trophy. But the most important and interesting games will be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Everything is ahead for us.

You even decided not to touch the President Trophy, when you were handed the trophy by the vice-president of the NHL Bill Daly.
I've not only didn't touch it, I've didn't even look in that direction. A bad omen. We are in the hunt for the other one.

As I understood you were not interested in the individual awards such as Art Ross Trophy (top scorer) and Maurice Richard Trophy (best sniper).
I had a chance, I needed three points in the last game against Boston. I can not say that did not try to win to these prizes. I wanted them, I wanted to win. But I failed and I am not going to cry because of this. I have already won the Art Ross and Maurice Richard before. You can not win them all the time. The other guys need to feel what it is when you win it. In this sense I'm not greedy. The most important thing now is the Stanley Cup.

So your heart have not sank when Crosby and Stamkos scored theirs 51st goals and passed you in the scorers race?
I was disappointed, but not for long. I want to strive to what Evgeny Malkin did last season. He took the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the playoffs. That is the power.



"A lot of massage is never a lot"

What were you doing in those four days before the series with Montreal?
Oh, nothing special. I wanted to heal minor ailments, relax, get into the optimal shape for the playoffs in order to throw all the energy and emotions there, to show my best qualities. Also Dima Kapitonov, my personal trainer, arrived to Washington. He will do a massage and rehabilitation procedures and will give me valuable advice.

Don't you have massage therapists in Washington?
We have, but I will have twice as many massages.

The past two seasons of NHL were called Russian. All three the Hart Trophy nominies were our players: Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk. Why there's such a nose dive?
I don't think that someone has gone South. it's just any season is different. And no need to be greedy. Plus, there were the Olympics, which divided the season in two parts. And the Olympics left a very unpleasant aftertaste.

Yes, Vancouver delivered a strong shock for our NHL players. Are you already reeling after the shock?
I've recovered morally. Now we need to work out in the playoffs at full blast. Big victories are treating mental scars the best.

And do you watch the Gagarin Cup playoffs?
When there is a possibility. The main surprise for me was that Dynamo was eliminated in the first round. And HC MVD is very impressive. I got used to the fact that in the Russian hockey there are usually the same favorites. I do not remember the last time there was such a sensation. But it is a good thing. It gives some variety for the fans.



"I love to play in Montreal"

Is this season's Capitals the strongest team you have ever played?
We must first win the Stanley Cup and then make such conclusions. If we can do it, I'll say yes. In the course of the regular season we sometimes played so good that it seemed we could beat anybody. But we should end the season on the same positive note.

In the game against Atlanta you scored your 50th goal. And assisted you Nicklas Bäckström who receives his 100th point. How will you share a commemorative puck?
And we agreed to saw it in half. Backie will stand over me and say as in the "Golden Calf"[Russian humorous novel - tj]: "Saw, Shura, Saw...". We both deserved this souvenir.

What can you say about your playoffs rival Montreal?
On the eve of the series everyone usually tries to keep their mouths shut. Any word can be misunderstood. And it could be an extra motivation for your competitors. Don't talk just do it.

One of the best games in your career was against Montreal, when you broke your nose, but then you have scored 4 goals...
I clearly remember that game. It was in Washington. And if it was in Montreal, maybe I would have scored more. I am very interested to play in this city where everything is going crazy for the hockey. I love that atmosphere! It turns me on.

The Washington media reported that you bought yourself a new Mercedes.
It's a mistake. I have this car for over a year. Or then you could think that after the Olympics so I decided to lift my mood. Again, in such cases playing hockey is the only help, not shopping.

I'm sure that this year will not be able to play at the World Championship. What would you wish to the Russian national team in Germany?
I want the guys to have luck. The last two years our team took the gold. Now you have to make a hat-trick. This will help the fans forget the Olympics and will get them a new strength to believe in our team. This is our national team. We don't have another one.

The results of the vote by Russian NHL players for Kharlamov Trophy-2010:

1. NABOKOV

Varlamov
Bryzgalov
Khabibulin

2. KULIKOV

Ovechkin
Semin
Gonchar

3. AFINOGENOV

Kovalchuk
Datsyuk
Ovechkin

4. ARTYUKIN

Ovechkin
Malkin
Datsyuk

5. KOVALEV

Datsyuk
Malkin
Ovechkin

6. VOLCHENKOV

Bryzgalov
Ovechkin
Gonchar

7. MARKOV

Bryzgalov
Ovechkin
Gonchar

8. FILATOV

Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Bryzgalov

9. KOZLOV

Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Datsyuk

10. BRYZGALOV

-

11. DATSYUK

Ovechkin
Malkin
Kovalchuk

12. GONCHAR

Ovechkin
Datsyuk
Kovalchuk

13. KOVALCHUK

Ovechkin
Malkin
Afinogenov

14. SAMSONOV

Ovechkin
Semin
Datsyuk

15. MALKIN

Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Datsyuk

16. VARLAMOV

Ovechkin
Bryzgalov
Semin

17. ANISIMOV

Kovalchuk
Ovechkin
Malkin

18. LISIN

Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Datsyuk

19. GREBESHKOV

Ovechkin
Datsyuk
Malkin

20. KHUDOBIN

Ovechkin
Nabokov
Bryzgalov

21. TYUTIN

Ovechkin
Datsyuk
Bryzgalov

22. KULEMIN

Datsyuk
Malkin
Ovechkin

23. MAYOROV

Ovechkin
Semin
Afinogenov

24. SEMIN

Ovechkin
Datsyuk
Malkin

25. LOKTIONOV

Datsyuk
Ovechkin
Malkin

26. OVECHKIN

Bryzgalov
Semin
Kovalchuk

27. FROLOV

Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Malkin

Update:

From our field reporter Emily:

I'm glad AO won the KT again. It reminded me that he did something interesting at the end of January when he scored a particular goal. He dropped all the way down on one knee and even bowed his head. I think that was the first goal he scored after learning of the passing of Uncle Borya and that he was honoring Uncle Borya.

Capitals playoffs guide

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