Alexander Ovechkin - the latest news
(Александр Овечкин - последние известия)
Ru: Александр Овечкин, Sv: Aleksandr Ovetjkin, CS: Alexandr Ovečkin, FI: Aleksandr Ovetškin, FR: Aleksandr Ovetchkine, DE: Alexander Owetschkin
Three words: home ice advantage, but congrats to Stevie Yzerman who was on the road for the last 4 months analyzing and scouting the players, and the coaching staff of team Canada.
Congrats to Brian Burke and Ron Wilson, that was the most exciting USA team in years.
The luck was on Canada's side tonight.
....
We've started the new trend in US hockey.
~Ryan Miller
In Stanley Cup playoffs you play for your club, for your organization. At the Olympics you play for your country.
~Jamie Langenbrunner
Pretty much all on which tournament is more important, isn't it? Even the Super Bowl cannot be compared, it's not about the Green Bay Packers or the Red Skins, it's about your country.
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper unwittingly provided support for the popular belief that politicians cannot organize a booze-up in a brewery when they mixed up a simple wager on the outcome of Sunday's Olympic ice hockey final.
With their two countries playing each other in the gold medal match, the two leaders agreed to raise the stakes and wage a personal bet on the outcome.
The only problem was that they messed up the terms of the bet, with both offices issuing media statements that the winner had to buy the beer rather than the loser.
After being told about the error, both offices agreed that the loser would pay so if the Americans won, Harper had to buy Obama a case of Yuengling beer.
If the Canadians won, Obama owed Harper a carton of Molson Canadian.
As you probably know the Russian President has cancelled his visit to Vancouver for closing ceremony. And you guess it right, it's related to a hockey meltdown of team Russia vs. Canada.
Yes, it goes back to 1972 and it's all about the national pride and the way how Canadians humiliated the Russians, beat them up and broke Kharlamov's ankle. This would be remembered a thousand years from now. It's not that the Russians didn't deliver the same blows to Canadians, in 1981 Canada Cup they won 8:1 with Canada having such stars as Gretzky, Lafleur, Bossy, Perreault, Ray Bourque and Robinson. For Russians the game that will be remembered the most will be the win over Canada. You can lose to Finns, Swedes, Americans, Czechs, but the one that will hurt for a long time will be the loss to Canada.
Now you can understand the emotions after the tough loss and Ovi's reaction to this person who was filming him. It's still no excuse to Ovi, and it's the first time I see him being so mad. We will never know what provoked him, would be nice to see how that person looked or was holding. Ovi is walking and talking on the phone when he sees her filming him. He tries to avoid her going to the right, but she follows him. This is where Ovi puts his hand over the camera. I can tell you one thing, she has a strange Russian accent, maybe she was Czech? Ukranian? or Russian Jagr fan from whoever he plays for out there? Was she trying to put her camera right in his face or was it something else that provoked Ovi's reaction?
The guy who posted it wrote that the person who was filming "escaped with contusions and bruises." Don't believe it, Ovi just put his hand over the camera and that was all. She was still filming Ovi and his friends after they passed. She said "don't break," and then "don't break open", a slight difference between the first and the second, as if she was not a native
Russian speaker.
See, it started with paparazzis getting under Ovi's skin. If I would be him, I would start punching to the left and to the right. :-)
Again, no excuse for Ovi.
Meanwhile Bykov, who was interviewed by Russian Press, still believes that he made the right decision keeping Nabokov in the game after the first period. Putting Nabokov instead of Bryzgalov was the bad decision in the first place. Was there something else we don't know?
And regarding to some comments somebody left on this blog about Ovechkin being overrated(?): in the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy, Ovechkin scored the winning goal that eliminated Canada in the quarter-finals.
Without Canada the world wouldn't have the game of hockey, without Russia the world would never reach the awesomeness and excitement this game has now. It goes back and forth, it's now Canada's turn. The pendulum has swing, beware of Ovechkin Canada.
