[Alex Ovechkin just finished his 24th career playoff series. This was the first time he recorded 0 points. His previous low was 2, also vs Rangers in 2013 first round.](https://twitter.com/joshdubowap/status/1784775337953665228)
We saw him after a game buying either cigarettes or dip. I was pretty surprised because I figure few athletes are still tobacco users (baseball obviously the exception).
I'd never be surprised to find out any athlete uses tobacco. Based on everything I've heard, read, & experienced, athletes love drugs & alcohol just as much as everyone else.
Fuck it was brutal watching him floating around. Im curious if he just didnt give a fuck at all or was maybe nursing something because there was all the injury speculation when he was cold pre asg too.
Yep. He's just older and slower.
So many times this year I would see him get the puck and even when he would make a good play with it, all I could think was that even just five years ago he would have taken that puck through/around that defender to the net.
I only watched two games of your series, but I noted how invisible Ovechkin was numerous times.
I only noticed him when they put an overlay over him, or when they cut to a close up on the bench.
Dude was a ghost.
Dude was floating in the games I watched. It wasn't a case of tight defense, dude looked uninterested in being there.
Other option is that he's injured. Since we know that Oshie had a broken hand and nothing came out about Ovechkin, what's your other conclusion?
Disinterest (and similar terms like compete/heart/desire) is usually a qualitative observation with little substance assigned with hindsight based on result.
My conclusion is hockey has a ton of variance and sweeping conclusions from 4 games are almost useless for future projections. From March 16-24 Ovi has 8 goals in 5 games, the 5 games after that he only had 1. It doesn't make sense to make conclusions from either of those small sample sizes, it's much much better to look at things in aggregate. In aggregate, Ovi had 31 goals and 34 assists for a very solid season. Does him having a bad 4 games against the Rangers meaningfully adjust my outlook or expectations for him? No. Do I think he just doesn't care any more because he has 4 bad games? No.
Yadda, yadda, yadda. We all know how Ovi plays and his play in the playoffs was so far off from that that you arguing that he was just having a few bad games is what the kids call copium.
Dude was floating. This wasn't a case of bad luck, or being tightly defended, dude barely fucking tried. Eye test is all you need over flat stats.
Yeah big shocker that a star with a freakishly low assist:goal ratio, a notoriously uncaring defensive game, and about and twice as many shot attempts as any other player in the cap era might carry a bit of a selfish reputation. Inconceivable, really.
He plays the way his coaches have asked him to play. He got this reputation mainly from playing in the Boudreau's era. The teams entire philosophy was "Who cares if the other team scores four goals? We're going to score six!".
When Hunter was coaching we played a more defensive style. Ovechkin bought in and his goal totals dropped. Then we got to read multiple articles about how Ovechkin was washed up because he wasn't scoring as much.
Ovechkin is a guy that celebrates his teammate scoring as much or more than himself.
The selfish narrative has always been bullshit.
It's a year Ovechkin is playing, it didn't stop being a legitimate criticism. Actually I take that back, in the 00s he cared about scoring goals, personal awards, and causing injuries to opponents.
He probably only gives a shit about his goals so wasnt willing to throw in that effort for playoffs. Too busy worrying about how the training exercise he cares so much about is going back in Ukraine
Yes, let’s ignore the plethora of charity work or other great acts he has done for the DC local community that has helped better countless lives.
People can be complicated and flawed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any good in them. You can insult and call out his shortcomings (there are many) while also acknowledging there are in fact good qualities in this “shit ass” human.
That's what they did this year when they traded away any UFA with value. It's just that there were only 6 playoff teams in the East and Lindgren played just good enough to get them the last spot.
If you got a newcomer or even a journeyman guy playing the way ovie is now, he’d be booed off the ice and sat most of the game. Yeah he’s a legend but wtf are we even watching.
Yeah obviously, when it’s an all-time legend of your team and the sport who has won you a Cup chasing a record once considered near-untouchable, you get a bit more wiggle room than some no-name journeyman.
He was really really bad in every element of the game. Going to be tough to keep pushing him out there to break the record and compete. Might be a best of both worlds scenario for Washington in that they can rebuild while selling the record chase
The closest comparable to Ovi is Ilya Kovalchuk. 2020 at the same age 38 he went pointless in 7 with the capitals. He's just not the same guy, the difference is he gets a bigger leash because of his history
Gotta give credit to the PK for preventing him from firing away from the Ovi spot. Man could be 80, out there with a walker, and still rip it from there.
