Olympics: OV on Team Canada?

[Laineux]

Ovechkin isn't even a good PP player in big ice. The attacking zone is smaller so he doesn't have any space to shoot when his style is just standing at the blue line.

Also his floating doesn't work in big ice either so current Ovechkin wouldn't help Canada a bit.

 

[WarriorofTime]

When Ovechkin's defense is brought up, the excuse is that he's never played on a team with good defensemen.

When Ovechkin's lack of playmaking is brought up, the excuse is that his linemates have no finishing ability.

When Ovechkin's +/- is brought up, the excuse is that he's not playing in front of good goaltending.

And so on. At what point do you stop and admit that a great player carries his team, and not the other way around?

Has he? If so, please tell me which.

Christ people, Ovechkin is not GM.

 

[Canuck21t]

Canada was the better team, no doubt. Their win was 100% deserved.
But it's one goal. One fluke, one bad play, one great shot or a deflected shot from the US, and it's OT, and who knows, maybe the Shootout.

Anything is possible in 1 goal games, and if the US wins there, the talk here wouldn't be about the best team Canada has ever put together defensively, but the worst team Canada has ever put together offensively.

Canada won fair and square, but the competition was the worst ever since it all began in 1998 in Nagano.
Some to some nations declining, some to some nations with enough top talent but nowhere near Canada's depth losing players to injuries etc.

And again, acting like suddenly nobody else is good enough for Canada is precisely why most non-Canadians get annoyed by Canadian fans and media.

Russians themselves are doubting OV, so go away with your accusation. We're not saying that he's not good enough, we only doubt if he's a fit, like Canada's management doesn't seem to think Giroux is a fit, hence the snub. Canada's management chose the players they think could and have no problem with their game plan. If it was an all-star team, of course OV would be a lock, but based on his play so far in the NHL and national team, it's reasonable doubt.

 

[Canuck21t]

Does that mean Kunitz is better than Ovi?

No, but he's probably a better fit. Notice that Team Canada is not an all-star team? You'd think that after all this, you'd learn something from the Canadian management already.

 

[MildlyAwesome]

No, but he's probably a better fit. Notice that Team Canada is not an all-star team? You'd think that after all this, you'd learn something from the Canadian management already.

Completely agree.

Everyone can see why MSL wasn't originally selected to this team? Or why Giroux wasn't? Or why Spezza wasn't even invited to the camp? Why Vlasic was taken over many other great Canadian D-men?

This team was completely built based around a style and system.

 

[WarriorofTime]

No, but he's probably a better fit. Notice that Team Canada is not an all-star team? You'd think that after all this, you'd learn something from the Canadian management already.

Actually it is. Your comment applies more to say Finland. Ovechkin probably not the best player for a trap team

 

[Canuck21t]

Why are people voting no? Only put him in for the PP, Canada is instantly better. How can anyone argue that?

I voted no because some comments piss me off and because I'm really not sure he'd make Team Canada better. Would I put him on the team? Definitely, it would be foolish to leave such a talent home, but am I sure he'd be willing or capable of following this particular game plan? I'm not sure.

 

[Canuck21t]

Actually it is. Your comment applies more to say Finland. Ovechkin probably not the best player for a trap team

No it's not an all-star team. Not all the best scorers possible are on the team.

 

[WarriorofTime]

No it's not an all-star team. Not all the best scorers possible are on the team.

Everyone on Canada is an all star player. Yeah giroux wasn't there. That's one guy I can think of. And if they were selecting a roster now, he may have gotten on. He had a bad start.

Sorry but the "siege mentality" doesn't apply to team Canada. This wasn't exactly a miracle on ice.

 

[Canuck21t]

Everyone on Canada is an all star player. Yeah giroux wasn't there. That's one guy I can think of. And if they were selecting a roster now, he may have gotten on. He had a bad start.

Sorry but the "siege mentality" doesn't apply to team Canada. This wasn't exactly a miracle on ice.

Come on, I can't believe I have to explain this. Nobody is saying this Team Canada is any less elite. When people say all-star, they mean not having all the best players based on scoring stats. You don't know if Giroux would be chosen now. Rick Nash didn't have good stats, yet he was selected. They chose players they think could fit, not necessarily the best scorers.

 

[belair]

Ovechkin is not selfish at all. He is a team player that is perceived as a puck hog because he plays on a team with no finishers. He is an elite playmaker as well.

Elite playmakers generally make their teammates finishers when they play with them.

No finishers? He is the finisher. He's played the same point on the PP his entire career. When the PP doesn't work, it's because the opponents know where the puck is going. But if you change that setup, his game goes out the door.

He succeeds because he is a greedy player. And he's still a greedy player because he succeeds. This Team Canada would have been detrimental to his game and he likely would've rode the pine when the games mattered because of it.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Elite playmakers generally make their teammates finishers when they play with them.

No finishers? He is the finisher. He's played the same point on the PP his entire career. When the PP doesn't work, it's because the opponents know where the puck is going. But if you change that setup, his game goes out the door.

He succeeds because he is a greedy player. And he's still a greedy player because he succeeds. This Team Canada would have been detrimental to his game and he likely would've rode the pine when the games mattered because of it.

If you watched the Caps frequently you'd notice no one else on his line is willing to shoot frequently. Backstrom has a great shot, but passes it off for whatever reason.

If the the Caps are going to score goals, Ovechkin has to shoot because no one else will.

 

[VanIslander]

Marleau, Carter and Nash made the team for christ sakes.

Ovi is MILES ahead of them.

LOL

(Did you watch the tourney? Marleau-Toews-Carter were great at even strength and on the penalty kill.)

