Brian Campbell is the latest victim in what has seemingly become a pattern of borderline hits from the league’s most dynamic player, Alexander Ovechkin. This time however, Ovechkin was assessed a match penalty and a boarding major for the dangerous hit, and should be due a suspension (if his salary was less and his name wasn’t synonymous with superstardom). UPDATE - The league did indeed suspend Ovechkin to the tune of two games.
Ovechkin claims that “(He) didn’t hit him hard” and that “He (Campbell) fell bad”, and while that may very well be the case, it was the type of hit and where it was made that is getting all the attention. What makes matters worse is comments like this made to reporters after the game. “I didn’t think it deserved five minutes."
Well, he got his five minutes and though a lesser player with a budding history of on-the-edge hits would be expecting a suspension, he should continue to see NHL action. (This is especially true on the heels of the Matt Cooke shoulder to head hit on Marc Savard). Many die-hard hockey fans are having the argument over whether or not to suspend Ovechkin, and its moot because the league cannot afford to bring down the heat on such an elite player, especially since the player himself doesn’t feel he did anything wrong.
If you haven't seen Ovechkin's hit on Campbell, here it is:
Ovechkin is not out there on the ice looking for people to injure, he is not skating the ice trying to find that opposing player in a precarious position in order to hit him. This isn’t the type of player that he is and the NHL would hope that there isn’t a single player in the league that would meet this definition. What it boils down to is that Ovechkin is a player that is given a tremendous amount of ice time and uses it to be the dominating force that wants the puck at all times. He plays that style of game where he is on the ice looking for the puck, wanting the puck, willing to do nearly anything to get the puck. It is THIS style of play that puts him on the edge of safe and sane.
But this article was precipitated on the fact that Ovechkin is creating a history of questionable hits, so here are the plays that have gotten him in a little bit of trouble:
1) On January 1st, 2009, Ovechkin is chasing the puck in the corner against the visiting Lightning trying to get the safety goal as the Caps lead 4-3 midway in the final frame. Jamie Heward gets to the puck first and looks to shield it from any forecheckers, but at the same time puts himself in a bad position. Ovechkin looking for the puck, and not caring about the player protecting it, rubs Heward out of the play by putting his forearms up and into Heward’s head, which subsequently crashes into the glass and ultimately ends his career due to concussion. The fault lies with the Tampa Bay goaltender for putting the puck in so bad a spot, but this is one instance that Ovechkin’s pursuit of the puck overthrew the need for safe and clean hitting.
2) On May 8th, 2009, the Capitals are facing the eventual SC Champs in Pittsburgh and Ovechkin is chasing an errant shot that has found its way into the corner. This is a playoff game, Washington is down 2-1 and on the power play, but the puck is going to be corralled by Sergei Gonchar so Ovechkin angles for the hit. When Gonchar moves to avoid, but it appears that Ovechkin moves to at least make contact to hinder his up ice progress. This is a bad hit, it is a bad practice to make contact with your own knee (as we will see in point 4).
3) On November 11th, 2009, Ovechkin pushes the forecheck against a visiting Buffalo team that is down 1-0 early in the third period. The Sabres manage to get the puck around the boards in their own end to Patrick Kaleta who looks up ice a couple of times before getting rid of the puck the instant a hard-skating Ovechkin makes a hit on him. Kaleta had turned his back and takes the hit, but it wasn’t more than a player hanging onto the puck just a bit too long and not positioning himself to receive a hit he knew was coming.
4) On November 30th, 2009, The Capitals are playing in Carolina and the game is tied 1-1 in the opening frame. Ovechkin is forechecking with another Cap player and the Hurricanes are not going to get the puck out, when Tim Gleason gets the puck and looks to make a play, Ovechkin launches into him and forces the turnover. During the play, Ovechkin’s knee makes contact with Gleason’s knee and both are injured on the play. Funny enough, this results in a two-game suspension for Ovechkin because it will be for games he would have missed anyways - thats the NHL way.
These are four events that would put any lesser player on the map as being one that plays on the edge of safety, on the borderline of clean and dirty, but with a player of Ovechkin’s caliber and notoriety is this still true? Can Ovechkin’s significant on-ice minutes be a factor? Does his desire for the puck override any other factor in his mind? Can these hits be justified away even while the league looks to minimize head shots?
In the end, Ovechkin is the player that everyone wants on their team – he is skilled, strong, tremendously fast, has an amazing shot, a high hockey IQ and a tenacity for the game rivaling any other’s in the league. He gets to the puck faster than most and faster than most anticipate... He gets to that puck harder than most and this results in him hitting with a strength that most cannot match. This combination of speed and strength make him very dangerous - add to that the uncanny ability to know where the puck will be and he is indeed the perfect storm on the ice.
To ask him to change his approach is to lessen his effectiveness and may even push him back home. This is something no one wants.
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I amended the article to include that bit of information, but you have to realise that I left a few things out that could have been discussed, including the slew foot on Rich Peverly back in October which resulted in a fine...
Thanks for pointing that out and thanks for reading.
I appreciate your comments 'Guest', but I don't see what I was nitpicking here - I was simply showing the pattern AO has created over the past while leading up to this latest hit.
I'd also contest the part where you indicate I know nothing about this great game, but that would be petty and I don't feel like arguing with a wall...
Keep reading though and maybe you can learn a thing or two 
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