The horror of paparazzi's:
Both RIA News and the woman can file a suit against Ovechkin. Ovi, come back home to DC, enough of Vancouver, stay away from trouble.
Here's the video evidence (thanks to one of our readers in the comments section):
It starts with Ovechkin looking directly at the camera of RIA Novosti Eugene Fatkin, shaking his head from side to side and saying "Don't shoot" ("Не снимай"). The guy ignores him and continues to shoot. Ovi comes to him and says "Why are you shooting [I asked you not to]" ("Ты че снимаешь?") and Fatkin asks him to record the interview.
I think Fatkin deserved it. No respect for privacy. He was asked not to shoot. If someone would do it to you, and you don't want to be filmed, what would you do? Personally I would punch that guy in the face and break his camera, would you?
I also agree with the reader who left the link to the video:
It is very clear Ovi doesn't want to be filmed. If this guy wanted an interview then why is he being a total creep stalker about it???? He is just lurking and stalking Ovi.
I think Ovi should sue RIA Novosti, not them suing him. That's not the way how major Russian News agency should conduct the interviews.
It's deja vu again, Russia is behind like it was in Quebec.
If Bykov won't change Nabokov to Bryzgalov, he is done. This guy is no good.
2nd Period:
It's official, Bykov sucks. I was critical of him from the day one. The guy should stay in Siberia for the rest of his life. He has no clue of what is going in in the top hockey league in the world, no clue about the latest tendencies in hockey, he is just not prepared.
Is there a chance? No. Maybe 1%. The only hope is that Canada is playing the second night in the row, and that's what Bykov is hoping, but I think it's too late.
I wish Bruce could coach Team Russia (Hello, Russian billionaires?), he would ride Ovi from the first second of the second period and he would definitely replace Nabby after he allowed the 3rd goal. Under what kind of rock Bykov was living lately?
Top time for Russian players:
8 Forward OVECHKIN Alexander -2 14:00
11 Forward MALKIN Evgeni -2 12:34
13 Forward DATSYUK Pavel +1 14:07
Congratulations to team Canada, their coaching staff, they deserved it!
One thing I am happy about, Crosby was invisible and it was not about Crosby - Ovechkin, just like Ovi said, it's about Russia vs Canada.
Could it be another game, it could be a totally different outcome, but it's not the Stanley Cup with the best 4 out of 7. The Russian were less prepared than Canadians.
Now back to the business, "revenge" is a good word for Ovi, he will want Stanley Cup bad after that.
Whoever Crosby plays for is Evil because he is evil and that's why for Canada it's "we are them and they are us". Ovechkin reverses the old stereotype of the "heart-and-soul" Canadian and the "robotic Russian". It's now heart-and-soul Ovechkin against robotic and dull Crosby, it's Good vs. Evil, and that's why Ovechkin is so much loved in Canada.
Thanks to beergirl for sending email about this article!
Thanks a lot to a big Ovechkin fan (beergirl) who captured this moment. She is also an admin at Toronto Maple Leafs forum. We've got our people everywhere. One million hits on Alex Ovetjkin's blog! This is how much people are interested in the best hockey player in the visible Universe: Alexander The Great Eight Captain Ovechkin!
"IT'S THEIR RINK, IT'S THEIR ICE, AND IT'S THEIR FUCKIN' TOWN. BUT TONIGHT WE GOT OUR FANS WITH US!"
OMG, another Pavel's "War and Peace", enough already, Pavel, I am exhausted. :-)
"Why are you standing here? Ovechkin just got in!" a joyful exclamation of a passerby pulled me out of whatever I was doing and I slid down the stairs from the second floor of the "Russia House". "The master! The master has arrived!," or something like this, that was the public reaction of the crowd.
Yes, Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin granted the "Russian House" a visit.
Those hour and a half of his evening were lined in a tight schedule, in the course of which the most valuable NHL player and Jagr's destroyer was supposed to give a dozen interviews to various TV companies in the world.
