The Hockey Stop

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is an easy target for criticism.

"Optional," cries out the self-annointed experts on the Washington Post comment boards (because he skips the optional practices occasionally.) "Tries too hard," says former NHL player and TV announcer Jeremy Roenick on Versus. "Most entertaining," but not the greatest player in the world and doesn't make his team better, said ESPN analyst Matthew Barnaby earlier this year when Ovechkin and the Caps were in the depths of their season-long scoring struggles and losing streak. Not a leader. No heart. Overweight. Parties too much. Not focused. Chokes in the playoffs. The list goes on.

Perhaps Tuesday night was the tipping point for Ovie. The Russian superstar is used to getting booed every time he touches the puck in opposing arenas. To me it is the ultimate sign of respect when an opposing player is feared enough that he is booed by the opposing team's fans. But the Caps have been struggling mightily at home of late, and the Verizon Center crowd has been getting restless. When the Caps again flamed out on their atrocious power play, I heard the loudest boos from the fans rocking the red since Ovie signed with the Caps. The boos were raining down on Ovechkin while he was carrying the puck out of his own zone.

Well, all the Great 8 did was turn all those boos into crazy cheers when he scored a vintage Ovie goal in overtime against the New York Islanders to send the Verizon Center into a frenzy.

Say what you want about Ovechkin. And the haters will continue to be critical of Ovie and the Caps until they win that elusive Stanley Cup. But no one can argue with Ovie's work ethic and passion for the game. Even when he is not scoring goals and things aren't going his way, he is always, and I mean always, the hardest working player on the ice. He always has a positive attitude, even when the team is slumping. And it is the other things he does to help his team when he is going through scoring droughts, like punishing every opposing player who gets in his way with bone-crushing body checks.

Anyways, here is Ovechkin's amazing OT goal tonight against the Isles. Enjoy.