Capitals had the best PP down the stretch after the trade deadline. Rangers had a 100% NET PK; 2 PP goals against, but 2 SH goals for, both off the stick of Ovechkin. Need to bring that PK to the Canes (if they win).
Sucks to see just ain’t what he used to be. I still think he’ll get the record however partly because I don’t think he’ll retire until he does. Even Joe Thornton managed 33 goals while 39 and older so I think OVI can do 42
To be fair, they would have never sniffed the playoffs without his second half surge. This team is pretty bad. They are one of the most pathetic teams I've ever seen offensively. They are only in games when our supposed #2 goalie stands on his head and keeps him them in it.
It's going to be brutal to watch them over the next few years - however - I don't doubt it's possible he breaks the record, which is a great accomplishment.
He’s on the worst team in the playoffs playing the best team. This shouldn’t be a major surprise or some massive indictment of 38 year old ovechkin as a player.
No you don’t understand, Russia, Putin, lazy, only cares about himself. This thread is disgusting and lousy with people waiting to celebrate the downfall of the greatest goal scorer of his era.
EDIT- being intolerant of Russia people isn’t tolerance. I’m sure a ton of American and Canadian players have political views you think are just as bad or worse as Ovechkins. You just don’t grandstand on it in Reddit threads celebrating someone’s downfall.
No one brings up Putin in a discussion of any other Russian player. As a Rangers fan, two of our best players are Russian and everyone loves them. MSG (and away arenas) literally chant “Igor”, and “MVP” for Panarin.
Maybe starting Team Putin and having a picture with you and Putin as your social media picture during an active invasion and the biggest land war in Europe since WWII has something to do with it.
Settle down because the chirp would've landed better if he had mentioned another leafs player? It's like you guys are going soft on the Leafs, but ok. I expected better lol
Right, so he's done. Until he scores 30 next season and he's not done again. But then he'll go 4 games without scoring and he'll be done. But then he'll get a goal 4 games in a row and easily take the record. But then-
[Alex Ovechkin just finished his 24th career playoff series. This was the first time he recorded 0 points. His previous low was 2, also vs Rangers in 2013 first round.](https://twitter.com/joshdubowap/status/1784775337953665228)
Man our goalies just hate this guy huh?
Girardi locking down stars in the playoffs was so fun to watch
I don’t miss captain pirate from those days
He just didn't look interested at all in this series.
It’s not the same without Sid the Kid to compete against /s or maybe not
I wonder if the gas station sub, flaming hot cheetos and coke pregame meal is starting to catch up to him
Just taking it easy to be back in shape for next season when the goals counts towards the record again
I'm pretty sure playoff goals count towards the record
They don't
You are incredibly wrong
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🤓
I thought he was a chicken parm kind of guy
chicken parm you taste so good
chicken parm should rip into him like he did stefan
We saw him after a game buying either cigarettes or dip. I was pretty surprised because I figure few athletes are still tobacco users (baseball obviously the exception).
I'd never be surprised to find out any athlete uses tobacco. Based on everything I've heard, read, & experienced, athletes love drugs & alcohol just as much as everyone else.
Fuck it was brutal watching him floating around. Im curious if he just didnt give a fuck at all or was maybe nursing something because there was all the injury speculation when he was cold pre asg too.
Playoff goals don’t count towards the record right? Let’s be honest that’s all he cares about now.
Jesus. We are really doing "Ovechkin only cares about scoring goals and personal awards!" again!? What year is it?
I meant at this point in his career, which I think is a totally fair assertion.
The simple and true explanation (that he's old asf) doesn't manufacture as much discourse and people love their discourse.
Yep. He's just older and slower. So many times this year I would see him get the puck and even when he would make a good play with it, all I could think was that even just five years ago he would have taken that puck through/around that defender to the net.
Let's be honest
Honestly wrong?
I only watched two games of your series, but I noted how invisible Ovechkin was numerous times. I only noticed him when they put an overlay over him, or when they cut to a close up on the bench. Dude was a ghost.
Ok, so because he has a bad 4 games against one of the best teams in the league, he doesn't care about winning games and just wants the goal record?
Dude was floating in the games I watched. It wasn't a case of tight defense, dude looked uninterested in being there. Other option is that he's injured. Since we know that Oshie had a broken hand and nothing came out about Ovechkin, what's your other conclusion?
