If Alexander Ovechkin goes without a goal tonight it will match the second longest drought he has had in his career. Ovechkin has just 1 goal in the seven games since US Marshalls showed up at the Washington Capitals training facility to question players about their ties to the “Steroid Doctor”, Dr. Nagel. I’m not saying that Ovechkin stopped doing steroids because of the questioning by investigators. He was tested weeks before at the Olympics and they did not report to have found any steroids, and it would taken at least
one week to wash certain types of steroids out of his system before the Olympic drug testing.
On a side note, since exactly one week before Olympic hockey games started until last night, Alexander Ovechkin has scored only 4 goals in 18 games which is by far the biggest drought of his NHL career. That is a pace of around 18 goals for a season.
The Washington Capitals won their first Presidents Trophy last night by clinching the best overall record in the NHL. With that the team gets to split the $350,000 in prize money and also gets to go into the playoffs knowing that since the NHL started the whole salary cap system 25% of the teams that have won the Presidents Trophy have won the Stanley cup. Of course since then 50% of the teams that have won the trophy lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Since everyone is dishing out year end awards, I’m giving one for worst headline of the year award, and it came from last nights game. The Capitals Brooks Laitch got the game winning goal in overtime against the Boston Bruins and the headline on NHL.com read “The Capitals don’t just Laich it, they love it” – ‘Nuff Said.
Here we go with the Alex Goligoski crap again. Dave Molinari from the Post Gazette is fielding questions about him today. I don’t know who said Goligoski play was poor and why every lemming has jumped aboard, but Goligoski is ranked 2nd or 3rd in just about every statistical category for the Penguins defense. He is 2nd in goals scored, assists, overall points, shooting percentage, powerplay goals, time on ice per game, third in plus minus and shots on goal.
Goligoski has the least amount of penalty minutes of all the defensemen and over twice as many hits as Eaton. All this and Goligoski has missed 13 games with injury this season in what is his first full season in the NHL. You can view the Penguins defensive stats here: “Penguins Defensive Stats” and stop being a lemming.
Sidney Crosby got 2 of the top ten goals of the year as seen on the NHL network, you can view them here: Video: Sidney Crosby nets two of the Top Ten Goals of the Year
The Pens dished out team awards on Saturday:
Most Valuable Player Award – Sidney Crosby
Defensive Player of the Year – Brooks Orpik
Player’s Player Award – Jordan Staal
Edward J. DeBartolo “Community Service” Award – Sidney Crosby
NHL Masterton Nominee “Comeback Player” Award – Bill Guerin (I’m not sure what he came back from, old age maybe?)
Baz Bastien Memorial “Good Guy” Award – Sidney Crosby & Marc-Andre Fleury – Given to the player(s) who helps out the media all year
A.T. Caggiano Memorial Booster Club Cup – Sidney Crosby – Most stars of the games 3 stars all year
Gametime is 7:30PM and can be seen in HD at the Igloo or on Versus.
Additional Reading:
Are the Capitals That Much Better Than Everyone Else?
NHL Winter Classic: Capitals vs Penguins at Heinz Field January 1st 2011
Gameday Poop: Penguins vs Capitals – Steroids Steroids Steroids
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