First fight for Ovechkin in ugly loss to Rangers
First fight with Dubinsky and later getting under friendly fire. Semin's wrist shot hit Ovi in the right leg. Ovi collapsed and barely got off the ice after that.
Ovi had one fight vs. Flyers Mike Richards, but it was an exhibition game. NHL stats show that it's his second fighting major, I guess the first was after Paul Gaustad went after Ovi in a game vs Sabres? But back then Ovi didn't make any attempt to throw any punches.
So this is really a first fight for Ovi and he did well because Brandon Dubinski has more experience in fighting.
At 9:33 of the second period Ovechkin and Dubinski drop the gloves
Ovechkin, Fehr, A. Gordon on the loss to NYR
Good thing is that Ovechkin's leg is fine after that shot by Alex Semin:
Q. How's your knee?
A. It's fine
Russian machine never break, eh?
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12 comments:
*sigh*
It isn't just that the Caps have lost 6 games in a row, it's how they've lost those games and their pattern of play lately. They've been shut out 4 times in the last 11 games, and oftentimes the players look lost and clueless or undisciplined while taking stupid penalties. They've forgotten the basics, or else decided they aren't important because, you know, the regular season means nothing, it's winning in the playoffs that's the only thing.
That kind of thinking is OK as far as it goes, but eventually it can get dangerous because it takes you out of your game plan, out of your rhythm. Like flesh-eating bacteria, the negativity starts to grow and erode confidence, thereby nullifying talent and skill. I'm still on the Caps bandwagon, I haven't decided to jump ship--or off a ledge--but it's getting more and more difficult to stay upbeat and positive that things will get better.
It's time for the team leaders to step up and take charge of the room. I don't know if Bruce Boudreau has lost it, if the players have reached the point of tuning him out. Whatever is going on, it's slowly and insidiously taken over the Caps team consciousness and psyche.
HBO has been following both the Caps and Pens. The Pens have won 12 straight while the Caps are mired in their slump. I wonder what the first episode of the 24/7 series is going to look like.
ovie's little fist pump to his team after the fight is what makes me love ovie more and more for that C on his sweater. I seriously 100% think he is a great leader, and wears the C well. as the announcers said, he wants it so bad for his team, he wants them to succeed.
It'd be easy for me to say wow this team sucks, they aren't true contenders, ovie is horrible....but then what kind of fan would i be? Is it hard watching them get shutout again, is it hard watching ovie try so hard and falling so short of the mark, is it hard watching the caps hit 3 posts in a game, is it hard watching a PP go 0-8 in a game...yes, it is very hard. but i'm not giving up on this team and i'm certainly not giving up on ovie.
I'm not giving up on the team or on Ovie either. I recommend he get together with the alternate captains and call a players-only meeting so everyone can get their frustrations out in the open. Maybe a venting session will allow them to discover what they've been doing wrong so they can right the ship soon.
The sickness going around on the team hasn't helped any. We had 5 guys ill as of late. I bet they were coming down with something during their lethargic game against Florida. And a bunch of them missed practice on Friday. They came back on Saturday but none of them played well at all either yesterday or today.
yep they are just sick with the flu right now and a couple are injured plus we lost Tomas which I was surprised, Scottie we need you to hustle big time along with the rest of the Team after a recovery period..... We will get it together we just need some time! GO CAPS
I loved that Ovi threw down yesterday and I think that shows why he is the Captain. He has said he is not good at fighting and still he did, because he knew it was needed, and probably because he was pissed :-)
I'm embarassed to say I turned off the game after the 2nd period as I couldn't watch the heartbreak any longer. Hopefully soon the slump will be over an the fury will be turned on.
The team would only suck if they completely gave up, which they didn't. They still fought, albeit not very well. Maybe a good spanking would help, I would love to administer that remedy ;-)
What girlfriend of Ovi - Valeria, nothig just bad Luck
to him!!!!!! even russian papers say what! Ovi think about HOCKEY!!!!!!!!! since she entered his life he is losing, losing ,losing..... send her back!!!!!
We want win!!!! we want Stanley Cup!!!!!
Ovie fights better than he dances.
;)
It was a respectable looking bout for someone with almost no fighting experience.
In his post-game press conference Coach Boudreau said he hopes Ovie doesn't ever have to fight again to get his teammates fired up. I agree. It's up to the rest of the players now to get themselves up and motivated to end the skid.
