Ovechkin Pretending to score before a game

[CSKA]

I try to offer a logical explanation and you guys get touchy. I don't think you even understand what I am saying.

maybe this is better...

"AO is an obnoxious little pr$ck and should be crosschecked in the head by phaneuf." that's what you guys seems to like to talk about.

You are a western standard ? oh boy

 

[Levitate]

are you guys purposefully missunderstanding him or something?

cmon

 

[crossxcheck]

You are a western standard ? oh boy

what is that supposed to mean?

Why don't you read what I wrote instead of getting all touchy. I didn't say Russians were horrible people or anything remotely close to that.

 

[ZombieMatt]

The whole thing seems silly.

It's like last year in the playoffs when somebody always fired a puck from their end of the ice into the opposing net...so somebody turned the net backwards.

These people need to get their heads screwed on right.

I thought all this talk about AO's attitude was ridiculous. Now, at the tournament most watched by scouts and fans (for juniors), he's sitting on the bench to watch the zamboni, skating across a boundary which exists for a reason to do a silly ritual, and excessively celebrating goals (although I personally find it pretty funny).

 

[espo*]

Ok, but that doesn't change the fact that Canada is whining.

And you guys did'nt do any of that during the taunting episode when you played them last? my god it got so bad they had to close down two or three threads because of it. I mean, why bother getting on here telling us we are whining when you think about what happened with your guys last game with them.Does'nt make sense to me. But you can say what you want...i would'nt deny you that.I just don't think it has a lot of logic to it here.

 

[Levitate]

is this about to deginerate into another "nation" bashing thread?

do we really need these "western standards" posts?

 

[ZombieMatt]

another west standart

I assume you're talking about the ankle break.

Okay, yes, what Bobby Clarke did was obviously wrong and classness, and very few people condone it.

But you need to give your head a shake if you think that the host Russians were anything less than equally as questionnable with their tactics. Both on the ice, with the stick infractions, and more importantly, with the intimidation of having police, military, and other "policing agencies" surrounding the playing surface.

It was a vicious series of hockey. But it was one which ALL parties engaged in equally.

 

[MOGiLNY]

Holy **** you people will pick on Ovechkin for anything! What's next, are you going to call him a puke because he wears the wrong socks??

This is just pathetic! Concentrate on the game, not on what Ovechkin does BEFORE the game..

 

[MOGiLNY]

I assume you're talking about the ankle break.

Okay, yes, what Bobby Clarke did was obviously wrong and classness, and very few people condone it.

But you need to give your head a shake if you think that the host Russians were anything less than equally as questionnable with their tactics. Both on the ice, with the stick infractions, and more importantly, with the intimidation of having police, military, and other "policing agencies" surrounding the playing surface.

It was a vicious series of hockey. But it was one which ALL parties engaged in equally.

You are kidding, right? Police and military was present at every game back then, just because you were intimidated doesn't mean jack..

 

[Jet]

The whole thing seems silly.

It's like last year in the playoffs when somebody always fired a puck from their end of the ice into the opposing net...so somebody turned the net backwards.

These people need to get their heads screwed on right.

I thought all this talk about AO's attitude was ridiculous. Now, at the tournament most watched by scouts and fans (for juniors), he's sitting on the bench to watch the zamboni, skating across a boundary which exists for a reason to do a silly ritual, and excessively celebrating goals (although I personally find it pretty funny).

THANK YOU!!!! What is wrong with people all of the sudden on these boards?? A couple of stupid immature events happen in a hockey game and all the sudden everyones got the guns blazin on the boards. This is no place for biggoted comments or threats... bottom line is these are GAMES people! If you feel the need for violence, take up boxing or play in your local men's league... most of us here are trying to discuss hockey.

If any nonsense happens in the game today, the players will sort it out. I'm hoping that it wil be a fast paced aggresive clean game with lots of action. In the close knit world of hockey, players with issues usually have them sorted out, many times by thier own teammates...

Bottom line is, when stuff like this happens in a JUNIOR tournament, it's to be expected, they're KIDS... we however are adults... let's act like it!

