We sure have spent the better part of this week being glooming about the Washington Capitals, haven’t we? Tuesday morning Dave Gilmore detailed Bruce Boudreau’s inevitable dismissal as the Capitals coach, then Steve Giles broke down what’s wrong with the Caps’ offense.
Justin Bourne of Puck Daddy wrote an interesting article that searched for the root of Alex Ovechkin’s slumping season.
He came to the conclusion that the Great Eight may simply be out of shape.
The fact is, if you’re tuckered 20 seconds after stepping on the ice, your cardio simply isn’t up to snuff. The expectation in our game is that shifts are short because they’re essentially sprints. Those of us who play rec league know that, yes, it is possible to coast around out there for six straight minutes; but it’s probably not the most effective game plan when you have more than one or two extra bodies on your bench.
And that’s how I feel Ovechkin has looked this year — great in bursts, but unable to sustain any lasting pressure.
Bourne’s explanation is an interesting one and one that Capitals’ fans will not likely wish to hear. He says that at this stage in in career and with the support of Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, Ovechkin should be having a “Michael-Jordan-in-his-prime” type season.
The other option, according to Bourne, is that Ovie is “disinterested,” which fans really don’t want to hear.
Why do you think Alex Ovechkin’s numbers are down this season?
Boy, you hate the hear those kinda rumors about a young player. Reminds me of the stories swirling around Jarred Gaither of the Ravens…made a few bucks and is now content to just "get by". I hope this is not the case with Ovie…as a new Capitals' fan, I am still hoping to have many good seasons with the Great 8.
The difference is the Caps have locked into Ovie for huge money and huge years.
BTW, I'm not comparing them as players as Ovie has obviously shown alot more than Gaither ever has.
Ovie put on 20 pounds in the off-season. He did it to bulk up, but all it did was make him lose maybe half a step. He's lost some of the quickness that he uses to move around defenders with ease. Hopefully he'll learn his lesson and drop the weight soon.
The GREAT 8 wanted to be the BIG hitter by bulking up, instead it seems like he has become a bit LATE on his getting to the pucks. Maybe this year instead of being the best regular season team, the Caps will be a factor deep into the play-offs with Pudge eight Ovie.
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