Why isn't Ovie used on shorthanded?

[alko]

Alexander Ovechkin has only 4 SH goals. The last one in season 2008/2009.

From season 2010/2011 he played only 6 minutes overall (not 85 s from season 06/07 as wrongly mentioned before) in SH.

Why that? He is so fast, he could be used as a breakaway player.

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[Seanaconda]

Alexander Ovechkin has only 4 SH goals. The last one in season 2008/2009.

From season 2006/2007 he played only 85 seconds in SH.

Why that? He is so fast, he could be used as a breakaway player.

Probably so they can give him more powerplay time

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Probably because when you are short handed you want your best defensive players on the ice, Ovechkin might crave possession and is better defensively than he was his first few years, but not enough to be on the PK to block shots and clear the puck or rush up to score a shorty.

 

[Pip]

Having Ovy out there at even strength and on the powerplay seems like a better use of his playing time.

 

[Sam Spade]

Same reason a lot of top guys aren't I would imagine.

Do you want Crosby or Kane blocking shots? Plus the ice time issue would get ridiculous, even adding 20-30 seconds every kill, since the better offensive players are on the PP for 1:30 sometimes.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Defensive liability

 

[Mugzy97]

He is so fast, he could be used as a breakaway player.

Yeah that's how you win hockey games, go for breakaways while being shorthanded

 

[WesMcCauley]

Why play one of the best goalscorers on the pk so he will play less 5v5 or less on the pp. He can contribute much more 5v5 and on the pp than on pk. PK is the easiest thing to do in the NHL which is why alot of bottom 6 forwards and bottom pair defensemen play alot on the pk.

 

[Evergreen]

Two reasons:

1. There are plenty of other players on the team that are as effective or more effective at killing penalties. Even though Ovechkin might be more likely to score shorthanded than these guys, that might still only account for an additional 2-3 SH goals over the course of the year, but would likely result in at least as many PP goals against.

2. Ovechkin is one of the best offensive players in the league, so they'd rather maximize his ice time on the PP and in favorable ES matchups to take advantage of his skill set. Killing penalties is exhausting work and if Ovy played more on the PK, they'd have to reduce his minutes in other situations, like the PP.

 

[stokes84]

They don't need him jumping in front of slapshots. They have 3rd liners to do that job. It's why most teams don't use star players on the pk.

 

[rbochan]

Defensive liability

Yup. When he's always camped out on the opposing blue line waiting to cherry pick shots, the team would be 2 men down.

 

[stokes84]

Defensive liability

Yup. When he's always camped out on the opposing blue line waiting to cherry pick shots, the team would be 2 men down.

This is completely wrong.

 

[Mugzy97]

PK is the easiest thing to do in the NHL which is why alot of bottom 6 forwards and bottom pair defensemen play alot on the pk.

Not true. There is nothing easy about a PK.

This is completely wrong.

No it's not, he is not a defensive player.

 

[Seanaconda]

Not true. There is nothing easy about a

Defense is easier to teach and unskilled players are more likely to jump headfirst into a slapshot to stay in the league.

But your best players tend to be your best players in all 3 zones but with game management it's normally smarter to give your best offensive players the ozone starts and powerplay time.

 

[AINEC*]

If you're planning your PK around having a "breakaway player" you're going to have a bad time.

 

[Seanaconda]

If you're planning your PK around having a "breakaway player" you're going to have a bad time.

Having someone fast isn't a bad idea on the pk.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

While his teammates are killing the 5-on-3, he'd be skating around the other team's blue line tapping his stick on the ice or with his stick in the air to call for a pass

Actually, the idea is pretty funny if you visualize it.

 

[MasterDecoy]

Pk is reserved for bottom guys. Why thine the extra icetime and add the chance that he may get injured blocking a slapper. It's idiotic. So coaches don't do it.

Subban used to be a huge part of the habs pk when Martin was here. Therrien's showed up, took him off. What changed? The habs got better dmen, so pk can rest instead of playing penalty kill.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Yup. When he's always camped out on the opposing blue line waiting to cherry pick shots, the team would be 2 men down.

Do you even watch the Capitals? It's not 2008 anymore.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Same reason a lot of top guys aren't I would imagine.

Do you want Crosby or Kane blocking shots? Plus the ice time issue would get ridiculous, even adding 20-30 seconds every kill, since the better offensive players are on the PP for 1:30 sometimes.

This x100.

Awesome username btw. Love Maltese Falcon.

 

[um]

No it's not, he is not a defensive player.

he called him a liability, which he is not.

 

[Basement Cat]

Ive always wondered the same thing. Kind of like how the Devils used Kovalchuk in 2011-2012. He was dominant on the PK. He actually ended that year being a plus on the PK which is ****in nuts. Granted he was always partnered with a responsible forward like Zajac/Parise or a PK beast like Zubrus, but he made big strides that year defensively. Other team's PPs had to be super cautious or else they'd be hit on the counter in an instant.




I think that Ovechkin, in limited PK time, could be a similar threat. Though at this point he has lost some of the pop in his skates.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Yeah that's how you win hockey games, go for breakaways while being shorthanded

Yeah that was the first and foremost thing that people should ridicule in that post.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Not true. There is nothing easy about a PK.



No it's not, he is not a defensive player.

PK is the easiest part of the game to teach players with limited skillset. Beeing a good penalty killer is not the same as beeing a good defensive player 5v5.

 

[notsocommonsense]

Alexander Ovechkin has only 4 SH goals. The last one in season 2008/2009.

From season 2010/2011 he played only 6 minutes overall (not 85 s from season 06/07 as wrongly mentioned before) in SH.

Why that? He is so fast, he could be used as a breakaway player.

Prob cuz he's not great defensively and you're not supposed to be planning for breakaways while playing short handed