Alex Ovechkin

RAZOR’S DOWN! Caps beat Bruins 3-2 (OT): Alex Ovechkin Wins the Rocket Richard (Almost Certainly)

On April 27, 2013, In Game Recap, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Woohoo! Final game of the season. A month and a half ago, I thought this would be the last one I’d cover before the summer, but then Ovechkin happened. Now, the Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals game was just a meaningless little preamble to the real dance, which starts next week.

Let’s do a loose recap. Looch got a lucky one off Alzner’s skates, then he screened Holtby on Ference’s goal. Then, Mike Green 2009 warged into Mike Green 2013 and scored back-to-back power play goals. The Caps killed some late-game penalties and forced overtime, where Eric Fehr finished off the regular season with a little goal so greasy you could lubricate your engine with it if that’s a thing you knew how to do.

Caps beat Bruins 3-2 (Overtime).

Hockey Bloopers: Alex Ovechkin Can’t Say “Hockey At Its Best”

On April 27, 2013, In Video, By Ian Oland

Thanks to @recordsANDradio for first posting.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Commercial

Alex Ovechkin Scores League-Leading 32nd Goal, Does Spin-A-Roonie to Celebrate (GIF)

On April 25, 2013, In Photos, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Rob Carr

Alex Ovechkin is in the zone. I’m not completely sure what that means but think Peter Parker just after he got his superpowers in Spider-Man. Ovi is scoring at will every night. Thursday was no exception.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • GIF

Senators beat Caps 2-1 (OT) Because Mike Ribeiro

On April 25, 2013, In Game Recap, By Peter Hassett

Check out the Hendyface! (Photo credit: Patrick McDermott)

I was expecting some kind of letdown after the Washington Capitals ensured themselves a playoff spot on Tuesday, but dude. Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators wasn’t bad by any stretch, but it didn’t carry the same gravitas now that the Caps are locked in third place. Erik Karlsson’s unlikely return to service was heartening for pure hockey fans, but it’s way too late in the season for us to muster up that kind of neighborliness. Besides, it’s totally possible this is the team the Caps will have to face in the playoffs, so we should probably get the enmity brewing now.

Karlsson got one, then Ovi got one. Then overtime, where ex-Cap Sergei Gonchar won it all because Mike Ribeiro is a liability.

Sens beat Caps 2-1. Ottawa makes the playoffs.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Erik Karlsson • Michal Neuvirth • Ottawa Senators • Washington Capitals

My Apology, and How We Got Here

On April 24, 2013, In Statistical Analysis, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Sooooooooo… I was wrong about the Capitals. And I’m sorry.

Early in the season, I waved away the Caps’ struggles, citing some strong puck possession numbers. But as those numbers eroded and the Caps kept losing, I hedged my bets. The Capitals were giving up too many penalties, performing poorly on the kill, and were not really tilting the ice. By the middle of February, I became wary. Cut to early March, when my last ounce of pollyannaish pluck was depleted. I said the Capitals weren’t headed for the playoffs, that their possession was debilitating, and that a turn of good luck wouldn’t be enough to turn their fortunes around.

I was wrong all over. My bad.

Tagged with: Adam Oates • Alex Ovechkin • George McPhee • Marcus Johansson

Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal, Hits Big, and Gets Serenaded with MVP Chant

On April 23, 2013, In Photos, Video, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: @luvdcaps

All things considered, Alex Ovechkin had a quiet night on Tuesday. But, at this point, a quiet night for Alex Ovechkin means a goal to clinch a division championship, a crucial assist, and one literally earth-shattering hit. Verizon Center serenaded Ovechkin to “MVP” chants and signs, cheering him on in his comeback season. It was a perfect night.

Lets’ review.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Big Hit • MVP

That Time Pierre McGuire Was Wrong About Everything

On April 23, 2013, In Analysis, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Andre Ringuette

Lots of smart and informed people have been dead wrong about Alex Ovechkin this year. Also wrong: Pierre McGuire, who I guess is smart and informed, but the jury is out on if he qualifies as human. Regardless, way back in January when Ovechkin was trying his first stint on the right wing, McGuire gave an interview to an Ottawa radio station where he delivered a litany of Wrong Things He Should Be Embarrassed About Now (if his species is even capable of embarrassment).

