Sunday, October 31, 2010
Montreal Gazette: The greatest goal scorer on the planet misses a chance at hockey history
Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin,on Friday October 29th, 2010 at the Saddledome in Calgary Alberta. Photograph by: Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald
By Randy Boswell, Oct. 31, 2010, Montreal Gazette, "Ovechkin misses chance at hockey history":
Unfathomably, after scoring twice in 12 seconds against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin skated to his team’s bench and sat down, robbing hockey fans — particularly fans of hockey history — of nine seconds of drama, exhilaration and suspense.
Within Ovechkin’s grasp, or at least within the realm of possibility, was the breaking of the Unbreakable Record.
For the first time in years, an NHL player had a serious chance to re-set what many students of hockey lore would consider the most secure benchmark in the sport: Bill Mosienko’s 21-second hat trick.
Mosienko’s record has proven bulletproof for nearly 60 years. The closest anyone has ever come to equalling the feat was Jean Beliveau, who bagged a 44-second hat trick with the Montreal Canadiens in 1955.
Then, on Saturday night in Calgary, Ovechkin scored at 3:43 and 3:55 of the second period to put himself in a position that only a handful of NHL players have been in over the past 58 years: within striking distance of Mosienko’s 21-second trick.
But this was not just any NHL player with a shot at the impossible.
This was Alex Ovechkin, the Russian dynamo, arguably the greatest goal scorer on the planet today, a winner of the NHL’s Art Ross (most points) and Rocket Richard (most goals) trophies — and already the holder of several league and Capitals’ scoring records.
This was the guy who had just blasted twin rockets past Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, one of the best goalies in the game, in one-fifth of a minute.
This was also a guy who shares the NHL record for the fastest goal — six seconds — after the centre-ice puck drop to start an overtime period.
Ovechkin had nine seconds left Saturday to match Mosienko’s immaculate hat trick; he had eight seconds or less to beat it.
The Flames were dejected and in disarray after blowing a 2-1 lead in a few flashes of Ovechkin’s stick; they were destined to give up four more goals in the nightmarish second period that was unfolding.
But rather than stay on the ice and — just maybe — make some of the most unexpected hockey history imaginable, Ovechkin finished celebrating goal No. 2 and took his place on the Capitals’ bench.
Tick, tick, tick. Tick, tick, tick. Tick, tick, tick.
A potential moment for the ages slipped away. The unerasable record remained unerased. A would-be witness to history began writing this lament.
And somewhere, perhaps from his luxury box on Cloud 9 in hockey heaven, Bill Mosienko looked down and breathed a mighty sigh of relief.
Read more...
I still think Bruce Boudreau did the right thing to bench the first line at the end of the game. It just shows that personal records are no longer a top priority for Caps and Alex Ovechkin. Their goal is La Coupe Stanley.
Game tying and game winning goals 12 seconds apart by Ovi
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Be afraid, be very afraid
October 30th, 2010 Hockey Night in Canada Alexander Ovechkin Montage
Download Ovechkin's CCM Halloween mask
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Caps strum the perfect chord
Game tying and game winning goals 12 seconds apart by Ovi
Ovi, Green, Backie and Neuvy on the 7-2 win over Calgary
Captain Ovechkin ties the game, 2:2 and then scores a go ahead goal 3:2.
Here's the NHL.com headline: "Ovechkin sparks Caps' six-goal second period". It is only partially true, I think it was Mike Green who did that. If not, at least he showed how valuable he is for the Caps.
All 'Young guns' got involved the the victory vs. Calgary. And this is what can make Caps to go far, far in the playoffs.
Here's the strum: BOOGBSS :=)
Ovechkin scored a game tying goal and a game winning goal within a one minute, 12 seconds apart. It is his personal record, and it might be the NHL record as well.
B(ackstrom) O(vechkin) O(vechkin) G(reen) B(radley) S(emin) S(teckel)
(Mus.) a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave.
Before the game:
VogsCaps: Great atmosphere here in Calgary already. Kids chanting "O-vech-kin!" at morning skate. Hockey Night in Canada crew out in full force.
VogsCaps: And just now, Ovi comes out to loud cheers and goes to sign a few autographs for the group of about 100 before the bus heads back to hotel.
ToriePeterson: Optional skate for the #Flames - Ovechkin was just out by the benches watching the practice.
Ovechkin's stats:
After 2nd:
2 goals, 1 assist, +1, total ice time 14:29, 14 shifts, average 01:02, PP 04:12, even 10:17, 7 shots on goal, 3 missed, 2 hits, 1 takeaway
Final:
2 goals, 1 assist, +1, total ice time 18:33, 18 shifts, average 91:01, PP 04:12, even 14:21, 7 shots on goal, 3 missed, 4 hits, 1 takeaway
In the third Ovi fell and hit the boards with his knees first. He had a trouble to get up and go to the bench. Bruce Boudreau didn't play the first line of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin after that.
