Player Discussion Alexander Ovechkin (Vol. 2)

[CapitalsCupReality]

I dunno....I see him turning more into a team guy this season than he ever has in any other season. Thats enjoyable to watch to me. Scoring a ton of goals is nice...but becoming a true captain and teammate...and hopefully winner...that means more to his legacy to me.

I'm with Kuzy. He's accepted he's ok not being the best.

This whole "more team focused" in my OPINION is an easy way for fans to deal with the drop off.

He can't be a good team Capt and be the greatest player? I feel like he is what he is in that leadership category, with the standard maturation process an adult goes through. Great rah rah guy, couldn't be happier for his teammates, but what else are you seeing that makes you believe he's becoming a "true captain"? Team doesn't take nights off anymore? . He's a pretty good Captain, but unless you're in the room, how are you judging him becoming more this year?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Amen. What else does he have to prove as an individual offensive player? And really, who cares where he ends up in the career goal-scoring stats? He's outpaced everyone in era-adjusted terms already.

Now it's about team success.

There no official "era-adjusted" list, only the all time leaders in things like goals.

What does he have to prove just over hopefully 1/2 way through his career? Nothing, but his offensive totals, and Cups will be his legacy in the history books.

I'd like to see him have a shot at the all time marks. It makes for a nice story to say he sacrificed his numbers, but he's one of the all time greats. He can do both imo.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I dunno....I see him turning more into a team guy this season than he ever has in any other season. Thats enjoyable to watch to me. Scoring a ton of goals is nice...but becoming a true captain and teammate...and hopefully winner...that means more to his legacy to me.

Amen. What else does he have to prove as an individual offensive player? And really, who cares where he ends up in the career goal-scoring stats? He's outpaced everyone in era-adjusted terms already.

Now it's about team success.

Becoming a better team player and captain isn't incompatible with being the best player in the world. He has more to give IMO. He has only addressed the weaknesses that were pointed out to him (defensive play, plummeting assist numbers and fly-bys in the neutral zone).

 

[strungout]

Season inst over.

We'll have this discussion again when that happens.

I say he ramps it up when it counts...like he always does.

 

[strungout]

This is what Ive been thinking. There has been no sign of him being unhappy with his reduced ice time. He had a pass on a two one one with Oshie not too long ago. Right in his shooting spot and when the dman committed he sauced a pass to Oshie for a layup.

I cant discount that this has been part of the plan all season. I have a feeling we are going to see bull in a china shop Ov tonight.

EHhh....Id be fine with that....but at the same time I'm completely content if he saves that for the playoffs.

But I do agree...he's going to be unleashed here at some point...and look out.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't buy that Ovie is more of a team player than in the past. That's mostly narrative because the team is winning despite Ovie's numbers being down. You can be a great team player and also be a great individual performer. The two are not mutually exclusive. People are just focused on Ovie's team performance this year because the individual performances have been few and far between.

I'd rather Ovie dominate AND be a great team player, as has been the case repeatedly in the past.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don't buy that Ovie is more of a team player than in the past. That's mostly narrative because the team is winning despite Ovie's numbers being down. You can be a great team player and also be a great individual performer. The two are not mutually exclusive. People are just focused on Ovie's team performance this year because the individual performances have been few and far between.

I'd rather Ovie dominate AND be a great team player, as has been the case repeatedly in the past.

Crap did we just agree on something? End of days!

 

[User9992]

Alex Ovechkin becomes first NHL player ever to wear custom-painted skates during warmups

On Wednesday, the Washington Capitals announced that captain Alex Ovechkin would wear custom-painted skates for Russian Heritage Night. The skates would then be auctioned off to raise money for Ovechkin’s favorite charity, the American Special Hockey Association.

Thursday before the Caps took on the Blue Jackets, Ovechkin wore the skates during warmups, becoming the first player in NHL history to ever wear custom-painted skates.

 

[Calicaps]

I wish he'd worn those all game. So cool.

 

[illpucks]

I don't buy that Ovie is more of a team player than in the past. That's mostly narrative because the team is winning despite Ovie's numbers being down. You can be a great team player and also be a great individual performer. The two are not mutually exclusive. People are just focused on Ovie's team performance this year because the individual performances have been few and far between.

I'd rather Ovie dominate AND be a great team player, as has been the case repeatedly in the past.

He doesn't have the hunger to stat chase. He is feeding Oshie looks that he would be burying usually. He seems quite comfortable losing in goals to Oshie, which he wouldn't in the past.

 

[deadpenguin]

I think that Ovi could not care less about ever sniffing another rocket, ross, hart, etc. Been there, done that countless times. He's got one shiny silver trophy on his mind, and he's more desperate for it than anyone on this team. Hell, probably anyone in the nhl, besides maybe jumbo joe. And he knows he doesn't need to score 50 goals for this team to make it to the playoffs or be successful. he doesnt need to lead the team in scoring to be a good captain or leader either

I cant even imagine the sheer thrill on this guy's face if he ever gets the chance to hoist the cup for the very first time. And all he really needs is that one. Crosby having one extra cup compared to Ovi would be so much weaker of an argument than constantly talking about how Ovi has none at all. It would basically erase the immense amount of sheer crap Ovi's had to deal with and hear about himself throughout his career. Some of it deserved? sure. Most of it, hell no. And he'd be a legend in the championship-starved city of DC forever

I feel like we're gonna see an insanely energized Ovi come flying out of the gate in game 1 like a bat out of hell, completely different than how he looks now, hitting everything in sight and setting a clear tone to the rest of the team. he just wants everyone to think he's old and slow now..

