Carolina Loses Corvo and Game: Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2
by Bob Wage on Dec 1, 2009 12:26 AM EST
142 comments
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joe Corvo scored the first goal of the game, then was cut badly in the back of his leg after completing a check and was taken to a local hospital for attention as the Hurricanes lost yet another game, this time to the Washington Capitals, 3-2. Team officials did not release any specific information about the injury, but they looked grim talking about the ailment after the game.
Corvo not only led the Carolina blueline in scoring, he was one of the league leaders in average time on the ice. More information about his injury will be released on Tuesday.
The Canes had another scary moment later in the first period when Alex Ovechkin took out Tim Gleason with a knee on knee collision. Ovechkin lined up Gleason, but as Gleason made a nice move to avoid the hit, OV appeared to lead with his knee causing a nasty collision.
For awhile Carolina was playing with just four defensemen, but Gleason toughed it out and came back to the game. Paul Maurice said afterward that the blueliner knew the team was in a bad situation and came back and played as best he could, even though he was obviously hurting.
"He's going to be hurting tomorrow for sure" the coach said.
In the meantime, Ovechkin, who had to be helped off the ice himself, could be facing a suspension. The refs awarded him a five minute kneeing penalty along with a game misconduct. It's unknown how injured he might be.
The Hurricanes failed to score on the ensuing five minute powerplay, but keep in mind they had just lost two of their point men in Gleason and Corvo. Aaron Ward said that the team was still a bit shaken immediately afterward, facing the possible loss of two of their best defensemen and not knowing how serious the injuries were.
Regardless, the fact that the team failed to score during that powerplay was a momentum killer and the Caps took advantage by scoring shortly after the kill, taking a 2-1 lead. The home team ended up 1 for 7 with the man advantage.
In the second period, Nicklas Backstrom faked out goalie Michael Leighton and lured him out of the net. Then he did a spin and fired the puck into the empty net. No word where the Carolina defense was as the crafty Capital had all kinds of time and space on the play.
The score remained 3-1 until the very end when Matt Cullen would score a desperation goal with just 16 seconds left on the clock. The Canes out-shot and out-chanced the Caps in two out of three periods but could not solve Jose Theodore, who had an excellent game.
The team now has a few days off now and will wait until Saturday afternoon for their next game which will be against the Vancouver Canucks at the RBC.
Game Notes:
- Joni Pitkanen had over 33 minutes of ice time but finished with a -2. He had four shots on goal and two hits.
- Rod Brind`Amour only played seven plus minutes but also finished with a -2. He had zero shots on goal and one hit.
- Aaron Ward finished with a -1 but had six hits and two blocked shots.
- The Canes out-hit the Caps 45-21 and were led by Niclas Wallin with seven. Tuomo Ruutu had six.
- Carolina had 40 shots on goal led by Eric Staal's nine. Staal has got to get unglued if the Canes are to have any viable success but he still does not seem 100% healthy.
- Brandon Sutter, Jussi Jokinen, and Matt Cullen were the only (plus) players for the Canes. They each finished +1.
- Tim Gleason picked up a game misconduct himself for pulling Tyler Sloan off of Eric Staal and challenging him to a fight. I didn't see any punches thrown, but the refs must of thought it was flagrant enough to deserve a "third man in" penalty.
There will be a lot of talk around the league on Tuesday about the latest Ovechkin transgression. Most outside of Washington seem to think it's time for some type of suspension, although many from the Nation's Capital have already come to his defense. The question is, how many of these types of hits does he get away with before someone really gets hurt?
If you have not seen the replay yet, here is the You Tube. There is some great followup on Puck Daddy here. If you look at the still frame of Ovechkin's extended leg in Sean Leahy's article, even the blindest of the MVP's fans should have a hard time honestly condoning that hit.
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YES OVECHKIN SHOULD BE SUSPENDED
he pulled the same B.S. hit against Gonchar during last season’s playoffs and totally got away with it. the amount of leeway Ovie gets…he could kill someone and Bettman would just shake his head and pet Ovie like a pet.
it’s disgusting how inconsistent rulings are.
No, it’s not. On the Gonchar hit Ovie goes straight, here he turns. This one is more reckless.
by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 8:18 AM EST up reply actions
so red army line – are y’thinking 3 games or 5?
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
I have no idea. Little to no experience as first-hand as this. 3?
by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
p.s.
i love how Ovie came out the worse in the aftermath of his hit.
what an idiot.
So if we start the third behind, then the other team doesn’t score five?