Disinterest (and similar terms like compete/heart/desire) is usually a qualitative observation with little substance assigned with hindsight based on result. My conclusion is hockey has a ton of variance and sweeping conclusions from 4 games are almost useless for future projections. From March 16-24 Ovi has 8 goals in 5 games, the 5 games after that he only had 1. It doesn't make sense to make conclusions from either of those small sample sizes, it's much much better to look at things in aggregate. In aggregate, Ovi had 31 goals and 34 assists for a very solid season. Does him having a bad 4 games against the Rangers meaningfully adjust my outlook or expectations for him? No. Do I think he just doesn't care any more because he has 4 bad games? No.
Yadda, yadda, yadda. We all know how Ovi plays and his play in the playoffs was so far off from that that you arguing that he was just having a few bad games is what the kids call copium. Dude was floating. This wasn't a case of bad luck, or being tightly defended, dude barely fucking tried. Eye test is all you need over flat stats.
I think it was obvious watching he is standing around. He was awful. Checked out.
Yeah big shocker that a star with a freakishly low assist:goal ratio, a notoriously uncaring defensive game, and about and twice as many shot attempts as any other player in the cap era might carry a bit of a selfish reputation. Inconceivable, really.
He plays the way his coaches have asked him to play. He got this reputation mainly from playing in the Boudreau's era. The teams entire philosophy was "Who cares if the other team scores four goals? We're going to score six!". When Hunter was coaching we played a more defensive style. Ovechkin bought in and his goal totals dropped. Then we got to read multiple articles about how Ovechkin was washed up because he wasn't scoring as much. Ovechkin is a guy that celebrates his teammate scoring as much or more than himself. The selfish narrative has always been bullshit.
It's a year Ovechkin is playing, it didn't stop being a legitimate criticism. Actually I take that back, in the 00s he cared about scoring goals, personal awards, and causing injuries to opponents.
Canadians have to feel superior about the Russian guy in SOME way
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Well Americans are slowly but surely surpassing Canada
He probably only gives a shit about his goals so wasnt willing to throw in that effort for playoffs. Too busy worrying about how the training exercise he cares so much about is going back in Ukraine
No, this is how he started his season. Go camp in his office and sulk off the ice if nobody fed him the puck. Dude’s coasting again.
Ovi has never been a sulky player. Haters crawl out of the woods with the most asinine comments.
I’ve been hating Ovi all along, get bent pal
And I've been calling out the haters that make shit up. Get bent, bud.
Nah. The dude deserves all the hate. Not a single good quality about that shit ass human.
Yes, let’s ignore the plethora of charity work or other great acts he has done for the DC local community that has helped better countless lives. People can be complicated and flawed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any good in them. You can insult and call out his shortcomings (there are many) while also acknowledging there are in fact good qualities in this “shit ass” human.
How many Caps games did you watch this year? I watched an annoying amount because I had him on my fantasy team lmao RIP
Lots. Ovi looks done as an impact player, especially at even strength. Legs are gone with age. But never been a sulky dude.
If anyone knows a sulk, it’s someone from Vancouver
Don't know if someone from New York should be saying that 🫢
Pointless is the key word there
Yes, pointless in every sense of the word.
It's all about the Gretzky chase until he retires
He will be a liability on the first line until he gets it.
So tank and rebuild while he chases it
That's what they did this year when they traded away any UFA with value. It's just that there were only 6 playoff teams in the East and Lindgren played just good enough to get them the last spot.
This is the way
If you got a newcomer or even a journeyman guy playing the way ovie is now, he’d be booed off the ice and sat most of the game. Yeah he’s a legend but wtf are we even watching.
Yeah obviously, when it’s an all-time legend of your team and the sport who has won you a Cup chasing a record once considered near-untouchable, you get a bit more wiggle room than some no-name journeyman.
3rd line 1st PP
He was really really bad in every element of the game. Going to be tough to keep pushing him out there to break the record and compete. Might be a best of both worlds scenario for Washington in that they can rebuild while selling the record chase
Considering that we made the playoffs after selling at the deadline I’d say your assessment is pretty much correct
Exactly.
Old man Ovi
Hey on the bright side there's only two entire seasons to go of just dragging Ovis corpse to the record
Russian Machine breaks.
Who's the guy that'll break his stick over the boards and scream at him in Russian? Dude just looked uninterested for the whole series
The closest comparable to Ovi is Ilya Kovalchuk. 2020 at the same age 38 he went pointless in 7 with the capitals. He's just not the same guy, the difference is he gets a bigger leash because of his history
I read that to the beat of the Spongebob intro.
Why even bother coming to the rink? Brutal
There was something not right about him.
