Missed Opportunities: Alexander Ovechkin

Missed Opportunities is a series of posts documenting, and perhaps commenting on, the failed chances for the NHL to make a statement about potentially injurious hits or events.

The Opportunity:

May 8th, Alexander Ovechkin and Sergei Gonchar hit knee to knee in game four the second round series. The hit is definitely questionable, and will no doubt be talked about for a few days, as Gonchar looks to be hurt fairly badly. (Also, search "knee to knee hit" on Google. This is not going to go away quickly.)

The Evidence:


The video shows several replays, all of which show the hit fairly well. Ovechkin coming in from the boards, Gonchar coming up from behind the net, and Gonchar making a cut to his left, leaving his right leg out with the push off. Ovechkin comes in hard, obviously lining up Gonchar for a hard hit, but with Gonchar making a cut, Ovechkin hit Gochar's knee instead. You can see Ovechkin does go up with his shoulder, which supports his take in his post-game presser. He said it was an accident, and that he was going in for the hit, but Gonchar moved, and Ovechkin said he had no time to adjust.

The Penalty:

Two minutes for tripping. The call more likely should have been five minutes, and in my opinion, five minutes on top of that for being stupid.

NHL Rule Broken:

50.1 Kneeing - Kneeing is the act of a player or goalkeeper leading with his knee and in some cases extending his leg outwards to make contact with his opponent.

The Suspension:

Likely none. Almost certain to be none. While there has been a standard for suspending based on an injury being sustained, this is the playoffs, and this is Alexander Ovechkin. Should either of those things matter? No. But they do, and so there will be no suspension.

My Take:

Let me note before I say anything more, that I am typing this while sitting here in my AO jersey. I am a fan, a big fan, of the guy. I believe he plays the game with a passion that is sorely lacking in too many of today's players, and more players should show the emotion he does on a nightly basis.

That said, Ovechkin screwed up. While the intent may not have been there, the injury to Gonchar is real, and affects the Penguins in a very real way. The reason Ovechkin should get a suspension is not so much for the intent, but the lack of brain usage on the play. Does AO not realize who it is coming out from behind the net? This is Sergei Gonchar, not Todd Fedoruk. Gonchar is a top flight NHLer, and can skate with the best of them. To think that Gonchar was just going to be lined up for a hit and then skate into it is proof enough that AO was not paying close enough attention. Call it inattentive driving, the same thing all of the idiots on the road should get for driving with their cell phone on their ear, and their heads up their...

Ovechkin did not see that Gonchar's head was up, and that he was well aware of AO's presence. To think the massive, devastating, highlight reel hit was possible was sheer arrogance. Arrogance that led to one of the best defensemen in the league being injured. AO should have made a play at the puck, and if he misses the puck, trusted that the other four guys wearing white jerseys could have made a play after him.

Ovechkin has a history of being involved in conversations about his hits being clean or dirty. Much ado was made about him taking runs at Malkin before the all-star break, and too many times he has been in the news about a hit. AO needs to dial it back, if only a notch or two. I love the emotion, I love the passion, but it needs to be controlled emotion in the heat of the moment.

There is no need to put yourself, and others, at risk of injury with this type of play, thus the reason why in the regular season the NHL does not care if it was purposeful or not. Knee on knee hits earn suspensions. However, this is the playoffs, and this is Alexander Ovechkin.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone.