Woes in Washington For the Best??

For the Washington Capitals, this is another test for this team-- trying to get the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and hope that they have enough steam to make a respectable first round showing should they get in. However, there's really one thing that is needed for the Caps in order for them to learn from this season.

Not make the playoffs.

There's really no way around it, the Caps need to not make the playoffs for them to actually get a wake-up call. Firing Bruce Boudreau and hiring Caps' legend Dale Hunter wasn't enough of a wake-up call. Losing their top center didn't do much in order for them to step-up and become the cohesive team unit to be able to win games with just a gritty performance. Heck, they can't even show up for games that they have against the team they're fighting with for that last spot (losing 5-1 to the Sabres last week) and then keeping a non-playoff team into a game, allowing them to win in the last minute (4-2 loss to Tampa).

If the Caps were to make the playoffs, it would be a bad reinforcement for the team, as they would be rewarded for putting up a "good enough" effort and basically back-door their way into the playoffs, which is great on one side of things-- but it will not give the team the motivation at all to actually put forth an effort because they got by enough to make the playoffs-- so if that's good enough, that's what they'll stick by.

Maybe what Matt Bradley said over the summer was correct, as the performance of the Caps this year hasn't really dismissed his comments about the culture of the team being very nonchalant and the team not being prepared for practices in the right way. While many would say Bradley was just a scorned player not asked to be back-- this year is something that is proving his comments to be plausible--as if many didn't see that during the Caps/Pens 24/7 Series on HBO.

To miss the playoffs may force the hand of owner Ted Leonsis to change the landscape of the team-- maybe resulting in the man who built this team, George McPhee, and overhauling the whole team logic. When push comes to shove-- the high hopes being dashed without a playoff appearance could be the straw that breaks the camel's back and would be a wake-up call for the entire organization.

As a Caps fan for a long time, it's hard to want your team to not make the playoffs when they're this close and this deep into the battle for the last spot; but after the quick start, there really hasn't been much to call home about in terms of the season. Alex Ovechkin hasn't been himself, Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth have been very streaky, and the team itself doesn't have the swagger it once had just a few seasons ago.

For a team that was in the discussion for the Stanley Cup Finals, for a team that was supposed to have their core of players ready to create some kind of dynasty, for all the hype and all the publicity that the superstars have gotten-- it has crash and burned in a Hindenburg-esque fashion. While they can still make the playoffs by the skin of their teeth and face the only team they've beaten in the playoffs since the 2006-07; they could have the motivation to be the underdogs and shock the world.....but with the way things are going, it won't happen any time soon.

Ovechkin/Crosby Post #3,297 of the Day

When Greg Wyshynski revealed that Alex Ovechkin was asked what he thought about Sidney Crosby's triumphant return, then it found its way on Twitter-- you could hear the collective grinding of teeth from Caps fans at the audacity of the question.

That's something I could understand, the Caps had just broke a four-game losing streak with a gritty win over a tough Western team and yet still-- the Ovechkin-Crosby debate raged on, I'm sure to many people's dismay.

While Crosby coming back was a notable thing, the fact in 48 hours people were already sick of it and wanted it to end. Crosby looked like he had never left from the ice, though the team he played against had a rookie making his first NHL start in net and aren't that good to begin with....but what better way to actually build his confidence over a team that's not going to pose too much of a threat-- as the two goal, two assist night would show you.

Yet, back to the question asked of Ovechkin-- it seems a little bit of a craptastic thing to talk about, especially since the Caps didn't play the Penguins and Ovechkin was on the ice playing his own game as the hype in Pittsburgh reigned on. Maybe to give Ovechkin a bit of time to watch the highlights from the night and then ask at practice today-- then it could actually be a legit question and get a better answer than "good for him."

That's my only complaint about it. Sure, Ovechkin has mired in a slump and Caps fans are getting restless with the team's lack of production and the attention their superstar has been getting because of his slump-- but the Ovechkin/Crosby thing will live on until one of them retired. They'll be forever linked and it's something that the fans on both sides will have to live with.

And is that such a bad thing?? Sure, it's gets annoying at times, but so do each of the team's fanbases when it comes to defending their superstar. I'm sure every team gets that way, but these two particular teams have fans that go over the rationality line. In any case, Ovechkin and Crosby being pitted against each other will step their games up accordingly, I'm sure. While the magnifying glass will be even bigger around both of them and will annoy everyone else-- it's good for the game to have these two prolific players put to the forefront, though one of them is off his game and the other is coming back from a serious injury-- as the games go on, you have to hope they'll both pick up their games throughout the rest of the season.

On The Topic of Player Rankings

To have Sidney Crosby ranked as the #1 on a Top 50 list is just as asinine as Ian Laperriere winning the Masterton Trophy even though he didn't play a single game in 2010-11.

Sure, it's a crass comparison, but when you look at the fact Crosby hasn't played a game in almost ten months, it's hard for me to believe that TSN is right in naming Crosby the top player in the league. I get that they have to keep the Canadians happy and Canadians love Crosby-- but there's a thing call reality in there. Yes, Crosby's skills are amazing when he's on the ice-- but now, who knows what's going to happen if he gets into traffic or get a solid check again that drops him for another extended time.

That said, while I like Alex Ovechkin, too-- he shouldn't be the second player on that list or first. Ovechkin is coming off a horrible year. He should be judged as such, at least in my world.

This is the problem with lists, they don't have ANYTHING to do with reality. It's just something that deals with a popularity contest-- much like the All-Star voting, where it doesn't matter how hurt someone is, they'll still get voted to the starting line-up because of popularity. The lists are crap and definitely not rational when it comes to proving worth.

It's a slight to guys like Steve Stamkos and the Sedins (Daniel and Henrik) that Ovechkin and Crosby are ranked higher than them. Granted, the dynamics and attention Ovechkin and Crosby get are second-to-none; but that doesn't mean they're effective as the others mentioned above (or others in the league) that have played better than the big two.

In the end, it's all subjective. People will like who they like and there's going to be no moving them from that position. People love Crosby and Ovechkin and will discount their play (or lack thereof) because of their position in promoting the league and being recognizable. It is what it is though, because you can ask fans of all 30 teams and odds are you'll get at least 20 different answers on who the best in the league is. That's just the happenstance of people's opinion.