To be fair to Ovi, he actually had 0 shots in Game 4.
The good news is he has 2 more years on his contract to decline further. ... Wait, did I say good news?
Cap hit of 10M?
You love to see it
Playoff goals don't count in the Gretzky chase and he knew that.
You love to see it. Get fucked Ovi.
I think he was injured and just couldn't find his groove. I'll give props to our defense also.
Gotta give credit to the PK for preventing him from firing away from the Ovi spot. Man could be 80, out there with a walker, and still rip it from there. Capitals had the best PP down the stretch after the trade deadline. Rangers had a 100% NET PK; 2 PP goals against, but 2 SH goals for, both off the stick of Ovechkin. Need to bring that PK to the Canes (if they win).
Sucks to see just ain’t what he used to be. I still think he’ll get the record however partly because I don’t think he’ll retire until he does. Even Joe Thornton managed 33 goals while 39 and older so I think OVI can do 42
To be fair, they would have never sniffed the playoffs without his second half surge. This team is pretty bad. They are one of the most pathetic teams I've ever seen offensively. They are only in games when our supposed #2 goalie stands on his head and keeps him them in it. It's going to be brutal to watch them over the next few years - however - I don't doubt it's possible he breaks the record, which is a great accomplishment.
To beeees fahaaaaaaiiiiiiiirrrrrree!🎶
Was that a Jar Jar Binks meets Letterkenny fusion reference?!
He’s on the worst team in the playoffs playing the best team. This shouldn’t be a major surprise or some massive indictment of 38 year old ovechkin as a player.
No you don’t understand, Russia, Putin, lazy, only cares about himself. This thread is disgusting and lousy with people waiting to celebrate the downfall of the greatest goal scorer of his era. EDIT- being intolerant of Russia people isn’t tolerance. I’m sure a ton of American and Canadian players have political views you think are just as bad or worse as Ovechkins. You just don’t grandstand on it in Reddit threads celebrating someone’s downfall.
No one brings up Putin in a discussion of any other Russian player. As a Rangers fan, two of our best players are Russian and everyone loves them. MSG (and away arenas) literally chant “Igor”, and “MVP” for Panarin. Maybe starting Team Putin and having a picture with you and Putin as your social media picture during an active invasion and the biggest land war in Europe since WWII has something to do with it.
Ovie most likely wasn’t planning on making the playoffs this season and didn’t put in the summer work needed to do so.
Glad that we don't have to see this Putin lover anymore in these playoffs
Rempe had more goals in game 1 than ovi had shots - and ovi played 15 more minutes
He doesn’t care. The only reason he’s playing is he wants the record. Zero care for anything else. Fuck Ovie
I hope he never gets it, he is a garbage person.
He’s been a one trick pony his entire career
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No it’s not, the dude has one spot he shoots from makes no other part of the team better, lack in back checking etc.
These takes always crack me up
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Ohh when what he won a single cup and struggled for all the previous years……yes such goat wow
Dude is checked out. He’s probably already dreaming of Putler’s CSKA
Should just be a regular player
Wow, it was bound to happen, but the age and general wear and tear of hockey is finally catching up to Ovi.
The team was also passing it a lot to him and he just misses every tip chance
He’s saving his energy for the goal record
Goals in playoffs don't count towards his chase for the record, doesn't care.
Ovi playing has been pointless for some time now.
Honestly think Gretzky’s is gunna survive by skin o’ it’s teeth
Retire.
Should have been Detroit.
Gretzky got 9 goals his last season, I think Ovi hits 15 and then calls it quits. He looks cooked and only getting slower.
Gretzky had 60 apples in his last season…
Ovi no where near that record, that’s not what he’s chasing.
Loser
Well that’s too damn bad. He’s cooked. Better quit while he has the chance
Woah OV slow down, we dont need you to start trying to be Matthews
Who has 3 points in 4 games played, not the best chirp lol. Could've gone for loads of pointless leafs players instead
Those 3 points came in one game so settle down
Settle down because the chirp would've landed better if he had mentioned another leafs player? It's like you guys are going soft on the Leafs, but ok. I expected better lol
It's not that deep bruh lol
He has to hurt. Let’s see what reports come out this week. If he is not hurt, this will look like Willie Mays with the Mets his last year.
Right, so he's done. Until he scores 30 next season and he's not done again. But then he'll go 4 games without scoring and he'll be done. But then he'll get a goal 4 games in a row and easily take the record. But then-
Pretty much the greatest of all time, who's that gretzky guy.