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I think that Ovi could not care less about ever sniffing another rocket, ross, hart, etc. Been there, done that countless times. He's got one shiny silver trophy on his mind, and he's more desperate for it than anyone on this team. Hell, probably anyone in the nhl, besides maybe jumbo joe. And he knows he doesn't need to score 50 goals for this team to make it to the playoffs or be successful. he doesnt need to lead the team in scoring to be a good captain or leader either

I cant even imagine the sheer thrill on this guy's face if he ever gets the chance to hoist the cup for the very first time. And all he really needs is that one. Crosby having one extra cup compared to Ovi would be so much weaker of an argument than constantly talking about how Ovi has none at all. It would basically erase the immense amount of sheer crap Ovi's had to deal with and hear about himself throughout his career. Some of it deserved? sure. Most of it, hell no. And he'd be a legend in the championship-starved city of DC forever

I feel like we're gonna see an insanely energized Ovi come flying out of the gate in game 1 like a bat out of hell, completely different than how he looks now, hitting everything in sight and setting a clear tone to the rest of the team. he just wants everyone to think he's old and slow now..

I agree with every word in this post.

 

[895]

You don't need to suck in the regular season to be good in the post season. You can be good in both.

He may very well turn it up in the playoffs. In fact, we are pretty much depending on it. That doesn't mean there isn't something to be desired with his play this season.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Greatest season-long rope-a-dope strategy ever (assuming he does come out and be the Ovy of old playoffs game 1).

 

[txpd]

Context. Last 7 games.

Ov. 3g 4a 7pts.
Oshie 6pts
Backstrom 12pts.
Kuznetsov 3pts.

Its not Ovechkin or his linemates that concerns me right now.

 

[strungout]

Ol 92 doing his thing again....haha.

 

[twabby]

What's wrong with 3 points in 7 games, especially when 2 of them are goals? ~60 point players have those stretches all the time and it doesn't help that Johansson and Williams haven't been good recently either.

 

[Langway]

About that secondary scoring (last seven)...

Williams 2+2
Johansson 1+3
Burakovsky 2 assists (in 4 games since returning)
Winnik 2 goals (last game, only points during span)
Beagle 1+1
Connolly 1 goal
Eller 0 pts. (0 points in 12 March games for that matter)
Wilson 0 pts. (one assist in March)

The decline of the Eller line, even with Burakovsky's return, is pretty noteworthy. It's not just the lack of production but Trotz's tendency to not just play the "fourth" line more than Eller's but also against power match-up situations that bears monitoring. Trotz needs to get Eller's line going yet seems very ready to use the fourth line as a crutch checking line that seems likely to land them in more coin flip playoff games.

 

[txpd]

Also noticed that Shattenkirk has not scored a goal in 25 games going back to his Blues games

 

[crazy8888]

Also noticed that Shattenkirk has not scored a goal in 25 games going back to his Blues games

He got robbed of a goal a few games back when the air from Backstroms stick pushed the puck and NHL concluded it was Backys goal

 

[txpd]

He got robbed of a goal a few games back when the air from Backstroms stick pushed the puck and NHL concluded it was Backys goal

Yes....1 goal in 25 games is not exactly tearing it up.

 

[twabby]

Also noticed that Shattenkirk has not scored a goal in 25 games going back to his Blues games

Yes....1 goal in 25 games is not exactly tearing it up.

A defenseman's impact on goal-scoring goes beyond his boxcars (and his underlying impact has been great since his time in WSH started).

But if you want to use boxcars only then I see that you conveniently ignored his 18 points in the past 25 games, 8 points in 11 games with WSH, and getting points at a higher rate at 5v5 than Erik Karlsson since he joined WSH, on top of improving the point play on the PP.

edit: Caps' PP numbers since Shattenkirk arrived: 114.62 CF/60, 91.54 FF/60, 8.31 xGF/60, 6.92 GF/60. Those ranks would be 1st, 1st, 1st, and 6th respectively. He's doing his job, minus some bad penalties and a suspension he took several games ago.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Now tied for 2nd all time for Russians in points with Mogilny at 1,032. 147 more to tie Fedorov.

 

[RandyHolt]

He still hasn't caught Bondra in hat tricks..... Bondra was awesome. I loved his humble post game interviews down in the corner. Grabbing him as he tried to make it into the locker room after winning the game for us.

 

[895]

Extremely hypothetical question:

Assuming

a) We win the cup

b) This is the new Ovechkin. This year is not a fluke, this is his level of play for the foreseeable future.

How would you feel if

a) We traded him/let Vegas take him?

b) he retired to go back to Russia for megabucks?

I don't think I could stomach him on another NHL team. But the consensus amongst Caps fans is that he's always wanted to finish his career in Russia. I don't think we're quite at that stage yet but if he wins a cup this year there's pretty much nothing left for him to achieve. His 9.5M in cap space could re-sign everyone at the expense of a gaping hole at LW and Mo ****ing Jo as our best LW.