| Alexander
the Great |
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John Naposki |
Staff Writer
March 14, 2006
The two standout rookies this year are undoubtedly Sidney
Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin of the
Washington Capitals. Add in New York Rangers goalie Henrik
Lundqvist - who leads all rookie goalies in wins, save percentage
and goals against average - and you likely have your three Calder
Trophy nominees for NHL rookie of the year.
But as the season progresses, it's possible that two of these great
rookies can take it a step further: Ovechkin has become a viable
candidate for the Hart Trophy as the league MVP and Lundqvist
likewise is a serious consideration for the Vezina Trophy as the
league's top goaltender.
Regarding Ovechkin, it is almost impossible to say too many good
things. He can skate, stick handle, has a great shot, can
finish, can pass, and can throw a damn booming hit. He is the
total package, and he brings an enthusiasm to his play that makes
him even more awesome to watch.
To add an exclamation point to his awesome season, Ovechkin
currently sits 2nd in the NHL in goals scored and 8th in points
(only two points back of the 4th position held by Ilya Kovalchuk).
For a 20-year old rookie, on the 4th worst team in the league, to be
fighting for the league lead in goals, and amongst the league
leaders in points, it is nothing less than amazing.
To put into perspective how well Ovechkin is doing, consider that
Mario Lemieux scored 43 goals in his rookie season and that
Ovechkin, who still has 19 games to play, already has 42
goals. And Ovechkin is even more outstanding when you look at
his team, as he is basically a one-man show.
As if Ovechkin's 79 points weren't impressive enough, it becomes
crystal clear how remarkable he is when you realize that his 79
points are more than twice as many as the Capitals' second highest
scorer, Dainius Zubrus, who has 36 points and is a staggering 43
points behind Ovechkin.
In the simplest of terms, Ovechkin's 42 goals or his 37 assists are
more than any of his teammates' total points this season. That
is just utterly amazing!
The NHL MVP - the Hart Trophy - is awarded to the player deemed most
valuable to his team. Two likely candidates that jump to mind
are Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers and Joe Thornton of the San
Jose Sharks. But in terms of how valuable a player is to his
team, it is impossible to overlook Ovechkin. In fact, he could
very well be considered more valuable to his team than Thornton is
to the Sharks or Jagr is to the Rangers.
If Ovechkin has any possible thing weighing against him it's that
Thornton and Jagr are playing on teams who are getting much better
results in the standings than the Capitals, and that could play a
factor.
However things unfold, there is no denying that Ovechkin is having
an MVP-like season and that, barring injuries, he has a long,
remarkable career ahead of him. As someone who loves the game,
I find Ovechkin, and the rest of these phenomenal young stars,
utterly exciting.
It will be interesting to see how the last one-fourth of the season
unfolds. Ovechkin is on pace for 55 goals and 103
points. He is currently the leading favorite for rookie of the
year honors. But don't be surprised if he appears as an MVP
nominee or ends up winning the Maurice Richard Trophy as the
league's top goal scorer. He is that good and shows no signs
of letting up. In fact, with 8 goals and 13 points in his last
8 games, he actually looks to be getting better.
Look out hockey world, Alexander the Great is on the loose.
And man oh man is he ever fun to watch! |
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