Ovi-rated

Alex Ovechin is overrated. He is not the best hockey player in the world and he will never be the best player in the world. Alex Ovechin is one of the most if not the most exciting player in the world. Ovechin plays a fast, hard hitting game that brings you out of your seat. Ovechin is the most charismatic player in the game. But he does not play a consistent game. He also plays the least important position on the ice. Unfortunately Alex has become somewhat of a powerplay specialist.

I am not and will never be an Ovechin hater and I regularly defend him against the small minded people who hate him because he’s Russian or he doesn’t play on their NHL team. I love watching him play. The puck on his stick or when you see him zeroing in on a big check are two of the best things the NHL has to sell, but those do not make you the best player in hockey. Ovechin is the best power play scorer in the league and probably the best sniper in the game, not the leagues best player.

Holding Ovi back from being the best player in the league are a few things. One , he’s a winger, by nature it’s the least important position on the ice. Two,  Ovi doesn’t not take defense seriously his plus minus is -17, which ranks him 698. That is a disgrace. Three, he only plays a physical game sometimes. Usually at the beginning of games or when he’s pissed. Now his hits are explosive and make the highlight reels but they usually put him out of position and face it when Ovi is running around hitting people he’s not doing what he does best, scoring. Four, he is somewhat predictable, that is why he was in a slump for over a year. Teams had figured him out. He’s back scoring again with the help of his coach Adam Oates. Oates made Ovi  switch sides 5 on 5 and moves him around more on the power play. Ovi still can’t create his own offense like other elite players. He’s creates a fantastic shot off the rush but not chessboard tic tac toe / give and go plays like other superstars. All of these  is not a knock on Ovi just the facts.

When comparing best players in the world comparing forwards to defensemen to goalies is wrong. So let’s just compare forwards. If you judge the best player by who GMs would pick to start a franchise there’s at least a half dozen centers ahead of him, which plays into centers  being a more valuable position than winger but also the one trick pony aspect to Ovi’s game. While you won’t want to start a franchise with him he’s the first player you’d pick to be on your power play. Ovi is like a great power hitter who bats .240 and can’t play defense. You want him to bat when you need a homer but not a single and you definitely don’t want him to play the field. The best description of  Ovi is he’s hockey’s best designated hitter. Hitting in baseball is like scoring in hockey it’s very important but it’s not EVERYTHING. Enjoy Alex. Watch him on tv. Buy a ticket to see him play.The man with the yellow laces is amazing, just not the best player in the NHL.

HATE/LOVE Players

PD-Hate/Love

This column is about guys you hate playing against but would love to have on your team. I pick my top three Hate/Love players. Sure every player that is good you don’t like when you’re playing against them but would love to have on your team, but I’m talking about guys that get under your skin, that you wish took a puck in the face and a stick to the balls. The guys you swear at the television. I’m not talking about guys who are so good like Zdeno Chara that you hate them or Milan Lucic who I admit I have a man crush on and am just jealous he’s not a Penguin because I yearn for a circa 1996 power forward. They just don’t make them like that anymore. I’m not talking about guys that only hurt your team. I’m talking about guys that hurt every team. Brad Marchand hurts every team , quite literally but I hate rats, and don’t want them on my team,  I was ecstatic Matt Cooke is in Minnesota.

Here are 4 guys that almost made the list. Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers. First obviously I hate every Flyer but most Flyers I would NEVER want on my team. Simmonds was an LA King  and learned to play hockey the right way not the Flyer way. Fact is Simmonds  is just a damn good player. The only thing I hate about him is he’s wears creamsicle orange . Daniel Briere the undersized forward for the Montreal Canadiens is a BIG game player. He may do nothing in the regular season but he will come up big in the spring. He’s a midget and he’s scores more garbage goals than guys twice his size. I loved him in Buffalo, hated him in Philly now he’ll probably kill me as a Canadien. Briere is too clutch to ever truly hate, he must be admired.  I could put Nathan Gerbe, on this list because he’s a poor man’s Briere , who never makes the playoffs, but I don’t want him on my team. I just hate that a little person can score so many goals in the crease and not get his head kicked in. If the Penguins were not up to their neck with offense defensemen I would put Montreal’s P K Subban in my top three. He’s a Norris trophy caliber D man whose chippy play has made him more than a few enemies in the league. But I’m SO sick of my D men ( especially Kris Letang) up ice , I just don’t want another freelancer on my team.

He’re’s my top three Hate /Love players. Micheal Grabner of the New York Islanders. He’s faster than the DPT when you’re meter runs out. He’s so fast every time he’s on the ice it becomes an odd man break because in two strides he’s in the play. If he’s hands were 1/8 as good as his wheels he’d be a fifty goal scorer. Even with mitts of stone I’d love to have him on my team. He’s a great penalty killer, not because he even plays defense but he’s so fast the opponent always has to be afraid of a shorthanded goal against. Why do I hate him and not just admire his speed, because you can’t relax when he’s on the ice and he cherry picks. Yes cherry picks !!!

2^nd on my list is Ottawa Senator tough guy Chris Neil. Chris Neil has a head made of cement. Earlier this year he took a puck to the face and didn’t miss a shift. He looks like one of those toys you need to pound on the head to score a goal or kick a field goal. He looks like his head was squeezed with a shoe horn into his helmet. Neil is infuriating because he’s like the Terminator , he just keeps coming at you.  You always have to know when he’s on the ice as well because he will bulldoze anyone. Hits like a freight train and usually clean. When you throw that made hits some will be on the edge He sticks up for his teammates and he takes on all comers, you don’t need a true goon on your team because he’ll fight any goon out there. . He can chip in a goal or two Neil’s probably the toughest guy in the league who can actually score when he tries too. Neil could have been in the movie Slap Shot but he is no joke

This leads me to my number one Hate/Love  guy Flyer’s winger Scott Hartnell. He is a great asshole. He gets under everyone skin. He cheap shots but not in the I’m gonna injure you way just the I’m a jerk off way. He’ll fight when he has too but not for without a good reason, for a Flyer he actually plays with intelligence. He stands RIGHT in front of the net and takes a beating. He has a nice shot and makes some slick passes. Hartnell is also loved by his teammates and is a locker room leader. As much as I despise him I would give him a piggy back ride then length of the PA turnpike if he wants to be Sid or Geno’s winger.