 

[Smif]

If Ovi could check his ego at the door he would make the team better, if he couldn't, he would've sat. I would actually love to see him play on team Canada because he would've learned what it takes to work as hard as you can.

 

[Human]

They won because they have the best players. Particularly the Defense. They have, in my opinion, 4 of the top 5 Defenseman in the world in Doughty, Keith, Pietrangelo, and Weber.

I really doubt taking Ovechkin over Kunitz, Nash, or Sharp would have somehow changed any of that. Like you said… i mean, do people even watch the games?!

those guys are way more defensively responsible than Ovechkin to be honest. I wouldn't be all that surprised if Babcock and his coaching staff preferred those guys to Ovechkin for the TC make-up...

edit: ridiculous to push the nationalism agenda. if Datsyuk or Malkin were canadians, I bet the canadian fans would want them at least centering the second line...

 

[WarriorofTime]

those guys are way more defensively responsible than Ovechkin to be honest. I wouldn't be all that surprised if Babcock and his coaching staff preferred those guys to Ovechkin for the TC make-up...

edit: ridiculous to push the nationalism agenda. if Datsyuk or Malkin were canadians, I bet the canadian fans would want them at least centering the second line...

Sharp is not really all that responsible defensively. I watch the guy play 82 games a year. He's very much a one dimensional player these days.

 

[drpepper]

Sharp is not really all that responsible defensively. I watch the guy play 82 games a year. He's very much a one dimensional player these days.

Exactly, that failure to adapt to Canada's style is probably the reason he went from playing big minutes on Toews line to playing limited minutes on the fourth line.

EDIT: Datsyuk would be great for this style. Although he doesn't always in the NHL, Malkin could probably adapt.

 

[Sentinel]

Ovy's presence would not have made an ounce of difference for Team Canada. Vlasic's and Doughty's presence would've made the world of difference for Team Russia.

 

[LynxBud]

OV would NOT make Team Canada worse. He's a better finisher than anyone on Team Canada.
I think he'd need to adjust, but his skill is a huge asset for any team.

 

[illpucks]

Elite playmakers generally make their teammates finishers when they play with them.

No finishers? He is the finisher. He's played the same point on the PP his entire career. When the PP doesn't work, it's because the opponents know where the puck is going. But if you change that setup, his game goes out the door.

He succeeds because he is a greedy player. And he's still a greedy player because he succeeds. This Team Canada would have been detrimental to his game and he likely would've rode the pine when the games mattered because of it.

that is absurd. He plays the role that his coach asks of him. If he played with superstars, he would distribute the puck and set up plays all the time. Lebron is greedy too right? Lebron is a very unselfish player as Ovechkin. But Ovechkin is basically Lebron on Cleveland.

He would be the captain of Canada if he was Canadian, and some people say he wouldn't make the team. HUGE bias here against him, its comical.

 

[hatterson]

that is absurd. He plays the role that his coach asks of him. If he played with superstars, he would distribute the puck and set up plays all the time. Lebron is greedy too right? Lebron is a very unselfish player as Ovechkin. But Ovechkin is basically Lebron on Cleveland.

He would be the captain of Canada if he was Canadian, and some people say he wouldn't make the team. HUGE bias here against him, its comical.

You do realize that LeBron James had a higher assist per game average in Cleveland, surrounded by nobodies, than he does in Miami, with two all-stars....right?

 

[belair]

that is absurd. He plays the role that his coach asks of him. If he played with superstars, he would distribute the puck and set up plays all the time. Lebron is greedy too right? Lebron is a very unselfish player as Ovechkin. But Ovechkin is basically Lebron on Cleveland.

He would be the captain of Canada if he was Canadian, and some people say he wouldn't make the team. HUGE bias here against him, its comical.

Lebron James is incredibly greedy. If he wasn't he'd still be in Cleveland.

Enough of that non-sense.

 

[JackSlater]

Lebron James is incredibly greedy. If he wasn't he'd still be in Cleveland.

Enough of that non-sense.

Lebron James took less money in order to win, after Cleveland management failed to surround him with a competent supporting cast despite years of opportunity. Greedy.

This whole debate is ridiculous. Unless you think Ovechkin is going to start throwing the puck into his own net or something, he is talented enough to be a big asset for Canada. This is a team that absolutely dominated possession but had some difficulty finishing. Adding hockey's best finisher would probably be beneficial.

 

[Canuck21t]

that is absurd. He plays the role that his coach asks of him. If he played with superstars, he would distribute the puck and set up plays all the time. Lebron is greedy too right? Lebron is a very unselfish player as Ovechkin. But Ovechkin is basically Lebron on Cleveland.

He would be the captain of Canada if he was Canadian, and some people say he wouldn't make the team. HUGE bias here against him, its comical.

Does the coach ask him to float? Ovechkin played with Malkin and Semin and didn't do squat. Are those not superstars enough for you? And Ovechkin a captain on Team Canada? Are you freaking kidding?!? YOU are comical . He wouldn't be named captain like Stamkos wouldn't be either. They're not the type of players Team Canada usually chooses to captain.

 

[belair]

Lebron James took less money in order to win, after Cleveland management failed to surround him with a competent supporting cast despite years of opportunity. Greedy.

The guy's comparing Ovy to Lebron and says that Ovy would be Captain Canada if he were born here.

Now let's say Captain Canada decides his team hasn't been 'competent enough' to surround him with the right pieces to win a championship. So he goes off and signs with the New York Yankees, completely abandoning the team who drafted and relied on him. Greedy?

How do you think the people of Cleveland feel about Lebron?

Team Canada didn't need enigmatic players to win. They needed team-first players. Guys that bought in. And that isn't Ovy's M.O. He's still a great player, but he's always been me-first.