NHL Playoffs: Night 1- Pens, Wings, and Caps

((HT: NHL/Versus/CSNWashington))

Alexander Semin kept the Caps-Rangers game from heading into a second overtime...
Good enough for a 1-0 series lead...


CSNWashington's Alan May had a good outburst in studio...


After a slow start, the Red Wings took care of the soon-to-be-moving Phoenix Coyotes 4-2. Johan Franzen was his normally-active self...


Marc-Andre Fleury was in equally good form for the Pens game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brooks Orpik had a multiple-point game as the Pens got the shutout...


Highlights from Vancouver and Anaheim when they become available...

Your Nightly Ovech-Trick

((HT: CSNWashington/NHL))

Further proof that the Caps star of stars can be flat-out ridiculous consistently...
Here's your game winner against the Islanders in overtime...

NHL All-Star Game Plays The Over...

The HQ doesn't quite think that the total in the game in Raleigh was 21, but an 11-10 game was what the NHL All-Star Game usually is...

Very little checking ((none)), very little penalty time ((none)), very few offsides calls ((two)), and a lot of scoring...

Ten different players scored the first ten goals and not even an 11-9 lead was safe for Team Lidstrom going into the final minute...

Here's your highlights...
((HT: NHL/Versus))


The HQ admits that is was cool to see Ron Francis and Rod Brind'Amour show up on ice, and Ovie was Showman Ovie...

We'll just have to get over the production elements...

Super Skills For Ovie And Chara

((HT: NHL/Versus))

The HQ admits to being a big pimp for the puck- even when Zdeno Chara dials up the FM to 105.9 in the fastest shot competition...


And when Ovie dials it up with the butt end of the stick...


Absolutely foul to the nth degree...

Max Talbot Calls Out Ovechkin; Something To Do With Vinegar And Water...

((HT: 105.9 FM The X/WXDX Pittsburgh))

At Heinz Field yesterday, the Pittsburgh Penguins were celebrating the fact that they were having a Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals.

You had your standard photo ops with Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot trying to launch pucks between the uprights... all that fun stuff...

And we even had Talbot refer to Ovechkin as a "real douche."
Gotta love those FM Dee-Jays...

Hear the interview here, thanks again to the X...

This dates back to the playoffs from last year when the Capitals' Alex Semin claimed that Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby was "nothing special" and said that the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane was a much more interesting player.

For the sake of your calendars, the first match-up between the two is on December 23rd in Washington followed by the Winter Classic a week later...

Here's Game 7 of this year's playoff series for your reminder...
((HT: NHL/Versus/rvwv89))


And here's the NHL Network's Brian Duff catching up with Crosby about the Winter Classic... presumably after he tried to wrist one past the crossbar...
((HT: NHL))

Ovechkin Gets 2 Games For Campbell Hit

The NHL suspended Alexander Ovechkin for two games for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell on Sunday afternoon.

Here's the hit, for those of you who want to see it again...
((HT: NHL on NBC))


Ovie was given a five-minute major boarding penalty and a game misconduct in the first period for knocking Campbell into the boards. Campbell remained on the ice for several minutes before being helped to the dressing room by trainers.

CSNChicago's Brett Ballantini reports Campbell will miss the remainder of the regular season

"I respect everybody," Ovechkin said after Sunday's game. "We respect everybody here in the locker room and outside, but over there [on the ice], we play for our team, and we make some hard hits, and sometimes, you get hurt. That's a hockey game."

Here's Ovie's reaction at the time of the hot on Campbell- along with that of Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau
((HT: CSNWashington))


Ovechkin, who was suspended for two games on November 30th, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Accordingly, he forfeits $232,645.40 in salary, based on the number of games in the season (82), rather than the number of days (193).

Ovechkin will miss Washington's next two games -- March 16 at Florida and March 18 at Carolina. He will be eligible to return March 20 at Tampa Bay.

Ovechkin gets rejection and then a game ejection...

It was the only alliteration that I could think of...that being the title. There was an interesting "incident" that took place in today's Washington/Chicago hockey game. It seems the Captials star player, one Alexander Ovechkin started the game, but he didn't get to finish it. The reason...a check in the 1st period that helped push Chicago's Brian Campbell into the boards. The hit was hard enough that Campbell had to be helped off of the ice...and Mr. Ovechkin...was asked to leave.

The story from the Washington Post...is RIGHT HERE

Unfortunately, most analysts who saw the play say that it wasn't a malicious play and wasn't something that warranted Ovechkin getting tossed. Ovechkin, who has a bit of a reputation for rough play has already had some misconduct issues this season and according to league rules will have to sit out for Washington's next game.

Take a look for yourself. Here is the video from the You Tube:

Ovie Breaks TV Equipment With Breakaway Goal

((HT: NHL on NBC))

Or, at least, takes out the protective casing and knocks the wireless microphone out of its hole. In the first of his three goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday, Alexander Ovechkin hit the protective casing of NBC's goal cam with such force that...

Well, how about we just let Doc, Mike, and Pierre tell you...


Destroying inanimate objects...
Well done, Pierre...

Ovechkin Scores Hat Trick As Caps Come Back

((HT: NHL on NBC))

In what is, probably, the pre-Olympic version of the Game of the Year, the Washington Capitals stormed back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime 5-4 in Washington Sunday afternoon.