February 23, 2010 by Sochi 2014 Winter Games (H/t to Emily)
Your correspondent couldn't miss this chance and began to follow every Ovechkin's step.
The first interviewer was Jeremy Roenick, the famous American hockey player who now works as newscaster on NBC channel. I'm not surprised, even during his distinguished hockey career Roenick was known for his mouth.
He walked with Ovechkin on the waterfront near the "Russian House", then they sat down and he began torturing Ovechkin with the questions. They talked about everything, starting with the Olympics and ending with the Washington Capitals player Jason Chimera. Alexander was so actively waving his hands when he was talking about his teammate, that it became clear why he was elected Capitals captain.
Then Ovechkin led Roenick to the model of Sochi Olympics and began to explain how wonderful it would be there, "back in the USSR". He was showing where the facilities will be located and that the Olympics in Russia will be held at a highest level. Alexander did his job. After all, he is Sochi-2014 ambassador, and his duties include such educational functions.
February 23, 2010 by Sochi 2014 Winter Games (H/t to Emily)
Another interview and more questions:
Ovechkin again will play against Crosby in the quarterfinals of the Olympiad. Will your personal war, which started in the games between Washington and Pittsburgh, continue?
No personal wars! This is not Ovechkin playing vs Crosby, it is Russia vs Canada. Two major hockey powers will meet in a duel. It will be interesting and exciting.
Will you be nervous?
No, I will try to enjoy hockey.
Who will win the gold?
We shall see.
Watching Ovechkin, I realized how hard it is for him. All interviewers were asking him the same questions. If it would be in the future, Alexander should probably send his biorobot-double for that to play to the public a worn-out record. But Ovechkin didn't flinch: Question? Answer.
The press attache of "BoscoSport" Julie Bordovskikh was horrified, "How do you survive that kind of pressure, Sasha?" "No worries, the usual thing," he replied.
The gold Palme d'Or for an interview with Ovechkin I would give to the Channel One [tj - Russian TV]. You can't ask boring questions like "what were you thinking when you hit Jagr?" in the language of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. In addition, the interviewer struck me very deeply because of what she knew, that Ovechkin was called a toad in his childhood, and Glenn Hall was throwing up before each game. The internet search reminded me that Hall was a goalkeeper who played for Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis in the 60's. How this charming girl from Channel One would know that? And Gerry Cheevers? I am shocked and crushed!
But judge by yourself:
Type into the search name "Ovechkin", and you immediately get the video of your hit on Jagr. How can you evaluate that episode?
It's a regular game episode. It's just because it was about two men who the whole world knows, that's why it was such a resonance. But you can see such hits in every game. It just happened automatically.
Did you realize it was defeated Jagr laying on the ice?
He hadn't been defeated yet. The Czechs had a chance to recoup. After the game I was in a great mood. I returned to the Olympic Village and immediately went online to look at the episode from the side.
So it was not just nothing for you, was it?
Of course not! I review the games to see what I could do even better. I liked the hit.
It is true that your older brother called you a toad when you were a kid?
It's true.
Is this is an intimate question?
No. I was called by someone who loved me, of course. The childhood, a golden time... But I don't allow the media to get into it too far.
For so many years in the NHL have you become Americanized? Are you now Ovi or Ovechkin?
Of course I am Ovechkin! But most of the people call me Ovi. I can hear it all the time at any corner. Even the Russian guys call me Ovi.
Do you realize your fame when you go out on the street?
In Vancouver - yes, I feel it to the full extent. Sometimes you want to go quietly to eat sushi, but immediately you get the fan's crowd who gathers around, who want to take a picture with you or just to say "Hello.
Is this a story with positive or negative sign?
This is a story about how popular hockey is at the Olympics.
Can Russia win the gold?
If we'll win three elimination games. It would be great not to look for excuses later, like, we tried, but something did not work. We must go out and play to win. And listen to no one. There is a lot of pressure on players and coaches. Everyone is expecting gold from us. The Olympics games are a great holiday for everyone worldwide. But we need to take a break in talking to media. Avoiding media saves you the energy. You must understand that you need to give yourself completely in every game, and not to leave your energy at the mixed-zones.
North American media complains that you almost never communicate with them.
This is exactly what I am talking about. We'll communicate a lot after the Olympics.
Can you tell us how you came up with the idea to draw a lamb on the blades of your skates?
Our team has a masseuse who also sharpens the skates, let's call him equipment manager, his name is Konstantin Rogatyn. His nickname is Yegorych. When I play for Russia I always do something for fun, paint the blades, put on some stickers. This time Yegorych prepared a surprise for me drawing such a figure on the skates. Unfortunately the part with which they are attached to the skates broke and I had to insert my old blades. But I'll sure keep these Ovechkin's blades in my collection, where I have some other interesting things: cups, medals, awards. After all, the blades were on the Olympics and worth of getting into my museum.
I know that Glenn Hall was throwing up before each game. Gerry Cheevers had a paragraph in his contract with the right to smoke a cigar during the break. Do you have a personal recipe of how to cope with the stress?
I try to distract myself from the game. Wrap the stick with the tape one more time. Check text messages on my phone. Listen to the music, play on the computer. I do everything possible not to think about the game too much. It couldn't be worse when you're sitting in the locker room and here comes the coach and begins to push more stepping on your last nerve. And it's all crazy around you. I try to avoid such things.
The hockey players complained about the food at the Olympic village. But it's important to keep your weight!
If you want to gain weight, you can go to McDonald's and eat for free. Eat five hamburgers and you will get a few extra pounds. Tretiak and the coaches made the right decision to feed us outside the village. The food gives us energy, allows us to achieve good results. You can't go too far with McDonald's, a kilometer at most.
Are you upset that Russia will play in Canada in the quarterfinals?
I don't care. It's you, the journalists should be upset. You raved about this in the finals. Slept and saw how Canada and Russia will play for the gold. For us as hockey players it's no difference which rival to beat. We still need to play here three more games. Perhaps most important games for Russia for the next four years. It is necessary to get everything together and play. And play our game, give it all.
Finally it was the turn of your correspondent. Ovechkin, who was already decently knackered and blushing from the lamp lights, gave the interview to Sovietsky sport:
Sasha, why it was decided to cancel team's training? I think this is the correct decision by the coaching staff. We have injuries and just simply need to rest for a day from hockey.
What's with Zinoviev? They say he's gone to the rest of the season. I can not talk about it. It's not in my credentials.
But if we play with 11 forwards, you will more load. Here we must look at the situation, based on who is gone. If we play without a center, then the more responsibility will fall on the other centers.
Do you allow, at least for a second, the thought that Germany could beat Canada? I'd like to see this, but I think there's no chance for that. The Germans have to excuse me, sorry ...
Are you going to watch the game? No.
You could look at Canadians. Why? I already see them every day.
And do you watch other games or do you turn off the TV? Personally I don't watch hockey. Although for the game for Canada vs the U.S. I made an exception. It was a very interesting game.
Did the Americans deserve the victory? Their goalie Miller was standing on his head.
Is the formula of the tournament fair? We defeated the Czechs, ranked first in the group. We should've had an easy road to the gold. But in the quarterfinals we would get the Canadians. If we get to the semi-finals there will surely be the Swedes waiting for us... Let it be hard, the sweeter the fruit will be. It's a trite phrase, but there are no weak teams in the Olympic playoffs. No need to cry about who we got. We must come out and play.
That is, when you learned about your quarterfinal opponent, didn't you had the thought, oh shoot, Canada, darn it. And what about the Swedes? And the Finns? Or those Czechs or the Slovaks? It's all the same.