We have five more games against Washington this year. Ovechkin needs to get suspended for his own safety. Otherwise the players will start taking care of things. (not just on our team)
Looked like we played a good game, but everyone is trying too hard in the offensive zone. It would be nice to have players on the back door more often.
Im gettin sick of his little stunts!
Didn’t he do this too to someone earlier this season? As well as the countless times I remember seeing his name next to Knee-on-knee collision on the NHL.com news tabs!
It also pisses me off that all the attention is on Ovechkin on the NHL.com game recap – not one mention of how Gleason was!
And lastly I completely would not be surprised if Ovechkin didn’t get injured at all, he was just faking it so people wouldn’t blame him so much for the dirty move, but thats propably just my hatred and suspicious mind talking there =P
What pisses me off more than anything is how the Craps coach Boudreau always says, Oviedouchebag didn’t mean it with intent. Are you kidding? Does he watch how #8 plays the game? He’s got skill, he’s fancy, but he’s a DIRTY player. If it were the other way around and Timmy caused the knee on knee hit to #8, you better believe Timmy would be supended and Boudreau would be calling for heads to roll. I’ll say this for Mo, when Ruutu made his hit against Tucker, Mo didn’t make excuses. Ruutu CARED that he might have injured his opponent. He took his punishment without complaining, he apologized and he’s not made the same mistake again. Can you say that about the two douchebags from the Craps? It makes my blood boil the way #8 thinks he can get away with any kind of hit and his coach make excuses for him. It’s WRONG!
Live & Learn
Let me start out that saying that as much as I love Ovie and the way he plays, he’s definitely reckless, and I’ll be happy to see him get a two game suspension or so here, hopefully that will straighten him out. There’s also definitely a horrible double standard in the league regarding discipline. That being said, how do you know he intends to injure players, that he doesn’t care when he does, or that he doesn’t apologize? Are you inside his head and/or listening in on Tim Gleason’s cell phone? And how do you know he’s going to complain about whatever discipline he may get? It’s only been 12 hours since it happens. The only time I recall him complaining was in Buffalo the other night, which probably shouldn’t have been five minutes, and definitely not a game misconduct. It was shoulder to shoulder. As far as Boudreau defending him, that’s just the way it goes, whether it should be or not, most coaches are going to defend their player in this situation, probably including Paul Maurice if the situation were reversed. And two? If you mean Karl Alzner, how was that play in any way his fault, especially if, as I’m told, Corvo doesn’t wear the leg cap there most player do?
All that aside, you guys have had some rotten luck this season, hope it starts going better for you (just not when you play us)
by harehareyukai on Dec 1, 2009 7:54 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I wasn’t referring to Alzner as the other douche. I agree, that was a misfortunate accident. As for Mo, he knew Ruutu’s hit was illegal. He didn’t try to make excuses for his player. He said immediately they would accept whatever the NHL handed down. Boudreau on the otherhand started defending Ovie from the get go. Ovie plays dirty, his coach plays dirty by defending the crap he does. LTD said it perfectly, Ruutu is a man, Ovie is a punk.
Live & Learn
•Joni Pitkanen had over 33 minutes of ice time but finished with a -2.
My god. It’s a good thing they don’t play again until Saturday-I’m surprised he could even skate by the end of the game.
I think your lead off photo says it all Bob. Corvo grimacing in pain kind of parallels our entire season thus far-cringe inducing. Hopefully he heals up quickly (will you post an update if anything comes out about how he’s doing?), but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodney is already on a plane back down here.
I guess the 33 mins was from all those PPs
by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 8:20 AM EST up reply actions
Or the fact that we really only had 4 healthy defensmen…. Gleason came back…. and he played…. But you could see it on his face and in the way he moved…. he was only about 50% or less… If Corvo had not been out Gleason probably would have stayed out…. (another reason Gleason should wear the C on his sweater)
I also love how OV was faking an injury himself…. Notice the Caps were waiting until later today to have him checked out by a Dr. Probably hoping the league will say “ok… he is hurt and will miss games anyway…. let him pass…”
oh wait…. He is Alex Ovenchicken…. the league will let him pass anyway…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 8:28 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah sure. Or it’s because we only had Pits, Wallin and AWard at anything close to 100%. Which basically means we only had Pits.
So that means we just had Wallin/AWard (they really only count as one-especially when paired together). Great.
Oh and Albe. I forgot him which should really say all that needs to be said.
Yup. I can’t believe we didn’t lose this one by a lot more with that kind of mensa-level defense.
How fast can Rodney get back here?