Looking at the Capitals' "Unconsciousness"

Per the DC Sports Bog by way of the Mike Wise Show, Ted Leonsis has said that he believes the Capitals are "unconsciously pacing themselves for the playoffs." This is coming off a 3-0 shutout lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in four games, but it seems like an interesting thing to say about a team, who last year was ripping it up in the Goals-For column.

We've heard this year that the Caps are going through some changes after losing in seven games to the more defensive minded Montreal Canadiens last playoffs; but at the same time-- the frustration coming from the fan base or "bandwagon," if you will, pretty much echos what some pundits have been wondering. The scoring for the Caps is down to 2.86 goals a game this year (as of the 13th of January), which is well off the pace of 3.88 they had all of last year. And it should be a bit of caution that Alex Ovechkin hasn't be as dynamic as he has in the past, especially with things going around about injuries and equipment failure. Why Nicklas Backstrom hasn't been as good or how Alex Semin just disappeared have come up as well, but this just shows that the problem isn't the goaltending, which many people are saying it is. In fact, the Caps defense and goaltending is solid, as they are 10th in least goals-against this season so far.

The questions that remains are how patient can the fans be when it comes to the Caps not being the same team they were in the past couple of years?? There has to be a bit of patience that needs to be given because when you change from a run-and-gun system to a more reserved, laid-back system; it'll be noticeable, but in the long-run, it'll probably help them out.

However, a follow-up to that question is how long will it take for the Caps to adjust to the system to somewhere near perfection?? Are some of the big guys a bit gunshy when it comes to playing again?? When you look at the numbers, it almost could seem that there's a struggle and the team isn't getting the bounces they should or have gotten last year, which could be true. Yet, with this team being still a bit young and not being used to changing systems as quickly as it's being presented. It could be a case that someone like Ovechkin or Backstrom wanting to be more active in the offense, but for some reason they don't want to get the third-degree when they get back to the bench, so they don't push the play as much as they like to.

Granted, all of this doesn't help out the fact the Caps power-play continues to struggle from the 2010 Playoffs, as they are 17th in the league in power play percentage (18%) and tied for 16 at 29 power play goals. It's not the worst, but it could certainly be better with the weapons they have with the extra-man. It could be psychosomatic and just needs a change here and there, but that could go back to the not-getting-bounces issue, as well.

In any case, the Caps are in fifth place, and barring another long-time losing streak should be in the playoffs-- though nothing is guaranteed at all in the Eastern Conference. While they may be unconsciously prepping themselves, they have to consciously realize that adaptation needs to happen sooner or later or they will do all that preparation for the golf-course as the playoffs start. Granted, it's easy to say that on this side, but at the same time-- should be brought up rather than turning a blind eye to it.

Critiquing the Caps

Ever since I saw my first game on February 3rd, 1989 when Bengt Gustafsson scored the only goal against Mike Liut of the Hartford Whalers (on Gustafsson "shirsey" night, no less), I was a Caps fan. And when being a Caps fan, heartache seems to happen all the time. Lest we forget the Patrick Division playoffs when the Penguins always came back from being down 3-1 to win, but it just comes with the territory.

Yet, with all the history of heartache, why are the fans taking this eight-game losing streak so hard and why is the second guessing of everything and everyone associated with the Capitals organization??

Is the coaching of Bruce Boudreau finally reached its peak and it's time to move on??

Everyone loves Boudreau, which could make it hard to fire him and could cause a wave of backlash. However, if it seems to have reached its cresendo; you have to make a move. I don't think that it's at that point yet, but the first guy to go will probably be Boudreau since coaches are more easily expendable than anything else. As it seems that the Caps are trying out a new system of play, there's going to be some leeway; but at what point does Boudreau abandon the new style of play??

The idea of the new system of defense is something that will take time to get used to, especially since this is a team that's been a run-and-gun team for the past couple of seasons, so the adjustment will be a noticeable one, especially when they've been know to play the old firewagon hockey style. The players won't be as dynamic, the play will not be as exciting, and the team will show off their weaknesses when it comes to trying to adhere to the new system, but not knowing how to blend one style into another. They seem to be too concerned with sticking to the defensive side, they completely forgot about the offensive side of things. They just need one break, though.

Speaking of offense, the one big thing is the lack of offense from Alex Ovechkin. Many have even called for Ovechkin to either give up or get stripped of his captaincy for not being a leader. Before I go ahead, I'll say always that the team's best player doesn't need to be the captain, because they may lack a leadership quality. It's not a bad thing for the best player to not have the captaincy. In any case, Ovechkin seemed to do well with the captaincy when he got it after Chris Clark was traded to the Blue Jackets. The Caps and Ovechkin did an amazing job that first year, why are people calling for Ovechkin to not have the "C" anymore?? Are there any better leaders on that team?? Maybe, but at the same time-- those are the folk-hero players that fans like for one reason or another and probably won't do better than what Ovechkin is doing. It's just a bad run of luck for the team and they need a break-- especially Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Alex Semin.

If nothing else the idea of the team buying into their own media hype that's killing them. Green is in National TV commericals, Ovechkin's got his own DVD and clothing line, Boudreau had his own book-- the fact people picked them to go all the way maybe had them buy into the fact they don't have to play the season now and will have things handed to them. Add the hype to the system change, to the bad breaks-- recipe for disaster.

In the end, there has to be an end to this streak one of these days and it could spark the Caps into the big run that'll help them get back into their old ways. However, Jonny P said on the December 15th Show that it's better to have this losing streak and system change now, rather than late in the season when they're trying to gear up for the playoffs. If there's a time to come up and stick with a New Year's Resolution, it's for the Caps to snap out of these losing ways and actually become the team every pundit and fans thought they could be this season.

THN's Top-100 Hits The Mark

The latest special edition of The Hockey News is their look at the top 100 players to play in the NHL by position. You get 20 per position (G, D, LW, RW, C), which is quite the exhaustive task. In the grand scheme of things, it's a very good representation of the players who have played in the league.

However, the biggest thing that impressed me was the fact that they were able to blend the eras together. Most of the time, these sort of lists have issues when it deals with the modern day players. The modern players really get too much credit if only because they are very much instilled in our short-attention spans. Sure, you have the guys who are always in there regardless of the era, but nothing this hardcore.

For instance, THN has Terry Sawchuk as their top goalie of all-time, with Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Jacques Plante, and Dominik Hasek rounding out the top five. Also on the goalie list, George Hainsworth (9th), Frank Brimsek (12th), and Clint Benedict (16th) mixed in with Ken Dryden (7th), Grant Fuhr (13th), and Ed Belfour (18th). For a position that has had the most change in style and equipment, it's quite the fine representation of everyone involved.

