Slava Malamud rips into Ovechkin/Caps

[Scandale du Jour]

And Ovechkin has Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Williams, Oshie, Johansson, Carlson, Shattenkirk with him. Let's not pretend Ovechkin isn't surrounded by elite talent. The Caps have won the President's trophy 2 seasons in a row.

Carlson and Shattenkirk aren't even CLOSE to Duncan Keith. Not even in their wildest dreams.

Backstrom is better than Toews, sure.

However my point was that the Hawks game plan was never to have Kane be unidimensional. The Caps have done that for too long. Works fine in the regular season, failed every year in the POs and it is not because of Ovechkin himself.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Malamud is a tool like Bryan Hayes and all the other hacks that wish they were on Ovi's galaxy of talent and accomplishments. Hockey is a game governed by repetition of random events. Guess what, sometimes you lose the dice rolls and go home. Caps will get wiser and move on.

 

[molon labe]

I think what they are getting at is...

As a winger, Kane has a Conn Smythe on his shelf and came up huge multiple times during Hawk Cup championships.

A star winger can have a major impact but they need to be able to get it done when the pressure is on and it counts the most. So far, Ovechkin hasn't been able to do that.

Fair enough.

Kane scored some pretty damn amazing goals during those Hawks runs - wasn't really a 'bide your time while this guy sets up in the corner over there and pretend we're not trying to deliver the puck to him' situation.

As of late 5v5 Ovi still coasts to that corner like the old guy in pick-up basketball does. This is not really an issue unless that old guy is who everyone looks up to and leans on in critical moments; because if that's the case it becomes relatively easy to shut down... Something this guy points out that I tend to agree with (from an outside perspective) is how the Caps franchise has completely leaned one direction this entire time - physicality + power play...that's catering to one player on your team. Edit: these last couple Caps' teams that is - since they've become pretty stacked.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Lost in game 7 against a top team and everyone loses their minds
lol

I mean the tweets are bad but everyone knows your post isn't the full story...like why bother?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I love these comments. Ovy's questionable leadership is the dark secret we Caps fans want to ignore, but know something isn't right.

 

[TNT87]

Wow, he didn't hold back did he?

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Its a metaphor for superficiality, not literal sexiness

Serious answer.

 

[xtr3m]

Being a hockey writer means dick. 95 per cent of hack journalists work in sports.

But only a Russian (writer) can truly understand a Russian (player).

 

[Iceman]

He probably has a "no trade to" clause that involves Alberta teams, like many players.

...and Leafs.

 

[Tom Polakis]

Slava Malamud is the Official Russian Sports Writer

https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud

Is there just one Official Russian Sports Writer? Is he appointed or fired by Putin? Must be a busy dude.

 

[Mafoofoo]

Ovechkin was bad tonight, no doubt but some of the hot takes around here and the media make it sound like it's Ovechkin vs the Penguins instead of the Capitals vs the Penguins. Even Gretzky wasn't able to win cups without having elite talent and a good team around him.

 

[Peat]

Malamud is a tool like Bryan Hayes and all the other hacks that wish they were on Ovi's galaxy of talent and accomplishments. Hockey is a game governed by repetition of random events. Guess what, sometimes you lose the dice rolls and go home. Caps will get wiser and move on.

What if they lose all the dice rolls? What if they show no sign of getting wiser?

Year after year, the Caps find a way to lose somehow. They've changed a bunch of things and still find a way to lose. I don't see how people can just dismiss the idea that there's something fundamentally wrong with the core that has been there all along.

 

[Bounces R Way]

As well he should. Even as a massive Ovechkin fan his team needed more from him that series, getting put on the 3rd line as the team Captain and as a 500 goal scorer is outright ****ing embarrassing. The writer wanted to give his opinion and he gave it, see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Why else do you think places like this exist ?

As for the Washington Capitals and Capitals fans, I have no words. Your failure escapes and perplexes me.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

OVs issue is simply what he brings isn't proportional to his salary.

When he signed his contract, he was nearly 1/6th of the teams salary.

For someone making $10million, i would expect conn smyth calibre performances of the ages.

We saw it once with a hat trick nullified by a crosby hat trick and win.

Every other time hes been 'pretty good'.