And do you remember the feeling in Turin, where you too, got the Canadians in the quarterfinals and then you've scored the winning goal? No, I do not want to remember! We must come out and play. We must be united like fingers in the fist. As the guys in our locker room say, "fight, fight and fight again".
I just talked with Sidney Crosby in the mixed zone. He was asked a question about Russia and he ignored it. I asked him about the Ovechkin's hit against Jagr, he said he did not see it. What do you think, why Crosby doesn't want to talk about this? He just lost to Americans! This is a big blow to the pride of not only Crosby, but all Canada. If at this time you ask him questions about Russia, Sydney will be a little enraged. But he won't show it. So you, journalists, too, are doing your work. You are playing your own quarterfinal with Canada.
Even with the best hockey players in the world at the Vancouver Olympics, Alex Ovechkin stands out. The two-time NHL MVP from Russia seems faster and more talented than anyone on the ice and attacks opponent with bone-crushing hits. (Feb. 23, 2010)
To start, you need to select Ovechkin's video on top of the screen...
Personally I have a feeling the team Russia's coaching staff or the majority of players dictated to others not to talk to the media. I can remind you about the
And maybe after that Ovechkin was advised not to talk to the media.
From the view of North American journalists the Russians
Imagine that, Russian journalists complain as well. Here's an excerpt from SovSport correspondent who says that Fedorov's preference is English-speaking media...
And how do you like the story about Russian coaches being totally unprepared for shootouts?
Canada is now set to face Germany. If they win they'll face Russia in the quarterfinals which is the elimination round. Both teams will be desperate, no advantage to any team in this sense.
And it sounds like the Czechs might get a easier route to the finals. That's what the Olympic and international hockey is about.
Awesome A+ performance by the United States national team! And Chris Drury scores! And it's Miller time! Ok, Miller was told by Olympic committee to take out "Miller time" off his helmet. Now it reads "It's USA time!"
US team is looking good! Go USA!
USA's Chris Drury celebrates after scoring against Norway in the first period on Thursday in Vancouver. (Julie Jacobson/Associated Press) via cbc.ca
There was some debate about Chris Drury being on this team, but he has played well. Does that validate that selection?
Brian Burke: Chris Drury is on this team because he is Chris Drury. That's all you need to say about Chris Drury. He's a winner and he's a leader. We can count on him to do the right thing in every situation on the ice; we can count on him to help the younger players. I'm just thrilled that he is here and, so far, he has played well.
Only thing more epic than USA win: Alex Ovechkin DESTROYING Jaromir Jagr with an open ice check and getting an assist in the bargain.
zyllyx - twitter.com
Now it's clear that the Russian players are not allowed to speak much to media, and especially to English media. After the game vs Czech even Russian journalists complained that the players didn't want to speak to them referring to some "team meeting". So don't be angry at Ovi, he is just doing what the coaching stuff tells him to do.
Team Russia got 7 points and the first place in their group, Czechs has 6. Russia will play the winner of Swiss and Belarus pair in the quarterfinals. Whew.
Russia's Alexander Ovechkin (8) picks up doll someone threw on the ice after a men's preliminary round ice hockey game against the Czech Republic at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia via northjersey.com.
It's not a doll, it's cheburashka, team Russia's talisman.
Even Che has some kind of relationship to it. :-) Also cheburashka has a friend named Geno.
Source: www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/372201
COLT1911 from the Russian site VOTT:
I watched it in a bar in the Czech Republic. All Czechs in the bar were paralyzed in that episode [after Ovechkin hit Jagr]. But in general it was a little uncomfortable with six of us and the full bar of Czech fans ) Ovechkin's cool!
via Sport-Express
Source: www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/372217
OhNoSecond experience for Jagr, delivered by OhVechkin:
1st period:
That was an unbelievable period, awesome hockey. The Czechs were better, Thomas Fleischmanne alone had two good chances. Russians? Take out Ovechkin chances and they had none.
One positive thing is the goal on PP. Finally the Russians had some traffic going on in front of the net. And the main source of the traffic was Ovechkin.
Now look at the ice time, what Bykov is smoking, Vancouver "wheel-chair" weed? The best hockey player on ice, the Great Eight is the third with the ice time.
And look at D, Markov had only 4:05 while Korneyev had 5:52. Bullov (Bykov) has hit the new low with his coaching.
2nd Period:
A goal by the former Cap Victor Kozlov, a backhander miss by Alex Semin. 2:1 and the Russians are lucky it is 2:1.
Czech Repubulic's Petr Cajanek battles against Russia's Alexander Ovechkin during second period action of their preliminary round match at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver, BC during the 2010 Winter Olympics, February 21, 2010. Photograph by: Jean Levac/CNS, Jean Levac/CNS via montrealgazette
But what a vicious third period it was! That was the game to win by the Russians.
After Milan Michalek made the score 3:2, they showed him on the bench close. And what a face he had! It was like back to ancient Rome, it was like he just killed another gladiator. I wish someone could post it in YouTube, a face of a gladiator, a face of a guy who plays for the flag, for his country. I've never seen any Czech player showing this face in playoffs.
Authorities in Vancouver are going to restrict the sale of alcohol in the capital of Winter Olympic Games in anticipation of Sunday's hockey tournament games, reports Russian RIA Novosti. There are three matches between the leading teams on Feb. 21 at the Olympic Games: Russia and the Czech Republic, Canada and the USA, Finland and Sweden.
The government is concerned about the extent of drinking among the spectators and fans spilling onto the streets of Vancouver. For the first time in the history of the city the sale of alcohol in the downtown stores was limited to 7:00 PM and the intend is to extend this measure on a Sunday. The visitors are invited to drink only at the bars and night clubs, which are open to 2:00 AM.
According to police, the number of hockey fans on the streets in the city center on Sunday is supposed to exceed the record of 200 thousand people. Right now this record belongs to the annual fire show in Vancouver. According to police there were 150 thousand people last Friday in the city center.
Today we will be watching the great rivalries between the neighboring countries: USA vs Canada, Sweden vs. Finland. The one that is missing is Czechs vs. Slovaks because it has been already played. We've learned that Swedish - Finnish rivalry is pretty bad, but what about Czechs and Slovaks?
Here're some thoughts from
Hockey Junkie roots for Ottawa Senators and her favorite player is Anton Volchenkov who is UFA by the end of the season. The word is, he spends a lot of time with Caps players in Vancouver, Ovechkin, Semin and Varlamov. Who knows maybe Hockey Junkie will be rooting for Washington Capitals pretty soon? :-)
"He's like the shark in Jaws, circling in the water waiting for blood. They should play that music from the movie – da-duh, da-duh, da-duh - when he's out on a shift. He doesn't just go after loose pucks, he hunts them down."
~John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations for the St. Louis Blues.
Blog o Alexovi, psaný anglicky, je vážně kvalitní a aktuální
Just wanted to thank you for posting my book on your blog, which I consulted a fair bit while researching and writing the book. In particular, the comprehensive list of links on alexovetjkin.blogspot.com is the best library on Ovechkin material available anywhere.
Regards,
Geoffrey Lansdell
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Stu Hackel, Slap Shot The New York Times hockey blog
"Your work on the Ovechkin and Semin interviews was wonderful, and both are just great reads. Thanks for the time and effort..."
Greg Wyshynski Editor - Puck Daddy, Yahoo! Sports Blogs The Bill Murray Award -- For Outstanding Work From a Bilingual
Nominees: On Frozen Blog, The Alex Ovetjkin Blog
Winner: The Alex Ovetjkin Blog has seriously upped its game over the last twelve months and they continue to be the offseason's premier blog for info on our Russian players. OFB has the connections, but The AO Blog has the heart. Tic Tac Toe Hockey
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