The Peerless Prognosticator called this game "the perfect storm of suck" and I couldn't agree more. This has to, absolutely has to be the rock bottom point for the Caps; there's no way to go but up. Make it so.
I can't claim to know what's wrong with the team dynamic or coaching in general, but you can tell what's wrong with players individually based on what they've said. Alex in particular comes in only two brands: "unfiltered" and "i don't care". I can't knock him for that because I'm the same way. It's a virgo and age thing.
Sports physical therapy however, you can read about or look at Alex and tell what's wrong. Commitment. Not to the game but himself. We all know how much he loves the game and wants to be the best he can but hockey is stressed like any other sport: A team effort. You let your individual commitment start to slide. Weight, Diet, Exercise, and Psychology all play into it.
When a male turns 24-25 they hit that last growth stage before the decline. Alex's lifestyle has thwarted any negative affect until now. The older you get the more effort you have to put in. If he makes the changes like Mike Green and Brooks Laich and even Sidney Crosby did, the weight wouldn't be an issue.
His body has gotten bigger to accommodate the extra weight. Even though its muscle in most areas. it puts too much stress on his joints. He may not feel it now because he's adjusting, but over time it will give way to knee, back, and shoulder pain. Alex doesn't get injured often or miss games with illnesses so his immune system seems to be strong despite traveling all the time to differentiating climates. (ie. vitamins, no smoking, plenty of sleep, and organic food in his diet) The little things might be the reason his effectiveness on the ice has suffered.
8 months a year he works out, eats right most of the time, and plays hockey on a daily basis. He's burning calories and being active so he needs his sleep to recover and food for energy. He starts losing his summer fat and changing most of it into muscle which explains the weight gain from one year to the next. But now he's plateaued to a couple pounds a year and can see where he needs to make changes or continue to get bigger. In the summer he "forgets hockey" and probably every thing else he needs to be doing.
Diet & Weight: Alex eats A LOT! And not always healthy. McDonalds and fast food in general is not healthy. Soda has aspartame and processed food has msg in America. No matter how many American doctors say a little is okay its a carcinogen and causes cancer, affects the brain, and obsesity. Many countries have banned it in their foods. So 3 burgers, fries and a large soda are THOUSANDS of calories and fat. If he's not working out then he better be able to have sex for 12 hours because that's not getting burned off! Stick with lean meats and organic food if you're not working out daily (off season).
Alcohol is not a source of anything good. You don't need it. If you have to drink to manage stress or have a good time out have a glass or two of red wine daily not a bottle. Its empty calories. You dont wanna drink or eat before bed either unless you plan on getting up in 3 or 4 hours and being active.
Exercise & Weight: His stomach and arms aren't as toned as they used to be due to lack of exercise in those areas and diet. Just lifting weights won't tone your arms, just make them bigger. Alex has said he primarily focuses on his legs when working out. Which could explain why he carries fat where he does. During the season he has a physio telling him to get in the gym. In the summer its on him. Training sporadically or stop training all together will significantly reverse your peak you hit during the season. Your stomach is your core. It affects your movement. Yoga in the morning, running DAILY, pilates will give his body more balance and burn those built up carbs from eating poorly. Just riding a stationary bike isn't working your whole body. Get an elliptical.
Psychology & Motivation: Alex is extremely talented and gifted which is why this is so important. Carrying a team is a lot of work mentally. When things aren't going right you need a 3rd party unrealted to hockey and his heart. Friends, team mates and family are a bunch of "yes men". Saying what is needed to cheer some one up. I bet if he talked to someone else about his feelings and his perfectionist attitude he could find a middle ground mentally so he doesn't have to fight to get his frustration out. He's so passionate about hockey that you can't get over some of those defeats and short comings in your own head or by stuffing them down to forget. They'll creep back up later.
Being a Virgo he probably over-analyzes every thing in his head. Whats right? Whats wrong? We need to fix it now! Its a tough burden. Especially having an accomplished mother who feels he can only live up to her standards by winning the gold and Stanley. That's a LOT of pressure coming from your mother. The mother-child relationship is the most important of all and directly shapes your self opinion. I'm not saying she isn't proud of him already but I don't get warm motherly feelings from her when she talks about her son sometimes. :(
This was mainly about Alex but I would give that same advice for some of his team mates too. I know some of them are sick right now and kudos to them for playing through it but they've been really slow this year on the ice. After October its been downhill and I wonder if everyone is just distracted with the holidays?
Good points, thanks J
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