With Corvo out…. I think Rodney will be back soon…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
Ovie hit
1. It does deserve a suspension based on his history.
2. It was entirely Ovies fault for leading with the knee.
3. I don’t think it was intentional
I would say he plays on the edge of dirty, but I don’t think he is out there looking to injure anyone. If you want to see what a flagrant cap on cane knee to knee looks like, rewind to the Jason Doig on Kevyn Adams hit a few years back. That is flagrant with intent to injure.
I was thinking about that last night…. I miss booing Doig every time he is on the ice…..
Oh well… hopefully that a-hole is flipping burgers somewhere…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 8:30 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed on all points. It’s more a matter of AO being reckless in how he hits people. The difference between this and, say, Weight’s hit on Sutter last year (IMO) is this is becoming a theme with AO.
by Cory Lavalette on Dec 1, 2009 8:49 AM EST up reply actions
I disagree. I think it is clear that the Ovenchicken’s leading with the knee was intentional. Look at the slow-motion replay again. This was not a reckless attempt at a hit where the “target” moves at the last minute and creates an awkward collision. This is a hit where Gleason made an evasive maneuver and you can see Ovenchicken compensate for the move and lead in with the knee. This was not accidentally reckless, this was intentionally reckless. Given his well documented history of being a dirty player, he should get 3-5 games. In a perfect world, he would get 10, but the league is notoriously weak, so based on prior precedent, I’d say 3-5 would be realistic. However, the next time we play, Scott Walker (if healthy) should have a little “talk” with him about his lack of respect for other players. If you let Scott Walker beat his cheapshotting ass into a little bloody puddle the ice, he might actually learn a valuable lessong that, so far, the league has been unwilling to teach him.
And I also think he was faking the injury (or at least hamming it up a bit) to try to cover his ass. I never wish injury on a player, even if I do not like that player. But if he did actually blow out his knee, I have no sympathy for him. Karma can be a cruel bitch. If so, good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
I think three games is fair. But I disagree that it was intent to injure. I think it’s a tactic he needs to unlearn, not something he’s purposely trying to inflict.
I’m curious to see if Gleason will have a response the next time they play vs. each other.
by Cory Lavalette on Dec 1, 2009 9:22 AM EST up reply actions
If this was the first time, I’d agree with you. But this is a guy that has been taking liberties/charging/etc., ever since he got into the league. It has become a pattern. At some point, when you continue to be reckless (knowing the consequences), you have to be held responsible. Every player out there knows not to lead with the knee. And every player knows that it can (and often does) lead to injury. So if you lead with the knee, then you intend to injure. Period.
You said it when you said “(knowing the consequences)”
So far there have been NO consequences for OV…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 9:51 AM EST up reply actions
I said there should be consequences (three games, I believe). But like Wylde said, we’re not talking dirty like Jason Doig-dirty, IMO>
by Cory Lavalette on Dec 1, 2009 9:54 AM EST up reply actions
I hope Gleason lets this one go. I can just see the headlines: “Hurricanes D-man Gleason gets 5 games for cheapshot on league MVP”
Imagine Bettman’s dilemma if the Ovenchicken took Crosby out with a dirty knee to knee. I bet his head would explode.
The Headlines would be more like “Hurricanes D-man Gleason gets 5 games for beating Jesus….ummm….. Alex Ovechkin mercilessly into the ice while league bitch MVP Cries for help from his loser coach and teammates who cower in fear….”
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
I do think the contact was intentional. As in “I’ll just clip him a little, he probably won’t get hurt.”
No disrespect to anyone, but calling for revenge, and blood, and all that, sounds kinda like Bruin Fan last spring when Walker punched that Boston player, who shall remain nameless.
Please let’s not sound like that.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
by drifterscape on Dec 1, 2009 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Not revenge. Discipline. When I was a kid, my dad didn’t spank me for revenge. He spanked me to teach me a lesson and make me a better person. I agree that players should not “headhunt” for revenge (though Lindy Ruff may not agree). But I do think they should stand up for their teammates and send the message that cheapshots and reckless/dangerous play will not be tolerated. To me, there is a big difference between the two.
by East of Here on Dec 2, 2009 12:48 AM EST up reply actions
maybe a tree will fall on his cheap ass….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 9:56 AM EST up reply actions
I think people outside Carolina will not be as critical. Last night on XM some guy named Ferrell, I think it was, was boo hooing over how poor Ovie got hurt. Wasn’t it awful, he couldn’t see him play now that he is hurt. Couldn’t believe that Ovie got a five-minute major for that hit, after all he got hurt on the play. What an overreaction. I don’t expect anything to happen in other words.
