Allan Muir: Ovechkin Should Be Stripped of the "C"

[MDHockey]

Give the C to Carlson

http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_stat...3+5+4+6+7+8+13+14+29+30+32+33+34+45+46+63+67#

Captain America!!

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Captain America!!

His superpower is that he has a shield

 

[BobRouse]

oh...not really. ovechkin hates has been strong for years. most out of Washington nhl fans have no idea the bizarre and ineffective coaching that Oates has been up to. most fans around the league no squat about other team's gm.

so...that result is probably typical

Not only that but OFCOURSE they want the Caps to trade him...to their team!

I guarantee you every single fan of an opposing team who rips and destroys Ovechkin would LOVE to see him on their team.

Besides that dude is a clown as is his website.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Not only that but OFCOURSE they want the Caps to trade him...to their team!

I guarantee you every single fan of an opposing team who rips and destroys Ovechkin would LOVE to see him on their team.

Besides that dude is a clown as is his website.

I think you're wrong there, but it hardly matters.

 

[BobRouse]

I think you're wrong there, but it hardly matters.

No chance. They only say that b/c he's on another team right now.

But you're right in that it won't matter b/c he won't be traded nor should he be.

He's the top goal scorer in the league, a 3 time MVP, a sure fire HOFer thats in his prime and remarkably durable.

Maybe at this point of his career he's more like Brett Hull than Pavel Bure but thats not bad company exactly.

It would shock me if those very same fans didn't suddenly change their tune once he wore their team's jersey.

 

[txpd]

I think you're wrong there, but it hardly matters.

true that it doesn't matter but semin was a much bigger target of ridicule around the league than ov. Carolina in particular. suddenly as a Cane he is great.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

true that it doesn't matter but semin was a much bigger target of ridicule around the league than ov. Carolina in particular. suddenly as a Cane he is great.

Semin was ridiculed because we were paying him $6 million for 50 points. The Canes are now paying him $7 million for 40 points. Where on earth are you getting Semin is great from?

 

[Blades of Steel]

this is a sick thought, but it crossed my mind, let's say this was possible cap wise. what would Ovechkin be hailed as or like in a pens uniform with Crosby and Malkin, on that exact same team, I bet he wouldn't get a miniscule of the flack he gets here. Or what if he was playing with Boston?

Is it Washington that's hated, or Ovechkin? or is it the combination of both.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Semin was ridiculed because we were paying him $6 million for 50 points. The Canes are now paying him $7 million for 40 points. Where on earth are you getting Semin is great from?

Hadn't looked at Semin's stats in a while until you posted that. Wow! I guess Ward and Brouwer are having an Alex Semin like season but together their salaries are less than Semins.

 

[malyk]

My biggest takeaway from the behindthenet numbers is that the defensive pairing with the lowest offensive zone start % (and therefore highest defensive zone start %) isn't Alzner-Carlson, it's Erskine-Carrick.

Everyday, we discover new ways in which Oates and Calle Johansson suck.

Yeah, I noticed and posted something about that a few weeks ago. It's really like they are intentionally icing the worst pairings for the situations. Erskine/Carrick shouldn't have a single defensive zone start when the coach has a choice. The fact that they lead the team in that stat...well, it's a fireable offense.

 

[DanTHEMan71]

My biggest takeaway from the behindthenet numbers is that the defensive pairing with the lowest offensive zone start % (and therefore highest defensive zone start %) isn't Alzner-Carlson, it's Erskine-Carrick.

Everyday, we discover new ways in which Oates and Calle Johansson suck.

I don't think our coaching staff analyzes any form of advanced stats/metrics.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

No chance. They only say that b/c he's on another team right now.

But you're right in that it won't matter b/c he won't be traded nor should he be.

He's the top goal scorer in the league, a 3 time MVP, a sure fire HOFer thats in his prime and remarkably durable.

Maybe at this point of his career he's more like Brett Hull than Pavel Bure but thats not bad company exactly.

It would shock me if those very same fans didn't suddenly change their tune once he wore their team's jersey.

I think PLENTY would dislike it initially, but Ovy would likely win many of them over quickly. Some just hate the guy.

 

[Drakon]

Hadn't looked at Semin's stats in a while until you posted that. Wow! I guess Ward and Brouwer are having an Alex Semin like season but together their salaries are less than Semins.

To be fair, he suffered a concussion this season and is being dragged down by the tire fire that is Eric Staal, but he certainly could be doing better.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I don't think our coaching staff analyzes any form of advanced stats/metrics.

It's not even and advanced stat. It's basic logic. You don't put your worst defensive pair on the ice for defensive zone faceoffs and expect success.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Yeah, I noticed and posted something about that a few weeks ago. It's really like they are intentionally icing the worst pairings for the situations. Erskine/Carrick shouldn't have a single defensive zone start when the coach has a choice. The fact that they lead the team in that stat...well, it's a fireable offense.

Indeed it is a fireable offense. One of many.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Semin was ridiculed because we were paying him $6 million for 50 points. The Canes are now paying him $7 million for 40 points. Where on earth are you getting Semin is great from?

Last year, he was one of the rare PPG players in the League, and made Tlusty look like an actual 1st line forward. This year though, he's suffered 2 concussions and a broken wrist. He had a lot of trouble to get started because of that. When his GM called him out and Team Russia left him in Raleigh, he put up a brilliant effort to prove himself (AGAIN).

I don't blame you, you probably haven't watched the Canes. Their whole team is a mess. Semin is their second best player. He's better than E. Staal and pretty close to Skinner.

