Alex Ovechkin Needs a Slump Buster
by J.P. on Mar 26, 2010 11:30 AM EDT
Email
PrintAlex Ovechkin is in the midst of the worst goal-scoring slump of his NHL career.
With just three goals in his last 13 games (two of them coming in the March 8 shootout loss to Dallas), Ovechkin has been on just an 18-goal-season pace for roughly a normal month's worth of games. Put another way, today is Day 47 since his snowy Sunday afternoon hat trick against the Pens, and AO has scored a goal for the Caps on just two of those days.
Of course, it hasn't been a "normal month's worth of games" for Ovechkin, as this span has included a disappointing (and somewhat controversial) Olympics and a difficult (and certainly controversial) two-game suspension. And the two-time reigning Richard Trophy-winner is still getting his shots on goal, averaging five per game (which is actually low for a guy who has averaged 5.47 for his career so far, but still high by the standards of hockey mortals) and topping that total a half-dozen times during this drought , all at a time when his team hasn't necessarily needed him to be great.
But it goes without saying that for the Caps to have any success when it matters, they'll need Ovi to be the goal-scoring dynamo he's known for being; during their captain's slump (which stands at 15 games for the team), they've won eight games and lost seven (including four in the shootout and one in overtime). For all the talk of how the Caps aren't a one-man team - and rest assured, they aren't - there's no question from whom they take their lead.
It's certainly not time to panic given the circumstances surrounding this dry spell. And there's no reason to believe that Alex Ovechkin's game won't return to the level to which we've all grown accustomed when it matters. But it sure would be nice for the world to be reminded of who its greatest goal-scorer is, especially when it wakes up today to a three-way tie atop the League's leaderboard. And while individual accolades don't mean much to this team or the players on it any longer, the goals that do mean something will be awfully tough to achieve without their best players being their best players. For Alex Ovechkin, hopefully a March that came in like a sheep lamb will leave with the roar of a lion.
81 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
He almost busted out of the slump last night. If he weren’t slumping that doesn’t hit Legace’s skate. I just get the feeling he is real close and once one goes in watch out NHL.
by freakinandpeakin on Mar 26, 2010 11:36 AM EDT reply actions
He’s close.
It will happen.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
I get the feeling he’s about to break out. He had three or four great chances last night that he whiffed on, and several good looks that Legace stopped.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Mar 26, 2010 11:42 AM EDT reply actions
His snap shot doesn’t have its usual pinpoint accuracy right now. There have been numerous occasions where he’s missed small openings between the goalie and the post and fired wide, or has simply shot it into the pads. I’m not sure how it can be solved but I’m not buying for a second that he isn’t distraught about the Olypmics.
Slump Buster
Heh-heh. :)
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
I don’t think he could handle it. I’m getting a scene from the movie “Road Trip” in my head.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
… and not the scene with Amy Smart (or “Unleash the Fury,” for that matter).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Bounces
I said this last night in the recap thread – the Caps, and the top line in particular, just aren’t getting the bounces right now. They will eventually. What’s amazing to me is that we can be unlucky and still win/force overtime. This team is just THAT good.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
I thought AO was trying to do too much on his own last night and not using or even waiting for his mates. I hadn’t been concerned before last night, but didn’t love that aspect of his game last evening much at all.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Huh. I’ve certainly decried AO’s propensity to play Lone Ranger in the past. I distinctly recall it as a problem in the Rangers series last year, for instance.
I didn’t walk away from the game last night with the same impression you did, though. Not that I was looking for it, though, and given his past it’s entirely possible that he was up to his old tricks.
By the bye, I thought AO passed up several good shot opportunities in favor of a pass v. Pitt, so perhaps he was overreacting to that?
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
100% with you on that, there were no fewer than three times he skated over the blueline, full speed ahead into a thicket of defensemen and forwards, then tried to get off a shot. Obviously I’m not in his head, so I can’t know for sure, but it looks like he’s getting frustrated with missing good chances and trying to go make something happen on his own.
It looked like he missed a couple of shots by inches, to say nothing of the one-timer that bounced over his stick or his shot into Legace’s skate. That can’t be helping him with the frustration facet, maybe he’s gripping his stick a bit tight?
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 26, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Right. 8-3-4 while struggling (relatively speaking) to score is impressive in and of itself.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I don’t get the resentment over this one. Resting guys is a luxury, and the team would be foolish not to take advantage of it. If that means dressing Sloan, Laing and Erskine for a game against Carolina, I’m all for it. It’s infinitely preferable to an injury to Schultz in a meaningless game.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I’m not upset, I understand the reasoning behind it, I’m just saying that all the shuffling can lead to some inconsistencies in performance.
Roger. I’m with you on that one.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I understand the rationale behind resting guys, but pretty soon, Bruce is going to have to pick a group and go with it.
Personally, I think he should aim to have a “playoff roster” nailed down by the game vs. Boston on the 5th of April, then use that lineup for the last four games vs. Boston, Pitt, Atlanta and Boston again.
Hey J.P. (or some non-busy and motivated Rink Rat), would you mind chucking up a post with a poll about “resting” guys versus “staying sharp.” I’m curious to hear what other folks think. I’d do it, but I’m in the middle of building a 75-slide powerpoint briefing.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
I think that timing is just about right. I’d like to see them use the final 4-5 games to “sharpen up” for the playoffs, too.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I approve of this idea, as April 5 is prolly the last game I get to see in person this season. Bring on the playoff roster!
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
AO is fighting it, the whole top line looks slightly out of sync, and the team as a whole has been mildly snakebitten lately.
Am I worried? No.
If they continue to struggle for the next 8 games, will I be worried? A teeny bit.
Regardless of how they’re playing, they ought to have enough firepower to get past whomever they draw in the first round. That gives them 12-14 games to get into a rhythm, which is a long time. In fact, it’s about a month’s worth of games.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I’m glad they’re getting it out of the way early. Ovechkin was having similar struggles in the early games of the Rangers series last season, but obviously broke out in a big way against Pitt.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Mar 26, 2010 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
If the slump only affected Ovi, it wouldn’t be that big of deal but the trickle down impact is hitting the whole team. In the 12 games before the Olympics, the Caps had seven games where they scored five goals or more. In the 12 since the Olympics, they’ve scored five goals or more only twice. And in that pre-Olympic dozen games, they averaged 4.8 goals a game. In the 12 games following Vancouver, they’ve averaged 3.2 goals. I’m sure the post-Olympic playoff drive has more teams playing better defense, but a 1.6 dropoff in goal output is pretty dramatic.
In lieu of any further substantive analysis at the moment, I'll offer up this:
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 26, 2010 12:26 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
“And winners fuck the prom queen.”
/Connery’d
"I know I was the best CIA agent the CIA ever had, but I thought I told you honkies from the CIA that Black Dynamite was out of the game!"
by Bald Pollack on Mar 26, 2010 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I propose this hypothesis…
Maybe no one has pissed off Ovi in the past month.
C’mon.. someone take a cheap shot at him
Maybe Fehr should give Alex his stick.
I have a C on my heart.
by boutros23 on Mar 26, 2010 12:35 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Do you have Fehr or AO on your fantasy team?
by DrinkingPartner on Mar 26, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Did anyone else get potentially catastrophic from what I wrote?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Not in the least. This team has one problem worth panicking over, and it ain’t Ovie’s scoring slump.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
Brooks’ face returning to 100% beautiful?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
it’s not catastrophic? so who’s going to reimburse me for the duct tape and plastic coverings for my window? on the bright side, i hadn’t been to my panic room since game 5 of the rangers series last year. it was nice to see it was still well stocked and ready for this years playoffs.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Mar 26, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
If I had a Caps Panic room, it would be filled with booze and unbreakable stuff that I could throw to my heart’s content.
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
nah, what it needs is a room/hallway that you can throw all the breakable stuff (mostly empty bottles) into without worrying about getting hurt.
I was going to say….I learned last weekend when visiting my little bro at school that one of the most satisfying stress relievers is smashing beer bottles against a brick wall. Unbreakable my ass! SEATTLE SMASH!
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Mar 26, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
PHT overstatement reaching histrionic proportions?
That, I get.
Catastrophic, not so much.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
Catastrophic?
Really???
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
I’m not worried. 24 goals in 24 playoff games is happening.
Russian Machine very rarely breaks. Oh and f**k Brooks Orpik.
Are we talking Ovechkin or Steckel?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Mar 26, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
A Druceian performance..
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Mar 26, 2010 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
OV may be slumping
but he’s still had a better month than the other two $100M athletes in DC.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Mar 26, 2010 3:52 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Happy to say I couldn’t name them if there was a gun to my head.
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
hmmm, I think its Haynesworth and Gilbert. I think.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
yup…
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Mar 26, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Wooosh.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Mar 26, 2010 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
could tell if he was being sarcastic or not
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
There is no question that Ovie is off his game. Last night it looked like he was pressing as I don’t think I have seen him wiff on so many of his shots. I am sure he will find his game before long. It would nice to see him bounce back with a couple of goals Sunday against Calgary.
Proud to be a Caps fan. Its a Great Day for Hockey.
And Tuesday against his good friend Volchenkov.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Why doesn’t he change his name to Alexander Levov or Alexander Levchik? (Okay, if we came in as a lamb but want to go out as a lion, that’s the trick.)
Levchik is the surname that means little lion while Levov is based on the Russian word for lion which is Lev (Cyrillic: лев)
Rocking the Red since 1975
Maybe he should call Mark Grace.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
For the first 2.5 months of this season, Ovi was not scoring in the third period. So what? Since then he scores as much as you’d have expected from him.
He just needs another haircut from his mother.
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Lingering post-Olympics funk?
Whatever the reason, Ovie looks a bit frustrated lately. He’s not only getting strong competition for the Hart, Rocket Richard, and Art Ross trophies, he’s probably also feeling additional pressure as team Captain to lead the runaway Capitals all the way to Stanley Cup victory. The playoffs are what really matters, and that’s the time when leadership becomes even more important.
If he still feels the sting of disappointment from the Olympics, he could be having doubts about his and the team’s ability to go all the way. As Caps Captain he might feel an additonal burden to vindicate himself and justify the individual trophies he won in the past.
Whatever the reason for his funk, I hope he shakes it off soon for his and his team’s sake. The Caps need a confident and productive Ovie going into the playoffs, and nothing will build his confidence more than a multiple goal game or two as the season winds down. I think, and Ovie might believe this too, that he needs to have another 50 goal season to generate the necessary confidence and momentum for the playoffs. He just needs to relax and not think about scoring so much. He’s much more effective when he does what he does naturally without trying so hard.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Japers' Rink
Related FanShots on Japers' Rink
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
The Vault
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Who are the Non-Smythe candidates for the Devils, Kings?
- End is near for Rick Nash, Blue Jackets as trade discussions set to resume
- Why the Devils and the Kings are evidence the Capitals shouldn’t trade Alex Ovechkin
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Final: 5 keys for New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Driven DeBoer delivers Devils back to NHL's elite
- Driven DeBoer, fired by Panthers, delivers Devils back to the land of elite in just one year
- Bruins acquire son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque
- Bruins add a Bourque: Chris Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, acquired from Capitals
- Shinnimin named CHL's Player of the Year