I wonder if anyone transcribed this interview. WAIT. THAT’S DAN STEINBERG’S MUSIC.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Pierre McGuire • Washington Capitals

Why It’s Important to Chant ‘MVP’ For Alex Ovechkin

On April 23, 2013, In Artwork, Opinion, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Paul Chiasson

Over the next five days, the Capitals will finish the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season with three home games. The Caps’ match-ups with Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Boston will not only determine if Washington wins the Southeast Division and makes the playoffs, they’ll also sort out the trophy races that Alex Ovechkin is involved in. Ovechkin, after not winning any hardware since 2010, is in contention for four awards: the Ted Lindsey trophy for players’ MVP, the Art Ross trophy (for most points), the Maurice Richard trophy (for most goals), and the Hart trophy (for most valuable player).

While The Great Eight and his peers control his destiny with three of these four awards, the esteemed members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association will decide the Hart Trophy. This is the same media that in the last three years has literally flogged Ovechkin with a spiked 2 x 4 painted with a red maple leaf and dripping with Tim Horton’s coffee. Because when every great player gets older and his team becomes less aggressive, it’s the media’s moral obligation to antagonize him to casual fans and excoriate him at every turn.

I mean, look at some of this stuff.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Hart Trophy • Signs

Ovi for Hart, Part II: Because the Capitals Needed Him

On April 22, 2013, In Opinion, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Andre Ringuette

Earlier I wrote about how the Hart Trophy was a poorly defined award of limited value. Now I’ll share why I think Alex Ovechkin absolutely must have it. I’m going to share some stats and rebut some excuses, but the whole thing boils down to this: the Capitals needed the best from Ovechkin, and he delivered it.

But first, I’m going to repeat what we talked about before. This is the most valuable player to his team, not just the best all-around player. If we’re talking best player? I’d say it’s Sidney Crosby. Hands down. But most valuable? And to his team? That’s a more interesting conversation. And now, baby, you’ve got a stew going.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Hart Trophy • John Tavares • Jonathan Toews • Sergei Bobrovsky • Sidney Crosby

Ovi for Hart, Part I: The Hart Trophy is Kind of Stupid

On April 21, 2013, In Opinion, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Francois Lacasse

Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews, and Alex Ovechkin. Those are the names most seen in the deluge of chatter about this season’s Hart Trophy, the award given each year to the player deemed most valuable to his team. Washington’s own goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin seems to be the underdog in those conversations for a variety of reasons, namely that he plays in a bad division and wasn’t exceptional until the middle of March. I think those reasons are suspect, but the Hart conversation is already marred by a whole lot of questionable conventional wisdom.

The Hart Trophy is supposed to be awarded to the player that the Professional Hockey Writers Association deems most valuable to his team. While the actual inscription on the Hart Trophy leaves out the whole “to his team” part, I find that little prepositional phrase to be crucial. The NHL is unlike the MLB, whose MVP award has a simpler definition (“most outstanding player“), the same one used for the Ted Lindsay Award.

The Lindsay is the NHL’s real MVP award: voted on by the players and without consideration for team quality or any of the other logical convolutions that make the Hart the cause of ulcers for everyone silly enough to care about it.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Hart Trophy • Jose Theodore • Sidney Crosby • Steven Stamkos

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Apr
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Russian Machine Never Breaks

RAZOR’S DOWN! Caps beat Bruins 3-2 (OT): Alex Ovechkin Wins the Rocket Richard (Almost Certainly)

Hockey Bloopers: Alex Ovechkin Can’t Say “Hockey At Its Best”

Alex Ovechkin Scores League-Leading 32nd Goal, Does Spin-A-Roonie to Celebrate (GIF)

Senators beat Caps 2-1 (OT) Because Mike Ribeiro

My Apology, and How We Got Here

Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal, Hits Big, and Gets Serenaded with MVP Chant

That Time Pierre McGuire Was Wrong About Everything

Why It’s Important to Chant ‘MVP’ For Alex Ovechkin

Ovi for Hart, Part II: Because the Capitals Needed Him

Ovi for Hart, Part I: The Hart Trophy is Kind of Stupid

Got A Hockey Tip?

Ian Oland

Peter Hassett

Chris Gordon

Igor Kleyner

Fedor Fedin

Doug Johnson and Craig Brownstein

Blogroll

Archived Posts