Sgt. Tim
After the Buffalo game I was critical of Sgt. Tim’s punch on Jochen"glass head"Hecht. I kind of liked last night’s antics though. Even though we were"only" down by 2 at the time , I thought it was the time and place.
I also saw Wallin leave his feet to crush someone late in the 3rd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nic do that before.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
I’ve always said the Nick Wallin is “quietly mean…”
Everyone else is too busy throwing him under the bus to see it…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 10:00 AM EST up reply actions
He is a good player…. he loves his team…..
I think everyone hates on him because he keeps his game really simple…. he is slowish which is why his “mistakes” stand out a bit more than other players…. but for the money… I will take Nick Wallin over A. Ward, or A. Alberts any day…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 10:07 AM EST up reply actions
He’s had some bad streaks, but overall I think he’s a decent player. He’s been hell on wheels lately, though, having some really good games.
by Raccoon Fink on Dec 1, 2009 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
Oh… by the way…. did anyone notice Chad LaRose (was not in the game)?
It’s almost just like the games when he was in the lineup…….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 10:10 AM EST reply actions
Ovechkin...
If Ovechkin does not get some sort of suspension and/or fine, it just goes to show how crappy the NHL has become. Gary Bettman should be ashamed if Ovechkin gets off clean. Sure he may have gotten injured, but who is to say when he comes back that he doesn’t do it again. And again. And again. Because if the league doesn’t suspend him, that would make him assume it’s ok to keep doing it. Just because you are a superstar does not mean you should be able to get away with things.
This has been going around for awhile. It’s a scream…. Dammit Pronger….
Personally, since AO received his second major/game misconduct in 3 games last night, he’s probably going to get suspended. I’m thinking it will be 2 games. Does he deserve it? I don’t know. Will it send a message to AO? I sure hope so as a Caps fan…
Nice game for both goalies last night…
Let's go Caps!
yeah…. I personally do not think either team played their best game…. and without Theodore (sp?) the Caps may have been hurting…..
I was surprised that Jose was not the 1st star of the game….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 1, 2009 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed, other than Theo and Leighton. The reason Backstrom got the top star was he was in on all 3 of the Caps goals…not sure I agree with it though. I’d have put Theo #1, Backstrom #2, and Leighton #3. Sure Fehr had a goal and an assist, but taking a penalty late in the 3rd would drop him out…
Let's go Caps!
I wouldn’t have put Leighton in top 3. The guy was all over the place at times, especially in the first two periods. Reminded me of the old Varly when he’d overplay the puck. You can tell Leighton has the raw tools, but he’s not NHL material right now in my mind.
My top 3 would have been as follows -
- - Baks
- - Theo
- - Sutter
A man gotta have a code
Hey there – great minds….
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
Yup. You remember that sinking sensation I mentioned to you the other day?
Well my stomach won the race after reading that press release.
nor for the weak of stomach. Guess Rodney will be here awhile. I’m thinking it’ll be LTIR for cap relief. Maybe even McBain if Pits keeps skipping a game a week.
Dwyer’s headed to Albany, think that means Scotty’s coming back Saturday – or LaRose? I can’t imagine the charts and diagrams in the conference room down the hall from Rutherford’s office
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 10:43 AM EST up reply actions
Definitely not for the weak of stomach. I just listened to an interview with Cam describing his injury. Anytime the words “I could see my muscle looking back at me” are used, it’s not good.
I’d be more apt to think it’s Walker coming back than Rosey. No real reason, just a gut feeling. This season is going to make Rutherford lose whatever hair he had left.
Yep. Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse. It keeps getting worse.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 10:46 AM EST up reply actions
Is that good or bad? (I think it’s good). Suddenly all of JR’s plans for December got shuffled. It’s bad when you think it would have been good luck if it had been AWard.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 10:48 AM EST up reply actions
Long term I think it’s good. Corvo’s contract is up at the end of the season yes? His value is certainly going to go down after not playing for up to 3 months. Maybe we can re-sign him on a discount because of it.
I found it as being March 3 this year. If he goes right up to 12 weeks that would put him coming back somewhere around early February. So chances are he’ll be back before the deadline itself, but will have had very little time to attract any potential customers.
how did you become such a smart hcokey fan
call me discriminatory, but it is pleasantly suprising to see a 21 year old female that knows so much.