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Friday, October 29, 2010
Alex Ovechkin speaks with the media in Calgary
Alex Ovechkin (in Virgin Mary t-shirt) speaks with the media in Calgary after Fridays team meeting. Sounds like he has a cold. (Transcription via Mike Vogel, Dump 'n' Chase):
“We want to be 10-0. It’s 10 games. We could have lost most if Neuvy and the goalies didn’t play well. They just keep us in games. We have to change our game. We, the leaders in this group, have to play better. Me, Greenie, Backie, Brooksie, Sasha. We just have to play better. It starts with me and it’s going to start of everybody. We have to change it.
“Teams start to play pretty hard against our line and pretty hard against the best players on the team. You have to compete.”
More from Mike Vogel, Oct. 29, 2010, Dump 'n' Chase, "Ten Spot":
Ten games is a small sample size. And there’s a big difference between a 7-3 start and a 6-4 start. Three years ago, a 6-4 start would have been welcome. But these days, the Washington Capitals have greater expectations for themselves, and so does their fan base.
While a 6-4 start is no reason to leap from a bridge, it’s no reason to celebrate, either. It’s a start, a 10-game run in October. What they Caps know is they can be playing better, and they expect to be playing better.
After Thursday’s disappointing loss to the Wild, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau opted to show his team the video from that contest, rather than have them on the ice for a practice in preparation for Friday’s trip-ending tilt in Calgary. After the video session/meeting, Boudreau and a few players discussed the state of the Caps at the 10-game mark.
Boudreau: “We chose to watch video and go over last night’s game and hopefully they get the idea of what I’m talking about.”
On the need for consistency:
“That’s part of the message. It’s pretty aggravating when you play a game like you did in Carolina where everybody’s on board. Then you go into Minnesota and it’s a struggle to get half a dozen players playing to their top.
On people who wanted to see more defense from the Caps in previous years now wanting more offense:
“That’s going to happen. You can’t win for losing in that regard. I find it funny. Ironic is a good word. Just because we’ve been doing fairly well defensively, it shouldn’t be taking anything away from our offensive game because we’re not a team that generally sits back and lets the other team come to us. You apply pressure and hard work is the best defense. What did Minnesota get, 17 shots on goal last night? But, we’re not burying the chances, for whatever reason, when we get them.”
On the 10-game segment:
“If we had a 10-game segment and won six games every 10-game segment, that’s a 48-win season. Maybe 49 because of the extra two [games]. It should do you well. We think if this is a 10-game segment that is our worst 10-game segment, we’ll be happy. We don’t think that we’ve been consistently game in any of the games except for two. Once we start becoming consistent again then you’ll find segments going 7-2-1 and 7-3 and you’ll have one big streak in there, or two.
“That’s what our goal is. It isn’t there yet. But we’ll pound it into them until it is there.”
BY SCOTT CRUICKSHANK, Oct. 29, 2010 "Caps' Ovechkin waiting to erupt":
CALGARY — With the round (but merely mortal) numbers — 10 games, 10 points, 10 penalty minutes, 10 per cent shooting percentage — Ovechkin is not very happy these days.
Ovechkin, after an afternoon team meeting, was not his usual chipper self.
"The leaders in this group have to play better . . . it starts with me," said Ovechkin, who'll try to click into his mid-season gear Saturday night against the Calgary Flames. "You have to change mentally. You think that everything's going to be cool, but it's not. Teams are playing pretty hard against our line. You have to compete."
The scariest thought of all — that the six-foot-two, 223-pound Russian is due to erupt any time.
Thursday morning, Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards was asked what his players could do to stop Ovechkin.
"Hopefully they get their sleep this afternoon," Richards said, "and hopefully say a couple prayers."
Friday afternoon, Flames centre Brendan Morrison, a former Capital, was asked the same question.
"If you know, let me know," Morrison said, laughing. "He's so good he can make something out of nothing . . . so you kind of expect the unexpected with him. You have to be focused the whole time he's on the ice. You can't let your guard down for a couple seconds or he'll take advantage of it."
"You don't know how much he enjoys the physical aspect of the game," said Morrison. "He enjoys hitting guys hard as much as he enjoys scoring."
Morrison added that as a teammate, Ovechkin is no man of mystery. In the dressing room, like on the ice, his personality is large.
"A free spirit," he said. "He likes to have a good time. He's a young guy. He's making lots of money and he's living life. He's having a good time."
Read more...
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Slump is over, Ovechkin scores
washcaps: Ovechkin, Chimera and Hendricks on the loss to the Wild
Good team effort in the 3rd, but a little too late. Caps 1, Wild 2. At least Ovechkin's slump is over, Ovi finally has scored a goal.
Ovi's stats after 2nd:
Total ice 12:33, 12 shifts, average 01:02, PP 03:50, even 08:41, 3 shots on goal, 1 attempt blocked, 1 missed, 3 hits, 1 giveaway
Final stats:
1 goal, +1, Total ice 20:43, 19 shifts, average 01:05, PP 03:50, even 16:51, 4 shots on goal, 4 attempt blocked, 1 missed, 4 hits, 1 giveaway
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Ovechkin's CCM Halloween mask
Download Ovechkin's CCM Halloween mask
Corey Masisak, Oct. 27, 2010, NHL.com:
"I remember my first pair of skates -- CCM 652," Ovechkin said. "My brother bought them for me. It was a long time ago. I was … I can't remember (how old). We don't have a lot of choices over in Russia. He just bought them for me. They were not my size. They were too big, so we put some paper in the toe."
