Do you know the saying, “It’s all coming up roses.”? Well for the Washington Capitals, it’s all coming up Alexander Ovechkin. With Ovechkin’s success sweeping the hockey world (a.k.a. Canada) the Capitals look to reap the rewards with exposure. My mailbox has exploded with the recent awards and latest news on how Ovechkin is the NHL’s new poster child.
With the season ending not even a month ago, Ovechkin keeps popping up everywhere around the NHL. I was surprised he was not in the analyst booth between periods of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (But NBC does have “the goal” as apart of their NHL on NBC opening).
So much is a stake for the young forward and if Ovechkin isn’t feeling the pressure to bring a championship to D.C. he will be as soon as the Caps start winning games. Not just from the fans of the Capitals, but from management as well.
For the moment the Capitals’ knight in shiny armor is enjoying the ride. From awards ceremony to draft day in Vancouver, hockey fans are recognizing Ovechkin’s true talent. The Capitals couldn’t pay for that kind of attention.
The Calder Trophy award winner Ovechkin isn’t done with his acceptance speeches just yet. #8 is nominated for two ESPY awards. Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best NHL Player. While the former may be a stretch, Ovechkin has a good chance of winning breakthrough.
Ovechkin joins Kimmie Meissner, Shaun White and Chris Paul who were all nominated for Breakthrough Athlete. Jaromir Jagr, Cam Ward and Joe Thornton for best NHL Player.
Showing posts with label The Goal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Goal. Show all posts
Monday, June 26, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Right Where He Belongs
Oh happy day in Washington DC, Alex Ovechkin is staying put in a Capitals jersey. That is good news for Caps fans who were worried about the impending decision that could have put Ovechkin back in a Moscow Dynamo jersey.
That doesn’t mean an end to court proceedings however for the Capitals, who are still looking for a way to get Alexander Semin back to the U.S. Many believe including Tarik El-Bashir that Semin will be back in a Capitals sweater by next year.
In a rare interview on Comcast Sportsnet with Joe Beninati, El-Bashir talked about Semin with George McPhee (General Managers extraordinaire) and they are hoping that by next season, the talented forward will be at Capitals training camp.
Injuries are still plaguing the Caps. Jamie Heward, Steve Eminger, and Jeff Halpern are all questionable to return. The three of them account for 61 points this year. The Caps will lose some substantial speed on the blue line with Heward and Eminger out of the line up.
In a rather amusing story, Olie Kolzig tried to recreate Ovechkin’s goal in Phoenix at a recent practice. As reported in the Wash Post:
“Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig tried about a half dozen times during yesterday's practice to replicate the acrobatic goal scored by Ovechkin in Phoenix on Monday. Kolzig, lying flat on his back in full pads, managed to score only once.
‘I show him how to do it,’ Ovechkin joked. ‘But he can't do it. He's a goalie.’”
A goalie indeed.
Caps face the struggling St. Louis Blues tonight at the Booth. All the previews for this game give St. Louis a chance to get back their winning ways, rather than give any real chance for the Caps to win. The Capitals are the underdog for this game.
-- Other Notes --
Okay, that is all I got today.
That doesn’t mean an end to court proceedings however for the Capitals, who are still looking for a way to get Alexander Semin back to the U.S. Many believe including Tarik El-Bashir that Semin will be back in a Capitals sweater by next year.
In a rare interview on Comcast Sportsnet with Joe Beninati, El-Bashir talked about Semin with George McPhee (General Managers extraordinaire) and they are hoping that by next season, the talented forward will be at Capitals training camp.
Injuries are still plaguing the Caps. Jamie Heward, Steve Eminger, and Jeff Halpern are all questionable to return. The three of them account for 61 points this year. The Caps will lose some substantial speed on the blue line with Heward and Eminger out of the line up.
In a rather amusing story, Olie Kolzig tried to recreate Ovechkin’s goal in Phoenix at a recent practice. As reported in the Wash Post:
“Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig tried about a half dozen times during yesterday's practice to replicate the acrobatic goal scored by Ovechkin in Phoenix on Monday. Kolzig, lying flat on his back in full pads, managed to score only once.
‘I show him how to do it,’ Ovechkin joked. ‘But he can't do it. He's a goalie.’”
A goalie indeed.
Caps face the struggling St. Louis Blues tonight at the Booth. All the previews for this game give St. Louis a chance to get back their winning ways, rather than give any real chance for the Caps to win. The Capitals are the underdog for this game.
-- Other Notes --
- OLN will broadcast ECHL All Star Game. And I thought I was going to miss it this year (sarcasm alert). They may cover the North Dakota State Pee Wee playoffs later this season.
