Alex Ovechkin may be one of the greatest players in the National Hockey League, but even the most talented guys can be told to sit.
The Capitals star spoke to The Washington Post on Wednesday after being benched during a crucial moment of Tuesday night’s game versus the Anaheim Ducks, a game the Caps came back to win 5-4 in dramatic fashion.
With a scant 1:02 remaining on the game clock and the hometown Caps down 4-3 to the Ducks, Washington coach Bruce Boudreau sent the line of Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Joel Ward onto the ice — and not the team’s top line, led by Ovechkin. With the goalie pulled, Nicklas Backstrom was chosen as the extra attacker. Backstrom scored the game-tying goal with 42 seconds left.
TV cameras caught Ovechkin talking during the third-period timeout, during which the star was not chosen to play, and the Post asked Ovechkin what he was saying at that time.
"Well, I was pissed off. Of course I want to be in that situation on the ice and you know it doesn’t matter who I said and what I said. It look funny on TV. And I don’t know right now it’s big story. It’s just a little bit frustrating because I’m a leader on the team and I want to be on that kind of responsibility but Bruce put Brooks’s line and it worked," Ovechkin said. "It’s one team. It doesn’t matter how good you are or who you are. If we want to win we have to be on the same page."
In the same interview, Ovechkin said that he hasn’t spoken to his coach about the decision but admits that Laich’s line had been playing well and deserved an attempt to mount the comeback. Even if it meant Ovechkin sitting on the bench during a crucial moment, something No. 8 hasn’t experienced since he was a kid.
"So I’m right now back to young age again. So thanks, Bruce. He reminds me of this one. I was, I don’t know, probably 14. Again it’s something that happens, I don’t know. I didn’t talk to him yet. We’ll talk or not, I don’t know," Ovehckin said. "It’s just how I said, frustrating, and that kind of situation pisses me off but it’s good for the team and I have to respond for it."
October 2011 was the first month in Ovechkin’s NHL career, regular season and playoffs, in which he failed to score at least one goal at home. In five home games last month, he notched four assists, 10 hits and was a minus-2.
Ovechkin did, however, get an assist on Backstrom’s overtime game-winner on Tuesday night.
"I don’t know if I touched it or not, to be honest with you," he told the Post. "I’m happy for Backi. He scored two important goals too. Right now he play well too."
"Ninety-nine per cent of the time Alex is the first guy I’m looking at," Boudreau said, "but these guys were going pretty good."
But Boudreau hasn’t been shy about reducing ice time for top players in this young season. The message: Play well or sit.
"It’s the theme for the whole year. … I hope the message has gotten clear from July ’til now. I’m hoping we don’t change that message," Boudreau said. "We’re going to try to stay strong with it. That’s what it is, and I think that’s the only way that we’re going to be successful."
Boudreau says he didn’t hear what Ovechkin said on the bench but understands why his star player wouldn’t be happy.
"All our players — they’re all competitive," Boudreau said. "And, yeah, I don’t want them to be complacent and say, ‘Oh that’s nice.’ "
