Ovechkin is fast

[Slick Nick]

I don't know if this was posted already..

Last saturday, before the NHL vs Russia game, in the hability contest Ovechkin made the best time in the skating event.

Ovechkin 13,90 (european rink, 2004-05)
Kovalchuk 14,30 (european rink, 2004-05)
Draper 14,57 (european rink, 2004-05)

Neidermayer 13,78 (NHL rink, 2003-04)
Kovalchuk 13,93 (NHL rink, 2003-04)
St-Louis 14,07 (NHL rink, 2003-04)

Gaborik 13,71 (NHL rink, 2002-03)

Pretty impressive!

Click to read more...

 

[Amen evil king]

Holy ****!

 

[Big Deaner]

damn!

 

[s7ark]

Yeah he really really is. And the sick part is that his hands are as fast as his feet. Washington will be happy with this kid. Big, fast, talented, strong, physical, and can find the defensive zone. Pretty much the perfect package.

I have seen clips of him dangling the puck and taking it through players at top speed as well. Just sick...

Assuming Kovalchuk skated the same in both races, If Ovvy were to do the same he'd be looking at 13.54 in a NA rink.

 

[Skylab]

yeah, but he's no Taylor Pyatt

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

yeah, but he's no Taylor Pyatt

There is fast, orr fast, coffee fast then pyatt fast.

 

[Chimaera]

HOLY CRAP is right.


I've seen some tapes, seen him play, but man. He's got the jets.


To be 6'2"ish 215-220 solid, and be that fast is crazy.


I've seen him dangle in traffic, and he's certainly got the top end puck control you'd like to see.

I figured he was pretty quick, but to put it down in the numbers... that's plain ridiculous.

 

[I.am.ca]

what sergei wasn't in the speed competition? I would like to see how Koltsov (konstantin) would do in a speed competition.

 

[velimiiro]

I thought he wasn't faster than Kovalchuk??!?

Wow...

 

[EroCaps]

HOLY CRAP is right.


I've seen some tapes, seen him play, but man. He's got the jets.


To be 6'2"ish 215-220 solid, and be that fast is crazy.


I've seen him dangle in traffic, and he's certainly got the top end puck control you'd like to see.

I figured he was pretty quick, but to put it down in the numbers... that's plain ridiculous.

Has the league's fastest skating forward ever been one of the league's hardest hitting forwards? Look out.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Has the league's fastest skating forward ever been one of the league's hardest hitting forwards? Look out.

There is noway in hell Ovechkin will ever be able to hit in the same league as Peca, Phaneuf or Blake. That is homer talk.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Has the league's fastest skating forward ever been one of the league's hardest hitting forwards? Look out.

No (on many levels).

 

[EroCaps]

There is noway in hell Ovechkin will ever be able to hit in the same league as Peca, Phaneuf or Blake. That is homer talk.

Phaneuf and Blake aren't forwards, friend.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Phaneuf and Blake aren't forwards, friend.

OK then....replace Blake and Phaneuf with Morrow, Tootoo, Roberts, Hartnell and Bertuzzi.

 

[EroCaps]

OK then....replace Blake and Phaneuf with Morrow, Tootoo, Roberts, Hartnell and Bertuzzi.

I said *one* of the league's hardest hitters. Ovechkin can't be that? Why does every major prediction for an unproven prospect=extreme homerism. It's not like I'm writing it with gold ink in the sky over every Province in Canada.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I said *one* of the league's hardest hitters. Ovechkin can't be that? Why does every major prediction for an unproven prospect=extreme homerism. It's not like I'm writing it with gold ink in the sky over every Province in Canada.

Because he doesn't have that upside in him. He can be an allround offensive force, decent defense with a physical game. Not one of the hardest hitters in the league.

 

[Thornton97]

I'll disagree; anyone who can lay out Sergei Gonchar in the manner he did definitely has it "in him" to be one of the hardest hitting forwards in the league.

 

[Smokin_Al_Koken]

HOLY CRAP is right.