Defensively, the list is very interesting, with the old school players like Dit Clapper, King Clancy, and Eddie Shore being on the list, Shore being the 3rd overall. Granted, you did have a lot of the modern guys like Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, and Chris Pronger on the list; with Ray Bourque and Nick Lidstrom being in the top-five.

The forwards is really were the modern guys are prominent, especially in center and right winger. The left wing position is really out there, proving it's the most shallow position out there in the league. You have a nice mix of Luc Robitaille (7th), Alex Ovechkin (8th), and Henrik Zetterberg (20th); but you have the likes of Busher Jackson (6th), Cy Denneny (9th), and Sweeney Schriner (16th). The latters are ones you have to Wikipedia to find out when they actually played, as all of them were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame before 1971.

While we all know that these lists are all really subjective to who's voting on this whole thing, but the point is this: The Hockey News did it right. They actually were able to make a list like this and incorporate all the eras of the NHL and didn't really buy into the hype of the modern era being the best era of all time. It could be, but you can't disrespect the past like some outlets do when making these all-time lists.

Don't believe me?? Go ahead and pick it up on your newsstands now.

The Reality of the Reality Situation

It's being reported that HBO is going to put a "Hard Knocks" type of docu-drama (via Wyshynski) together about the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, leading up to the Winter Classic at Heinz Field on New Year's Day. Shockingly, this may not sit well with some, but others could eat it up.

The thing about the fans of the NHL is that they're a confusing bunch. They want a lot of coverage for the NHL in the mainstream. However, the participants that are picked for the mainstream coverage are overused in sporting what the game is about, thus making fans unhappy. They want their cake and to eat it, as well. The problem is that it's not going to work that way in the real world of entertainment and exposure.

While Puck the Media's Steve Lepore is right in saying that it's an overused narrative that may not create a personality beyond what has been shown to us thus far, the fact remains that it's the NHL being put out to a potential big audience with two of the most recognizable names playing the game today. The NHL wants to market their product to outliers and what better way to do it than to display Ovechkin and Crosby to the mainstream. Sadly, it hasn't been able to catch on using NBC or other avenues, so maybe one last kick in the can with HBO will do it.

More over, you cannot base a series and hour long shows to just Crosby and Ovechkin. That's a given because they are already known up and down by most people. What this does, to me, is give the producers a chance to give more insight to the other players that surround the teams. People can learn more about Evgeni Malkin, Nicklas Backstrom, M-A Fleury, and John Carlson than they every would without doing the research themselves or hope that one of them surpass the other two for popularity. You're going to learn more about the players, the coaches, the drama in the locker room should a team get down, the joy of wins coming from unlikely heroes. You have plenty of story lines, like the Penguins heading into their new digs, the Caps young defense and goaltending, the Penguins new faces and both teams need for depth scoring. While Ovechkin and Crosby will be main-focused, there are going to be other outlets for players to learn about.

And yes, I will admit the Ovechkin/Crosby story line does get stale-- how could it not when the NHL has been running with it, but it's still going to be one of the better rivalries to be out there for this coming season and season's to come-- so you're going to have to get used to it. I'm sure the same would have went with Gretzky and Lemieux had they played in the same Conference when they were in their primes. Which is just it-- the uniqueness of this "feud" is that these teams already have a deep resentment for each other because of the playoff meetings in the 90s with some of more memorable overtime games; but add to it two of the best players in the NHL and it's going to be amped up more. I can't really think of two players of this caliber battling it out and meeting each other in the regular season with this much frequency in the past. I'm sure I'll be corrected, but still.

There's always going to be teams that are going to be overused in trying to promote the game. Why?? Because more often than not, they get the biggest draw because they're more recognizable. The vicious cycle is that other teams that aren't as popular won't get shown, which could get them more popularity. At the same time, this isn't communism, so everyone won't get their fair share of TV time. How many times in the 90's did we have to hear about the Avalanche, Flyers, and Red Wings playing on National Hockey Night?? They brought in the most viewers, which is what the NHL is aiming for. Maybe this series will capture a great feat of one of the opposing teams, which someone will catch while watching and turn them onto that player or team-- it could happen.

There's been a push for a reality series for a while by some and now it seems to be coming true if all falls into place. Sure, it's going to be teams who are pushed to the max now, but it's a start. If this series does well, who knows what doors it could open up to other teams. Love them or hate them, you have to keep an open mind because it's for the greater good of the sport. If you expect hockey to grow out of the niche status (maybe not by much, but still); then people will have to support it when it keeps throwing the same people in the national spotlight time after time. Abandoning the show or games because it's not your team is not the way the sport will grow. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.

Big Buff vs. Alex the Great

There's something about the playoffs that brings out the other side of players that may have been hidden or flown under the radar. John Druce back in 1990 for the Caps, Johan Hedberg in 2001 for the Penguins, and I think Dustin Byfuglien for the Blackhawks would be this year's candidate for breakout star. Yet, even so, there's something about him that's so very endearing that makes you think that he'll have a bit more staying power and longer than a 15-minute outburst than the previous two.

In fact, I would say that the excitement, tenacity, and all around love of the game could be on par with that of Alex Ovechkin.

Sure, it's a reach, I know-- but when you see how he celebrates his goals, how he'll go into any kind of situation to win the small battles, how he can bring energy to most every shift; it kind of mimics Ovechkin's play. Of course, Byfuglien is becoming more and more of a clutch player, which Ovechkin has been knocked for not being-- especially they year with the Olympics and playoffs. Yet, both are big body guys, both have a nose for the net, and both seem to be the folk-heroes in their respective cities. Not only that, but both guys get attention. Ovechkin get it from his skill and point totals; while Byfuglien gets it from the fact he can stir the pot and draw penalties, while not taking as many. He seems to be what Tomas Holmstrom was in the 90s for the Red Wings.

Yes, I know Byfuglien will never score as much as Ovechkin-- that's a given, but his spirit for the games, as well as his versatility to play forward or defense; makes him a valuable commodity and a great team guy for his teammates to feed off of and really get behind if they need a pick-me-up. If the Hawks can win the Cup this year, odds are you'll hear about how Byfuglien was a big reason for the victory. If it's not for his clutch goals, it'll be for stirring the pot and getting the other team off their games because of his antagonistic game-plan.