Along the way to becoming an NHL superstar, Ovechkin not only has graduated to customized CCM skates, but he has his own line now for aspiring young superstars to wear.
"Well, first of all I have a contract, but secondly it doesn't matter if I have a contract or not -- I just feel comfortable in them," Ovechkin said. "Always have."
There are two distinct characteristics that help make Ovechkin stand out on the ice (aside from his transcendent ability) -- the tinted visor attached to his helmet and the yellow laces on his skates.
"Well, first of all I have a contract, but secondly it doesn't matter if I have a contract or not -- I just feel comfortable in them. Always have." -- Alex Ovechkin He is part of a new generation of European players who still wear yellow laces like great players such as Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure and Petr Nedved did before them.
"I think I've had them probably seven years, eight years," Ovechkin said of the laces.
Players like Jagr and Bure wore wax laces and yellow was the only color option. Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and many other Europeans don't wear wax laces, though, and many colors are available. Yet, they continue to lace up their skates with yellow ones as a tribute to players gone by.
"I've seen a lot of little kids wearing the yellow laces and I'm sure it is because of Ovi," Chimera said. "Whoever is making those yellow laces is probably pretty thankful he is wearing them."
read more...
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Ovechkin talks after morning skate
washcaps: Ovechkin, Boudreau, Alzner, Clutterbuck and Zanon on tonight's game vs Wild
Ovi feels good, hopefully he'll score tonight and the slump will be over.
@05:00 Ovi: It doesn't matter" which goalie starts. We still have to win and score goals. It's Backstrom or Theo, but I think Theo wants to play so bad against us.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
What Corvo learned about Ovechkin
newsobserver.com blogs, Oct. 27. 2010:
What did he learn about the Caps?
"Not much," Corvo said today. "It was just a short period of time that I was gone.
Their talent is pretty obvious. It's just a dangerous team."
Corvo said being around Alex Ovechkin gave him a better feel for the Caps star but didn't change any of his opinions about the hard-charging Russian.
"No, he was exactly what I thought. He just loves to play the game, has a huge competitive edge and is just a fun guy," Corvo said. "Exactly what I expected."
Fun guy? One doesn't often hear that said about Ovechkin, not in opposing locker rooms.
Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin celebrate following Backstrom's goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010. Washington won 3-0.
Pretty uneventful night for Ovi. He got 1 assist, +1, 4 shots on goal. The stats for the last 4 games: 1A, +2. One can declare that Ovi is officially in a slump. Hopefully it'll save him some energy for playoffs. :-)
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Bucci: Ovechkin is a cool dude
By John Buccigross, ESPN, Oct. 26, 2010:
I enjoyed my 20 minutes or so with Alex Ovechkin when he visited Bristol, Conn., last week.
He was at ESPN headquarters to film one of those "This Is SportsCenter" commercials that have been so popular over the years. The general concept is Ovi and Semyon Varlamov (who was also in Bristol) are Russian spies. I'm told it turned out well.
Ovechkin gave me some time for a light-hearted interview. He was congenial, friendly and sensitive to the space around him. At times, he went out of his way to ensure no one else went out of their way to treat him differently. He is a hockey player. At one point, he was texting on his BlackBerry.
I asked him, "Do you text in Russian or English?" He replied, "Both."
He has an interesting body. He has a big head that appeared to be sprouting a couple of gray hairs. His hair was implausibly devoid of any style whatsoever; it was Russian Caveman hair. When he looked at me, making sure he understood my every word, he had a look on his face at times like he was about to eat the face off my skull. His body is wide and thick up top, and with that head on top of his torso he almost appeared to be an upside-down triangle. It explains the power behind his freight-train hits we see on highlight packages. If he bumped into you, you would go down, and then he would smile that toothless grin and help you up.
You can watch our interview here. I know he might seem quiet and uninterested on tape, but you would have a different opinion in person. He thought about the questions and had a wiry smile throughout. He is self-effacing and playful. You would love hanging around Ovechkin. He's a cool dude.
About the body "almost appeared to be an upside-down triangle"... I think it's how most of hockey players are built, their legs are the main and huge part of their bodies.
About the gray hair... Ovi said his Dad had gray hair at 25, the same age Ovi is now.
H/t to our reader O.
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Ovechkin on Russian tv
I would guess it was this summer...
First question was "Is it true that you were a Mayor of Washington DC for one day?"
Ovi tells about the ceremony, the key from the city and how he declared no speed limits.
He is asked if he could do the same in Moscow. His answer was, "First of all nobody would give me the key to Moscow city, but if they would, yeah."
Second question was who would be the next Ovechkin/Kovalchuk/Malkin 5-8 years from now. Ovi answers that it is difficult for him to follow young Russian kids from America.