True, or at least not until JR decided to factor in woman paoloinhinsa (sp?!) when signing players.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
Y’all seen the news on Corvo? out 8 – 12 weeks. Worse than Cam. I’m thinking achilles.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
I watched the replay of Corvo’s injury several times. Any chance there was some malice in the ‘accident’. Seems like the Washington player twice hit Corvo’s leg with his skate, once high up which did no damage, then the cut to the calf. He had just scored.
by CanesFanFromLI on Dec 1, 2009 11:11 AM EST up reply actions
Not that I saw. I think they just got tangled up.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
by drifterscape on Dec 1, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
No Malice vs. Corvo.
Karl Alzner is about the cleanest player in the NHL. In 33 NHL games he has a grand total of 2 PIM, and those were for an Off-the-rink delay of game. He’s not someone who would deliberately try to injure someone.
Let's go Caps!
And here’s what Ovie is doing today:
Real_ESPN_NHL (twitter feed)
From #Capitals: Oveckin takes ice today in track suit, gloves and stick. Still no official word on the extent of his injury. More to come.
3 minutes ago from web
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
More from ESPN.com - this'll make you sick
story here – but I copied it below in it’s entirety:
ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin tested his injured right knee at the Washington Capitals practice facility.
The two-time reigning league MVP was on the ice in a red Capitals sweat suit about 25 minutes before the start of practice Tuesday morning. He skated for less than five minutes, handled a puck or two with his stick and departed for the locker room.
Ovechkin was injured in a knee-to-knee hit in Monday night’s 3-2 win at Carolina. He showed no obvious effects from his injury during his brief skate, but he was not moving at full speed. [left out some details – journalistic deception my omission anyone?]
The Capitals were expected to discuss Ovechkin’s injury after practice.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 11:25 AM EST up reply actions
**deception by omission
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
HAHAHAHAHA
Thanks for the original copy. It’s been edited since you posted. It now says…
Ovechkin was injured in a knee-to-knee collision with the Hurricanes’ Tim Gleason in Monday night’s 3-2 win at Carolina. Ovechkin was given a major and game misconduct for kneeing.
SISU
That is funny. Glad I highlighted the error of their ways – lest there be any doubt of bias in sports journalism.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
I think anyone involved in a collision like that would tell you that it probably didn’t feel too good. Gleason himself could barely move after the hit, yet he was out on the ice after about only 5 minutes.
As a Caps fan, I’ll say that the most disappointing thing about Ovechkin right now is that he feels the need to play so physical. Sure, finishing a check is one thing, but the team doesn’t need him to go and make these highlight reel hits. His job is to score goals and leave the physical play to guys that lack the offensive skill that he does.
And to the point of this being a dirty hit. I think that most Caps fans would tell you that this wasn’t a good hit. However, I think the point that is being lost here to others is the fact that Ovechkin isn’t in that “goon” class, i.e. Laraque/Avery/etc. He plays reckless which is ultimately dangerous. Agree or disagree, but we, Caps fans, watch him play every game. Reckless isn’t necessarily dirty. When I think of dirty players, I think of players that play to injure with malice and intent, something that I believe Ovechkin doesn’t do. What he is guilty of however, is playing immature. He needs to understand that playing out of control will not only hurt opposing players, but himself as well. My guess is 3-5 game suspension, and both sides are lucky that Ovechkin and Gleason aren’t hurt seriously.
by JimCareyFanClub on Dec 1, 2009 11:29 AM EST up reply actions
Here’s Scott Burnside at ESPN exploring the same theme – with similar conclusions.
Title: Has Ovechkin finally gone too far?
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 1, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions
I personally have an issue with this becoming more and more of a pattern of his without any retribution from the league. The more and more he does it, the “dirtier” he becomes IMO. You can call it playing reckless, but some of that recklessness is lack of respect for the other guy out there, especially when he’s seen his actions injure other players. And that is the worst trait a player can have.
I agree with that. And I’ve been one of those supporters for a while that has defended Alex for not being a dirty player. But, at the end of the day whether he is truly playing dirty or not, he’s going to end up hurting someone or himself, and nobody wants to see that. The more that he involves himself with these dangerous plays only weakens his and his supporters’ arguments.
Sure, we applaud his huge hits, and any hometown fan would, but hits like this make everyone hold their breath. I’d like to see him pick his spots a little better because the fact that he’s a big guy and not afraid to throw his weight around is what makes Ovechkin, Ovechkin.
by JimCareyFanClub on Dec 1, 2009 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
I guess it was S.Federov keeping him in line. Uncle Sergei’s gone and he’s starting to act out.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
by drifterscape on Dec 1, 2009 11:43 AM EST up reply actions
I generally like Ovechkin — he’s freakishly talented, which is undeniably exciting, but he seems reckless. I think he still has that youthful belief that he’s invincible, or he’s impulsive and doesn’t think through the consequences of his actions, or both. He hasn’t had to suffer much yet for they way he plays. It’s going to continue until he hurts himself or someone else bad enough make him take notice.