 

[habfan4]

Holy **** you people will pick on Ovechkin for anything! What's next, are you going to call him a puke because he wears the wrong socks??

This is just pathetic! Concentrate on the game, not on what Ovechkin does BEFORE the game..

So I gather you don't think that Ovechkin's pre-game ritual has the potential to cause a problem. I do agree on one thing you posted, perhaps it's time for everyone (Ovechkin included) to focus on the game instead of these school yard antics.

 

[Levitate]

This is just pathetic! Concentrate on the game, not on what Ovechkin does BEFORE the game..

the problem is that what he does before the game could impact the game...i mentioned this in another thread...but if you keep pissing off people, something bad is eventually gonna happen. and i'm not condoning it in any way, but if you taunt and mock other teams and players, you're creating a hostile atmosphere and someone could try to take you out just to get back at you for that.

it doesn't just "not mean anything", if ovechkin is angering a lot of players and people with his actions, he has to hope that someone isn't going to injure him to shut him up. yeah, maybe it seems stupid, but again...people do crazy stuff when they're provoked

 

[MOGiLNY]

So I gather you don't think that Ovechkin's pre-game ritual has the potential to cause a problem. I do agree on one thing you posted, perhaps it's time for everyone (Ovechkin included) to focus on the game instead of these school yard antics.

It's a friggin PRE-GAME RITUAL!!

Stop picking the poor guy apart! He's only 19, and you guys are already bashing him for.... PRE GAME RITUAL! WHen you can't find anything wrong with his game, this is what you have to resort to, isn't it?

 

[ZombieMatt]

You are kidding, right? Police and military was present at every game back then, just because you were intimidated doesn't mean jack..

Just because it happened frequently does not make it reasonable or any less of a problem.

If you don't think the insane amount of intimidation the Russian military and police put on the team had an effect on them I suggest you do some research. I'm sorry, but no matter how you cut it, being in that setting, which the fear of being taken by the military or KGB, or some other organization you've never heard of and executed or shipped to Siberia WAS a concern MANY of the Canadian players had. Many of the players acknowledge that the intimidation factor severely effected them.

I've done an enormous amount of academic research on the Summit Series. In the DVD series, if my memory is precise, about 5-8 of the Canadian players directly discuss the role of intimidation (on and off the ice) in the series. In the collectors card (20th Anniversary, I forgot who produced them, it was not a mainstream hockey card company, however), set, which included typically a quotation from both the player and then usually a media quote about the series and the player, an additional number (I believe it was 3-5) identify the same thing as an issue and a problem they faced.

I'm not trying to say that the Soviet Union was dirtier in the series. Far from it. I'm saying that BOTH teams partook in different types of illicit behaviour. Just because it wasn't as obvious as Clarke's travesty does not mean it was not there.

EDIT: Anyhow, if you want to discuss the Summit Series I'd be more than willing to. Like I said, I'm poured huge amounts of time and effort into it. But this thread is about AO's actions.

 

[bb74]

Usually you can get some pretty good debate & poised viewpoints on these boards...

AO is out of place going into the Canadian ice during warm-ups. It's the rules (as well as code of conduct). He goes in - it's 2 min minor for unsportsmanship. No need to beat the crap out of him for being arrogant, he'll get whatever he will get in due time if he keeps this stuff up.

He's a phenomenal talent and I imagine the attitude goes with the territory, however what he doesn't realize is that some guys out on the ice will bury him for it...
It's not a pissing contest, a simple fact so please don't start with the my AO is tougher than your DP stuff - that's not the point...

As for the game tonight, I like the Canadian match-ups against the Russians and expect this to be a tight checking game. As a Boston fan, I'm really excited to see what Bergeron brings to the table as he will likely get a fair amount of time out there with either Malkin or AO when Carter isn't on the ice, so it will be interesting to see how much his Hockey sense can make up for a disadvantage in the skating dept.

Here's to a good game & Canada 3 : Russia 2!

