NEWS BY DIVISION
- Northeast GMs still filling roster holes Northeast
- 'Boogey Man' no laughing matter Atlantic
- Halak must prove he isn't all hype Central
- Iginla likes Calgary signings of Jokinen, Tanguay Northwest
- If Kovy stays in the East, then what? Pacific
- FAs not expected to fly Southeast this summer Southeast
COLUMNS
- Drafting well: not an easy task Justin Bourne
- Stock Up, Stock Down Justin Bourne
- Beards And Bruises: The De-evolution of Looks Justin Bourne
| Ovechkin is great, but is he a dirty player? |
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| Southeast |
| Written by Brett Friedlander |
| Friday, March 19, 2010 04:24 |
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Southeast Division notebook: Alexander Ovechkin is one of the best, if not the best player in the NHL. That much is beyond debate. Now up for discussion is whether the Washington Capitals star and two-time Hart Trophy winner is a dirty player. Ovechkin’s reputation – and perhaps his chances at a third straight MVP trophy – took another major hit Sunday when he ended the season of Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell by driving him into the end boards from behind. The resulting two-game suspension was Ovechkin’s second this season, making him a repeat offender and raising further questions about his aggressive style of play. “I don’t care if you’re dirty or not, if you have a history or not, if you hit somebody in the head or you injure somebody, you need to get suspended for it,” Adam Burish, Campbell’s teammate, told the Chicago Tribune. “I was glad to see that the league finally did that.” Though Burish stopped short of calling Ovechkin a dirty player, he did say that the league’s leading scorer has a tendency to be “reckless” and “not always in control of what’s going on.” Campbell broke his collarbone and fractured a rib as a result of the hit from Ovechkin, who earned a major penalty and game misconduct. It was the latest on a growing list of questionable hits perpetrated by the aggressive Russian. Ovechkin was also suspended last November for a knee-on-knee hit to Carolina’s Tim Gleason, which came less than a week after he was slapped with his first game misconduct for an illegal check on Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta. According to several media pundits, the backlash over Ovechkin’s controversial hits could cost him votes in this year’s MVP voting. But in a statement on posted on the Capitals’ official Web site, the embattled star defended his style of play while apologizing to Campbell for his season-ending injuries. “I am very sorry that Brian was injured and I hope he is able to return to his team soon," Ovechkin said. “NHL hockey is a physical game. We all play hard every time we are on the ice and have battles each shift in every game we play so we can do our jobs and win. As players we must accept responsibility for our actions and I am no different but I did not intend to injure Brian and that is why I was disappointed with the NHL's decision yesterday. “Every time I have the honor to play for my team, I will continue to do what I have done since I was taught to play. I will play hard, play with passion and play with respect for my teammates, opponents and fans. I look forward to returning to my team and doing everything I can to be the best player I can be.” ATLANTA When the Thrashers scored three times in the first five minutes against Buffalo on Tuesday to knock Olympic hero Ryan Miller out of the game, it marked the first time since March 6 that they had led in a game. They had been outscored 22-8 in their six games during that stretch, all losses. … Atlanta won that game 4-3, then beat Ottawa 6-3 two nights later to pull to within three points of the final Eastern Conference playoff position. … The Thrashers killed off all four penalties in the win against the Senators, marking the first time in 11 games that they hadn’t allowed at least one power-play goal. … D Zach Bogosian suffered a hand injury in a loss to the New York Rangers last Friday and missed his first game of the season Sunday against Phoenix. CAROLINA D Tim Gleason was hoping to play through the pain in his right foot suffered while blocking a shot against Boston on Tuesday, but that plan ended a day later when it was learned that the U.S. Olympic star had suffered a broken bone. Although he is expected to miss three weeks and the Hurricanes are all but out of the playoff picture, both the player and his coach Paul Maurice are hoping he will be able to return before ths seasons is over. … During his team’s 4-3 overtime win Thursday against Washington, Gleason delivered an American flag autographed by the entire U.S. Olympic team to a group of 10 Marines from nearby Camp Lejeune attending the game at the RBC Center. … Rookie Jamie McBain, one of the top-scoring defensemen in the AHL, was recalled to fill Gleason’s spot on the blue line. … Carolina has signed its second-round draft pick in 2008, Ohio State’s Zac Dalpe, to a three-year contract and has assigned him to its AHL affiliate in Albany. FLORIDA F Nathan Horton, who had missed 17 games with a broken tibia, returned to action for the first time since Jan. 21 in the Panthers’ game against Phoenix on Thursday. While his presence on the first line with David Booth and Stephen Weiss helped his team jump out to a 3-0 lead, Florida wasn’t able to hang on and lost 4-3 in a shootout. … Panthers prospect Marc Cheverie, a goalie at the University of Denver, has been named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the top college hockey player in America. … Even with Ovechkin out of the Washington lineup because of a suspension, the Panthers surrendered seven goals in a loss to the Caps. Florida lost all six meetings with the league’s best team this season and was outscored 33-15 in those games, even though Ovechkin played in only two of them. TAMPA BAY Currently in 11th place, six points behind Boston for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Lightning’s push to the postseason has been hampered by an ill-timed rash of injuries. Leading scorer Steven Stamkos is playing despite a lower back contusion suffered last weekend when he was checked into the boards by Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik. D Mattias Ohlund, the team’s leader in average ice time, has been out of action since last week when he suffered an ankle injury from getting checked into the boards by Toronto’s Christian Hansen. LW Ryan Malone, meanwhile, continues to be sidelined by a knee injury that has bothered him since before the Olympic break. Illustrating Tampa Bay’s recent offensive woes is the fact that Malone still ranks third on the team with 21 goals despite not having scored in 15 games. |