Sidney Crosby made an early statement scoring two goals and staking a 2-0 lead for the visitors who had to fly from Montreal to Newark and, then, bus to DC. They arrived in the nation's capital at 2:15 in the morning for the noon-time puck drop.

They were forced to eat at a Burger King drive-thru on the drive down at midnight, and were happy that the place was open despite the weather.

Sam Kasan with the Penguins gives the blow-by-blow of the trip down Saturday...

4:43 PM: The Penguins’ game in Montreal ends
5:52 PM: The Penguins arrive at Montreal Airport
6:47 PM: The Penguins get through customs and board the plane
7:30 PM: The Penguins’ plane takes off for Newark, New Jersey
8:52 PM: The Penguins land in Newark
9:24 PM: The Penguins bus departs from Newark for Washington
11:45 PM: The Penguins hit a rest stop for food in Maryland, 81 miles from DC
2:15 AM: The Penguins arrive at the team hotel

This game was "Must See TV" and drew comparisons of Bird vs. Magic as to where the NHL is with their rivalries at this point in time.

Ovechkin and Gonchar Go Knee-to-Knee

((HT: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Shelley Anderson))

Top defenseman Sergei Gonchar ((pictured, thanks Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)) sustained an apparent right knee injury in the first period tonight at Mellon Arena as the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals, 5-3, in Game 4 and tied their second-round playoff series, 2-2.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is tomorrow night in Washington.

Gonchar sprawled in pain and was helped off the ice after he took a knee-on-knee hit from Washington star winger Alex Ovechkin near the left corner of the Penguins' defensive zone at 14:55 of the first period. There was no immediate word on the nature of Gonchar's injury. He did not return to the game. Ovechkin was assessed a minor tripping penalty.

Make your own decisions below...
Bob Cole has the call...
((HT: CBC/NHL))

Ovie Just Wanted To Piss Torts Off

From the Dan Steinberg creation- the DC Sports Bog- over at the Washington Post and Puck Daddy over at yahoo sports...

We have a little gamesmanship before game 3 of the Caps-Rangers series. And it stars none other than Alexander himself ((pictured, thanks Steinberg himself)).

"...all the media members buzzed quietly when Alex Ovechkin came out to watch the Rangers' morning skate. This, several veterans said, was slightly unusual. Then they buzzed again, when Ovechkin was tapped on the shoulder by a Caps' PR staffer and abruptly left.
Turns out Rangers boss John Tortorella((actually it turned out to be a Rangers official)) had apparently asked Ovechkin to vacate the bench. The Caps PR folks offered Ovie a seat in the stands instead.

He declined.
Playoff hockey is fun for all.
UPDATED: Tarik and I pretty much took care of asking the principals what they thought. I bit the bullet on Tortorella:
"Oh, God, I didn't even know," he said. "This is the first I've heard of it. Ask me a question about the game, not that [bleep]."
Tarik took care of Ovechkin:
"I just [wanted] Tortorella [to get ticked] off -- and he was," he said, explaining his motivation. "Because they afraid of me," he added, when asked why he was made to leave.
And last, Boudreau:
"I think it was more of a lack of knowing the rules, that's all," Boudreau said. "They asked him to leave; he left. He just went out there and he wants to be around the rink. I don't think he had a pen and paper, writing down line combinations or anything, but I can understand, I've gotten into the same arguments with different people when I want privacy in my practice, so I can understand what John was going through as well. As long as he's out there at 7 o'clock, we're fine."

Here's the Ovechkin presser
The answer comes at the 4:25 mark...
((HT: Caps365/NHL))

Cherry: "They're Laughing At You, Not Laughing With You..."

In this week's edition of Coach's Corner, Don Cherry looks at Alexander Ovechkin's 50th goal celebration and tries to tell the guy that it isn't funny...

Ovechkin knew Cherry was coming...
It's at the 3:15 mark...
((HT: CBC/NHL/Crazieman76))

Alexander The Great Does It Again

And by that we mean he scored a goal by sliding on his ass...

It's the goal that ties the game at 1 and there are mutliple replay angles...
It starts with a turnover. There's a 360, a slip, and a score...

Absolutely ridiculous...
((HT: NHL))

Oh, by the way, the Caps won 4-3 in the shootout...

Alexander The Great Strikes Again...

And all we can really say here at OSG HQ is that this is a goal of the most foul quality...
Not quite as good as his reverse dunk while sliding backwards, but pretty damn close...
Enjoy...

((HT: CSN/the youtube))

Alexander The Great's Latest Comeback

Those of us here at OSG HQ are pimps for the puck and always will be...
Seems last night, the New York Rangers thought a 4-nothing lead was enough against the Washington Capitals... they thought wrong...

Three goals in the third and the game-winner in OT by birthday boy Shaone Morrison ((yes, that is how he spells it- he's handcuffed hockey folks for years with that)) gives the Caps the 5-4 win and two points on the road...

"They stopped playing hockey," Alexander Ovechkin said. "They probably believed 4-0 they'd win the game. They tried to play conservative, but we play a different way. We play a hard, physical game and take lots of shots. You see the results."

Here's your highlights from our friends at CSN and the NHL...
Joe Beninati is on the bark...