NHL Live was discussing the Ovechkin hit. They quoted Boudreau as saying he watched the play 20 times and Ovie leaned in to hit with his shoulder. They said Boudreau was wearing Ovechkin colored glasses when he watched the play because it was nothing like what really happen on the play.
Live & Learn
Rutherford's take
From ch.com
"It was a bad hit. There’s nothing hidden here," said Rutherford. "The referee called it as he saw it, now Ovechkin is hurt and it’s unfortunate. Things happen so fast on the ice, and in this case he reacted to in a way that he shouldn’t have. It’s really unfortunate for this league to lose a player like Ovechkin."
Kinder than I expected.
Another thing: for any of those who say that ao is just an “intense player” who “isn’t dirty” and just plays with “absurd athleticism”, consider this for a minute per Scott Burnside:
“Just last week, Ovechkin was given a boarding major and game misconduct when he took Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta into the boards with a blind-side hit. There was no suspension or fine. In the second round of the playoffs this spring, Ovechkin took out fellow Russian and Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar with a similar knee-on-knee hit that also resulted from an aggressive forecheck. Gonchar was lost for several games, and Ovechkin seemed genuinely remorseful, although he was not sanctioned by the league with a fine or suspension.
There have been other brushes with the NHL’s law, as he was fined $2,500 for slew-footing Atlanta’s Rich Peverley earlier this season. This past January, there were calls for a suspension after Ovechkin rammed former teammate Jamie Heward of Tampa headfirst into the boards (Heward was taken off the ice on a stretcher and suffered a concussion).
Earlier this month, we saw the NHL’s head disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, hand Georges Laraque a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit that sent Detroit’s fine blueliner Niklas Kronwall to the sideline for as long as two months."
Yeah, the guy is a dirty player. Those who carelessly defend him with lame excuses such as those I mentioned above are idiots. And I don’t care if somebody is offended by that.The NHL is a piss poor example of discipline and consistency, and they should be ashamed of the fact that they continue to allow this piece of garbage to injure and hurt people without any recompense whatsoever. If our Tuomo Ruutu were to do that, we all know he would get a long ass ban for what he did. Look at that list of injuries he has incurred dating back to the PO of last year, and tell me honestly that he is just a “hard working, sometimes physical guy.” Gimme a damned break. Could you stay out of jail if you smashed somebody’s head against a wall and gave them a bad concussion? Nope, your ass would be in jail, and this guy is lucky he isn’t for the crap he does.
I sincerely hope the NHL gives him AT LEAST a 10 game ban (not including “injury” time). He has gotten away with to much this year already. So I ask again, how far does this have to go before someone in the NHL says: this is going a tad bit to far?
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
And I ask you, how does the NHL justify giving Ovechkin any suspension more than 5 games in the wake of the Laraque incident. We know the NHL takes into account injury caused by the incident and the rap sheet of the violator, along with the flagrancy of the foul. Laraque has a far longer rap sheet than Ovechkin (this is with taking into account non-suspended and non-punished hits), and the injury caused to Kronwall was far worse than that caused to Gleason. Not only that but the knee Laraque laid on Kronwall was far more blatant.
So while Ovechkin certainly did deserve a suspension, I don’t see how the NHL could legitimately justify giving him a punishment equal to, or worse, than the one they handed to Laraque.
Now drink with me deeply of the bourbon, scotch, and rye until such time as we are fighting drunk.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 1, 2009 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
First off, ESPN is not exactly the best source.
Now, let’s start rebuking Burnside (I won’t bother linking, as you can find them easily on YouTube):
Just last week, Ovechkin was given a boarding major and game misconduct when he took Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta into the boards with a blind-side hit. There was no suspension or fine.
No intent to injure. Probably should’ve been just a minor or double-minor, since Kaleta saw him coming and then turned. CSN feed showed the entire play here, so watch that instead of the Buffalo feed.
Ovechkin took out fellow Russian and Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar with a similar knee-on-knee hit that also resulted from an aggressive forecheck. Gonchar was lost for several games, and Ovechkin seemed genuinely remorseful, although he was not sanctioned by the league with a fine or suspension.
Gonchar definitely tries to avoid it by moving his upper body and not his feet. Clearly.
There have been other brushes with the NHL’s law, as he was fined $2,500 for slew-footing Atlanta’s Rich Peverley earlier this season.