I've seen some tapes, seen him play, but man. He's got the jets.


To be 6'2"ish 215-220 solid, and be that fast is crazy.


I've seen him dangle in traffic, and he's certainly got the top end puck control you'd like to see.

I figured he was pretty quick, but to put it down in the numbers... that's plain ridiculous.

Chimaera, I saw on another thread where you'd met Ovechkin (perhaps with the Caps fans who came down to Raleigh for the draft at the after party?). I also saw him in person at a pre-draft youth clinic, and at 6'3 I was looking down at him-he may be closer to 6'0. Also, he is one wiry rascal-incredibly ripped, clearly in excellent condition, but I think that the 215-220 might be a bit high. I'm thinking more 200-ish. What were your impressions?

For what it's worth, Alexandre Pichard had bigger guns

 

[pei fan]

I'll disagree; anyone who can lay out Sergei Gonchar in the manner he did definitely has it "in him" to be one of the hardest hitting forwards in the league.

Yeah, he'll be hard hitting and fast enough to catch them.He'll be one of the best
all-around players in the game and probably the best Russian ever as far as
adapting to the NHL game.

 

[Mothra]

OK then....replace Blake and Phaneuf with Morrow, Tootoo, Roberts, Hartnell and Bertuzzi.

Isnt there a video clip where Tootoo lines him up with a big open ice hit....and its Tootoo that gets the worst of it (he hits the ice and ovechkin is still on his skates and in the play)

 

[Marshall]

Yeah, CP55 has it on his site. It's Ovechkin_tootoo.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

I'll disagree; anyone who can lay out Sergei Gonchar in the manner he did definitely has it "in him" to be one of the hardest hitting forwards in the league.

The manner in which he layed out Gonchar demonstrated more that he was a clever hitter and a good skater than a "hard hitter".

I'd like to see a couple more hits by Ovechkin and get a better read on his hitting power. There's no way you read much of that on the Gonchar hit.

There are a couple of big league hitters out there. Don't know if Ovechkin can be among the best. Certainly can't say from the Gonchar hit but for one, I've seen an up and comer like Ruutu do even better and that's not to mention established NHLer.

I really like Ruutu because he is both a powerful AND a clever hitter.

 

[Drake1588]

There is a limited supply of clips to watch so far, and personally I think the jury is still out. Promising, though. Here are a few.

Ovechkin and Pitkanen:
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~gdogum/ovechkin-pitkanen.avi

Ovechkin and Tootoo:
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~gdogum/ovechkin-tootoo.avi

Ovechkin and Gonchar:
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~gdogum/ovechkin-gonchar.avi

Might need to download a DivX codec to view these. http://www.divx.com/divx/

 

[Smokin_Al_Koken]

The manner in which he layed out Gonchar demonstrated more that he was a clever hitter and a good skater than a "hard hitter".

I'd like to see a couple more hits by Ovechkin and get a better read on his hitting power. There's no way you read much of that on the Gonchar hit.

There are a couple of big league hitters out there. Don't know if Ovechkin can be among the best. Certainly can't say from the Gonchar hit but for one, I've seen an up and comer like Ruutu do even better and that's not to mention established NHLer.

I really like Ruutu because he is both a powerful AND a clever hitter.

this is a good post, and agreed on Ruutu...man I'd love to have him on the Caps. Especially after that sick, sick goal in the WC when he thoroughly undressed Niedermeyer.

 

[EroCaps]

Because he doesn't have that upside in him. He can be an allround offensive force, decent defense with a physical game. Not one of the hardest hitters in the league.

Each time I've seen Ovechkin play, he's been the hardest hitting player on the ice. That includes the WC where he was laying out adults. He most certainly does have that upside. At McKeens, there's a quote next to Ovechkin's #1 ranking from a scout detailing another sequence playing for Dynamo where Yushkevich tried to crush him and bounced off. AO then flattened Oleg Kvasha. He may or may never be as ferocious as Ruutu, but he's strong as hell and can definitely lay a hammer.