And that was it.
And a better video of Ovi and Tiesto
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Leonsis: Ovechkin is "fundamentally, instinctively, a very gracious, very sweet, very well-behaved young man"
"It's so strange what you've seen in the last two days about Alex," Leonsis said, referring to the GQ coverage. "And I think what happens is that when you develop a very high profile, you end up feeding the monster....I'm certainly guilty of it. I'll do something, say something on my blog, and it becomes front page news.
Leonsis then talked about how Ovechkin is "fundamentally, instinctively, a very gracious, very sweet, very well-behaved young man," but how stories of his sweetness and grace don't make news.
"I can only deal with what I see and what I deal with," Leonsis said. "I love Alex Ovechkin, and so far everything that I've seen personally from Gilbert Arenas has been positive, and that's how I have to judge it."
It can't be said better, I've always felt the same, that's why I blog about Alex Ovechkin, "I swear Gawd".
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Sunday, October 24, 2010
Washington loves Alex Ovechkin.
But does Ovechkin love us back, asks Reliable source (Washington Post)?
"D.C. is a quiet, calm family town," the Capitals superstar opines in the November issue of GQ. Which is why the 25-year-old multimillionaire headed to Russia in the offseason -- where he's one of the country's most eligible bachelors. "If you compare Russia and America," he told the magazine, "they are two different worlds. People, cars, clothes. Girls' figures. Especially girls' figures. Why do you think that is, that when an American goes to Russia for a week, he stays for two extra weeks? Girls! And when a Russian goes to America for a week, he leaves in five days."
Okay, then. Ovie said there's no serious girlfriend at the moment, just a "very good" friend. And lots of "high quality" action at the best nightclubs in the country. "In Moscow, if you have money, you're king," he explained. "If you don't, sorry, man, get lost. I mean, it's like this everywhere. But in Moscow, it's much more hard-core."
What do you think?
Link to GQ article
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Saturday, October 23, 2010
Caps dodged the bullet and stopped the skid
Whew, the win is the win, we'll take it. :-)
Ovi's stats:
After 2nd:9 hits! The closest in that category were Erskine, Knuble and Alzner, each had 4 hits.
Total ice 15:59, 14 shifts, average 01:08, PP 04:17, even 11:42, 3 shots on goal, 4 attempts blocked, 8 hits, 1 giveaway, 1 takeaway
Final:
2 penalty minutes, total ice 24:17, 24 shifts, average 01:00, PP 05:11, even 19:06, 6 shots on goal, 7 attempts blocked, 1 missed, 9 hits, 1 giveaway, 2 takeaways
One of the Ovi's hits @ 00:20.
Another nice one was vs. Andrew Ladd who totally landed on the bench (man, he looks dead there :-).
Atlanta Thrashers left wing Andrew Ladd, left, goes head-over-heels into the bench area after he was checked by Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Semin speaks with Malamud translating (After the first question he interrupts Slava: 'I got it')
But the hero or one of them (another was Tomas Fleischmann who got OT winner) was Alex Semin. 7 shots on goal and a hat-trick. Without this guy Caps won't go too far in playoffs, the team needs his performance like it was tonight. Semin, Backstrom and Green, young guys, without them no chance for Ovi to get SC.
I really like little Ovie, number 85. Last year Mathieu was sent to Hersey after he got a food poisoning, he just needs to avoid having sushi :-). How little is little Ovie? He is listed as 5'10", but Igor Larionov was 5'9". Give Mathieu a chance!
Lil' Ovie , Neuvy, Fleischmann speak with the media about the home game against the Thrashers.
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Ovechkin in GQ magazine
From 'Russian Machine Never Breaks', Oct. 23, 2010:
In this November’s Issue of GQ magazine (on newsstands everywhere!), there is a feature written by Michael Idov about Alex Ovechkin called “Ovechkin With Love.”
read more...
Some comments:
If Alexander Ovechkin’s first name is perfect – “the Great” attaches easily enough – his last name couldn’t be more ironic if Alanis Morissette wrote a song about it. It means “little lamb.” Little, I repeat, lamb. Not only little, but a female one. In Russian, an ovechka is a girl lamb.I would argue with that. Baby doesn't mean a baby girl, it could be a baby boy. Ovechka is a little lamb, a baby sheep. And a little lamb could grow and become a ram. :-)
The twice-daily training sessions – morning and night – left little time for anything else. He’d be up at 6am, eat a bowl of porridge served by Dad (Tatyana was often on the road with her team), and head into the dawn.Ovi's high school principal recalls that "his first training was at 5am, at Dynamo. And you still need time to get there!"
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Ovechkin is a player, not a Coach
It happened all in one day, from great Mike Vogel's post on Dump 'n' Chase 'Shift happens' to Capitals Insider's 'When less Ovechkin is more', to Japer's Rink 'Shifting focus to a focus on shifts' and finally to a cryptic tweet by @hnicradio " quoting shifty Mad Max:
Mike Milbury unloads on Alex Ovechkin on @hnicradio. Two and a half minute selfish shifts in loss last night to Bruins."I couldn't find any other traces of what and where Mike Milbury really said.
