LOL @ Alexander Ovenchicken.

Every star athlete goes through this, from Manning to Marino, Gretzky to Crosby, until they win the big championship, it's like they're considered invalid. OV get's the double wammy because the russian team chokes too, so there's something to it.

 

Skinny, I understand and appreciate what you are saying. But when you only have one player or line to shut down, most NHL teams will be able to do that in a crunch game. Here is the difference as I see it. Sidney has 2 solid lines to support him one lead by Malkin the other by Himself. Ovichkin only has 1 line and that is his line. Goalies in the past have let the Caps down more than Ovi has.

Bottom line, they are both outstanding players and I'd love to have either playing for the Canes. I think a lot of people dislike Ovichkin because of where he grew up, not because of his skills.

 

Sid is not as good on a breakaway as you think. Shootout yes, but he gets turned away an awful lot on breakaways. More than you would think.

 

It's only been lately that the caps have had one line, semin goes to your team and not much left, what about in '08, '09, '10. The caps had a solid franchise, semin even had over 100 pts in '09. They had backstrom, laich, green had 76 pts, knuble and fleischmann two solid lines there, they didn't get it done. In the 2011 playoffs they came in winning the president's at 121 pts and lost in the first round to the habs, getting kocked out for the third year in a row.

As far as dislike, I think crosby get's a lot more hate poured on him than OV. OV came in the league as a hot dog, over celebrating after goals, that didn't go down too good. Is there a hate or prejudice toward russians in the nhl? I haven't heard anything, it's been 25 years since they've been a presence, from larianov to mogilny to federov, bure and datsyuk all very well respected.

 

Skinny, you know as well as I do it comes down to goalies, and Washington hasn't had a playoff quality goalie. I point to the 2009 playoffs when Cam carried the Canes to the Eastern Conference Final. Maybe this year Holtby will stand up and carry the team or at least not be the major reason for the let down.

 

Id take Holtby over Crawford every day of the week.

 

when did u stop watching coach's corner?

 

In '09 theodore got most of the work there, between him and neuvirth, they had a .912 sv %, they were the goalies that were there when they got the 121 pts, so no reason to lose to an 8 seed in the first round.

 

Grapes is kind of strange, he had a tonne of respect for forsberg and sundin, also datsyuk and he likes OV, he just didn't like the showboating early in his career. He's all over the place, that old baztard.

 

Russians don't look at the stanley cup in the same way north americans do, that's a given. They didn't grow up with it, they finish their season, they've been paid in full, the playoffs are an extra, not saying they don't try during the post-season, but it's not in their culture the same way it would be for players like doughty, sharp, or a crosby.

 

^^^this^^^ is all you need to know about either of these two individuals.

 

lol, I don't know what they had in their drinks last night, lots of buzz going on about that.

 

i was looking for the banana peel and i thought i saw it, but it was only the 0vul8r's yellow laces. what a ferkin' dope.

 

looks like our favorite russian now has an alcoholic beverage named after him. yes, sir, its called The Ovechkin. basically its a white russian... but served WITHOUT A CUP. good luck.

 

looks like the league's leading scorer had a rough night. he couldn't even find the ditch.

 

This is excellent.

 

this is what I expect to see from the Craps this post-season... as per usual.
back to you, Doc.

 

His journey is complete: