Thanksgiving Turkey: Alex Ovechkin
Thanks to all of you who keep up with my erratic posting schedules and hell-bent mania for picking on the head of a league that can’t get out of its own way to success. You, the reader, is the kick in the pants I occasionally need to keep on going and other times you’re the great folks who provide me with the adulation I so desire.
Enjoy all the turkey you can handle today America. And mashed potatoes. And can-shaped jellied cranberry sauce. And carrots. And… Sorry, I passed out starving for a moment. The house is filled with so many glorious and gluttonous smells right now it’s tough to focus.
For my Canadian readers and the rest of you who stumble upon me elsewhere… Happy Thursday, here’s some video of an NHL superstar being a turkey.
Looks like Alex Ovechkin might get to spend some time after the holiday letting his belt loose with his hand down his pants after the holiday because… Well, that’s just straight dirty.
Ah jeez Gary, can’t you see I’m busy?
I know it’s how he plays all the time, but timing is everything and that was not it. It’ll be curious to see if the NHL actually does anything to Alex though since the guy he hit (Patrick Kaleta) isn’t exactly viewed as “good people” by the other players. Time to break out the ever-popular Wheel of Justice.
Comments
When does happenstance play a role in this?? While the hit was slightly to the back, the reasoning for the injury seemed to be the force given by the hit to propel Kaleta into the boards, thus drawing the blood. To an extent, you could say Kaleta turned as he dished the puck behind his back.
Frankly, I don’t see Ovie getting much, if any, suspension due to this. While he should have gotten a double minor or even five, I don’t think getting the gate when Kaleta had the ability to play afterwards was suffice in hindsight.
Ovechkin is an intense and sometimes stupid player, but at what point will the intensity be taken out of the game if we punish hits that in the end really didn’t take an opposing player out of the game.
Scotty – I think you’ve analyzed this one perfect. I’m going to guess that the punishment given to Ovechkin in the game (five-minute major and a game misconduct) will be all the punishment he’ll get and won’t see a suspension.
That said, your last paragraph is where a lot of debate comes in as far as the action done itself versus the result of the action. Some guys do totally dirty things that don’t hurt guys and they get away with it (Pronger) whereas others will get spanked hard because a guy was injured even though their history is relatively clean.
Ovechkin will get nothing, there is a different set of standards for superstars.