 

[MOGiLNY]

the problem is that what he does before the game could impact the game...i mentioned this in another thread...but if you keep pissing off people, something bad is eventually gonna happen. and i'm not condoning it in any way, but if you taunt and mock other teams and players, you're creating a hostile atmosphere and someone could try to take you out just to get back at you for that.

it doesn't just "not mean anything", if ovechkin is angering a lot of players and people with his actions, he has to hope that someone isn't going to injure him to shut him up. yeah, maybe it seems stupid, but again...people do crazy stuff when they're provoked

the stupidest thing Canada can do is to retaliate..

first of all if Canada is so good, and Ovechkin and Russia are so bad, then take the high road, beat them on the ice and show class while doing so.. that would be the biggest embarassment to RUssia, not if 10 players ganged up on Ovechkin.

second of all, if Canada starts retaliating, all they are doing is taking a lot of DUMB penalties and thus hurting their chances of winning gold

 

[habfan4]

It's a friggin PRE-GAME RITUAL!!

Stop picking the poor guy apart! He's only 19, and you guys are already bashing him for.... PRE GAME RITUAL! WHen you can't find anything wrong with his game, this is what you have to resort to, isn't it?

First, find me a post where I have criticized Ovechkin (I'll spare you an exhaustive search - I HAVEN'T).

As I said in an earlier post, the teams get separate sides to warm up on for a reason. In a gold medal game emotions are running high, you never know what kind of response you'll get to players pushing the envelop in terms of the games unwritten rules or decorum.

 

[oilers_guy_eddie]

I love how people behind computer moniters are making empty threats toward AO. It's REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL cool.

The people behind the computer monitors are not the ones making the threats. Team Canada officials have already talked to the IIHF to tell them that there will probably be an incident if Ovechkin comes onto Canada's side of the rink during the warm-up. That's not coming from us computer nerds, that's coming from Team Canada. We are not threatening Ovechkin, we are trying to inform you that there is the potential for a confrontation.

Team Canada players will not let Ovechkin skate through their zone and pretend to score on their goalie before the game. You might see it as harmless fun; Team Canada players will see it as showboating, and an attempt to intimidate or psych out the goalie. I doubt they would attempt to cheap-shot him, but they would certainly grab him or tackle him to stop him from doing it. He would be surrounded by Canadian players yelling at him and shoving him; Russian players would come to help him, and you get a scrum that could easily turn into a brawl.

I don't really want to see both teams disqualified and the bronze medal game turned into the gold medal game. I would prefer to see a hockey game. So I think IIHF officials, having been informed of the potential for trouble, should ensure that Ovechkin follows rules of conduct during the warm-up.

 

[MOGiLNY]

Just because it happened frequently does not make it reasonable or any less of a problem.

If you don't think the insane amount of intimidation the Russian military and police put on the team had an effect on them I suggest you do some research. I'm sorry, but no matter how you cut it, being in that setting, which the fear of being taken by the military or KGB, or some other organization you've never heard of and executed or shipped to Siberia WAS a concern MANY of the Canadian players had. Many of the players acknowledge that the intimidation factor severely effected them.

I've done an enormous amount of academic research on the Summit Series. In the DVD series, if my memory is precise, about 5-8 of the Canadian players directly discuss the role of intimidation (on and off the ice) in the series. In the collectors card (20th Anniversary, I forgot who produced them, it was not a mainstream hockey card company, however), set, which included typically a quotation from both the player and then usually a media quote about the series and the player, an additional number (I believe it was 3-5) identify the same thing as an issue and a problem they faced.

I'm not trying to say that the Soviet Union was dirtier in the series. Far from it. I'm saying that BOTH teams partook in different types of illicit behaviour. Just because it wasn't as obvious as Clarke's travesty does not mean it was not there.

just because the players were intimidated doesn't mean they were meant intimidated.. I'm guessing they just weren't used to the military presence and such, but it's true that thse guys are always present at the games.. even today..

and from the research I've done, the commies just couldn't afford to intimidate Canadian players. it was their goal to show the Canadians that the Soviet system is better than the western world and thus did everything they could to make the players feel good about their stay.. from what I know the players got royal treatment by Russian standards during that series.