Losing him with nothing in return was one of the worst decisions GMGM has ever made.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

You know what the second biggest issue with Semin was? Durability.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

You know what the second biggest issue with Semin was? Durability.

At least he could put the puck in the net. Having him as Ovi's sidekick definitely helped.

 

[Laus Deo]

His superpower is that he has a shield

I love that Russian hat.

Given to Alzner by the Russians as the game MPV in the 2007 Canada Russia series.

Guess they saw something in him even back then.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

At least he could put the puck in the net. Having him as Ovi's sidekick definitely helped.

Apparently not as much as Troy Brouwer and IMO having him as Ovy's confidant and sidekick was EXTREMELY questionable.

His inability to stay healthy is ultimately his biggest wart In my eyes for that $. You're right though, damn near criminal he was allowed to walk for no return. They replaced the production but got less talented in the process.

 

[Caps8112]

Ovies flack may be viewed by us as unwarranted but you have to think of it in a different way. We know he carries this team on his back a lot of the time but its everything else about him that makes him any easy target. When they were winning and near the top of the league he was portraying himself as this rockstar who could do whatever he wanted. Anyone who said anything to him about his actions was ridiculed and labeled a hockey purist. Thats fine when your winning, you can do whatever you want. His career actually plays out like all hollywood scripts. Comes into the league on fire, something people havent seen in a long time, success goes to his head and everything tumbles down. He is definitely at a crossroads in his career and its hard for people to change.

Ovi would definitly get the same flack on Pitt as long he plays the way he plays.

 

[g00n]

Not sure where to float this turd that showed up on my Yahoo sports feed so I'll just dump it here:

http://thehockeywriters.com/the-top-3-most-undeserving-nhl-captains/

Hockey writer (blogger?) Brett Slawson covering the Senators calls out Ovechkin as the worst captain in the league. The other two in his list of 3 worst are Phaneuf of the rival Leafs and Dustin Brown who's won 2 Cups in the last 3 years and the Messier leadership award last year. His main argument against the other two is that they aren't producing on the ice like he thinks they should. His argument against Ovechkin reads like a Mike Milbury diary entry.

My guess is this is a publicity stunt to get clicks in bigger markets or just some idiot spouting the usual anti-Ovechkin lines. So here's the write up on Ovechkin in case you don't want to give a click:

This should really come as no surprise. Since being awarded the “C” of the Washington Capitals in 2010, Alexander Ovechkin has become widely known as the NHL captain most undeserving of his role.
On the Ice:

Alexander Ovechkin is a fantastic hockey player, there is no question; yet the “Great 8″ has become an increasingly one dimensional player since becoming team captain. Although Ovechkin scored 51 goals last year, which led the league, Alex has become known for his extremely poor play defensively.

The season prior to being named team captain, Ovechkin registered a +45 rating, while in the following five seasons has only managed a plus rating 3 of 5 seasons, while posting a -35 plus/minus rating this past season, third worst in the NHL! Alex’s play simply has not represented that of a worthy NHL captain, as other than scoring goals, Ovechkin has been a poor on ice leader, becoming well known for his extremely poor back checking and defensive positioning, as seen in the following, hilarious video:

(controller disconnected video)

In terms of his on ice production, Alex has struggled offensively in comparison to his standards. His goal scoring totals have remained pretty stable, yet his point totals have come no-where near where they were prior to his captaincy. Gone are the 100 point seasons, as it has now been five NHL seasons since Ovechkin eclipsed the century mark, once again showing that his game has become strictly about scoring goals rather than distributing the puck, having become a largely selfish player.

The type of player Ovechkin has become is one which does not reflect the ideal NHL captain, as Alex tends to put himself before his teammates and even his coaches, a trend which has become increasingly stronger in recent years.
Off the Ice:

Off of the ice, Ovechkin has become the face of the franchise for his on ice goal scoring abilities, rather than for his social work and ability to lead his teammates. As we’ve talked about, an NHL captain must be as strong off the ice as he is on it, supporting players through non hockey related matters, being a public figure and supporting the direction and leadership of his coaches and management.

Yet Ovechkin is not a strong off ice leader. It is rare for Ovechkin to make significant contributions in the Washington area, spending the majority of his time away from the rink at home in Russia, particularly during the offseason, contributing little to his local community. Further, Ovechkin is known for his inability and unwillingness to interact with coaching and management, often going against their coaching decisions which have led to the recent hiring of Barry Trotz, the fifth coach of Ovechkin’s career.

“If Ovi is willing to listen, he’s going to have a chance to do some great team things” – Barry Trotz

Simply put, Alexander Ovechkin is an NHL captain who plays as an individual. Despite his goal scoring prowess, Ovechkin has nothing to show for his career other than, you guessed it, individual awards. Sure Ovechkin is a talented player, but both his on and off ice conduct are that of an individual player, rather than the leader of a team of players. Until Alex decides he wants to lead his team, both on and off the ice through his play and societal contributions, he will remain as the NHL player most undeserving of his role as team captain.

Fire away.

 

[Acallabeth]

^ why even read something like that? Main board caliber nonsense.

 

[g00n]

^ why even read something like that? Main board caliber nonsense.

As I said it was in my Yahoo feed. You don't know what something says UNTIL YOU READ IT so not reading something is only an option if you already know what it says (because someone else has read it). And I've read it for you to make it easier to avoid.

If you don't want to read it then don't. You're welcome.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

There is so much hot garbage and fallacy in that article that I don't know where to start, so I wont. I'll just say it's one of the worst articles I've read supported at best by personal bias and at worst by outright lies.