The contact with the upper body IIRC came first, before the slew foot. It was an unfortunate placing of skates there.
This past January, there were calls for a suspension after Ovechkin rammed former teammate Jamie Heward of Tampa headfirst into the boards (Heward was taken off the ice on a stretcher and suffered a concussion).
Heward turns after AO already committed to the hit. Nothing doing there. And does anyone seriously think any hockey player would run a former teammate of his (especially when “teammate” was 2 years prior)?
Georges Laraque a five-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit that sent Detroit’s fine blueliner Niklas Kronwall to the sideline for as long as two months."
Laraque actually sticks out his knee as in sticks it out. Watch a player do a hit normally or try one yourself. There’s no way you can do it while moving without positioning one leg well in front and the other behind/to the side for balance. And if you watch AO’s hit here, he pulls his upper body back (exposing the knee), and then tries to go forward with it, but misses.
In short, AO is reckless and dangerous, but not dirty. Maybe for you dirty = reckless and dangerous, but “dirty” is connoted with dirty intent, and if you see AO after any of these incidents, he is most definitely not with dirty intent. Dirty intent is like Bertuzzi-Moore, or the Pronger-stepping incident, or the Chris Simon incident. Not a hit that went wrong because the target moved.
Shoot, reply fail. Anyways, you’re asking basically for hard hits to be removed from hockey. That’s part of the “new” NHL, and it’s probably more exciting that way, and I’m sure the players in part think so too.
Could you stay out of jail if you smashed somebody’s head against a wall and gave them a bad concussion?
This is where intent comes in. More like “Could you stay out of jail if you’re playing tag and the other guy swerves away from you right into a wall and suffers a bad concussion?” That would probably be a fine and minimal jail time. Not significant, like your 10 games. Probably warrants a deterrent suspension because he plays on the edge, but not because he wants to hurt.
by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 2:40 PM EST up reply actions
Going back to Laraque, that is dirty even though the intent to injure probably isn’t there because he goes out of his way to make an illegal play, which is enough in my, the refs’, and the NHL’s book. Simon, Pronger, etc, though, are on a different world of dirtiness. Ovechkin is about as dirty as your Average Sasha.
by red army line on Dec 1, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
Not sure if you will see this red, but I appreciate the rebuttal without childish remarks, and I mean that. I personally have some bias towards him, as I have never liked him as a person. Granted, he is a terrific talent, and you guys have a true superstar, unlike the wannabe we have on our team. But I feel that the guy simply isn’t a class act. I certainly would not want younger players to emulate his overly aggressive play that many times endangers many different players. I do not think that he thinks about his actions and sees them as dangerous. You can play with passion and play hard, but there has to be a line drawn as to how far you can go with that type of play.
Once again though red, I appreciate the rebuttal.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
I think you nailed exactly why he’s suspended. It’s not that he’s outwardly dirty (though some would argue that he is), it’s that he’s often reckless and needs to learn to be more controlled with the way he plays. As has been said countless times, part of what makes him so good is that he will seek out the physical game and can beat a team with finesse or force. He’s the bull in the china shop as he’s been called many times before.
Whether or not the hit was intentional it was reckless and still needs to be punished. This suspension I think is a way to try and send a message that he can’t be so reckless with his hitting because while it may not be outwardly dirty, it is still dangerous and must be prevented/limited.
Now drink with me deeply of the bourbon, scotch, and rye until such time as we are fighting drunk.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 1, 2009 9:03 PM EST up reply actions
Sorry. Just a little annoyed after having reiterated the argument countless times (not all on SB Nation)
by red army line on Dec 2, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
He plays recklessly at times and in this case the league needs to send him a message that he needs to use his head more when deciding when to hit people. The way he skates with a wide base makes it even more important to pick your spots. I assume he’ll get 2-3 games.
However, this he’s a dirty player crap is hilarious. He’s not running around trying to injure guys. He plays a physical game. That means at times people are going to get hurt on plays when there is no intent to hurt someone. It’s the nature of the game. Same goes for Ruutu I might add. The “dirty” player arguments in sports just make me laugh. 95% of the time its all hogwash. There aren’t 5 psychopaths running around on every pro sports team as some would have folks believe. For those of you who are using the dirty player argument – you really think his premeditated plan was to knock knees in an attempt to injure Gleason?
As an aside, I was sorry to see Corvo go down. I love the way that guy plays. You guys have to be out of bad luck soon.
A man gotta have a code
Well, perhaps I’ll feel a little better about the whole situation when I see Ovechkin actually being handed the same punishment after multiple offenses that Ruutu received after his first.