 

[CharlieGirl]

the stupidest thing Canada can do is to retaliate..

first of all if Canada is so good, and Ovechkin and Russia are so bad, then take the high road, beat them on the ice and show class while doing so.. that would be the biggest embarassment to RUssia, not if 10 players ganged up on Ovechkin.

second of all, if Canada starts retaliating, all they are doing is taking a lot of DUMB penalties and thus hurting their chances of winning gold

Well said!

I doubt it will become an issue anyways - the refs have been put on notice that they need to prevent AO from crossing centre ice.

 

[hossy316]

The people behind the computer monitors are not the ones making the threats. Team Canada officials have already talked to the IIHF to tell them that there will probably be an incident if Ovechkin comes onto Canada's side of the rink during the warm-up. That's not coming from us computer nerds, that's coming from Team Canada. We are not threatening Ovechkin, we are trying to inform you that there is the potential for a confrontation.

Team Canada players will not let Ovechkin skate through their zone and pretend to score on their goalie before the game. You might see it as harmless fun; Team Canada players will see it as showboating, and an attempt to intimidate or psych out the goalie. I doubt they would attempt to cheap-shot him, but they would certainly grab him or tackle him to stop him from doing it. He would be surrounded by Canadian players yelling at him and shoving him; Russian players would come to help him, and you get a scrum that could easily turn into a brawl.

I don't really want to see both teams disqualified and the bronze medal game turned into the gold medal game. I would prefer to see a hockey game. So I think IIHF officials, having been informed of the potential for trouble, should ensure that Ovechkin follows rules of conduct during the warm-up.

Well said.

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

It's a friggin PRE-GAME RITUAL!!

Stop picking the poor guy apart! He's only 19, and you guys are already bashing him for.... PRE GAME RITUAL!

What the hell does that mean? If it's called a "ritual", it's OK?

Another poster said it best. A 19 year old's ritual doesn't trump a long history of code of conduct in the sport.

Stay on your own side of the ice!

 

[ZombieMatt]

the stupidest thing Canada can do is to retaliate..

first of all if Canada is so good, and Ovechkin and Russia are so bad, then take the high road, beat them on the ice and show class while doing so.. that would be the biggest embarassment to RUssia, not if 10 players ganged up on Ovechkin.

second of all, if Canada starts retaliating, all they are doing is taking a lot of DUMB penalties and thus hurting their chances of winning gold

You're right and wrong.

Knowing full well that Canada has made the IIHF aware of this, the stupidest thing that could be done is if AO actually does this again. It would be remarkably selfish and unnecessary if he did this KNOWING that if he does it'll start his team short-handed.

It would be even dumber if he does do AND Canada retaliates by attacking him. That would negate the penalty he took I'm sure and also put a negative image on the team, as well as simply being unnecessary.

 

[ACC1224]

just because the players were intimidated doesn't mean they were meant intimidated.. I'm guessing they just weren't used to the military presence and such, but it's true that thse guys are always present at the games.. even today..

and from the research I've done, the commies just couldn't afford to intimidate Canadian players. it was their goal to show the Canadians that the Soviet system is better than the western world and thus did everything they could to make the players feel good about their stay.. from what I know the players got royal treatment by Russian standards during that series.

not from what I read...Phil Esposito talks about some of the stuff that went on in his book, interesting read.

 

[Wolfpack]

Canadian Team officials have brought their concerns about AO's pre-game antics to the attention of the IIHF, and I'm sure he will be given a penalty if he tries it tonight.

My bigger concern is how the tendancy to "dive" by the Russians will affect this game. Canada wants to go out there and hit, and based on what I've seen in previous games the Russian players are not above throwing themselves to the ice and thrashing around to get a penalty. Those kinds of actions can ruin what potentially should be a pretty good game.

My hope is that the refs call the game the way it should be called. It would be a shame if they gave the Russians a bunch of undeserved powerplays.