Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s
There are a handful of players in a given sport that people will go out of their way to see play. These are the true superstars of their respectives games. In the National Hockey League, the pantheon of current hockey gods is a short list. It usually starts with Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, followed by Evgeni Malkin, and could also include Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk, among others, depending on your preferences.
One of those hockey gods passed through Toronto on Tuesday evening, March 24th. Ovechkin and his merry men of Capitals took on the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The Capitals are among the elite teams in the league, with serious Stanley Cup aspirations, though there are continuing questions about their goaltending. The Maple Leafs have been out of the playoff race for a couple of months, though their recent strong play has put them back in sight of eighth place in the East.
Regardless, no-one seriously expects Toronto to make a run for that last spot, though no-one in Hogtown have thrown in the towel as-of-yet.
With all this in mind, one might have expected a Caps-Leafs game this late in the season to end up something like 7-6 Caps, which might not be textbook hockey from a coaches perspective, but it would be something the fans would appreciate.
I made my way to the A.C.C. early tonight, fearful that all the seats up in the pressbox would be occupied. After all, the Capitals are one of the league’s most exciting teams to watch, and it’s Ovechkin’s first game in Toronto since his mini-feud with Don Cherry over the extent of AO’s goal celebrations. There should have been a palpable buzz around the arena.
There wasn’t, or at least there wasn’t one I could detect. Maybe Leafs’ fans are resigned to missing the playoffs once again. Still, Ovechkin is in town. That should be enough.
6:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time – made my way through the corridors up to press row. The Capitals were just outside their dressing room, preparing to take the ice for the pre-game warm-up. Jose Theodore and Ovechkin were closest to the door. All of the Caps rocked back-and-forth on their skates, anticipating getting onto the fresh sheet of ice. They looked like the kids at my local Scarborough arena every Sunday afternoon during public skating hour; they couldn’t wait to get out there. Anyone who thinks these guys only play for the money are completely off-the-mark. These guys got this far not only because they have talent, and worked to develop that talent, but because they all share a deep-seeded passion for the game.
I once read that John Lennon used to look forward to getting on-stage during the early years of Beatlemania, as it was one of the few places where he, and his bandmates, felt they were safe, where they were in control, and could be themselves. Looking at Ovechkin, this thought crossed my mind. Waiting to hit the ice, he looked like he was in his element. Nothing could touch him here.
6:40 pm - during the warmup, one of the cameras centres in on Ovechkin as he scoops up the puck, shakes-and-bakes his way towards the net, and unloads a rocket. The camera proceeds to follow him for the majority of the warmup, as this is broadcast onto the giant screen perched atop the scoreboard suspended at centre ice. Even in the warmup, Ovechkin is the show.
6:45 pm – Ovechkin is the second-last Cap to leave the ice at the conclusion of the warmup; Michael Nylander is the last.
7:06 pm – the teams emerge from their respective dressing rooms and charge onto the ice in preparation for the game. Ovechkin hits the ice, and the camera centres in on him again.
7:10 pm – puck is dropped to begin the first period. The crowd is strangely quiet tonight, as though they were attending a night school seminar. The early play in the game mirrors this.
7:11 pm – Alexander Ovechkin takes SHIFT #1. There is a fair amount of cheering as Number Eight heads over the boards. After about a minute of skating around, he heads back to the bench.
7:15 pm – SHIFT #2. This is a quick shift, 30 seconds at most, as a faceoff is required.
7:17 pm – SHIFT #3. The Caps employ their chief offensive weapon high in the opposing team’s zone. He’s like a Russian bomber, flirting with Canadian airspace, but never actually dipping a toe over the line. Ovechkin curls behind the Leafs’ defensive pair, who have to be mindful of his position, while at the same time, keeping their eyes on the play unfolding in front of them. For those who criticize Ovechkin for not having the word backcheck in his vocabulary, he’s gone one better. Any time he’s on the ice, he’s a threat to score. The other team has no choice but to be constantly cognizant of this factor. That, in turn, directly affects how they play. How’s that for backchecking? Ovechin knows what he’s doing.
On this shift, Ovechkin is hit with a long pass, but he’s offside. The moribund crowd stirs to life at the possibility of magic, but slumps back into their seats with the whistle.
7:21 pm – the scoreboard shows a brief yet tasteful tribute to former NHL’er and one-time Maple Leaf sniper Walt Poddubbny, who passed away earlier this week.
7:25 pm – SHIFT #4. On this tour-of-duty, Ovechkin throws his body around, first with a hit on Leafs’ defenceman Luke Schenn, and then with a very slight crosscheck to the chest of Matt Stajan. One of Ovechkin’s longer shifts, or so it seems.