SISU
by LTD on Dec 1, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions
Ok, if you want consistency discipline wise you are watching the wrong sport. While being consistent is hard because each situation is always slightly different, the league has, for the 25 plus years I’ve been following the sport, never been consistent in disciplining players. Almost every hockey fan I know has complained about how the league does things. Heck, I still think Dale Hunter got off easy for his hit on Pierre Turgeon, especially if you compare it to what Bertuzzi got years later.
In Ovi’s case he’s had several borderline situations in a row. I don’t think any one incident is suspension worthy, but combined they certainly show a pattern of behavior that is concerning. I think that calls for a short suspension and a call from Colin Campbell explaining the rationale and the expectations of the league as it relates to his play.
The whole we got screwed so you should too thing with Ruutu rubs me wrong. Sounds more like sour grapes from someone looking at all of this through fan colored glasses.
A man gotta have a code
FWIW, I never said Ruutu’s suspension was unfair or that we got screwed. In fact I think it was fair. I think that time the league got it right. And now that we know Ovehckin’s fate, which was not known when I replied but was known when you replied, I’m of the opinion the two games he was given is reasonable as well.
And I fully admit I wear fan-colored glasses. When I got my fan card it entitled me to do so.
SISU
by LTD on Dec 1, 2009 6:33 PM EST up reply actions
OI thought you had replied after the suspension was announced. My bad.
And I fully admit I wear fan-colored glasses. When I got my fan card it entitled me to do so.
I may not agree when it comes to arguing about the validity of things such as suspensions, etc.. You certainly have the right to have any opinion and wear whateverr glasses you want, but you can’t expect others not to weight the potential bias that comes with such a standpoint. I may not agree with the sentiments, but I did smile while reading your last sentence.
A man gotta have a code
His own coach seems to now be acknowledging to the media that Ovie? …maybe he is just a tad reckless.
Puck Daddy: Coach calls Ovechkin ‘reckless’; Caps star defends ‘risky’ style
SISU
No offense to you LTD, but I really wish I hadn’t read that article. I know things can be lost a little in translation when he speaks in English, but to me, what he said indicates that he doesn’t give a flying flip what happens to anyone else around him as long as he’s ok. No concern about Gleason (yes I know he came back, but anyone with two functioning eyes could see he was hurting); in fact he implies Gleason is to blame.
I just…Argh. I really don’t have words.
None taken. I felt the same way. Just validates my previous opinions.
SISU
by LTD on Dec 1, 2009 4:18 PM EST up reply actions
OV back on the ice today?
I hope the asshole gets hit by a bus or falling piano.
And that’s about as pg as I can be, language-wise, on this topic…
"±¥"er!
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 1, 2009 3:44 PM EST via mobile reply actions
The NHL.com story has a serious OV lean to it in my opinion.
I hope that this doesn’t get lumped into any time he misses for “injury”.
DownGoesBrown, that Toronto blogger who is beyond hilarious, tweeted this:
“Alexander Ovechkin suspended two games. In related news, Ovechkin’s knee injury would have kept him out for two games.”
Love it.
What a heapin’, stinkin’, stack of of yak crap! 2 games he would of missed anyway, what about a fine?
AO’s an asshole, but Bettman is a dingleberry, so they kinda go…..well, hand in hand…
What a crock and double standard!
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Does anyone know the rules for suspensions and games missed for injury running together? As in, can they do that?
While Bettman may or may not be a dingleberry (more on this at 10!), he’s not the one to blame for disciplinary actions of the NHL. That would be Colon Campbell.
Now drink with me deeply of the bourbon, scotch, and rye until such time as we are fighting drunk.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 1, 2009 8:18 PM EST up reply actions
Hmm, another cretin crawls out from beneath a rock.
Don’t know Pronger or Avery either and they are assholes.
I don’t need a rationale to be make an objective observation of a simple fact.
Wearing dorkish hats at the All Star game and screwing around, shitty hits left and right and a rather conceded attitude equate to asshole status kimosabe. Need I tell you what to do with your horse?
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
objective
And remind me again how being an a-hole is an objective observation? You’re entitled to your opinion, but the things he does you point out like putting on his hat for the breakaway challenge is part of his personality, his marketability, his attractiveness as a player.
by red army line on Dec 2, 2009 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
and I think it’s unprofessinial, disrespectful and assinine. He’s not going to be very marketable if he keeps getting suspended. Somebody should clue him/you in, act like a jerk and people will eventually figure out the truth.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
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