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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The Great 8 debate


I have come to the realization that some people just aren't happy with Ovi. Whether its scoring a bazillion goals, or rather as of late not scoring. Either way they just can't be happy.

Last year, I sat and listened as one by one the men around my office came up to bitch about the great 8's roughness, his skating abilities which to them seemed to harsh. They said while he could score, he could never really share the spotlight and was always to aggressive. This is why he landed three suspensions last year. For many of these people, they believed he needed to grow up and mature. To learn to share the spotlight with his fellow Cap teammates and realize that the show was not just about him.

Sure he led the league in goals for several years in a row. Yes he has won several awards for his play, his points and for his heart. But that did not mean he didn't need to change, because yeah they weren't thrilled with the way he played the game.

And lets not forget his lack of getting both the Caps into the finals, and his Russian hockey team into a medal at the Olympics.

Flash forward to this season. Ovi, isn't the scoring machine he was last year. While he has been a great assist man, he is falling way behind in the leading goal scorer for anything. And once again the men of the office started coming to me for Ovi's performance. Once again they weren't to thrilled. These same men who bitched about his game, where now slamming him for not being aggressive enough. For not being the same player that they thought was to rough last year?

They aren't the only ones. I have read articles lately-and I usually avoid them like the plague for this very reason-regarding his game. Questioning if he has peaked. They analysis every game, if he doesn't score its horrible. Is it the pressure? Is it the disappointment from the playoffs? Is he saving himself for this years rounds? Should we write him off now as just another hockey player that had all the potential but never lived up to it?

I suppose only time will tell. But all this talk just makes me think, that he can't catch a break. Sure he hasn't been scoring. But since when did the game of hockey become an individualized sport. When did assisting in several of the big goals this year become a horrible thing?

Did I miss something here?
Will they ever find something right with the guy?

Because the next time he goes on a twenty game scoring streak, I am pretty sure they will find something to bitch about that as well.

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