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Olympics: OV on Team Canada?

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Human said:
Unbelievable how Ovechkin and Caps fans easily crap on his teammates... It's never his fault it's always those weak others pulling him back... Of course this is when things are going bad. When things are going good he "singlehandly" puts the team on his back...
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Nothing has ever went good for the caps lol
 
Wisp said:
Dumb question. Absolutely. An elite goal scorer, and you can trust he'd have a coaching staff utilize him properly on Team Canada.

You can damn well bet his reputation would be better if he was Canadian, too.
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This is just coaching related anti-Russianism!
 
Every member of Canada's team played 200ft of puck possession hockey including aggressive forecheck and backcheck and team defense by the forwards. I suspect that any forward or defender not playing within the system and game plan would not have played; the players adapted to the system and not vice versa.

Obviously Ovechkin's scoring skills are unquestionably elite, and Canada wasn't scoring a lot. However, in a short term tournament, I don't think Ovechkin could have adapted to Team Canada's 200 ft responsible, puck possession systems and game plan. Not because he was unwilling, Ovechkin would have tried pretty much anything to play well in his home country. And not because he can't, Ovechkin increasingly has been asked to use a limited set of skills none of which are applicable to Babcock's plan. However, earlier in his career Ovechkin did more with puck possession, backchecking, and aggressive play suggesting that given enough time he could have adapted.

Out of Team Canada, Ovechkin probably most closely parallels Tavares. In that, even though their offensive talents differ, they are both offensively talented players who are not asked and do not contribute significantly on the defensive end in the NHL. Ovechkin would have been on Team Canada but likely would have seen limited ice time.

EDIT: Team Canada's power play was largely an afterthought. In addition, Canada had the fourth fewest power plays and was in the middle of power play conversion. If they wanted a power play specialist, why was PK Subban still sitting in the press box?
 
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The power play was the one thing I didn't like about this team. Ovechkin could have helped in that regard ala Stamkos.
 
PensPlz said:
Why are people voting no? Only put him in for the PP, Canada is instantly better. How can anyone argue that?
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Because putting a "PP specialist" on the team is a waste of a roster spot which would be better utilized by dressing a guy who is willing to commit to the team plan and who you can trust on the ice in any situaiton (in addition to scoring goals, i.e. guys like Benn and Kunitz who had just as many goals as Ovechkin).

Canada had no use for a player who would only play the powerplay. In case you didn't notice Canada barely even utilized the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner.

Ovechkin only had 1 goal for Christ's sake!
 
DrunkKaner88 said:
He's never been held accountable? The guy looked like he wanted to flee the country after they lost in the Olympics. He's been getting most of the blame for them being a failure. Pretty sure he was being held accountable for them totally laying an egg
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I am speaking in terms of NA fans. With them, he is never accountable. I even stated earlier that all of Russia and even his own coach put blame on him and NA fans are still saying he is not at fault for contributing to the loss.
 
Kranix said:
Ovechkin can do anything a coach wants. He can hit, back-check, pass, shoot, whatever. He's a half decent hockey player. You need the right coach though. He would have given everything for Russia, but they had a bad coach and defense.
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Oh dear, already pilling up the excuses.

Always on the coach, or so it seems.
 
Even if you think he couldn't be used at even strength, he could still be put in for our 7th dman who didn't play a minute and play PP time.

Canada, as solid as we were defensively, was missing an elite finisher. Ovechkin would clearly provide that, especially on the PP.
 
TL said:
Backstrom is elite.

Mike Green was a star.

John Carlson is an emerging star.

Bruce Boudreau was / is a star!
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not even close

anyways if kunitz, sharp, and nash can make the team than OV would have no problem making it.
 
hatterson said:
Even if you think he couldn't be used at even strength, he could still be put in for our 7th dman who didn't play a minute and play PP time.

Canada, as solid as we were defensively, was missing an elite finisher. Ovechkin would clearly provide that, especially on the PP.
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I repeat, if Canada wanted a power play specialist, why was PK Subban in the press box? Why did Babcock dress Hamhuis instead?

Ovechkin would not have dressed as the 7th dman.

EDIT: In addition, Babcock left one of the worst power play units including Crosby, Kunitz, Keith, and Sharp intact. PPs were clearly not the focus of the game plan.
 
hatterson said:
Even if you think he couldn't be used at even strength, he could still be put in for our 7th dman who didn't play a minute and play PP time.

Canada, as solid as we were defensively, was missing an elite finisher. Ovechkin would clearly provide that, especially on the PP.
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I would expect an "elite finisher" to come up with more than 1 goal during the biggest hockey tournament of his life.
 
Pilky01 said:
Because putting a "PP specialist" on the team is a waste of a roster spot which would be better utilized by dressing a guy who is willing to commit to the team plan and who you can trust on the ice in any situaiton (in addition to scoring goals, i.e. guys like Benn and Kunitz who had just as many goals as Ovechkin).

Canada had no use for a player who would only play the powerplay. In case you didn't notice Canada barely even utilized the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner.

Ovechkin only had 1 goal for Christ's sake!
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He went what.. 4 games without scoring a goal? Clearly he's lost it!

If Stamkos was enough of a lock to make the team while injured, Ovechkin would be as well. After all, Stamkos pretty much just floats around and bangs home one-timers. Also he hasn't won squat in his career...

I mean people don't really think Stamkos is a great defensive forward or anything, right?
 
hatterson said:
Even if you think he couldn't be used at even strength, he could still be put in for our 7th dman who didn't play a minute and play PP time.

Canada, as solid as we were defensively, was missing an elite finisher. Ovechkin would clearly provide that, especially on the PP.
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They had one of the best PP trigger man in the league at their disposal and preferred dressing Hamhuis/use Sharp on the point.

Thus, having Ovechkin as a 7th defenseman/PP specialist wouldn't make any sense. Subban is just as good on the PP and offers a boat load more versatility than Ovechkin, and yet he was the odd man out.

Although I'm no saying I wouldn't have taken Ovechkin on TC... That's just ridiculous. Kunitz/Carter/Nash/Sharp would have been gone in a second if it were up to me.
 
Not all the blame should have been put on Ovi. Malkin didn't produce at all either and he seemed to quietly get away with it. Most of their teams goals if I'm not mistaken were by their KHL players.
 
drpepper said:
I repeat, if Canada wanted a power play specialist, why was PK Subban in the press box? Why did Babcock dress Hamhuis instead?

Ovechkin would not have dressed as the 7th dman.

EDIT: In addition, Babcock left one of the worst power play units including Crosby, Kunitz, Keith, and Sharp intact. PPs were clearly not the focus of the game plan.
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Because Canada had no shortage of Defensemen better than Subban who are not actually worse on the power play. Canada had plenty of Wingers that aren't as good as Oveckin. No shame in that.. he's made how many Post-Season All Star 1st Teams?
 
Lebowski said:
They had one of the best PP trigger man in the league at their disposal and preferred dressing Hamhuis/use Sharp on the point.

Thus, having Ovechkin as a 7th defenseman/PP specialist wouldn't make any sense. Subban is just as good on the PP and offers a boat load more versatility than Ovechkin, and yet he was the odd man out.

Although I'm no saying I wouldn't have taken Ovechkin on TC... That's just ridiculous. Kunitz/Carter/Nash/Sharp would have been gone in a second if it were up to me.
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I'm not saying they would have used him, I'm saying they *could* have used him.

I have no idea why Babcock didn't play Subban and preferred to have Hamhuis sitting on the bench. But I believe OV as a trigger man on the PP would have made it more potent.
 
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