Capitals Choke AGAIN, Ovechkin is No Sidney Crosby
As Team USA began to compete for gold in Vancouver, I became a hockey fan. I read everything I could get my hands on about the sport and found myself watching obscure games like Finland vs Norway so I could get a glimpse of players like Olli Jokinen and Patrick Elias. I even discovered that my cable company carries the Versus network, which airs games a few nights a week.
The team I most enjoyed following in the Olympics were the Russians. Team Russia was one of the heavily favored teams heading into Vancouver, sporting an insanely talented roster which was highlighted by Alexander Ovechkin.
Ovechkin, a four time All-Star, has won the Kharlamov Trophy (an award given to the Most Valuable Russian Player in the NHL) every year since 2006. He is a point scoring machine, and is absolutely electrifying on the ice.
Ovechkin is widely considered one of the two best players currently in the NHL, constantly being compared to Sidney Crosby. Crosby is another young and exciting player that led Team Canada to Olympic gold just months after leading his Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory.
Ovechkin wanted to make a splash at the Olympics and prove to the world that HE was the man, not Crosby.
Unfortunately for Commie-Nation, Ovechkin and his crew played as individuals in the Olympics and made an early exit from the tournament without even medaling. Crosby, on the other hand? Game winning goal in the gold metal game. Mr. Big Shot.
As a new found hockey fan, I was ok with this. It gave Ovechkin some time to relax
before the second half of the NHL season, where he and his Washington Capitals finished the year with the best record on the league. Perhaps this Olympic slap in the face would motivate Ovechkin and his team to finally bring home some hardware.
In the NHL playoffs, Ovechkin was primed to shine again. The best player in the league on the biggest stage that professional hockey has to offer… The team with the most elite talent in the league ready to win the big game for their big star.
At least that was how it was supposed to go.
Top seeded Washington choked away a 3-1 lead against the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadians, the first time a number 1 seed has ever lost a 2 game lead against a number 8 in the history of the NHL. This hatchet job shouldn’t come as a surprise to Cap fans; their team has lost a two-game lead in a playoff series SIX TIMES in the last 25 years, each time losing the series in embarrassing fashion.
Credit Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak who stopped 131 of Washington’s 134 shots in games five, six, and seven… but don’t discount the fact that the Capitals played more like a group of individuals rather than the team that won the President’s Trophy. Sound familiar?
In the regular season, the Capitals led the league in power play goal percentage at 25.2%, head and shoulders above the next best team. In the playoffs however, Ovechkin and crew converted at just 3%. THREE PERCENT. That is a very telling stat for a team trying to shake off the “we don’t choke” rap.
While Ovechkin performed very well on an individual level (5 goals, 5 assists, +5), he showed that he may not posses the will and grit to lead his team to victory in crunch time. 
Crosby on the other hand is heading into round 2 of the playoffs with back to back Stanley Cup appearances under his belt, and an Olympic Gold Medal around his neck. He will be squaring off against the team that just sent Ovechkin on summer vacation, the Montreal Canadians.
As a budding hockey fan, I look forward to watching the evolution of Alexander Ovechkin vs Sidney Crosby and debating it for years to come…
I just hope Ovechkin is ready to join the conversation.
PITTSBURGH SUCKS!!!!!
Fuck Crosby and his fucking faggoty fuck face
Yea Pittsburgh surly sucks. Its not like they have a Stanley Cup or two members of its team that has an Olympic Gold Medal . Wait they do!!!!!!!! Pittsburgh by far is the best team in the East this year. They play as a team not as individuals. Yes it nice if you have a person that can score a lot of goals. But when it comes down to winning a Gold Medal or a Stanley Cup you have to play as a team. In the words of Herb Brooks ” When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back! Get that through your head! ” Ovei get ride of the Ego maybe you’ll win next year. Go Pittsburgh!!!!!!!!
ovechkin is no rick nash
rick nash is worthless. crosby is a puss wad and ovechkin is the king of STDs. hockey is dead except ryan miller
Who the fuck are these guys?
“As Team USA began to compete for gold in Vancouver, I became a hockey fan. ”
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I got that far. You have no clue of the depth and breadth of the chokitude of the Washington Capitals.
caps choke about as much as pittsburgh fans choke on cock.
roger you’re fucking worthless ;-)
HAHAHAHAHAH
eat shit and die you fucken moron
yea he’s no crosby… crosby’s amazing 1g 4a and -1 and the 3 childish tantrums he threw in a 7game series vs the habs surely bests ovechkin’s 5g 5a and +5 playing the same habs in the same 7 game series. Oh right, not the same, Ovechkin also had to deal with Markov and Hal Gill for the entire series.
Its a good thing the Penguins have such a captain -nay – a hero – NAY!!-A LEADER!!!
To LEAD them!!!! — out of the playoffs & into Mario’s basement where i can only hope a night of whisky and razorblades puts them out of their misery.
Hey buddy maybe you should have stayed away from forming a conclusion about something you just started paying attention to. I guess the playoffs this year have proven you wrong. You can’t judge a player by the teams success only. That is rediculous.
Yeah man Lebron sucks because the Cavs haven’t won a championship yet, Lamar Odom must be so much better than him.
And Tammy21, how is that playing as a team working out for you. Yeah, they Pens played like a team alright, Crosby let Matt Cooke lead the team in scoring during the Montreal series becuase he’s a great captain and didn’t want to hog the spotlight, no wait. . . .
Maybe it’s becuase the pens weren’t that great this year, they beat up on bad teams becuase they had no way of shutting down 3 good lines, but teams like NJ and WAS dominated the Pens this year. Get over it, last year was a fluke of a playoff season, Pitt is screwed in salary cap hell, good luck signing 4 forwards and 3 D with 11 million dollars, oh yeah and 2 of those D need to be of the top 4 variety, and 2 of the forwards have to replace people on the top two lines. I hope you enjoyed your one cup run, keep playing like a team just like you did in game 7 guys.
Suck on my nipples, Wesley. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Pens will sign everyone they need to and continue to BITCH SLAP the shitty ass Capitals.
Funny how you don’t say a word until after the Pens lose. Typical loser ass fat boy sitting in his mamas basement. Do a push up pussy.
Pens still rule. Caps are still choke artists. And Wes is still a virgin.
@wes-you know what else is rIdiculous? Your spelling skills.
@Tammy-if you’re looking for someone to suck your nipples, I am all-in baby!! Hockey girl fans are HOT!!!