mysilentfury

Sure, he’s from Russia. Sure, he will go to the winter Olympics and do his best to lead the Russians past Team U.S.A. in a couple weeks. However, when you look at the body of work and the excitement that Alexander Ovechkin has brought to the NHL, it is unbelievable the impact he is having on the sport of hockey; particularly in the U.S. where hockey is hardly recognized as a sport.

I have followed all of the Washington teams throughout my life and have very rarely had too many players on these teams that I can truly rally behind. Of course, I stand behind all the players that go through any teams in Washington, but there have only been a couple that have truly stood out throughout their respected leagues. For example, Sean Taylor was considered by many to be the best safety in the NFL, all the way up until the day that he was murdered in his Miami home. In addition, Gilbert Arenas was one of the top five point guards in the NBA for the Wizards before a plethora of knee injuries and a terrible decision related to guns set him back. For as good as Taylor and Arenas were, the talent of Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals trumps them all.

The talks have already begun within the first five years of Ovechkin’s career as to whether he is the best player to ever pick up a hockey stick. Of course, them seems crazy because everyone instantly (and rightfully so) thinks, “Hey, what about Gretzky?” True. Gretzky is widely considered the best NHL player ever. It is wild though to take a look at where Gretzky was at the same point in his career as Ovechkin is now, and the truth is, Ovechkin is off to a better start. Obviously, only time will tell if Ovechkin will be considered the best ever as he is still relatively young in the sport and has a lot to live up to and prove before the smoke clears.

For what it is worth though, Ovechkin and his rivalry with superstar wingman, Sidney Crosby, are bringing attention to a sport that only a few years ago went an entire season with no games. On super bowl Sunday there was an amazing matchup between two of the best teams in the league, and two superstars squared off in what was the best game of the season. However, the two teams that put on the amazing show were not the Colts and Saints at 6:00 P.M.; it was the Capitals and Penguins at noon earlier that day. The Penguins and there dynamic duo of Malkin and Crosby came to Washington to face off with the Capitals and Ovechkin it what was the game of the week in the NHL.

The game lived up to the hype and exceeded what anyone could have expected. The Caps were (and still are) on a winning streak that is only four games short of the NHL record of seventeen consecutive wins. That record is ironically, but not coincidently owned by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This certainly added fuel to the Penguins fire to come into Washington and put it to the Capitals. They did not disappoint. Before the Capitals and their home sellout crowd knew what had happened, the Penguins, off the stick of Crosby, were winning 2-0. I was watching that game thinking of what a shame it was that the Capitals were a) going to lose; b) end their winning streak; and c) have Crosby outshine Ovechkin on national television.

Ovechkin did score a breakaway goal and get the crowd involved, but that did little to ease the pain that was felt as the score reached 4-1 Penguins. Had it not been such a marquee matchup, most (including myself) would have changed the channel and started getting ready for the Super Bowl. This would have been a huge, huge mistake. Not only did tempers flare and the intensity of the game reach an insane pace, but the scoring came in bunches. The Capitals, down 4-1 on their home ice, went to a new level. Ovechkin pieced together a hat trick, which of course was welcomed with a barrage of red and blue hats that littered the ice and gave the guys a second to catch their breath. As the Capitals tied the game at four goals each, the red clad crowd erupted and remained on their feet for the remainder of the game.

Neither team scored another goal in regulation and overtime was on. Halfway through the 5:00 minute overtime period Ovechkin ripped a slap shot that was saved by the blocker of the Penguins goalie, where it was then put to the back of the net by a waiting Mike Knuble to solidify the comeback victory for the Capitals and keep their hopes of breaking the NHL winning record alive. Ovechkin’s three goals and one assist on NBC that day was yet another milestone in the stellar career of this young star. Many people are starting to recognize hockey as more than just a Canadian spectacle with a few fights sprinkled in. Ovechkin (and yes, Crosby as well) are exactly what the NHL needed to spark American interest in their sport. Hopefully, they will continue to put on epic performances against each other and other teams so that more people will realize the intensity and competition level of this much too often slept on sport.

With all due respect to Manning and Brees, they were not the stars of this past Super Sunday. Two young players from Russia and Canada, respectively, put on a show that will be hard to duplicate in any sport. Ovechkin will continue to impress, continue to awe, and hopefully, give us Washington faithful a long overdue championship to celebrate.

Let’s Go Caps!!!