The Conundrum of Ovechkin

In the next few days, weeks, months-- the common tag when it comes to the Washington Capitals season is that Alex Ovechkin wasn't good enough to come through and carry the team, like a captain should. Of course, most of that will come from Penguins fans who will bring up Sidney Crosby's performance against the Ottawa Senators and others as a key to win their debate.

While Crosby did amazingly against the Senators, it's not like they're a shutdown style team with any assemblance of a hot goalie. You'll never get through to them because that's how they roll and until someone unseats them, they can have that "born on third and thought they hit a triple" kind of attitude. A recent Cup win gives you that entitlement, though Pens fans really don't need a reason.

In any case, the fact is that Ovechkin was keyed on solidly by the Habs after he picked them apart from Games Two to Four. He was able to get speed and space through the neutral zone and got a beat on the defensemen, who weren't able to keep up the pace with him. However, they made a smart adjustment by actually engaging Ovechkin and not letting him get any space, which didn't allow him to have a good shot and thus taking him out of the picture offensively. When he did get space, the likes of Hal Gill would step up to block anything thrown at them. You really can't fault Ovechkin since he pretty much tried to do everything to avoid the congestion, but it just didn't work. Which should create an interesting match-up for the Penguins, who will either fall to the same demise as the Caps or solve their former teammate Gill and be able to do what the Caps couldn't.

Regardless, Ovechkin tried to do what he could, but where he could have lacked is trying to motivate his teammates and get some more support out of them. Granted, the press would see that as him coming off as a prima donna, but it seems he can't win nowadays. Yet, if he couldn't get motivation out of his team, you have to wonder what kind of voice he actually has with his teammates. If he couldn't get a spark out of his guys to have a killer instinct, there's a character question that should need be addressed.

The funny thing about the Caps/Habs series is that the pundits and rival fans won't give credit where credit is due. The Caps were shutdown by the Habs defensively and it wasn't for a lack of trying, as the Caps had peppered the Habs with 134 shots in the last three games. Jaroslav Halak was insane stopping 131. Yet, even with his 10 points and 34 shots in seven games, it won't be enough to say that Ovechkin "choked" the series away. I know the rational of some people won't factor through, but it's hard to say he choked when he was atop the team scoring chart again, while the secondary scoring was nowhere to be found. If there's anything Ovechkin should be blamed for it's for not getting the rest of his team off the snide and motivated enough to help him out. Those lessons and motivational factors he'll learn in time.

Ovechkin will always have the onus of not showing up for big games....which couldn't be further from the truth in this game. I mean, ten shots in the final game, plenty of solid chances; including the called-off goal-- Ovechkin was very prominent, but the Habs defense was what shut him and the rest of the team down and they should get nothing but full marks.

Yet, you have to wonder if Crosby would be given the same treatment if he got no support from his teammates or if he would be given the benefit of the doubt because of the games he has won. Time will tell, but right now-- and as much as I hate to say it-- Crosby has the edge on Ovechkin due to playoff success alone. Once Ovechkin can get over that tag of "big game loser", then he can be truly considered elite.

The Lack of Downie Uproar

In the midst of the suspension to Alex Ovechkin, which is something well-deserved because it was a touch from behind, the thing that is going overlooked is something that happened later that day and could have been more serious.

If you haven't seen the "hit" Tampa's Steve Downie put on Sidney Crosby, you can check it out here from this clip. The thing that's with this, there is MUCH more intent to injure a player than Ovechkin's hit was and there was a deliberate targeting of a player while the play was across the ice. As my friend Kim pointed out, if there was ever an example of deliberately attempting to injure a player-- that play was it. Thankfully, Crosby's leg didn't snap like Joe Theismann's but the fact it could have been much worse than it was is the point.

As of right now as I post this, there has been no report about Colin Campbell wanting to meet with Downie to talk with him, no indication that the hit was even something on the NHL's radar; which is should be since it involved their promotional focal point both on and off the ice in Crosby. While only a two minute call was given to Downie, it doesn't mean his penalty after the fact cannot be worse. What's even more interesting is this comes a week after everyone was praising Downie and his play on the ice and how much he's improved. Interesting how things can change in an instant.

The thing is that we've seen this blatant inconsistency from the NHL and even the severity of the injury and the name has nothing to do with it, as we've seen in the past week where Matt Cooke gets nothing for ending Marc Savard's season and thensome and got nothing out of it. Both Cooke and Ovechkin are past offenders, but it seems that it really how Colin Campbell is feeling from hearing to hearing.

Odds are, we won't see anything happen to Downie, especially if nothing has been said now. It's not like Downie has been a multiple offender, but much of his play has been questionable at best. It's stuff like what Downie has been pulling that makes discussion of rule changes happen. It's one thing to go after a head deliberately, you almost have to put the legs into the same boat as well-- especially when it comes to a player who relies on his legs like Crosby for agility and finesse for his game. That's why there's so much uproar on knee-on-knee hits because it's a dangerous play and could do much more damage in the long-run than meets the eye.

Until the NHL gets a little more streamlined about their discipline, everyone has the right to mock their stances from one ruling to another. The Downie incident is much more severe than what Ovechkin did and as of now, he is getting nothing. Ovechkin should have be sat for what he did to Brian Campbell and Steve Downie should sit for what he did to Crosby. If the NHL wants to send a message and curtail anything that happens in the future-- this is the time to do it before it's much too late.

UPDATE: 03.16.10, 11:20 AM-- Steve Downie has been fined $1,000 for the hit. The system works!!!

Blown Coverage For Better or Worse

The past few days in the States, there has been a huge to-do about the attention, or lack there of, when it comes to hockey coverage. Over at Puck the Media (very stellar job over there, by the way), Steve Lepore talks about how the NBC family of networks are really screwing the hockey fans out of some games' starts because of other events involving USA teams or individuals. It's a noble undertaking in getting attention for the hockey fans out there to get the coverage they need-- but it's getting close to annoyance rather than nobility.

The fact remains this-- the NBC networks were showing events in which American teams or individuals were involved. They had USA-Japan women's curling on MSNBC and USA-Russia women's hockey on CNBC. Because these games went long, the Canada-Norway men's hockey game was delayed being on any channel. While I agree that NBC kind of "dropped the ball," so to speak; the networks are not and should not be risking removing or short-changing the USA team on any sports to show two non-USA participants play a game, host country or not. The interests of NBC Universal is only to the USA Olympics team and should not have to cater to non-USA nations. The same thing happen on Wednesday with the Sweden-Germany game being delayed due to extra-ends in USA-Switzerland men's curling match on CNBC and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, with the first period being missed almost entirely due to a 22 minute delay.

