A lot has been written in recent weeks about alleged tension that existed between former Caps coach Bruce Boudreau and star left wing Alex Ovechkin. Still not sure how deep their issues went. Ovechkin came into training camp in far better shape this season, but he has just eight goals and nine assists in 22 games and is on pace for 295 shots on goal. At that rate he’ll be lucky to top 30 goals. Not bad. But not what you expect for a $9.5 million salary-cap hit, either.
We all saw Ovechkin’s public outburst after being benched by Boudreau in the final minute of a Nov. 1 game vs. Anaheim. The Caps went on to score the game-tying goal with their net empty and eventually Ovechkin returned to assist on the game-winning goal in overtime. He said at the time there were no problems between himself and Boudreau. Ovechkin reiterated that after the coach’s dismissal Monday.
“No, I have good relationship with [Boudreau] and it is going to be a good relationship,” Ovechkin said. “Work is work, but we have good relationship right away when he came here.”
Washington general manager George McPhee also dismissed the suggestion that an inability to get through to Ovechkin – to bend his game to the best interests of the team – is the reason Boudreau was dismissed.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with Alex Ovechkin. I think it’s got everything to do with this team not playing well,” McPhee said. “Our goalies aren’t stopping pucks. The defense aren’t getting the pucks out. And the forwards aren’t checking and scoring enough. It’s our whole team. It’s not an individual. We have a lot of players that aren’t playing the way they’re capable of playing, and that’s why the change is made.”
Of course, that still leaves the task of getting Ovechkin going. The Caps aren’t going anywhere without him. Can new coach Dale Hunter do something about that? Boudreau had Ovechkin down to 18 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time per game – way off his career norm. We can probably expect that to creep back above 20:00 per game under Hunter given his history of riding top talent with his London Knights team in the OHL. Maybe.
“Minutes are always judged how well you play that game. Always that game,” Hunter said. “It’s a reward system here with ice time. If you deserve more you’re going to get more. Definitely like playing my star players. But it’s one of those things where if the team’s going right and everybody’s firing on all cylinders I’ll play them.”
Have also talked to a bunch of former teammates over the last 24 hours who had plenty of stories describing what kind of captain Hunter was during his NHL career. Not the kind of guy to come in the room and flip over a training table, apparently. A leader by example, but one whose teammates were unwilling to let him down. He had their respect. So what kind of captain does Hunter want Ovechkin to be?
“Everybody has to be their own type of captain and be a leader that way,” Hunter said. “He’s got to be a big part of the game every night if we intend to win – plus other guys too. And in the dressing room he’s got to get these guys’ confidence. And we’ve got to be confident. And he’s got to get everybody’s confidence back.”
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