NHL Playoffs: Look out, Ovie's mad
Published on April 22, 2019
- Alexander Ovechkin is so riled he may not sleep until Wednesday. First the no-goal call and then the chirping that got him tossed. It's bad news for the Canes -- Ovie the horse becomes Ovie the beast when he's mad.
- Justin William's world-class tip in the third was just a tease for Game 7. Wednesday will be his ninth Game 7. In the other eight, he has seven goals and 14 points. And who said there's no such thing as clutch?
- The truth comes out. Patrik Laine played most of the season with a back injury. Dynasty owners need to trade him as soon as he goes on an upswing. Why? This quote from the Finn's mouth himself: "I think I've worked on it (his back) a lot over the past couple of years but it just seems like it always comes back. Just don't know why." He may never fulfill his true promise.
- How many more hits to the head are we going to see this postseason? Austin Watson blindsided Roope Hintz in the first and Jason Dickinson levelled Mattias Ekholm in the second. What kind of penalties are needed to eliminate this crap? Seriously.
- Ovechkin was upset on the no-goal call and rightfully so -- it would have tied the game and perhaps changed the outcome. But he rammed Petr Mrazek. Plus it looked like he kicked it in. No goal. Right call.
- I've always loved great defenders. John Klingberg's OT goal was sharp, but my newest fave is Miro Heiskanen. The 19-year-old led the Stars in ice time with 32:27 in ice time. He's 19!
- Neither Mitch Marner nor John Tavares have scored since Game 1. They've drawn the hard defensive assignment against Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. And they've done well. Maybe the rest of the Leafs' scorers need to step up a little more.
- Back to Ovie. That chicken dance toward Dougie Hamilton in the first? C'mon. Hamilton didn't side-step you in fear -- you just missed that check. But an embarrassed Ovie is a motivated Ovie.
- Is the third time really a charm? Jake Gardiner is the only Leaf from the infamous Game 7 meltdown from 2013. Then there was his personal minus-5 meltdown in Game 7 last year. Will this Game 7 be different?
- Ben Bishop sure looked every part the Vezina nominee Monday night. So did Pekka Rinne. Too bad one of them had to lose. BTW, what's up with Bishop's missing tooth? Since when does a goalie lose a tooth?!
- Three division winners are gone. Brackets are busted everywhere. And if Justin Williams has anything to say about it, there will be four. Unless Ovie's mad enough ... Wednesday is must-watch TV.