- Peter Forsberg will miss one game due to groin injury, although he is expected to start the next game. Flyers need a healthy Forsberg to make a last push to the playoffs. Although at this point Ken Hitchcock has the boys playing very well.
- Marion Hossa helped the Atlanta Thrashers beat the Dallas Stars for the first time in the team’s history. Way to go Thrashers. That is neato!
- Zigmund Palffy retires for “personal reasons” so says Penguin’s GM. Many are speculating that it may be due to nagging injuries. Palffy joins a list of veteran palyers that have called it quits this year. Although I don’t mind a player retiring, but Palffy gave no reason himself to his quick withdrawal.
Okay, that is all I got today.
Monday, January 16, 2006
You Can Only Hope To Contain
Capitals 6, Coyotes 1
“No way! No Freaking way!” I couldn’t help but screaming on Alex Ovechkin’s third period goal where he scored a goal on his back with his stick over his head and finding just the width of the puck hole to score his 32nd goal of the season.
It was quite possibly the best goal of the year by Ovechkin. I had to watch the replay again and again to fully comprehend what the phenom rookie had done. It was the 17th game that Ovechkin has had a multipoint game with 2 goals and an assist.
When I talked about goal support for Ovechkin, this is what Craig Laughlin talked about spreading it around. More of the Caps needed to score and not leave all of the goals come on the shoulders of their top point maker, Ovechkin. The Caps got goals from Ben Clymer, Dainius Zubrus, Brian Sutherby, and Matt Bradley.
The Caps did a great job in all aspects of the game, defensively and offensively. The Caps kept the scoring chances of the Coyotes down in front of back-up Brent Johnson who was a part of the Coyotes system.
It was a surprise to see Johnson in net, but made sense as he played very well in two straight games. The Caps were able to dominate the Coyotes by playing their brand of hard work hockey. The Phoenix bench boss Wayne Gretzky could only shake his head as the Coyotes let 4 goals by the Caps slip past Brian Boucher in the second period.
Overall Grade: A
Zubrus was credited with the first goal that was an errant pass in front of Coyote’s goal by Mike Ricci that squeezed its way into the net. After review, officials gave the goal to Ovechkin as it didn’t look like Zubrus had touched the puck.
Wash Post has the news and notes of the game. The Caps come off a three game road swing were they won 2 games in Phoenix and Anaheim. Ovechkin scored 6 goals in that stretch. The Caps bring their 2 game winning streak home to the phone booth to play St. Louis on Thursday night.
Ovechkin’s unbelievable goal, I am sure, will be the number one play tonight on Sports Center, unless of course they show some college basketball ally-oop. Call the votes off, no more debate, Alex Ovechkin is the Calder winner. ‘Nuff said.
“No way! No Freaking way!” I couldn’t help but screaming on Alex Ovechkin’s third period goal where he scored a goal on his back with his stick over his head and finding just the width of the puck hole to score his 32nd goal of the season.
It was quite possibly the best goal of the year by Ovechkin. I had to watch the replay again and again to fully comprehend what the phenom rookie had done. It was the 17th game that Ovechkin has had a multipoint game with 2 goals and an assist.
When I talked about goal support for Ovechkin, this is what Craig Laughlin talked about spreading it around. More of the Caps needed to score and not leave all of the goals come on the shoulders of their top point maker, Ovechkin. The Caps got goals from Ben Clymer, Dainius Zubrus, Brian Sutherby, and Matt Bradley.
The Caps did a great job in all aspects of the game, defensively and offensively. The Caps kept the scoring chances of the Coyotes down in front of back-up Brent Johnson who was a part of the Coyotes system.
It was a surprise to see Johnson in net, but made sense as he played very well in two straight games. The Caps were able to dominate the Coyotes by playing their brand of hard work hockey. The Phoenix bench boss Wayne Gretzky could only shake his head as the Coyotes let 4 goals by the Caps slip past Brian Boucher in the second period.
Overall Grade: A
Zubrus was credited with the first goal that was an errant pass in front of Coyote’s goal by Mike Ricci that squeezed its way into the net. After review, officials gave the goal to Ovechkin as it didn’t look like Zubrus had touched the puck.
Wash Post has the news and notes of the game. The Caps come off a three game road swing were they won 2 games in Phoenix and Anaheim. Ovechkin scored 6 goals in that stretch. The Caps bring their 2 game winning streak home to the phone booth to play St. Louis on Thursday night.
Ovechkin’s unbelievable goal, I am sure, will be the number one play tonight on Sports Center, unless of course they show some college basketball ally-oop. Call the votes off, no more debate, Alex Ovechkin is the Calder winner. ‘Nuff said.
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