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Ovechkin has team honors in mind
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2010
STANDINGS ANDSUMMARIES
EASTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHEAST
Carolina ..................... 1 0 0 Atlanta ...................... 0 0 0 Florida ........................ 0 0 0 Tampa Bay ................. 0 0 0 Washington ............... 0 0 0
ATLANTIC
New Jersey ................ 0 0 0 N.Y. Islanders ............ 0 0 0 N.Y. Rangers .............. 0 0 0 Philadelphia ............... 0 0 0 Pittsburgh ................. 0 0 0
NORTHEAST
Boston ....................... 0 0 0 Buffalo ....................... 0 0 0 Montreal .................... 0 0 0 Ottawa ...................... 0 0 0 Toronto ...................... 0 0 0
WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL
W L OL Pts. GF GA 2 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0
W L OL Pts. GF GA 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
W L OL Pts. GF GA 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
Chicago ...................... 0 0 0 Columbus ................... 0 0 0 Detroit ....................... 0 0 0 Nashville .................... 0 0 0 St. Louis .................... 0 0 0
NORTHWEST
Calgary ....................... 0 0 0 Colorado .................... 0 0 0 Edmonton .................. 0 0 0 Vancouver .................. 0 0 0 Minnesota ................. 0 1 0
PACIFIC
Anaheim .................... 0 0 0 Dallas ......................... 0 0 0 Los Angeles ............... 0 0 0 Phoenix ...................... 0 0 0 San Jose .................... 0 0 0
THURSDAY’S RESULTS Carolina 4, Minnesota 3 Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 7 Montreal at Toronto, 7 Chicago at Colorado, 10 Calgary at Edmonton, 10
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Washington at Atlanta, 7:30 Minnesota vs. Carolina at Helsinki, Finland, 12 San Jose vs. Columbus at Stockholm, Sweden, 3 Dallas at New Jersey, 7 Anaheim at Detroit, 7:30 Buffalo at Ottawa, 7:30
SATURDAY’S GAMES
New Jersey at Washington, 7 Phoenix vs. Boston at Prague, Czech Republic, 12 Columbus vs. San Jose at Stockholm, Sweden, 3 N.Y. Rangers at Buffalo, 7 Ottawa at Toronto, 7 Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 7:30 Philadelphia at St. Louis, 8 Anaheim at Nashville, 8 Detroit at Chicago, 8:30 Los Angeles at Vancouver, 10
HURRICANES 4, WILD3
JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST Caps wingerMike Knuble said of Alex Ovechkin, right: “He’s gotten all of the individual awards, and as youmature as a player and a person, you start to see the big picture.” ovechkin from D1
nothing to do with him. As the team does well, people will look at him in a different light.” After the most disappointing
year of Ovechkin’s career, which, paradoxically, was his best statis- tically, the way he proceeds will weigh significantly on how Washington as a team takes the next step in its development as a Stanley Cup contender. This time last fall, the Capitals
spoke about the urgency to win and the belief that it was their year to win a championship. Now, after two straight prema- ture playoff exits, they discuss their drive to work and maintain consistency. While it might not be surprising if the Capitals ad- vance further into the playoffs this spring, they must first show that they can. “I think it’s better in the locker
room, we’re more focused,” cen- ter Nicklas Backstrom said. “We’re going to work at staying the same way all season and that’s very important, I think, later when you go into the play- offs. . . . We have to be ready all the time. That’s something we didn’t do last year or years be- fore. We have to learn and hope we can learn [that] this year. ” Ovechkin, 25, has captured
twoHart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player, been named most outstanding player
by the NHL Players Association for three consecutive years, led the league in scoring once and in goals twice, and posted four 50- goal seasons. But all of those accomplishments only bolstered the expectation that he would help the Capitals deliver, sooner rather than later. In 2009-10, when it appeared
he and the Capitals were poised to take the next step in develop- ment, Ovechkin instead experi- encedmyriad team setbacks. At the Vancouver Olympics,
Russia was eliminated prior to the medal round after a blowout 7-3 loss to Canada. At the world championships, Russia lost in the final, ending a 27-game win- ning streak in the tournament.