One can get impression that Alex Ovechkin is also Washington Capitals' player-coach just like Reggie Dunlop was.
Oh wait, there was Corey Masisak's post about the previous game vs Boston Bruins that sheds some light if it's really so:
Then Boudreau moved Ovechkin to defense (with the game still even strength) for the final five minutes. Toss in a double shift of more than two minutes at forward before the switch, and Ovechkin played 6:12 of the final 7:43 of the game for Washington.
All right, there's somebody else who is actually responsible for Ovi's shifts. (What a coincedence, he also knew Reggie Dunlop and even rented his apartment to him. :-)
And then goes a famous quote by Alex Ovechkin:
"For me, it doesn't matter where I play. If coach says I must play goalie, I will play goalie."
Photo by jmebabineau.tumblr.com: "...yesterdays game against the Bruins."
Don't get me wrong, I am all for Ovi playing short shifts. In fact, a lot of his greatest games were when his average shift was under one minute. What I am saying is that it is a Coach who makes decisions about it, and Coach is responsible for the most part if the players are "caught on the ice for a shift of nearly two minutes" when Bruins scored a goal.
If the latter was a Coach's mistake, you can't totaly blame Boudreau for keeping Ovi on the ice that long vs. Bruins. It was Ovechkin who in the previous 4 games made the victories possible. Just look at the stats:
02 Sat 10/09/10 Devils Caps 2:7 2G 1A +2 GWG 03 Mon 10/11/10 Sens Caps 2:3 1G GWG 04 Wed 10/13/10 Isles Caps 1:2 1G 1A +1 GTG 05 Sat 10/16/10 Caps Preds 3:2 1A on GWG GWG - game winning goal GTG - game tying goal
Would you do the same or not if you were a Head Coach?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Outplayed and outcoached, but...
What can you say? A lot of work ahead for Bruce Boudreau and the Caps for this season. Actually when you lose, you stay humble. Last year's President's Trophy didn't help in that category.
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP, Oct. 21, 2010:
BOSTON -- Nathan Horton scored his fourth goal in five games, and Tim Thomas made 38 saves as the Boston Bruins won their fourth straight game with a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
by NESN Video on Oct 22, 2010:
The Bruins definitely did their job against Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin.
Not only did they limit his touches and shots throughout the home-and-home series, but they also knocked him around quite a bit out on the ice.
That's not to say Ovechkin didn't get a few hits in himself, but from the looks of the video below, the NHL All-Star is definitely going to have a few bumps and bruises thanks to the Bruins.
Ovi's stats:
after 2nd
-1, total ice 15:10, 11 shifts, average 01:22, PP 04:00, even 11:10, 4 shots on goal, 1 attempt blocked, 1 missed, 3 hits
final
-1, total ice 25:53, 19 shifts, average 01:21, PP 07:35, even 18:18, 8 shots on goal, 5 attempt blocked, 2 missed, 5 hits
On a lighter note, here's the tribute to former Caps and Red Wings player Sergei Fedorov. What a player he was, the last greatest player of Soviet school of hockey (we know Ovi is Canadian, right? :-) and Caps are blessed to have him even at the end of his career.
tintin025, Oct. 20, 2010:
My last Tribute to Sergei Fedorov!!! :)
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are Remarkable Players, but If you grew up in the 1990's and know about Hockey...you know Russia's Sergei Fedorov goes together with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, being in a league of their own.
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Ovechkin and Caps preparing for B's home opener
Tom Poti:
“Usually a team’s home opener they come out hard and try to put on a pretty good show for their fans. It’s a game where we have to be ready. If we come with the same effort we did [Tuesday] night, I think we’ll be successful.”
Alex Ovechkin:
"I like to play against him [Thomas]. He's kind of a guy you never know what he's going to do, and I don't know what I'm going to either. So, it's two guys who don't know what they're going to do."
"It's a big challenge [to play against Chara]. Not just for me, but for everybody."
Meanwhile minus Chara, B's practice PP:
WILMINGTON – The Bruins are at Ristuccia Arena for a rare Wednesday afternoon practice following Tuesday night's win over the Capitals, and Zdeno Chara is the only player missing from the action.
It's likely the B's captain has simply been given a day off by the Bruins coaching staff after his repeated car-crash collisions with Alex Ovechkin while holding the Russian scorer off the board at Verizon Center last night.
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All-Ovi-iPod Night for 5 taped pucks
Alex Ovechkin, Semyon Varlamov, John Buccigross with legendary Brett Leonhardt (ESPN)
By Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog, Oct. 20, 2010:
Stretch -- as Leonhardt is known in Ballston -- has put together one of the more interesting resumes you'll find. Hired as a Web site producer, the former collegiate goalie famously suited up for a game two years ago, which made him an enduring fan favorite, and he still occasionally fills in between the pipes as needed.
But editing video and blocking pucks aren't his only marketable skills. When the team was preparing for its party cruise up the Potomac this past summer, Community Relations Director Elizabeth Wodatch suggested he provide the entertainment.
Now, this cruise involved people like Dick Patrick and George McPhee, so Leonhardt didn't do a straight hip-hop set, instead including some oldies and soul and classic rock. He was such a hit that Director of Game Entertainment Mike Wurman suggested he provide the team's warm-up accompaniment during the home opener, and after Stretch provided a 16-minute playlist, it was on. The original deal was just for one game, but players and fans liked it so much that Leonhardt is now set to continue his run indefinitely.
"We love it," said Mike Green, who said the Caps might now have the best warmup music in the NHL. "I mean, I think it's important for us to get excited for the game and pumped up, and warmups is where you get ready. The music's great now. It used to be terrible, just old rock songs, kind of slow, that couldn't really get you going."
"I love it," Alex Ovechkin told me. "I think all guys love it, how it works. And it's good stuff before the game; we just listen to good songs and get into the game right away."
"His size is pretty big," Ovechkin pointed out, "but he looks good over there as DJ."
Leonhardt's mixes are expansive, sprawling things: his setlists (which are posted online) range from Neil Young to Jay-Z, from Foo Fighters to Lil' Wayne, from Pearl Jam and Nirvana to Wu-Tang Clan and the Chemical Brothers. One night, he relied heavily on Canadian bands, earning post-game props from several players.
Photo courtesy Caps Snaps
Another night, he mixed in some Bodyrox house music taken from Ovechkin's iPod, which also includes Tupac, Akon, DJ Smash, and a lot of Russian dance music. Some players have already given suggestions, and others are lying in wait.
"We would love to have a country music warmup, a few of us," Alzner confessed.
"Wheeeewww,' Leonhardt whistled at that idea. "That will not happen. I'll say this, if Alzner has a game where he gets multiple goals, then I'll play an All-Country Night, you can print that."
He also promised an All-Ovi-iPod Night if Ovechkin registers any five-goal performances, but there are already plenty of hockey touches.
Ovechkin and Brett Leonhardt reviewing All-Ovi-iPod Night bet. Photo by Nate Ewell
He'll loop the "O-V" from Jay-Z's "H to the O-V" refrain, mix in Steve Kolbe and Ron Weber goal calls over instrumental beats, and highlight Wale's occasional Ovechkin name-drops.
In the meantime, Leonhardt will continue performing his third major job for the Caps.
Yeah, but don't get any ideas... Stretch is a web producer and DJ, but his major job is a goalie...
More posts about Stretch:
Brett 'Stretch' Leonhardt, the most interesting man in the World
Ten minutes of fame (ESPN)
Link to the latest post
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ovechkin and Caps joined DJ Tiësto after OT victory over Nashville
Saturday Night at Glow was absolutely CRAZY when Tiesto threw down a crazy set, blowing up the club with pounding beats that drove the crowd into a total frenzy! Check out the full gallery of pics from the night!
Tiesto @ Club Glow DC | See what major DJs are playing next at www.clubglow.com
Ovechkin and the Caps show up at FUR nightclub after an overtime victory to join DJ Tiësto for an epic show. October 16, 2010.
@tiesto: Tonight I'll be at the hockey game to root for washington Capitals!#alexovechkin got me tickets..
Too bad Caps lost...
Update from our reader "O":
Photo #169 has Carly in the background with, I think, Nicky yelling in his ear.
Is that MarJo in photo #172? He also looks like he's wearing his post-game suit.
Here's the excerpt from a year old Washington Post article by Barry Svrluga where Alex and DJ Tiësto are mentioned together:
The Russian players, essentially immersed in their own little world, all live in Arlington, near the Capitals' Ballston training complex. They occasionally dine together at Morton's steakhouse downtown in the District or at Georgetown's Cafe Milano. Or they head up Connecticut Avenue to Russia House, which serves its vodka -- 107 varieties, including 29 from Russia -- in pint glasses, has seven Russian beers and features a Russian-speaking wait staff.
"So comfortable," Ovechkin said of the place, owned by a Virginian and a Latvian, and it makes sense considering that, on more than one occasion, he has slipped behind one of the bars, pulled out his iPod and plugged it into the stereo, taking over the music, usually a heavy dose of European DJ Tiësto. Semin and Ovechkin even dropped by on New Year's Eve, mixing with Americans and Eastern Europeans alike.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Déjà vu all over again
Ovechkin on a loss to Bruins, Johansson on the first career goal, Chimera
Caps were outplayed again by the hot goalie and the team who preaches trap. Sounds familiar? Yep, this is how you can beat this team.
It's not the loss, it's how they lost it. Losing a game in October is not a big deal, but there was no creativity in offense, Tim Thomas saw every single shot coming at him. When will Caps learn how to screen the goalie and score garbage goals?
Alex Ovechkin is tripped up during the game against the Boston Bruins at the Verizon Center on October 19, 2010 in Washington, DC. Capitals lost 1:3 (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images via Yahoo Sports)
Ovi obviously was double teamed as usual. He stepped up in the third, but it was too late.