While NBC has really been dropping the ball in terms of coverage all around, especially with the way Twitter has been buzzing-- people know the result of events before NBC starts to show them; I can give a pass to NBC on this instance. The fact they are showing USA events over non-USA hockey events is admirable and shouldn't be as chastised as it has been. Like I said, the NBC Universal interest is not going to be to hockey fans (as their Sunday "Game of the Week" has shown for a few years now) if the USA team is not in the game. If there is going to come a day where Team USA hockey is being delayed for one game or another, then that's when the outrage should come fast and furious and then NBC can be truly vilified and ridiculed.

When hockey is seen most of the time on the network, the odds are that NBC Universal will show the sports not often seen on TV. Figure skating is a big pull, skiing and speed-skating will get cult followings, much like curling has gotten over the past games-- they will have the niche and appeal, especially if they are seen once every four years. Hockey is shown weekly and while it sucks that hockey fans won't see every minute of every game, you have to pick your battles and fights when it comes to supporting your game.

If you are upset by the NBC Universal snub of all the games, check out Buddy Oakes' Preds on the Glass and his post about how you can get into contact with NBC Universal about their coverage or lack thereof.

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On another side, there's a decent story from ESPN's Scott Burnside about Alex Ovechkin being pretty much missing and put away by the Russian Federation in terms of interviews or putting his face out there. His piece states that Ovechkin, and much of the other Russian team, has been only giving interviews to the Russian media over the mass media that's there at the Olympics. Burnside says something to the effect of Ovechkin blowing off the media.

When something come out about one of the bigger personalities in the NHL, you have to wonder how much of this is the athlete's doing and how much is this the Federation. While, I get the Federation's concern, as it is the world's stage and there's only so many times you can go ahead and answer the same questions about the atmosphere and trying to face Sidney Crosby in a showdown later on in the Games. That seems to have been the focal point, at least in the Canadian media, when it comes to the Games; especially when both teams are the favorites, but as an athlete-- that can be a redundant to answer the same question that may or may not happen when the time comes.

On the flip side, what does the the Russian Federation hope to achieve by making Ovechkin scarce during the Games, especially when they know that guys like Ovechkin, Malkin, and Kovalchuk are the high-energy guys-- Ovechkin being the top guy. It's very Soviet-esque for the Federation to basically shutting down the personalities of the guys who are out there. This seems to be odd, considering that there were reports about Alex Semin commandeering a golf-cart and joyriding around the Olympic village and Semyon Varlamov talking about the food in the Olympic Village and having to go to McDonald's. Maybe it was that freedom that the Russians didn't like, thinking it'd become a distraction; thus shutting them down to everything and having them only focus on the games. It's a detriment to the players, the Federation, and the press for the top guys to be shut off like that. Especially when these games are suppose to display the personalities of athlete's many may not see all the time, the Russians seem to be shutting it down.

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There have been many mistake in coverage and availability in these Games and if nothing else, this could be the Olympics with the most CFs in recent memory. Of course, there's a chance where there's too much demand for one thing or another for networks, audiences, and countries to keep up with it. Of course, they should have known something like this would happen and should have been prepared. Odds are that even if they were prepared, someone would find something and then bring that up and blown it out of proportion.

Like the Girl said to me when I had the idea to write this-- you're not going to please everyone and someone will always get mad in one way or another.

Ovie is His Own Enemy

Does he want to be the villain?? Is he tired of being the guy people look at as a great ambassador to the game?? Is he trying to push the limits of his superstardom?? Whatever it is, Alex Ovechkin is really doing more worse than good for himself. He's now starting to get hurt from his actions because it is.

If I'm the Caps right now, as much as I like to have his energy, he needs to be told to calm it down a bit. Odds are, he will be suspended for this hit and rightfully so, I may add. However, the knee injury is going to be the task at hand for the Caps. The suspension is almost good for him because it'll give him games to rest up. Plus, it could settle him down when it comes to the reckless abandon he may have going on in his head.

Yet, with all this going on and with Ovie missing the games he has been having, whether it's forced or not-- is there a time where the Caps don't become his team?? I mean, you look at what Nicklas Backstrom has been able to do, it almost seems like he's taking it on as his team; much like Evgeni Malkin did when Sidney Crosby was on the shelf for the Penguins. It's a good mentality for Backstrom to have, especially with what's going on with Ovechkin.

Somehow, the injury for Ovie shouldn't be a surprise, since many people thought that his style of play, as well as karma, would catch up with him. The karma part if obvious with all the misses he's had with the suspensions on questionable hits and such. Yet, his style of play is much like Pavel Bure's, where he's open to injury more often than not. In the same breath, I don't think Bure did it to himself like Ovechkin is doing. Still-- this would probably come later in his career, which is not good for Ovie when he's the reigning MVP and going out like he's untouchable.

Whatever the case for Ovechkin may be, it's going to be something where the Caps may need to talk to him and try to calm him down before he goes a little too crazy and does long-term, irrepairable damage to himself, thus maybe sinking his team, too. Luckily, the Caps have a deep roster and could be able to bounce back sooner than most due to it. If Ovechkin wants to be a leader, he needs to start doing it on the ice by not playing so headstrong and testing the limits of what he can get away with. If he doesn't-- more incidents like this will happen, for sure.

Bubble Hockey Reality

All puck-heads, arcade nerds, and barflys know the joys of the Super Chexx bubble hockey table and the fantasticness the game can bring, as well as the rivalries it creates amongst friends and foes alike. It's great times, for sure.

Yet, in the dog-days of summer, it goes me wondering if the bubble hockey players were real, which NHL player would they most represent in their game. I mean, you have to have drunkenly or stupidly thought about it at one point in time when you're hanging around the bubble with your buddies. Just yelling out random player names each time you score to mock out your own team or your buddy's team. I just confused you more, I'm sure-- but I hope to gather you back into this whole discussion by the end of it. Hopefully they'll all be positionally correct, but you'll have some that's a little out of place positionally, but personality wise (as much as you can be with inanimate objects) they should be dead on.

