I don't agree that Backstrom (or Mojo) for that matter is lazy, I think like Ovi they are doing what their (soarking) coach is telling them to do, but other than that, I agree with all of this. Ovi is doing what he's told to do.For most of the year Ovechkin has been stuck on the WRONG SIDE of a line with two lazy Swedes, one of whom is where pucks go to die while the other is addicted to drive-by pokechecks and unnecessary saucer passes. Now his center is a guy who may not even be an AHL All Star and who hits his linemates with his body more than his passes.
The Caps top line has to be the worst in the league overall at even strength. He has no help out there, and his coach is a ****ing idiot.
Ovechkin has done what every coach has asked of him (with very little complaint all things considered) and most of it has been STUPID **** that is 100% the opposite of what shot him to the top of the league early in his career. It's a tragic waste.
I blame GMGM; I blame Oates and his utterly ineffectual, awful coaching staff. They may have been great players, but great coaching staff they most emphatically are not. It's not on the players, I'm at the point where I'm done pointing fingers at any of these players (especially the ones that we know are capable of greatness because we've seen them do great), I'm pointing the finger at Oates and his inept crew of towering coaching craptitude and figuring that whatever failures we're seeing on ice with the players is down to the grand coaching techniques from Oates and his brain trust.