The Hockey Stop

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has been suspended two games for his hit on the Chicago Blackhawks' Brian Campbell in the first period of Sunday's game at United Center.

The game, in which the Ovechkin-less Capitals came from 3-0 behind to stun the 'Hawks by winning 4-3 in overtime, was televised to a national audience on NBC and evidently since Ovechkin is a repeat offender the NHL wanted to send a message.

But is this the right instance to send that message? I don't think so. I watched the hit live and on replay several times and there is nothing malicious about the hit. Yes, it is unfortunate Campbell took a bad spill and knocked hard into the boards. He will reportedly miss the rest of the season with a broken clavicle and ribs. I wish Campbell a full and speedy recovery and I know Ovechkin wishes the same.

But the hit was from the side, not the back. It should have been a double minor or five-minute major for boarding, but not a game misconduct and certainly not a two-game suspension.

What is clear, however, which has nothing to do with the NHL's wishy-washy decision making, is that Ovechkin at times doesn't seem to realize his own physical power. Ovechkin loves to hit and that isn't going to change, nor should it. He is a complete player who can score goals and plays a physical game. However, Ovechkin needs to be more aware of his enormous physical advantage over most players. As Don Cherry says, he is a "pit bull" out there on the ice and he needs to stay physical but be more mindful of his raw power.

I saw that firsthand last year in a game I attended at the Verizon Center against the Tampa Bay Lightning when a Tampa Bay player had to be carted off the ice on a stretcher and sent to the hospital after a similar crushing hit by Ovechkin against the boards.

Ovechkin should not change his game one bit. But part of growing and maturing is being aware of your strengths and weaknesses and unless Ovechkin, who I consider the best hockey player in the world, wants to get more suspensions and possibly seriously injure another player, he needs to be aware of his awesome physical power.

And the National Hockey League needs to get their act together when it comes to enforcing penalties and setting proper guidelines. The way the rules are set up right now makes it confusing for referees, players and the fans.

The Caps proved in front of a national audience and against the best team in the West that they are more than Ovechkin. They are a complete team and a legitimate Cup contender this year.

But we fans sure want Ovechkin on the ice to share in the celebration when our Washington Capitals are hopefully hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in June.