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Before their game against Vityaz Chekhov, Dynamo Moscow’s official Twitter posted a photo of Nicklas Backstrom‘s new #69 jersey lying neatly by his locker. Backstrom’s old #99, which he apparently never wanted to wear out of respect or something, is now kaput. Nicky is still the Swedish Gretzky in my book.
Photo credit: @dynamo_ru.
Graphic by Ian Oland.
Sad news, you guys. Nicklas Backstrom has decided to change his Dynamo Moscow jersey number to 69.
Magnus Nystrom of expressen.se, first to detail the news, explains that Backstrom never wanted Gretzky’s holy number to begin with and had to work hard to change it.
Photo credit: dynamo.ru
With leading scorer Alex Ovechkin out sick with bronchitis, Dynamo Moscow needed someone to pick up the slack against rival Dinamo Riga on Monday. That person was Nicklas Backstrom.
With three seconds left in the first period, Backstrom scored his first career KHL goal, deflecting Filip Novak’s shot past Dinamo goaltender Mikael Tellqvist while on the power play.
Video below.
“No hand shakes. My germs would kill normal man.” (Photo credit: dynamo.ru)
Alex Ovechkin sat out Dynamo Moscow’s home game on Monday against Dinamo Riga due to a bad case of bronchitis and a high temperature. Instead of staying in bed, Ovi journeyed to the Luzhniki arena to support his teammates and sign autographs for fans during the second period. The autograph session was immensely popular, as a large chunk of the 5,209 in attendance on Monday clogged the mezzanine area to try and meet Ovechkin.
Line to meet Ovi > line at the grocery store, just barely.
“Hey! They spelled my name wrong! What gives!” (Photo credit: hctorpedo.ru)
When Nicklas Backstrom made his debut for Dynamo Moscow Monday, he was surrounded by familiar faces. Alex Ovechkin flanked him at left wing on the first line and former teammate Semyon Varlamov was in net for Lokomotiv. Dynamo had no trouble getting over that potential awkwardness however, turning in one of their most solid wins on the year, a 3-0 shutout of Lokomotiv. Ovechkin, who sure was in a punchy mood that day, had a goal and an assist. Backstrom also contributed a helper.
On Wednesday, the Caps reunion continued as Dynamo traveled to Nizhny Novgorod for the first ever BATTLE OF THE SASHAS © (imagine the Super Bowl but on ice and everyone wears pants that are half sweatpants/half jeans).
Unfortunately for Ovechkin, the trip to see his other BFF Alex Semin didn’t go so well.
Photo credit: dynamo.ru
On Monday Nicklas Backstrom, sporting his new #99 jersey, made his debut for Dynamo Moscow and returned to a familiar spot: centering Alex Ovechkin on the top line. The BFFs clicked instantly.
Backstrom assisted on the first goal of the game, a snapshot by Ovechkin past Lokomotiv Yaroslavl goaltender (and former teammate) Semyon Varlamov on the power play. Ovechkin would add an assist in the third period (and also challenge half of Lokomotiv’s roster to a fight). Dynamo won 3-0.
To the video!
“Only my buddy Nicky can wear #99!” (Photo credit: khl.ru)
While Alex Ovechkin is one of the game’s most feared scorers, he’s also not afraid to drop the gloves when the time is right. He’s fought Oleg Tverdovsky as a teenager, slugged Mike Richards during a preseason game, had Matt Bradley steal his fight with Steve Downie, and tried to fire his team up with a bout against Brandon Dubinsky.
On Monday during Dynamo Moscow’s 3-0 win over Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the Capitals captain once again showed his fiery side, trying to get both Alexander Guskov and Maxim Trunyov to fight him in two separate incidents.
Let’s review both events in disconcerting reverse order!
Photo credit: atlant-mo.ru
Let’s start with a disclosure: we aren’t actively covering the lockout. Financial negotiations (and their public face) are all about posturing, tedium, and equivocation, whereas our principal interest in hockey has always been scoar, moar, and goals. That said, our Alex Ovechkin has spoken out about the ongoing melee between NHL ownership and players, and it’s definitely newsworthy.
Talking with SovSport’s Dmitry Ponomarenko after Saturday’s game, Ovechkin gave his spin on the NHL’s offer to the players earlier this week, dismissing the proposal as “nothing new” and “good only after a quick look.” Ovechkin continued:
If we speak in Russian, the NHL provided a beautiful dream to the media and fans, but in reality it’s a lie. It’s showboating. The league is trying to show that they are kind of working, trying to save the season, but they offer nothing new. It’s all the same, just in different words.
In the interview, Ovechkin carries some water for the players’ association, but he ends with a bombshell: he is willing to walk away from the NHL if the new CBA is no good.
With his newly signed BFF Nicklas Backstrom in attendance, Alex Ovechkin continued his point-per-game pace in the KHL, scoring his fifth goal of the season in Dynamo Moscow’s 4-1 win over Atlant Moscow Region. In 16:34 of ice time, Ovi had four shots on goal and — oh yeah — broke a pane of freaking glass with his head.
Let’s take a look at this hit!
best))))) (Photo credit: dynamo.ru)
With the the National Hockey League and the Players Association making no further movement towards ending the lockout, Nicklas Backstrom officially made his move to the KHL today. Backstrom and Dynamo Moscow agreed in principle to a one-year deal, that will be severed only if the NHL lockout ends.
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