Ovi's stats after 2 periods:
-2, total ice time 13:54, shifts, average shift 00:59, PP 04:38, short handed 00:05, even 09:11, 1 shots on goal, 6 attempts blocked, 1 missed, 3 hits.
Final stats:
-2, total ice time 22:36, 22 shifts, average shift 01:01, PP 06:25, short handed 00:05, even 17:06, 5 shots on goal, 6 attempts blocked, 2 missed, 6 hits.
Bruins blog:
Zdeno Chara, for example, who spent the night shadowing Alex Ovechkin, limiting him to only 5 shots (not counting the puck he swatted into the net that was immediately waived off midway through the third) in 23+ minutes on the ice. Ovechkin finished the night a -2.
But the biggest piece of the Bruins win was another standout performance by backstop Tim Thomas, who turned away all but one Washington shot that he faced, and managed to stop a few that he didn’t see, as well.
The Capitals will get a shot at redemption Thursday night when the Bruins finally play their first home game of the season.
Corey Masisak, NHL.com:
Then Boudreau moved Ovechkin to defense (with the game still even strength) for the final five minutes. Toss in a double shift of more than two minutes at forward before the switch, and Ovechkin played 6:12 of the final 7:43 of the game for Washington.
Link to the latest post
Monday, October 18, 2010
Ovechkin on taping a segment for ESPNews's The Beat
From @nateewell:
Ovi on the set
The sign in the background is for Building 8 at @espn
Ovi reviewing @brettleonhardt's footage
On the commercial set
Another quick break in taping
Back to DC like we never left
From @Washcaps:
Ovi with @Buccigross for espn.com
Ovi and Varly on the ESPNews set
Headed to ESPN on Air Ovi, with Varly, @brettleonhardt and @nateewell
from @MichelleBeadle:
Ovechkin and Varlamov on campus for some awesomeness...I snuck a pic! Ssssshhhhh...don't tell.
from RT @sportscenter:
We're shooting "This Is SportsCenter" commercials all day! Here is a behind the scenes look w/ Alexander Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin Answers Your Questions
Alex Ovechkin stops by ESPN to answer questions about his dream linemates, favorite milk and most difficult goalie to face.
Update from ESPN.com (h/t to O):
Alex Ovechkin probably wasn't texting Sidney Crosby between interviews on Monday.
The Capitals captain discussed his dream linemates, his least favorite goalies to face, his musical preferences and his favorite milk.
Also, Buccigross did the math and thinks Ovechkin can score 70 goals this season and break Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals in his career. At 25 years old, Ovechkin has 273 goals. Is that realistic?
In case you were wondering, Ovechkin texts in both English and Russian. Wonder how much that phone bill costs a month?
After answering your questions, Ovechkin listened as Buccigross gave some fantasy hockey tips: Ovi's penalty minutes and shots on goal make him a clear No. 1 pick.
Keep an eye out for Ovechkin's commercial later this year. The top-secret shoot was taking place at various locations on ESPN's campus.
Alex, Bucci and Varly with legendary Brett Leonhardt
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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Trotz: Ovechkin is 230 pounds of pure muscle and speed and competitiveness
By Bryan Mullen, The Tennessean, Oct. 17, 2010:
Ovechkin entered the final period with only three shots on goal, 14:05 of ice time and a minus-1 rating.
The third period wasn't much better, and it appeared Predators fans were about to witness a rarity in recent NHL history: Ovechkin being a non-factor in a game.
Then came overtime. With the score tied 2-2, Ovechkin drew a tripping penalty on Suter.
Moments later, he unleashed the shot that Laich deflected for the game-winning goal.
(Ovechkin) is one of those dynamic players," Trotz said. "You forget how big he is. He's 230 pounds of pure muscle and speed and competitiveness."
The 25-year-old Moscow native is the first player since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to record 200 goals and 200 assists in his first four seasons.
In 2008-09, he also won his second consecutive Hart Trophy, which goes to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. Ovechkin became the first non-goalkeeper to win consecutive Hart Trophies since Gretzky won eight in a row from 1980-87.
washcaps: Ovi, Laich, Neuvirth, Erskine on the OT win
Ovi's stats:
1 assist, -1, 1 penalty (2 min), total ice time 23:29, 23 shifts, average shift 01:01, PP 05:30, even 17:58, 3 shots on goal, 4 attempts blocked, 1 missed, 3 hits.
Link to the latest post
Friday, October 15, 2010
Voice of America photos
VOA Алиса Крутовская (on Facebook) interviewed Alex and Varly in Russian. You can look at Google translation here.
Update: VOA video
Consider it an open thread and please leave your comments and links to Ovi related stuff. I'll be back Sunday evening.
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Great Eight stands tall, even on one knee
Captain Ovechkin leads the team again. Here's Ovechkin's game tying goal vs. Islanders.
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin celebrates his goal with teammate Nicklas Backstrom during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, in Washington. AP photo via Yahoo
This is his 4th goal of the season and 400th game in the NHL.