Right Wing: The right wing is a unique player. You see, the right wing is the player with the longest stick (wocka) out on the rink. For some reason, he was given the luxury of having the long stick so he could play keep-away in his own end from the defender and be one of the only players to really be able to go into the other zone and steal the puck away from the opposing team. For that, Martin St. Louis is the guy to represent the right winger. It's truthful too, because it's been chronicled for years that the small St. Louis uses an absurdly long twig and always has. Plus, St. Louis is a master at control with the puck and usually likes to dish from the corners, which more of the wingers in the game does.

Center: What an annoying punk-ass this guy is. Let's be honest, the center is the guy people hate playing against, but love to go-to on their side. If the center gets the puck alone, he's got the perfect shot because neither defensemen can get to him and he can just wait all-day and stall the hell out of the goalie, making you insane with anticipation for him to get it over with. That's where the mistake is made and the center just taps it in, making it look easy and making the opposition tear their hair out. Perfect Sean Avery or Tomas Holmstrom (though he's a left winger) type player. They'll just annoy the hell out of you, but they get results at the end of the day. Plus, if you can find a table that's very used, the center can get in there and use his stick to stop the goalie's movement.

Left Wing: I'd say that this guy is the precision guy. He has the ability to be a sneaky scorer and do it time and time again. He's got the average stick-length, unlike the right winger, and can get around to snap one from the hash marks and below at an angle the goalie can't cover up to. It reminds you of that of the Russian snipers like Alex Ovechkin or Ilya Kovalchuk who can score at will and score at angles no one thought they could score from. However, unlike the right winger who would have an awkward time passing the puck with the long stick, the left wing can stop midway down the boards and make a solid centering pass for the center like Slava Kozlov, Ray Whitney, or Daniel Sedin to make that play. Very versatile player.

Defense: Now, unlike the NHL where defensemen are stepping up like it's going out of style, the bubble style of hockey only allows the defense to go to the red line. This way, they have to be responsible in their own zone. That said, if you have a defenseman who likes to step-up, they can score wildly from the red line, which is really a motto I've lived by when playing. With that in mind, you can liken it to a sort of Zdeno Chara or Nicklas Lidstrom player who is great in his own zone and pitch-in offensively. For the more reserved type, they can be compared to that of Mike Mottau, Rob Scuderi, or Willie Mitchell, cutting off the centering pass and getting it out of the zone. Just hope they don't end up like Scott Hannan, Derian Hatcher, or Brendan Witt player who gets scored on at will and blown by like they were standing still.

Goalie: The style of goalie is not that of the Super Chexx game, as it was when it first debuted. Nowadays, the goalies are always out cutting down the angles, playing the puck, not being tethered to their net (though some of them should), so there's not many guys you can compare the goalies in the game to. Maybe someone like Evgeni Nabokov, who plays a bit more of a stand-up game and doesn't wander as much as some others could do. In the past, you could compare the goalie to Sean Burke or Kirk McLean style that stood there and absorbed pucks.

The Fans: The bubble hockey game was unique in terms of the fact that not only did you have the crowd around you from the people at the bar or your clique there to cheer you on, but you had a magical button in which you have a virtual crowd booing at will. That's right, the always fantastic "Boo Button" is one of the greatest things to come out of the bubble hockey game since the pop-up face-off. With the boos, it makes me think of the fans in specificially Montreal, Toronto, Philadelphia or New York to boo all over the player-- the opposing players, their own players, Santa-- anyone out there and that's what you do when you drink-- hit the boo button regardless.

So, that's what's up. The summer delirium continues, awaiting for hockey to begin, thinking about bubble hockey player personas.

Who's The Personality Now??

News broke today that Jeremy Roenick will be announcing his retirement on Thursday, ending a great career of over 500 goals and over 1,200 points. Not only that, he knocks another off the NHL '94 list (it's not so much me as it is Roenick, he's good), as well as leaves as the greatest personality the game has to offer. Always up for a quote, Roenick would never mince words and would often talk without his filter on....if a filter exists.

Roenick commanded respect from others and often was the guy to lighten the mood when needed and be clutch when he needed to be. He was a character guy and would battle to the hilt in any situation at all. He adjusted himself from a high-powered scorer to a grinder later in his career, a transition some players may not be too keen on doing and may not succeed when doing it.

He will no doubt get a TV gig somewhere because he knows how to handle himself on TV and won't have the awkward transition most ex-players have in terms of being comfortable on the set. I wouldn't be surprised to see JR's #27 raised to the rafters of United Center for his great Blackhawks' days and maybe his #97 in Phoenix or Hamilton or wherever the end up for his time in the Coyotes organization. He was a special player, a renaissance player, if you will. He could do his talking on and off the ice and made the game enjoyable to watch and follow. There was never a dull moment with him and will never be a dull moment on every broadcast he's on.

The question now is who will be the personality of the league right now that will be like JR's was.

At first, you have to look to Sean Avery as the guy who will be the personality. He goes on without a filter, he has a swagger like no other, and he's not a half-bad player. However, I don't know if he has the respect that JR had or if the NHL would even want to associate with Avery considering the things he has done. You have to say Avery does command the attention, not always in the good case though.

Then, you look to Alex Ovechkin. He has the flare, he has the excitement there to be the heir-apparent, but his English is what's holding him back to be the quote machine that JR has been. If Ovie can get some zingers in there or start to not be as reserved as he is in terms of saying what's going on in the league-- he could be the guy to slide right in there, but it's not to be.

Coming back in, Ray Emery is a guy who could be a personality within himself. In a town like Philly, a guy who has the swagger he does, draws huge attention to himself, plus isn't afraid to speak his mind; he could be the long shot candidate for this whole thing. Albeit, he's a loose cannon on and off the ice, but it's always seems like he's under the microscope regardless of where he is at.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see anyone sticking out nowadays in terms of straying from the company line of the league. Especially recently, it seems that the players coming in are cookie-cutter in terms of personality. There's no real brash personality coming into the league. They can play great, they do a lot of their talking on the ice; but it's nothing to exciting once you get them off the ice. They do the cliche bits, but no one is really standing out and maybe that's what's needed nowadays for hockey. Sure, Sean Avery is a great guy to be the next big personality, but so long as he keeps it within the boundries of good taste and waiting for the press to come to him and not the other way around.

While we wait and watch who's going to be the next JR, we will always remember him talking about Patrick Roy getting his jock out of the rafters of United Center (with old school ESPN hotness) and always remember the dancing, dancing, dancing.

We'll miss you, JR-- you were a class act.

Two Stars, One Series, One Golden Age

When this whole thing started, the hype was all about the two faces of the league going against each other in a way that the league could branch out to a more mainstream audience and bring some people in who may have not been on board before.

