it's all on OV. He lost his explosiveness and never developed his game further
he will never be close to what he was
Agreed. The combination of an obviously lack of work ethic with regards to fitness and the neutering he took at the hands of Bodreau trying to make him into something he isn't has resulted in this. The guy isn't nearly as explosive a skater as he used to be. He doesn't put the work in off the ice.
It makes his complete disregard for the defensive zone even more glaring, he just floats above the circles waiting for somebody else to get him the puck. When a player scores 50 goals and 90 points a year you can look past that, but not now.
Well, he did send some guy who tried to put a pick on him about 60 feet last night. Thought that interference penalty was bogus, to be honest. Guy cut into his lane.
There was also alot of talk after the Caps lost against Montreal in that series when they were 3-1 up (if i recall correctly) The next year there was pressure on Boudreau to tighten up defensively. And Ovie hasnt been the same since that year/series.
I think that run of suspensions kind of neutered his intensity/explosiveness as well.
I think that run of suspensions kind of neutered his intensity/explosiveness as well.
Meh, I think that's an excuse. If that's the case, Ovy was a one trick pony who didn't evolve his game. Jagr was able to adapt his game when he lost his speed and became more of a bull. Cooke was able to adapt and change his game when he played like an idiot and kept getting suspended.
Plain and simple, it doesn't look like the old passion is there anymore. Maybe he's bored being an offensive player, not playing in the Run and Gun offense anymore.
There was also alot of talk after the Caps lost against Montreal in that series when they were 3-1 up (if i recall correctly) The next year there was pressure on Boudreau to tighten up defensively. And Ovie hasnt been the same since that year/series.
Meh, I think that's an excuse. If that's the case, Ovy was a one trick pony who didn't evolve his game. Jagr was able to adapt his game when he lost his speed and became more of a bull. Cooke was able to adapt and change his game when he played like an idiot and kept getting suspended.
Plain and simple, it doesn't look like the old passion is there anymore. Maybe he's bored being an offensive player, not playing in the Run and Gun offense anymore.
Its sad but you hit the nail on the head. He lost that juice and never recaptured it for whatever reason.
Meh, I think that's an excuse. If that's the case, Ovy was a one trick pony who didn't evolve his game. Jagr was able to adapt his game when he lost his speed and became more of a bull. Cooke was able to adapt and change his game when he played like an idiot and kept getting suspended.
Plain and simple, it doesn't look like the old passion is there anymore. Maybe he's bored being an offensive player, not playing in the Run and Gun offense anymore.
Said before (and Jules Winnfield said the same thing just now) Jagr's explosiveness vanished at the same age and nobody ever alleged that to have been due to taking, then quitting, roids.
Said before (and Jules Winnfield said the same thing just now) Jagr's explosiveness vanished at the same age and nobody ever alleged that to have been due to taking, then quitting, roids.
Yep, and think about this also. Ovy's game was about explosiveness, acceleration, and power. He came into the league with piss and vinegar running through his veins and was pretty much playing as if he were playing with playoff intensity for the first 5 years of his career. That kind of style has to take a toll on you if you don't adapt. I noticed it with his patented skate down the wing and break toward the middle of the ice wrist shot using the D as a screen (recently vs Ovy of 2009 and before).
Jagr is a good example of a player who lost production because of losing speed but evolving his game to use his strength and protection of the puck in the offensive zone to give him separation. Ovy needs to find that in his game...and also play like he's having fun again.
I was watching him last night wondering if I'll ever see him score and then jump into the glass like a crazed animal again
I've been saying for awhile now he is not even close to the same player he was when he first came into the league. What made him so dominant early in his career was the explosiveness in every thing he did especially his skating. He's still fairly aggressive but that explosiveness is gone. D-men used to **** their pants when Ovy was coming down the wing one on one with them. Someone that big, that explosive, with that much talent was nearly impossible to handle. Now? Not nearly as scary at all for D-men to see him coming down the wing with space.
So are we saying that his problems with scoring lies with his obsession with aiming his shots? Really?
He is a perimeter player. That is his problem.
No the difference is that he never was precision player like most other talented guys, he relied on having superior strength in his shot and they would go through no matter what. Since he has a little less strength, right now he's just like anybody else and the shots don'r go through. Remember we used to say "how does this went through?" when it should not but the puck ended in the net anyway. Well now the law of physics are working properly.
I personally believe a bit part of the blame is on the Cap's coaching staff. They don't play a game that really favors Ovechkin's abilities, and he hasn't really played with players who can make up for his failings.
It all started when their morale was crushed by the Habs in '10
There was also alot of talk after the Caps lost against Montreal in that series when they were 3-1 up (if i recall correctly) The next year there was pressure on Boudreau to tighten up defensively. And Ovie hasnt been the same since that year/series.
I remember he went from 50 goals to 30 goals in one season with the change in style of the Caps. And since then he's been in a free-fall, somehow it got to his head and he doesn't seem to know what to do anymore.