 

[johan f]

In the whole the author is right. Many points are spot on.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

Funny part is if Washington won this game, they most likely go onto the finals and win

 

[sr edler]

The problem isn't Ovechkin, it's everyone else, the fans, media, management. People expect him to carry the team, but he can't. He's a goal scoring winger. Like Kessel, or Laine. That archetype cannot carry a team the way a two way center or defenseman can, even if he's the best of all time what he does.

Bure carried Canucks offense in 94, had 10 goals through the second and third round, and an overall 16 game point streak in the playoffs. It's possible to carry your teams offense and be a constant threat as a winger if you're an actual workhorse who can also play in different situations like the PK. It's pretty rare though.

Ovi was close to this kind of player when he fired on all cylinders say 2007–2010, but he still wasn't an all situations guy.

 

[sr edler]

I was thinking the same thing. 6 sentences with references to Ovechkin's sex appeal or looks. That's just cringey.

It's not about his actual looks, but his persona. No one in his or hers right mind thinks Ovi is good looking or sexy. He actually looks like a cave man. Fedorov or Bure had good looks but were kinda reserved, personality wise. Ovi has an outgoing "center of the universe" type of personality.

 

[aufheben]

Meh. Fluery shut the door tonight. Ovi had one chance and was robbed by fluery on a great save. The whole team was a let down.

Idk he didn't look particularly nice on the GWG. I've only seen it several times though.

 

[983 others]

Good.

Don't put a player on a pedestal as an all time great player then do nothing but pass the blame and make excuses for them when they don't get it done when it actually matters.

Same thing with Lundqvist.

 

[aufheben]

Good.

Don't put a player on a pedestal as an all time great player then do nothing but pass the blame and make excuses for them when they don't get it done when it actually matters.

Same thing with Lundqvist.

Hasek didn't win a Cup until he had 37 HHOFers on the roster.

 

[enthusiast]

This reads like someone with a personal grudge

 

[Riptide]

The only thing I agree with is that the Caps catter too much to Ovechkin and are the reason why he is mostly unidimensional.

I however won't question his heart, desire to win and talent.

No... he has the desire to win and the heart... he just frequently fails to show up when needed. I mean this was a player largely absent this series. And when he wasn't scoring (frequently) he was doing NOTHING else. There were games where I never even noticed him out there. And for someone who's totted as one of the best in the game, that's pathetic.

I don't think this is an issue solely on him, but as the captain and the teams highest paid player, and one who was frequently missing in action... I'm not sure how anyone can look at Washington's success rate come April over the last decade and not see that there's a serious problem here. And rightfully so a large part of it falls on Ovechkin.

 

[Riptide]

Honestly, this is such a silly argument and just more excuse-making. You say "like Kessel" with no apparent hint of irony, despite the fact that Kessel, a winger, damn near won the Conn Smythe last year. Or like how Justin Williams, a winger, won it two years ago. Or Patrick Kane before that.

Besides, we're way past the point of asking Ovechkin, a helpless winger, to "carry his team". This isn't 2007. He doesn't have to "carry" a team like the Capitals. They have (had) elite goaltending, great defense, and plenty of scoring beyond #8. But it sure would help them if he delivered when it counted the most.

It's sheer ridiculousness to claim a guy who can score 40-60 goals routinely in the regular season is powerless to help his team when it matters most, I don't care what position he plays.

Yep. Here's 4 series for you:

16/17 vs PIT: 2 goals in 7 games.
15/16 vs PIT: 2 goals in 6 games.
14/15 vs NYR: 3 goals in 7 games.
13/14 (missed playoffs)
12/13 vs NYR: 1 goal in 7 games.

In the series he's been eliminated in over his last 4 playoffs, this is a player who's supposedly one of the best goal scorers in the history of the game... who has 8 goals in 27 games (3 of those are PPG). When you add that in with him frequently disappearing... there's clearly an issue there.

For someone making $10million, i would expect conn smyth calibre performances of the ages.

Every other time hes been 'pretty good'.

I disagree. Look above at the last 4 series where he was eliminated. Nothing about that screams "pretty good" other than perhaps the 14/15 Rangers series.

 

[Raym11]

Hasek didn't win a Cup until he had 37 HHOFers on the roster.

Don't forget Ray Bourque



Basically you need a core of 3-4 players who are legitimate gamebreakers in the playoffs, or dont disappear. The problem here is Ovechkin is no longer his old self and is incapable of being one of those players. Caps have Holtby and Backstrom. Guys like Williams Oshie Shattenkirk and Carlsson are great pieces to have but they don't slot into the 4.