After tonight, after the seventh game of this grueling series, after the last buzzer sounds, the last goal is scored-- it's easy to say this is when the hype wasn't enough to show how amazing this series has been between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.

And it's not just the stars, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby going head-to-head-- it's been a team effort through and through. Albeit, Ovie and Crosby have been the focal points and have yet to disappoint this series, the team dynamic has ruled over the mainstream match-up. You've had heroes like Kris Letang and David Steckel take over the headlines for their game winners, you've had stellar performances from Marc-Andre Fleury and Simeon Varlamov, but when all is said and done-- it's been about Crosby and Ovechkin.

The question that is posed now is whether or not one game or even one series can determine who is better between the two of them. Can you really measure the greatness between the two of them when they have been so close in everything when it comes to this series?? Sure, it'd be easy to say one was better than the other if the series was a blow out or if one star took control like noone's business; but these games have been close (five of the six being decided by one goal) and the stats of Crosby and Ovechkin have been mirror of each other for the most part. Is it fair to judge who is better than who because of this??

Personally, I don't think you can. Sure, the odds of this hype being big as this year should these teams meet again in a playoff down the road is unlikely, but the fact remains that one match-up does not a rivalry determine. Sure, you can debate the rivalry of the Penguins and Capitals as one way or another, but to say that this one singular match-up in the playoffs between Ovechkin and Crosby is going to be a precursor to their future match-ups and the future outcome is rather absurded to put it nicely. Both of these guys were under the microscope, both of them had the hype machine behind them, both of them have yet to disappoint. No matter who comes out on top, they should have bragging right for a while, but the debate will continue on. That's the thing with Ovechkin vs. Crosby-- you'll always have one side that going to be homer over another or love one player or hate one player; but the respect value should be there for both players. Sure, this is a very Kofi Annan thing do to, but the debate is great, but the heated hatred over one from another get a bit ridiculous, especially during the playoffs.

We have to admit that we're in a golden age of hockey stars. It seems every year, there's a new phenom just making hockey fans' jaws drop, making people take notice. That will continue with John Tavares next season and will probably get better if Taylor Hall can keep up his pace in the OHL for the 2010 Draft. It's hard to say that one player is better than another unless it's absolutely one-sided, which in most cases it never is. This second round has shown more stars break out of the mold and display their own skills, own personality, own way of play.

The thing is as a collective we need to do is let the petty squabling die down for just a minute, sit back, and take in the fact that this is something we may never see again in our lifetimes where there are so many great players in one league at one time. Enjoy it, folks-- because it's going to be a great ride for the next decade or so watching these rookies turn into royalty.

Don't Want Him to Celebrate; Stop Him

The hot topic, and I don't mean the store that 12-year-olds go to in order to be punks/goths/young republicans, is Alex Ovechkin and his 50-goal celebration last night in Tampa. There are plenty who have weighed in on the blogosphere, there's many NHLers who have weighed in on it who played in the game and those who were on the outside looking in. I'm sure Don Cherry will weigh in on it Saturday and now-- it's time for me to do so.....mostly because I tried something else, and it flopped before I started.

For those who are still unfamiliar with it, here it is in all it's YouTube glory.



Fascinating.

Anyway, was this a little over the top?? Sure, of course it was. It was very Terrell Owens-esque and it's something you really don't want to see at all in the game-- but dude just scored his 50th goal, the first one to hit it this year and the third time in four seasons he's done it; that's cause for celebration. He's going to be the Caps all-time goal leader soon enough and could be the best Russian and left winger to play the game when all is said and done-- he can celebrate. If you don't want him to, stop the kid. It's as simple as that.

People have squawked about it being disrespectful and that the Bolts should have done something about it or will do something about it when they play Washington next-- but this was done in the first period almost eight minutes in. The Bolts had 52 minutes to do something and they didn't-- now that could have something to do with the team itself, but it's neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is that if you want to stop Ovechkin from celebrating at all, you have to be able to stop him.

Plenty are clamoring to see what Don Cherry will say, which will obviously be negative because that's how Cherry was last time when talking about Ovechkin. The one thing I want to know is whether or not he enjoyed the outlandish celebration by Tiger Williams or Tie Domi, in which they ride their sticks down the ice. If he did say he enjoyed that, then he's nothing more than a hypocrite when talking about Ovechkin's celebrations. For sure, Cherry would reply (if he actually read this blog) that Williams and Domi rarely score and they can get happy when they do so, but isn't a bit of a double standard if they can get over-the-top excited, but a kid with true skill and talent can't. As much as I enjoy Cherry's rants, raves, and suits-- he's losing his goard to think that this is any worse than what has been done by some in the past. Yet, he's a traditionalist and will always think anything not from the late-1970s is crap-- just look at his fine, fine suits.

There's plenty of "traditionalist," or people who call themselves that, who hate Ovechkin's over-the-top joy of scoring, but you have to remember-- Ovechkin isn't a traditionalist, he'll never be a traditionalist; he's a rock-star. He's bigger than life and shows it night-in and night-out. He doesn't want to be part of the flock, he wants to be the black sheep and standout, which he is succeeding in. He has a right to do that too, because he's just that damn good. So keep on keeping on Ovie-- but don't make this a common occurance. If it's a special moment, fine-- go outlandish. Yet, if it's #24 on the season and you pull a stunt like this and it's not a memorable goal-- I may have to change my thought about this whole thing.


EDIT @ 5:30 MT-- Thanks to Hangar 39 by way of Puck Daddy, but LA Kings announcer Bob Miller just went up 100-fold in my book, which works because I loved him in D2.


Just remember Bob, I'm all about the Kings.

Can Malkin Have "Hart" With Crosby as His Teammate??

Barring a huge disaster or a big surge from someone on the outside looking in, Evgeni Malkin will most definitely bring home the Art Ross Trophy for most points in the season. That, of course, will set him up, most likely, as a candidate for the Hart Trophy for league MVP. The big question that I will pose here is whether or not Malkin can be the considered the MVP with Sidney Crosby as his teammate and the "face of the league"??

I put this thought out there, mostly because the Hart is supposed to go to the player who is most valuable to his team. With two guys like Crosby and Malkin on the same team, you'd think they'd almost cancel each other out in terms of voting because how could you say one is better than the other?? It's not like last season where Crosby was out for a good chunk of the season and Malkin carried the team, for the most part, in the regular season. This year, Malkin has played only five more games than Crosby, so it's not like you could say Malkin was most valuable to his team when Crosby is just as valuable. Though, the Hart voters could be hackney and give a co-MVP award so no one on the Penguins gets their feelings hurt, but I doubt that would happen.