7:32 pm – SHIFT #5. Once again, Ovechkin silently patrols the Leafs’ blueline, waiting for a pass to spring him free. It reminds me of watching a game at the War Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo back in January 1990. The Sabres were hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Mario Lemieux was in the midst of a lengthy point-scoring streak, before injuries forced him to pull up short of Wayne Gretzky’s record. Lemieux would be employed in exactly the same manner as Ovechkin, but remember, back then the centre-ice two-line pass was still forbidden.
7:30 pm – Peter Ing, former Maple Leafs’ netminder, is introduced to the crowd as that night’s Alumni member. He’s in attendence with his young daughter. A hearty round of applause for the mostly forgotten Ing, who looked like the Next Big Thing for the Leafs when he debuted in the 1989-90 season. It wasn’t to be, and Ing only played 74 games in the NHL, also suiting up for the Oilers and Red Wings.
7:39 pm – SHIFT #6. The Caps keep trying to hit Ovechkin with the long bomb, but to no avail. You can sense even the pro-Leafs crowd would perfer to see one of these passes connect, if only to inject some life into this stale game. During this shift, Ovechkin has to take a faceoff, the only one all night he’ll take, and he loses it. Okay, so he’s not Bobby Clarke or Stan Mikita. Also during this shift, Washington manages to sustain some pressure deep in the Leafs’ zone. One gets the feeling the Capitals have the ability to ratchet up their game when they wish. Tonight, we are wishing.
7:44 pm – first period over. No score. 10-6 shot advantage for Washington. No penalties called. No real flow to this game yet. Ovechkin had six shifts, and was on the ice for 7 minutes and 1 second, third-most ice-time for the Caps, but the longest average shift time. Luke Schenn of the Maple Leafs was on the ice for 8 minutes and 18 seconds.
8:02 pm – second period begins.
8:03 pm – SHIFT #7. Ovechkin get physical with Leafs’ centre John Mitchell during this shift. Also notice TSN’s Pierre McGuire wildly gesticulating between the benches. He’s planted there during the TV broadcast to offer a different perspective on the proceedings. He sticks out like a sore thumb. One cannot be the shy type to have that job.
8:06 pm – SHIFT #8. During this shift, the first penalty of the game is called. Milan Jurcina goes off for two minutes for tripping. Ovechkin does not play on the PK. The crowd perks up with their Leafs on the powerplay, and the home team applies some pressure in the Capitals zone, but fails to capitalize.
This game needs a goal.
8:11 pm – SHIFT #9. Ovechkin can’t beat the defenceman one-on-one. It only takes once.
8:17 pm – TORONTO SCORES. The shot from the point snakes its way through the crowd and eludes Jose Theodore in the Washington net. 1-0 Toronto. The A.C.C. erupts, proving that everyone hadn’t nodded off. It’s the first NHL goal for Maple Leafs’ defenceman Phil Oreskovic.
8:18 pm – SHIFT #10. Nothing to note.
8:21 pm – Washington picks up another penalty. Shaone Morrisonn is nabbed for hooking. Jose Theodore makes about five very nice saves in-a-row during this penalty kill.
8:23 pm – SHIFT #11. Ovechkin makes a nice deke behind the Toronto net, but ends up losing the puck. It appears to be only a matter-of-time before he finds the back-of-the-net.
Attendance tonight is announced as 19,362. That’s 19,362 people who’ll have a problem falling asleep later tonight, as they’re catching a few winks at the arena, and will be well rested when they get home.
8:30 pm – SHIFT #12. Ovechkin shoots the puck into the Leafs zone, just off-side. After a faceoff, he’s part of the cycle the Capitals utilize in front of Martin Gerber. No quality scoring chance is created as a result, but once again, the Caps hint that they could take this to another gear, if they so choose to.
With exactly a minute left to play in the second period, the Maple Leafs pick up their first penalty of the game; Jamal Mayers gets two for interference.
SHIFT #13. Apparently I’m so excited at the prospect of watching the Capitals on the powerplay, I neglect to write down the time on my Coleman wristwatch. Suffice to say, Ovechkin comes over the boards and takes his place on the point for the beginning of the PP.
One thing leads to another, and AO finds himself cutting towards the net, to the left of Gerber, who he dekes with a nifty little move that pulls the Leafs’ goaltender out just enough so that Ovechkin can go to the backhand and deposit the puck in the net.
1-1 tie. Ovechkin’s powerplay marker is his 51st goal of the season.
The question-of-the-day, though, in this hockey mad city, is in which manner will he celebrate said goal?