‘He’smatured’ During the Capitals’ Presi-
dents’ Trophy-winning season, Ovechkin was suspended twice and had the fundamentals of his aggressive style challenged after a pair of injury-causing hits to Carolina’s Tim Gleason and Chi- cago’s Brian Campbell. But per- haps nothing was more disheart- ening to him than the Capitals’ first-round collapse in the Stan- ley Cup playoffs after taking a three-games-to-one lead against theMontreal Canadiens. “I think itwasjust everything,” Ovechkin said, turning solemn when asked what event was the hardest to move past. “Olympics,
playoffs, everything. When you lose, you feel bad for yourself, your team. I have to forget about it and move forward.” Ovechkin maintains that the
Capitals must put last season’s abrupt ending behind them, but he has still considered the rea- sons behind the early exit.He has discussed the team’s need for a new mentality after the regular season, how the Capitals cannot simply “expect to beat every- body.” But he stops short of any such notion that the Capitals, with their prolific offense, should change their fundamen- tal approach to hockey or to winning. He does not intend to alter his
style of play from the unique whirling dervish of speed, skill and brute force that has made him a player unlike any of his peers, and he wants his team to do the same. “We just have to be who we are,” he said. But veteran Mike Knuble, the
only player onWashington’s ros- ter to raise the Stanley Cup, said he sees a new dimension to Ovechkin’s off-ice persona. “He’s matured,” Knuble said.
“He’s not just a fun-loving, goofy guy anymore. “It makes it easier for every-
one else to jump in line and play as hard as he does when he’s this focused and motivated. He’s got- ten all of the individual awards, and as you mature as a player
MIKE WISE Caps start season with more hunger, but can they drink from the Cup? wise from D1
another regular season began, it’s now clear: One of the worst things that could happen to this team come April is to hoist another Presidents’ Trophy. “I didn’t enjoymy summer
because of the fact that we won a Presidents’ Trophy,” Laich said. “My summer was bitter and sour because we didn’t win the Stanley Cup. [The best regular season record] is a nice feather in your cap; it is an accomplishment. It’s not something that happens every day. But ultimately what does it get us at the end of the day? It didn’t get us much.” Now if it happens, if the
Capitals embark on another thrill ride between October and April and Ovie slams his torso into the glass after his umpteenth hat trick and the red continues to be rocked with as much fervor and euphoria as a year ago, great. Take the trophy.Mount it in somebody’s garage, maybe a team equipment manager’s. But they can’t let it define them in any way. Personally, a seeding between
Nos. 2 and 6 would be healthier for Ovie, Alexander Semin,Mike Green and some of the other young players who weren’t
too early. That’s not just on Boudreau; that’s on the leadership of this team. That’s on Ovie (as if he doesn’t have enough pressure being the most dynamic player in the game). So unleash the fury this
weekend. Toast their talent and their tenacity. But don’t make too much of what happens until April. They’ve made us all a little jaded.Heck, they’ve made themselves even a little jaded— and, perhaps, a little more purposeful. “I get sick of answering that,”
JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST Coach Bruce Boudreau and the Capitals still have questions after falling in Game 7 toMontreal, above.