Granted, many could bring up the run Wayne Gretzky had of Hart Trophies during the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty that he was on a team of great players, which in hindsight is true. However, when you look at the stats and the play, Gretzky far and away lead the team on the ice and made those around him better.

This brings up who could be considered as a candidate for the Hart Trophy. Tim Thomas in Boston could definitely be considered as a top choice with his performance this year (albeit, recently it hasn't been too good), he still leads the league in GAA and save percentage. A guy like Zach Parise could come to some voters' mind when you consider how much he stepped up into an offensive role on the Devils with their other top dog in Martin Brodeur out for the weight of the season. Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla are both unsung leaders on their teams and really don't get the press thanks to "East Coast Bias". And speaking of the ECB, last but not least-- Alex Ovechkin will definitely make a run at a repeat of Hart Trophies.

It'll be an interesting look at who the finalist will be for the big award at the end of the day and to see where the heads of the voters are when they actually cast it. I don't really envy their decision, but wish I could have a chance to take a hack at voting who could be deemed MVP. How does Scott Clemmensen for Hart sound??

It's Gotta Be The Stick

This just in, Alex Ovechkin in back. In his last five games, Ovechkin has six goals, 14 points, and he ate the bowl (apologies to Sid Seixeiro). In his eight games since his return to the line-up, the reign MVP has 17 points and many wonder what could be the reason.

Some believe it's the fact he took a hiatus to clear his hear back in Russia and deal with family issues that he had lingering over him. And while that could be the case, the answer could be as simple as Ovie switching stick manufacturers from the CCM U+ line to the Nike/Bauer Supreme line. It may not seem like a big deal, but for players; changing sticks could be one of the hardest transitions made by someone, especially for a player like Ovechkin. It could be the slightest change that could make or break how one plays, shoots, passes, etc.

It's unknown why Ovechkin made the switch, but there are some theories out there that could be valid. Ovechkin could be fed up with CCM sticks breaking on him. That seems to be a common problem for CCM, as Vincent Lecavalier recently switched from CCM to Warrior sticks. However, the contract for equipment and sticks could be different, as was the case with Sidney Crosby when he entered the league, with a sponsorship by RBK for equipment and Sherwood with sticks.

Another theory is that Ovie's CCM contract is running out and could be signing with Bauer when that happens. With Nike dropping out and Bauer staying around, it may be in their best interest to have some of the top young guns to roll out the brand. Bauer already has Evgeni Malkin and Steve Stamkos under the company banner.

Whatever it is, it has seemed to get Ovechkin out of his early season slump and giving Caps fans (as well as fantasy owners) something to really cheer about when it comes to Ovechkin. As if they didn't have enough to cheer about with him being out on the ice already.

Around The Rink 10.27.08

Bringing back this old chestnut to keep things a-poppin' and get a lot of small topics under on umbrella....ella....ella.

-One of the big topics is what about Doug Weight's hit on Brandon Sutter. Personally, this is basically the same hit Steve Moore put on Markus Naslund, but much harder. Sutter was going full bore when he lunged at the puck, while Doug Weight seemed to come from across the ice to hit Sutter. While, if Sutter was standing up it'd be a solid it, I still think a charging call should have at least come from it. Weight took more than three steps and really didn't even try to play the puck. I don't anything should happen in terms of suspension, but what Jim Rutherford brings up in terms of the NHL caring about headshots may ring a little true. It doesn't have to be a dirty hit to be a headshot.

-The Washington Capitals allowed Alex Ovechkin return to Russia to be with his grandfather and will not play in Nashville. The Caps will monitor the situation and we'll see how long Ovechkin will be out. Family comes first for Ovechkin, which can be considered a good thing, though Caps fans may not like it. Also, I believe this could be some form of motivation that could be used for Ovechkin to jet his game back on track. Ovechkin has kind of stumbled out of gates, but there could be a reason for that now.

-Luke Schenn was told that he won't be returned to Kelowna in the WHL and will stay up with the big club. Schenn has made a big impression with the Leafs brass and should continue to do so throughout the season. You wonder how many other borderline juniors may or may not be returned to their club, with Zach Boychuk being the first to be returned as Carolina sent him back to Lethbridge of the WHL. Granted, this could also bring up the debate of pushing a player who is impressive, but still too young to make a huge mark for a whole season. Only time will tell.

-Super Saturday was a hit, Slothful Sunday-- not so much. Totals show that it was a high-octane show. 99 goals were scored, 974 shots were taken, five teams had over 40 shots, four goalies had over 40 saves, and 14 out of the 30 teams had four goals or more. Gary Bettman must have been happy for the scoring chances that were given and the goals that were scored.

Crosby vs. Ovechkin-- The Fantasy Hockey Debate

Not only is it on the ice, but now in the world of fantasy hockey-- the war between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin rages on. Who do you pick first?? Who do you build your team around?? Who's cuisine reigns supreme........wait, wrong show.

It's been three years since these two have come onto the scene and it's definitely the time to debate who will bring you more rewards for the fantasy side because, let's face it-- fantasy sports is king, regardless of the sports....well, maybe golf.

So, what's the verdict, who's a better fantasy option?? It depends on who you ask, because everyone is different. Some would want Ovechkin's goal scoring, while others will take Crosby's playmaking prowess to help them in the assist column. Plus, it really depends on what strategy you're going to use when making your team.

For my opinion-- it's simple, Alex Ovechkin. Let me preference this by saying this is not because of my hatred for all things Pittsburgh Penguins, it's just depth, really. Last season, only 11 left wingers had 30+ goals, three had 45+ assists on the season, and four left wingers had over 80 points on the year, two of the four having over 90 points. The depth at left wing isn't that good and if you get the chance to pick a solid left winger, you should jump at the opportunity.

At center-- there's a lot more depth. Of all the centers, 11 had over 80 points, five of the 11 having 90+ points, 12 had 30+ goal seasons, and 19 had 45+ assists on the season. While Crosby may have a great prowess on the ice, on a fantasy team; the depth at center is a bit more vast that you can pass up Crosby and still be okay in many scoring columns.

So, for Scotty Wazz, it's AO8 over SC87 mostly because you need to get your positions in solidified all the way around in order to have the complete team needed.