The answer is…in a subdued manner. A brief kiss of his finger, and then a raised hand. Then again, what did anyone expect? Ovechkin tearing off his uniform, to reveal a Coaches Corner t-shirt underneath?
When the goal is announced by the booming voice of Andy Frost, there is a fair amount of applause from the crowd. There weren’t that many people pulling for Washington this evening. The hockey fans in Toronto know the game as well as anyone else on the planet. They may be rather staid during most of the game, but they know a good goal when they see one.
The second period ends with the score knotted up at 1 goal apiece. Ovechkin finally had the opportunity to come alive in this frame, registering a number of shots, and, of course, the powerplay goal. He’s averaging a minute and 3 seconds per shift.
8:55 pm – third period is underway.
8:57 pm – SHIFT #14. Ovechkin just missed connecting on a one-timer to the right of Martin Gerber.
It’s around this point that Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau calls a thirty-second time-out. Not sure why, but I am curious how his team will respond afterwards.
9:03 pm – SHIFT #15. Ovechkin lands his third hit of the game on Matt Stajan. Why’s he ragin’ at The Stajan? Actually, all the hits have been minor, just part of the flow of the game. Ovechkin is known for enjoying that aspect of hockey as well as collecting the goals, a big reason why fans have taken to him.
9:06 pm – SHIFT #16. Ovechkin takes one of his shorter shifts of the game, as the puck goes over the boards, and he changes up before the resulting faceoff.
9:07 pm – The “Go Leafs Go” chant starts up for the first time this evening in the A.C.C.
9:14 pm – SHIFT #17. Wow, it’s been almost 8 minutes since Ovechkin was on the ice. Can’t remember now, but there had to have been a TV timeout factored in there somewhere. On this shift, he moves into the slot area with his stick coiled, but Gerber freezes the puck before it can get to Number 8.
It appears to these eyes as Ovechkin’s (and most everyone, with the notable expection of Mike Green) shifts are getting shorter as the third period progresses.
As for Washington defenceman Mike Green, I’ve heard and read the hype for the entire season, so it was also a delight to finally see Number 52 in action. He’s everywhere, and he’s fast. Green is a rover, and against a team like the Maple Leafs, he’s able to rocket safely back into position after one of his many forays’s deep into enemy territory. No doubt other games he occasionally gets caught out of position, but the rewards far outweigh the risks. Thank goodness he plays for a team, and a coach, that permits him to fully utilize his formidable skill set. Green is a delight to watch.
9:17 pm – SHIFT #18. Ovechkin chops at (on?) defenceman Jeff Finger in the Leafs’ zone. Nothing to see here, move along.
9:21 pm – SHIFT #19. Ovechkin takes a feed and gets off a nice shot that’s either just wide of the top left post behind Gerber, or hits a piece of the goaltender, and goes wide. It happens so fast, I don’t know, and I don’t have the benefit to replay where I’m sitting. Ovechkin has a lightning-fast shot. During the same shift, he falls down deep in the Toronto zone, but still manages to pass the puck towards the slot.
WIth less than three minutes left, the Capitals come as close as a team can to scoring without actually lighting the lamp. Somehow, Gerber keeps the puck out of his net.
And, as we all know, for TV hockey commentators will remind us each and every time, when that happens…
…the other team comes back and scores.
Well, first, John Erskine gets nabbed for hooking with 2:26 left in the third.
Toronto goes on the powerplay, and wIth 2:36 left to play, Pavel Kubina’s slapshot from the point finds its way into the back of the net. The puck goes through the legs of Theodore, who had some traffic in front of him. Typical NHL goal. 2-1 Maple Leafs. The crowd finally appears to be fully awake.
We all had no idea what was in store for us mere moments away.
9:25 pm – SHIFT #20. OVechkin sets up behind the Leafs’ goal, not in a Gretzky Office sort of way, but just because that’s where the puck is for the longest time.
With just over a minute left to play, Boudreau elects to pull Theodore. It leads to almost immediate dividends, as the Caps push the equalizer past Gerber. 2-2 tie with 57 seconds left on the clock. Brooks Laich, who I understand is the extra attacker, gets the goal. Ovechkin picks up an assist.
A hotly debated goal, at least by Leafs’ netminder Martin Gerber, who in his Curtis Joseph-like zeal to get to the offending referee and make his objections known, gets a little too physically friendly with ref Mike Leggo, and then proceeds to shoot the puck in the direction of the officials, though I have to admit, I didn’t see that infraction occur.
Doesn’t matter. The officials did, and after assuring all that the goal stands, they hand Gerber a ten-minute misconduct, and he is asked to retire to the splendour of the dressing room for the remainer of the game.