ready for the heating up of NHL intensity that happens each spring. That’s a hard sell, of course,
to Boudreau and a room full of players who have a very narrow focus about winning each game, each night. But at some point, when
you’re running away with first place in one of the NHL’s weakest divisions and you’re headed to Atlanta on a lousy travel day in January to play in front of a lackluster crowd, Boudreau needs to address a question:How much better are his stars going to get that night? Do Ovie and the fellas really have to bring their A-game that
night? For the coach, this isn’t about managing expectations. There is only one expectation among the Capitals: Cup or bust. But it is about managing the regular season, taking an almost business-like approach until the playoffs—entertaining the masses, tweaking lines, of course winning. But, ultimately, surviving. Playing at home in the
postseason statistically means less in the NHL than the other three major North American team sports.Hockey players are more insulated. Their equipment makes more noise. And let’s be clear: One guy
standing on his head in net makes more difference than 20,000 hollering fanatics. For all the work done in the
Eastern Conference last season, the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds played for the right to go to the Stanley Cup finals. San Jose was knocked out in the first round in 2009 after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. It’s an empty award. Now, like
Laich said Thursday, it’s foolish to tell players to stop playing well in February because they need to save it forMay—“I mean, we were supposed to just stop at 10 games last year?” he asked, rhetorically. No. But don’t get worn out
Laich said, when I asked about unfinished business. “You know, it’s not okay. People say, ‘Okay, you’re gonna be good next year; it’s okay.’ That’s over and done with. I’ve been here five years. This ismy sixth year with Washington, and I have no championships. “It’s starting to get old. As
players, that’s what we play for. That’s all we want. I’ve been chasing the Stanley Cup since I was born. That was 27 years ago. Every year it just keeps getting more and more frustrating. You get more and more hungry. You want it so bad. But that’s why I stick around here. I believe in our players. I believe in our coach. There’s too much belief to just let it go away.”
wisem@washpost.com
and a person, you start to see the big picture. You realize there’s more important stuff out there that you haven’t gotten. For Alex, that’s the Stanley Cup.”
Even stars take time Inthe offseason, Capitalsown-
er Ted Leonsis assured Ovechkin that the organizationintendedto stay the course. Despite the frus- tration of a missed opportunity, the team would not be disman- tled and the philosophy of creat- ing a perennial contender would not be altered. “I encouraged him to not
change his game at all because of what happened last year,” Leon- sis said. “I think Alex has the proper perspective that no one will care about last year if we do better this year. That’s what we have to deliver as a franchise.” Expectations always have
been high for Ovechkin, and nei- ther they nor the spotlight on him will dim this season. In fact, theattentionandcomparisonsto the trajectories of other young stars who already have won the Stanley Cup, such as Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, likely will increase leading up to the Capitals’ participation in the WinterClassiconNewYear’sDay against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But Ovechkin is far from the
only elite playerwhodidn’t win a championship immediately fol- lowing his arrival in theNHL. Of
the league’s top 10 all-time points leaders, only two—GordieHowe (fourth year) and Jaromir Jagr (first) — won the Stanley Cup before their fifth season. It took both Wayne Gretzky
and Mark Messier until their fifthNHLseason towina Stanley Cup. Mario Lemieux (seventh), Ron Francis (ninth), Steve Yzer- man (14th), Joe Sakic (eighth), and Phil Esposito (sixth) had to wait longer, and Marcel Dionne, the fifth-leading scorer of all time, never did capture the title. “Most guys aren’t ready to put
a franchise on their back at 18, 19 years old,” Ferrarro said. “It took sometime formany great players to develop into the leader and winner they are known as now.” A problem for a roster of
young players, who have known little else but instant victory in the previous stages of their ca- reer, can be that they presume the same rapid prosperity always will occur. The key, perhaps, is remaining patient enough to not allow any discouragement get in the way of the greater goal. “Maybe we needed to go
through it,” Ovechkin said. “I don’t think anybody wants to lose … but I think everybody wants to win right away. You can’t always do it. We’ll have another chance. We’ll have to learn and wait to see what hap- pens this year.”
carrerak@washpost.com
Carolina held on to defeatMinnesota in Helsinki in the opening game of theNHL season. Anton Babchuk, back after a year in
with 3:21 left, but Carolina G CamWard made a late save to preserve the win. Guillaume Latendresse scored first
Brandon Sutter scored twice as
the Eastern European KHL, and Jussi Jokinen also scored for the Hurricanes. Brett Burns scored for Minnesota
for theWild, but Sutter tied it on a power play with 10 seconds left in the first period. Babchuk put Carolina in front at 5:58 of the second period.
Carolina ................................... 1 Minnesota ............................... 1
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1,Minnesota, Latendresse 1 (Koivu, Brodziak), 3:33. 2, Carolina, Sutter 1 (Jokinen,McBain), 19:50 (pp).
