Is Ovechkin a Dirty Player?

The NHL announced on Tuesday that Alex Ovechkin would be suspended two games for his knee-on-knee hit during Monday's game against Carolina. In the first period Ovechkin tried to size up Hurricanes' defenseman Tim Gleason who saw him coming and skated to avoid the hit. Ovechkin then stuck out his leg and led with his knee sending both players sprawling onto the ice. Ovechkin seem to bear the brunt of the hit and had to be helped off the ice. He then received a 5 minute major penalty and a game misconduct ejection. Ovechkin has been listed as day to day so the suspension may not actually be a bad thing as it will keep Ovechkin from trying to rush back immediately from the injury. It appears his injury will not be serious and the Capitals have already proven this season that they can win without him so the bigger question this raises is what type of player Ovechkin really is.

Ovechkin's game misconduct was his second in three games. Ovechkin received one in the game against Buffalo the day before Thanksgiving for boarding. This has led some people to ask if Ovechkin is a dirty player. The answer, quite simply, is no. Ovechkin is fun to watch not only for his skill but for his physical style of play. He's such a dangerous player because not only can he deke you, but he can skate right through you. Compare him to one of his biggest rivals, Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh fans will tell you Crosby is better, Washington fans will tell you Ovechkin is better. Most hockey fans, however, including those who cheer for Pittsburgh, will tell you Ovechkin is better. Why? Crosby won't play physical hockey. Ovechkin, on the other hand, plays the game the way it should be played. If Crosby gets hit, he looks like he's on the verge of tears and immediately complains to the referee. If Ovechkin gets hit, he hits right back. In a game as physical as hockey, it's nice to see a supers star who doesn't hide behind his enforcers.

The problem with Ovechkin's play is that he really walks the line between physical and reckless. Against Buffalo, Ovechkin was just a little late. You can't argue against the call, but it wasn't a dirty play, it was a reckless play. Watch the replay of the hit on Gleason. Ovechkin is clearly skating in for a body check and Gleason sees him coming. It is Ovechkin's competitiveness that doesn't allow Gleason to skate past him. You can't really argue that he was trying to hurt Gleason because in those types of hits, you can't tell who's going to get the worst of it. If you hit someone full speed with your shoulder, the other guy is the one who goes flying. If you hit with your knee, it really could go either way and that's why Ovechkin went down.

While many may see this suspension as a turning point for Ovechkin in which he realizes he needs to turn it down, I wouldn't count on it. Ovechkin himself has already come out and said "I'm not going to change anything" and for the most part, that's a good thing. What is probably the best game of Ovechkin's career is his performance against Montreal on January 31, 2008. In it Ovechkin broke his nose after a hit from Francis Bouillon, was hit in the lip with a puck, and refused to back down going on to score four goals including the overtime winner. Without his physical style of play, this performance never happens, nor does the amazing spin around goal last season which Ovechkin was only able to finish when he pushed pass defenseman Kyle Chipchura. You can also forget about the spectacular goal against Phoenix during his rookie season too (which if you haven't seen yet, where have you been? Look it up on youtube immediately). If there is any reason to pull back on the reins its because of injury worries. While the Caps have been successful this year without Ovechkin, he still remains the face of the franchise and the road to the Stanley Cup will not be possible without him. Two game misconducts in three games? That's a result of bad timing more than a reflection on Ovechkin. With the way Ovechkin dazzles us every time he steps on the ice, do we really want him to change who he is? If he does I think everyone is going to miss out on something special.