Which means a cold Curtis Joseph, with a big grin on his face, is pressed into action. After sitting at the end of the Maple Leafs’ bench for the past 59 minutes and three seconds of the game. Scarfing down hotdogs.
Okay, maybe not, but Cujo couldn’t be any colder than when Toronto head coach Ron Wilson elected to use him in the shootout earlier this season instead of Vesa Toskala, and that turned out very badly for the Leafs. No doubt the Capitals were licking their chops.
When the Washington goal is announced, the A.C.C. crowd boos very loudly. They are finally into this game, though to be fair, there wasn’t much of a game to be into for most of the night.
SHIFT #21. Curtis Joseph stones Ovechkin on a one-timer with 10 seconds left on the clock. The place erupts. Ovechkin makes a face like he thought he should have had that one. Probably everyone else in the joint thought he was going to connect, as well. We head to overtime.
9:31 pm – SHIFT #22. Ovechkin wasn’t on the ice to start the first, second or third period, but he’s out there to start the extra frame. 4-on-4. Plenty of room for the Capitals’ predators. He makes a nice rush up the ice, and sets up Mike Green in the slot, but Joseph is square to the puck, and stops it.
9:34 pm – SHIFT #23. Ovechkin gets in a few rather light slashes at Alexei Ponikarovsky. Nothing out of the ordinary.
9:36 pm – SHIFT #24. First off, the official NHL game sheet has Ovechkin having only 23 shifts, so somehow I’ve got him taking an extra shift. The NHL stats guys know what they’re doing, but since this is how I tracked the game, I’m going with this phantom Shift 24, just to I don’t have to go back and figure out how I screwed up the math.
Regardless, Ovechkin helps draw a Pavel Kubina hooking penalty with 52. 3 seconds left in overtime. During the 4-on-3, Ovechkin can’t keep the puck in the zone, but the Caps regroup quickly and regain the zone. Once again, Joseph stones Ovechkin in the slot, and the A.C.C. crowd parties like it’s 1999. We head to the shootout.
I’ve only seen one previous NHL shootout live, and it was that game where coach Wilson had Joseph come out of the bullpen for Toskala. Doubt there will be the same result tonight, as Cujo has been at the top of his game in his less than six minutes of service.
Toronto elects to shoot first, which I think is almost always the best move for the home team. Noted sniper Jeff Hamilton starts things, and damn if he doesn’t bury it.
That would be the only goal of the skills competition, as Theodore shuts the door on Blake and Mitchell.
As for Joseph, he stops Backstrom and Semin shoots wide, which sets up Alexander Ovechkin against Curtis Joseph. Either Ovechin ties the game, or Joseph is elected mayor of Toronto.
The crowd is completely into the affair by now, whipped into a frenzy by their distate for the tying goal, and by the huge saves by Joseph. The boos cascade around the building as Ovechkin sets himself at centre ice. It’s a delicious piece of theatre, the game distilled down into this solitary encounter. It’s the shootout as its best.
Ovechkin gets the signal, and moves in on Joseph. Cujo goes down a bit early, and maybe guesses on the shot, but Ovechkin can’t find the handle, and as he moves to his right with the puck, rapidly running out of room, the crowd roars as it anticipates that this game is over.
Which it is. 3-2 Toronto. 58 minutes of mostly subpar hockey, with a few exceptions. It’s the last two minutes, and all the extra activities, that have people talking.
The three stars reflect the peculiar nature of this game. Oreskovic gets the third star, a homer call, thanks to his first NHL goal.
Mike Green gets the second star, and for good reason. He was everywhere, registering 10 shots and was on the ice for 30 shifts, totalling 29 minutes and 7 seconds. This man earns his pay.
Curtis Joseph is awarded the gold star, and even though he was only out there for the last chapter of the game, he earned it. Former NHL goaltender and current broadcaster Greg Millen was sitting about three seats to my left, and I heard him loudly proclaim as he left the press box, that he’d never seen anything like it in all his years in hockey, a goaltender getting the first star for what was basically a one-inning relief appearance.
As for Alexander Ovechkin, the superstar ended the evening with a goal and an assist. The goal was a powerplay marker, and the assist picked him up a plus one rating for the night. He was on the ice for 23 shifts, for an average of a minute and one second per shift. Ovechkin totalled 23:27 in ice time overall, and took 7 shots.
He was pretty much everything he’s advertised to be. All eyes were on him whenever he took to the ice. The game overall, save the last six minutes, was a dud, but one always had the feeling that at any time, given just an inch, Ovechkin would explode and fill the net with pucks.
23 shifts.
A player worth paying to watch.
- Mick Kern
Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s