SECOND PERIOD Scoring: 3, Carolina, Babchuk 1 (Cole, Dalpe), 5:58. 4, Minnesota, Cullen 1 (Havlat), 9:52 (pp). 5, Carolina, Jokinen 1 (Corvo, Pitkanen), 11:16 (pp). 6, Carolina, Sutter 2 (Dwyer, Gleason), 18:03.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7, Minnesota, Burns 1 (Miettinen, Cullen), 16:39 (pp).
SHOTS ON GOAL Carolina ................................. 10
Minnesota ............................... 7
14 11
7 — 31 11 — 29
Power-play opportunities: Carolina 2 of 5; Minnesota 2 of 5. Goalies: Carolina,Ward 1-0-0 (29 shots-26 saves). Minnesota, Backstrom 0-1-0 (31-27). A: 12,355 (13,464). T: 2:36.
FLYERS 3, PENGUINS 2 Surprise starter Sergei Bobrovsky
3 1
0 — 4 1 — 3
W L OL Pts. GF GA 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 3
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
W L OL Pts. GF GA 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 4
W L OL Pts. GF GA 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
Onepointawardedforovertimelosses.
stopped 29 shots in his NHL debut, Danny Briere and Blair Betts scored the first two goals and Philadelphia spoiled Pittsburgh’s debut game in its new arena. For the first time in their 44-season
history, the Penguins played a home game in a brand-new building as an above-capacity 18,289 jammed into the Consol Energy Arena—a buildingmade certain only after Sidney Crosby’s arriv- al in 2005 rejuvenated hockey interest in Pittsburgh. Crosby nearly got the first goal,
putting a shot off the post 10minutes in, or about the time fans accustomed to the former Civic Arena’s ancient seats and narrow concourses weremarveling in the spacious new arena’s plushness.
Philadelphia ............................ 0 Pittsburgh ............................... 0
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1, Philadelphia, Briere 1 (Richards, Leino), 2:51 (pp). 2, Philadelphia, Betts 1 (Powe, van Riemsdyk), 17:15.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3, Pittsburgh, Kennedy 1 (Martin, Letang), :44. 4, Philadelphia, Giroux 1, 4:55 (sh). 5, Pittsburgh, Goligoski 1 (Michalek, Kunitz), 5:14 (pp).
SHOTS ON GOAL Philadelphia ............................ 9
Pittsburgh ............................. 15
10 9
8 — 27 7 — 31
Power-play opportunities: Philadelphia 1 of 4; Pitts- burgh 1 of 5. Goalies: Philadelphia, Bobrovsky 1-0-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Pittsburgh, Fleury 0-1-0 (27-24). A: 18,289 (18,087). T: 2:20.
MAPLELEAFS3, CANADIENS2
saves, and Toronto edged short-handed Montreal in the regular season opener for both teams. Goaltendingwas a key reason Maple
Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 25
Leafs Coach Ron Wilson felt good head- ing into the season,andGiguerejustified that optimism on this night. He kicked away Andrei Kostitsyn’s chance early and wisely poke-checked the puck off Lars Eller’s stick in the third period with his team clinging to a one-goal lead. Giguere also weathered a late storm
2 0
1 — 3 2 — 2
as the Canadiens pushed for the tying goal, sticking out his left pad to deny Montreal captain Brian Gionta twice from in close. The Maple Leafs won their firsthome
opener since October 2000. Montreal .................................. 1
Toronto .................................... 2 FIRST PERIOD
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4, Toronto, MacArthur 1 (Kulemin, Grabovski), 1:36. 5, Montreal, Halpern 1 (Lapierre, Pouliot), 2:28.
SHOTS ON GOAL Montreal .................................. 7
Toronto .................................. 12
10 5
11 — 28 7 — 24
Power-play opportunities: Montreal 0 of 3; Toronto 0 of 5. Goalies: Montreal, Price 0-1-0 (24 shots-21 saves). Toronto, Giguere 1-0-0 (28-26). A: 19,646 (18,819). T: 2:11.
0 0
1 — 2 1 — 3
Scoring: 1, Toronto, Brent 1 (Phaneuf), 6:42. 2, Toronto, Kessel 1 (Bozak, Komisarek), 8:57. 3, Montreal, Boyd 1, 12:19.
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