Biggest game of Ovechkin's career so far?

[Canuckistani]

Tonight surely has to be it.

Ovechkin's Caps haven't yet made it past the second round and have lost several game 7 heart-breakers. So the prospect of capping off a comeback from a 1-3 series deficit vs the Pens has to feel sort of like the Red Sox on the eve of game 7 vs the Yankees in 2004 where they completed a comeback from 0-3 down vs their rivals and erased decades of curse and disappointment.

It's also hard to ignore the Ovechkin vs Crosby contrast that is always drawn, and has to weigh on Ovie's mind to some degree. The two entered the league at the same time to much fanfare and Crosby has clearly had the more successful time of it on almost every level - two stanley cups, two olympic golds, three times as many playoff series wins etc.

And in crucial head-to-head matchups it's been ALL Crosby.

2015 World Junior final (6-1 Canada)
2009 playoffs game 7 (6-2 Pens)
2010 Olympic quarterfinal (7-3 Canada)
2014 Olympics (no Canada-Russia matchup, but Canada wins gold on Russian ice which had to hurt)
2015 World championship final (6-1 Canada)
2016 Playoffs (Pens in six)
2016 World Cup semifinal (5-3 Canada)

So there's a lot riding on tonight's game in addition to the obvious question of who advances. It seems like one of those legacy-deciding moments in a way.

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[HockeyThoughts]

Tonight is definitely a very important game, especially when taking into consideration the relatively weak opponent awaiting the victor in the ECF and the unproven competitor they will face in the SCF (Nashville, Anaheim or Edmonton).

However, the Washington Capitals have had numerous Game 7's in the 2nd round over the past decade. So given a more narrow view, this is just more of the same for Alexander Ovechkin.

 

[MaxV]

I don't really understand why OV's career has to be defined by match-ups against Crosby's teams.

I mean if you are going to mention World championships and WJCs, he has combined 4 golds.

 

[Stealth JD]

No bigger or smaller than any other Round-2, Game-7 game he's played in.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Well, weren't the last two games just as important? He was meh. I expect a good game today though.

 

[Canuckistani]

I don't really understand why OV's career has to be defined by match-ups against Crosby's teams.

I'm not saying that Ovie-vs-Crosby is the defining measure of success, but it's an obvious comparison and one that Ovechkin is surely aware of, whether he admits it or not.

 

[Laineux]

Meh. Ovechkin is maybe barely top 10 player in this series. You shouldn't expect anything more from him. He's just not a very good player.

 

[Cory Trevor]

Ovie has a two goals and an ENG for hatty tonight.

Book it.

 

[SEALBound]

Meh. Ovechkin is maybe barely top 10 player in this series. You shouldn't expect anything more from him. He's just not a very good player.

Crosby
Malkin
Kessel
Guentzel
Kuznetsov
Oshie
Burakovsky
Backstrom

I'd say he's top 10. Not top 5...but top 10.

Given the implications of the upcoming offseason and its ability to negatively impact future competitiveness, I say yes.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

Meh. Ovechkin is maybe barely top 10 player in this series. You shouldn't expect anything more from him. He's just not a very good player.

Yeah... Right.

 

[mintmint]

Ovechkin > Karlsson

 

[ujju2]

Yes. And I expect him to impact it heavily. Go Caps!

 

[Hockeyholic]

There's no guarantee Washington wins the cup if they win tonight. Thus, any elimination game in the SCF ( Sorry they aren't losing to Ottawa) will be the biggest. Why is tonight's game 7 any different than the choke job vs NY in 2015? That went 7 games..

If Washington wins tonight but loses in the cup final, how will people look at them? Will they be congratulated for finally getting past round 2? Will others hold it against them for not winning a cup? Personally, I don't think getting a worst draft pick and losing in the SCF is any better than being swept in round one. Your either first or last. That's just me.

 

[Laineux]

Yeah... Right.

Realistically he's just not that good of a player anymore. Excellent at scoring goals for sure, and he also gets fed more than any other player, but overall as a hockey player he's very far from the best of the world.

 

[Sam Spade]

 

[amethyst]

Yep. I think if Caps beat the Pens they have a good chance of winning the cup. Hope they slay the dragon tonight!

Ovechkin > Karlsson

 

[Vordus]

Realistically he's just not that good of a player anymore. Excellent at scoring goals for sure, and he also gets fed more than any other player, but overall as a hockey player he's very far from the best of the world.

"He's not that good a player, he's only EXCELLENT at the one most impactful thing an individual player (forward) can do to help his team win games.

 

[Laineux]

"He's not that good a player, he's only EXCELLENT at the one most impactful thing an individual player (forward) can do to help his team win games.

He's a good player for sure, but aside from putting the pucks in the net he's clearly below average. And there's a **** ton of work involved in getting him the chances to put the puck in the net.

There's a reason why putting Ovie to 3rd line was a good decision. I'm not sure if he's top 50 forward in the world now.

 

[Dakine879]

He's a good player for sure, but aside from putting the pucks in the net he's clearly below average. And there's a **** ton of work involved in getting him the chances to put the puck in the net.

There's a reason why putting Ovie to 3rd line was a good decision. I'm not sure if he's top 50 forward in the world now.

God i wish we could say this about Eberle.

Ovi is awesome, lots of folks around the league love him and want to see him and his team have a change of fortune tonight.

GO CAPS!

 

[Fugazy]

Really good chance for the Caps tonight to finally get over the 2nd round hump. Definitely one of the more important games in his career so far.

 

[Vordus]

He's a good player for sure, but aside from putting the pucks in the net he's clearly below average. And there's a **** ton of work involved in getting him the chances to put the puck in the net.

There's a reason why putting Ovie to 3rd line was a good decision. I'm not sure if he's top 50 forward in the world now.

You're not sure that the guy who just won the Rocket last year, currently sitting between position 8-13 (6-way tie) in Playoff Goals, is even a top 50 forward in the world right now?!? Wow. It's sad how quickly people forget about what this guy is capable of and how insanely good he is.

There's a reason Ovi gets fed the puck all the time, because he puts it in. There are A LOT of players who would not even get close to the amount of goals Ovi gets being placed in the same position.

 

[illpucks]

Why is tonight's game 7 any different than the choke job vs NY in 2015? That went 7 games..

That's a good question. Rangers had no business winning Game 7 but still somehow did.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

He's a good player for sure, but aside from putting the pucks in the net he's clearly below average. And there's a **** ton of work involved in getting him the chances to put the puck in the net.

There's a reason why putting Ovie to 3rd line was a good decision. I'm not sure if he's top 50 forward in the world now.

What a joke, he's probably the best sniper ever.

 

[Hank Plank]

Biggest game of his career so far no question.

 

[illpucks]

Biggest game of his career so far no question.

Given how his play has declined. There was no bigger game than Canada-Russia 2010. But hopefully he can do something different tonight.