2005-06 81
2006-07 82
2007-08 82
2008-09 79
2009-10 72
2010-11 4
Roloson is very good vs. Ovechkin, but this time he was fooled. Ovi's positioning and all movements were showing that he was going to pass to Mike Knuble #22. You can see after the goal how Roloson raises his head and rolls up his eyes in disbelief.
And then awesome play in D, I think last season Ovi didn't progress at all in this area. Hopefully this season he'll pay more attention to D.
Joe B.: "Just a few moments ago Great Eight was forced to play D, and he stands tall, even on one knee"
Ovechkin leads the NHL in points(7) and goals(4).
Ovi's stats:
1 goal, 1 assist, +1, total ice 21:31, 22 shifts, average shift 00:58 (awesome!), PP 05:25, even 16:06, 3 shots on goal, 3 attempts blocked, 2 missed, 1 hit, 3 giveaways, 3 takeaways
Unlike the first couple of games Ovi looked very fresh throughout the game. That's a very good sign. And remember they all need to peak in the spring, not now.
Ovi speaks after the game vs. Islanders:
washcaps: Ovechkin, Backstrom and Neuvirth on the 2-1 win over NYI
AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nicklas Backstrom deflected in Alex Ovechkin's drive from the point on a power play with 3:39 left, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
With New York's Blake Comeau off for roughing, Ovechkin whistled a shot from long range that Backstrom tipped past goalie Dwayne Roloson for his first goal of the season and Washington's third straight victory.
Ovechkin also scored for Washington. It was his third straight game with a goal.
Backie's first of the season
Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals celebrate Backstrom's game winning goal against the the New York Islanders at the Verizon Center on October 13, 2010 in Washington, DC. The Capitals defeated the Islanders 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images via Yahoo)
Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom celebrates his goal with teammates John Carlson (74) and Alex Ovechkin during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, in Washington. The Capitals won 2-1. AP photo via Yahoo.
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Season ticket holder's party
A lot of confusion about this and now Bucci is in the mix... :-)
Capitals.nhl.com:
The Capitals Season Ticket Holder Party that was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 14, at Six Flags America has been postponed due to the forecast for inclement weather. The party has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 18, from 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
The Capitals would like to apologize in advance as Alex Ovechkin and Semyon Varlamov will not be in attendance on this date due to a previously scheduled commitment. Both players will be at the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., shooting a TV commercial for ESPN. Again, the Capitals would like to apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you on Monday, Oct. 18, at Six Flags America.
All original tickets issues to season-ticket holders will be honored on Monday. If season-ticket holders have given away their tickets, we ask that they contact that person to let them know of the date change.
Ted's Take, Oct. 13, 2010:
One unfortunate affect of the move is that Alex Ovechkin and Semyon Varlamov will not be able to attend, as they will be in Bristol, Conn., filming a This is SportsCenter commercial. You’ve probably seen these ads - they’re very well done. We’ve been working with ESPN for a long time to get Alex in one of these spots, and it’s important that we keep this commitment. We hope you understand.
(And while I can’t give away the premise of the commercial, you won’t be disappointed - it will be great for Alex, Semyon and our team.)
nateewell:
Two notes on Ovi missing the STH party: you'll absolutely love the ESPN commercial, I promise, and he should be there the next 11 years
Buccigross:
hey capital fans...semin and varlamov coming to ESPN to film one of those THIS IS SPORTSCENTER spots..
Ok.
Someone left a comment on this blog a while ago that Ovi cancelled his event on Oct. 18, 2010 with Diana Vishnevsky foundation as well.
Link to the latest post
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Second game-winner in a row for Ovechkin (video)
And total of 8 goals in overtime for Great Eight in his career. Rock 'n' Roll, baby!
washcaps: Ovechkin, Green and Hendricks on the OT win (Mike Green's 31:53 of ice time was more than he had in all but one game last year):
Ovi: It was the end of my shift, I just wanted to shoot the puck and change
Ovi's goal in OT
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals checks Zack Smith #15 of the Ottawa Senators at the Verizon Center on October 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Eric Fehr and Alex Semin also scored for Caps.
Ovi's stats:
Total ice time 22:38, 21 shifts, shift average 01:04, PP 07:15, even 15:23, 3 shots on goal, 1 attempt blocked, 1 missed, 2 hits, 2 giveaways, 2 takeaways, 4 penalty minutes.
AP:
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored with 31.1 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.
Ovechkin, who had been limited to two shots, skated down the right wing, got a half-stride on defenseman Chris Phillips and sent a wrist shot from the right circle past goalie Pascal Leclaire for his third goal of the season.
Alex Ovechkin celebrates with Nicklas Backstrom after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators during their NHL hockey game in Washington October 11, 2010. REUTERS/Richard Clement
Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring in overtime against the Ottawa Senators in an NHL hockey game in Washington on Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin via fanfeedr.com
Washington Capitals jump on Alex Ovechkin after he scored the winning goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators in an NHL hockey game in Washington on Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin via fanfeedr.com
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