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This is really happening, you guys. Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are now reunited. Backstrom was spotted by Sovetsky sport’s Pavel Lysenkov this afternoon taking a photo with Alex Ovechkin at Dynamo Moscow’s practice facility in Novogorsk. They couldn’t look happier, but Nicky’s contract status is still a bit murky.
Photo credit: Pavel Lysenkov
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett
Swedish site Sveriges Television is reporting that Nick Backstrom has signed with Alex Ovechkin‘s KHL team, Dynamo Moscow, for the remainder of the lockout. Details are sketchy, and who knows how long the lockout will last, but it seems like the band is getting back together. Kinda/sorta.
According to SVT (and via the inscrutable magic of Google Translate) Backstrom said, “I want to play hockey and this will be a fun challenge.” Backstrom also says Ovechkin convinced him to sign.
This is great news for the two BFFs, but let’s hope CBA negotiations this week result in an even bigger reunion soon.
Photo credit: dynamo.ru
It appears as if Dynamo Moscow is unbeatable with Alex Ovechkin in their line-up. The defending champions won their seventh straight game Saturday, defeating Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3-2 in front of a hometown crowd of 6469, including Ovi’s mom Tatyana and his girlfriend Maria Kirilenko.
Ovechkin tallied his 10th point of the season, receiving a secondary assist on Yury Babenko’s powerplay goal.
Video is below.
That guy in the middle of the scrum with his back to the net is Ovechkin scoring.
Over the last few games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been on fire. He has two goals and three assists in his last three matches. He’s also beginning to score with ease.
In front of a record KHL crowd of 16,317 (and Michal Neuvirth) at O2 Arena on Tuesday, Ovechkin ramped up the degree of difficulty on his tallies and scored a sick game-winning goal in Dynamo Moscow’s 1-0 win over Zdeno Chara’s HC Lev Praha. The Russian machine also had four shots on goal in 18:40 of ice time.
Now let’s see this goal.
“Watching Ovie in Prague!” (Photo credit: @mneuvirth30)
Dynamo Moscow traveled to Prague Tuesday to take on HC Lev Praha and if Alex Ovechkin took a peak at the crowd near his defending goal, he would see a familiar face. Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who’s currently playing for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga league, got tickets for the game to cheer Ovi on.
“I bowl strike!!” (GIF created by welshhockeyfan)
Ovechkin skates up ice.
Coming into Sunday’s away game with Slovan Bratislava, Alex Ovechkin had six points in six KHL games. Despite playing in five fewer matches than everyone else, Ovechkin was gaining ground on the league’s point leaders (82nd overall).
In Dynamo Moscow’s 3-2 victory Sunday, Ovi tied his Dynamo teammates Denis Kokarev and Dominik Granak for the team lead in points, tallying a goal, an assist, and three shots on goal in 16:22 of ice time against Slovan. The defending champions have now won 6 out of their last 7 games with the Capitals captain in their line-up.
Now let’s see that goal.
Note the extras from GoldenEye at top right. (Photo credit: dynamo.ru)
Monday was supposed to mark Alex Ovechkin‘s first meeting with 2012 first overall pick Nail Yakupov. When Dynamo Moscow hosted Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, Yakupov instead had to endure an international fiasco last week and was held out of the line-up by Coach Vladimir Golubovich despite being reinstated over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Russian machine had his best game yet in a blue and white jersey, notching his second goal of the KHL season and tallying an assist in Dynamo’s 5-1 mollywhopping of Neftekhimik. Ovi had 5 shots in a season-low 14:44 ice time.
Video ahoy!
Photo credit: khl.ru
Coming into Wednesday’s game against Ak Bars Kazan, Caps captain Alex Ovechkin had already made an impact on Dynamo Moscow’s offense. While he hasn’t tallied an Ovechtrick or gone on a Goal Explosion® yet, Ovi has scored a point in both games he’s played, skated more minutes than any other Dynamo forward, and averaged 9 shots per outing. That’s pretty darn good for a guy who hasn’t had a training camp.
On Wednesday, Ovechkin continued that hot start, notching a secondary assist on a powerplay goal by Konstantin Volkov and scoring in the shootout during Dynamo’s 3-2 (SO) comeback win over Ak Bars. He had 3 shots in 21:36 of ice time.
Highlights are below the jump.
Photo credit: I. Ignatovich
On Thursday, when Alex Ovechkin made his debut for Dynamo Moscow, the stands at Small Sports Arena in Luzhniki, Moscow were about 60% full. Sunday’s match was a different story, as a sold-out crowd of 8,097 packed into the seats to see Ovechkin’s Dynamo take on Ilya Kovalchuk’s SKA — Kovy’s first game in the KHL.
Fifteen minutes into the first period, the crowd was treated to a bit of history as Ovechkin scored his first KHL goal, also his first regular season goal in Russia since 2005.
YouTuber AXLPNZ captured the crowd’s reaction and the PA announcer’s call. The roar of the crowd is pretty cool.
“I deed it!! I finally score!!” (Photo credit: Dynamo Moscow)
Thursday night at Small Sports Arena in Luzhniki, Moscow, Alex Ovechkin returned to the Russian team that put him on the world’s stage as a teenager. And his performance did not disappoint.
In Moscow Dynamo’s 7-2 win over Dinamo Minsk, Ovechkin had seven shots, two big hits, and recorded his first ever KHL point, a powerplay assist, in 17:38 of ice time.
Highlights of the game are below the jump.
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