Alex Ovechkin guarantees a Game 7 Win for the Caps

[chuckd3534]

In his post game comments after the Caps loss, Alexander Ovechkin said “the character of this group shows a lot…we are going to come back and win the series.”

He added, “we need to play our best and give everything and we are going to do it. We are going to do our best.”

Ovechkin continued, “We’re going to play our game and we’re going to come back and we’re going to play Montreal or Tampa.”

 

[chuckd3534]

It's all falling into place. We'll see if OV can be Messier after all...LOL.

 

[chuckd3534]

“We almost tie the game and the character of this group, it shows a lot,” Ovechkin said. “We’re going to come back and win the series.”

“We’re going to play our game and we’re going to come back and we’re going to play Montreal or Tampa [in the conference finals],”

 

[chuckd3534]

It's interesting. From a mental POV I'm not sure if the Caps crazy strong finish is a good thing with regards to game 7 OR a bad thing.

They could take positive vibes from that finish and say see we can do it. Play like that all game and we will win game 7.

On the other hand, crazy as it sounds it could make them a little cocky or overconfident, see Alex Ovechkin. So maybe it works in our favor since I fully expect game 7 at MSG to be a different game for us with our crowd helping to push us as opposed to that crazy crowd last night helping the Caps.

If you like to study the mind, this would be a good case study.

 

[chuckd3534]

"As soon as we put the puck deep, hit their 'D', they afraid because we big, we strong and you can see how we score goals," Ovechkin said. "We just put bodies in front of Lundqvist and it goes in."

"We have chances, but we have to make one or two steps," Ovechkin said. "It starts for myself. I have to create more opportunities in front of the net, use the body and try to get the shot through."

 

[chuckd3534]

I love all of this. I was worried that we'd get 3 days of Caps are done. Choked again. Rangers will win for sure. Now OV has given us something to think about as well. Thanks Alex.

I think the only way the Caps win is the same as I felt last night, OV takes over and dominates. If he doesn't do that, and he is capable of it, then I believe we win.

 

[Messiah717]

Since 3-1 has now become 3-3 he has to say something. Sorry Alex but at no point is this about your team coming back and winning a series you were leading three games to one. There's going to be a ton of pressure on Washington and I hope they crumble under it. For the Rangers sure there's pressure but they have played two of these elimination games already.

 

[NYR31]

yea i didn't expect him to say "i think we're going to lose and blow a 3-1 series lead", so what he said is what you'd expect him to say in that position.

I think the Caps have all the pressure now to win and i do think they will crumble under it. I don't see how they can pull this one off.

 

[Messiah717]

yea i didn't expect him to say "i think we're going to lose and blow a 3-1 series lead", so what he said is what you'd expect him to say in that position.

I think the Caps have all the pressure now to win and i do think they will crumble under it. I don't see how they can pull this one off.

The Rangers have come through in this situation so many times you expect them to do it again. Of course anything can happen. This game is going to be huge for the Washington organization because they cannot blow another 3-1 series lead. The fans are going to want blood if this happens.

 

[chuckd3534]

I think there is a difference between saying I am confident we will play well and give ourselves the best chance to win AND saying straight out we will win and play TB or Montreal.

But I guess it doesn't matter does it. The game will be played and we'll go from there. I expect both teams to play well and we'll see which team wins.

The Caps have pressure for sure, but boy does OV have pressure. If the Caps don't win this game...not good for OV man. Another terrible playoff loss.

 

[Rangers94]

Rangers need to come out flying again because the Caps have basically said that they're gonna come out and hit us hard and crash Hank. Hope the refs actually call them for goalie interference this game. Also would be nice to get a big lead, hold onto it and have Glass put OV through the boards, preferably legally but I'd be ok with it either way if we were up big late and it happened, so he could finally get a taste of what it's like to be boarded by someone. Guy is an AMAZING talent, but has to be one of the dirtiest guys when it comes to boarding and leaving his feet on hits. He's done it his whole career and the NHL has turned a blind eye towards it and now he has free reign to do whatever he wants when hitting someone. It would just be nice to see him get a taste of his own medicine finally is all.

 

[mrmel29]

Heard OV on boomer's show this morning the OV quote "The rangers defense are afraid of us". That should be blasted in the rangers practice sessions and somebody on that "scaredey cat defense" of ours should take OV's head off the first few times down the ice". Note to OV…. that last 10 minutes when the ice was tilted last night IS NEVER HAPPENING AGAIN YOU ARROGANT CHOKE ARTIST.

 

[Messiah717]

My hope is that they keep trying to force the puck to OV. Especially on the power play because it is just a time waster.

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

I think there is a difference between saying I am confident we will play well and give ourselves the best chance to win AND saying straight out we will win and play TB or Montreal.

But I guess it doesn't matter does it. The game will be played and we'll go from there. I expect both teams to play well and we'll see which team wins.

The Caps have pressure for sure, but boy does OV have pressure. If the Caps don't win this game...not good for OV man. Another terrible playoff loss.

I would expect to hear that from a leader of your team. Messier did it and backed it up...Ewing did it and...well...either way you want to hear that from your team...you want to hear that hey the series is not lost, we are just as good as them if not better. we EXPECT to win and play either Montreal or Tampa Bay.

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

"As soon as we put the puck deep, hit their 'D', they afraid because we big, we strong and you can see how we score goals," Ovechkin said. "We just put bodies in front of Lundqvist and it goes in."

"We have chances, but we have to make one or two steps," Ovechkin said. "It starts for myself. I have to create more opportunities in front of the net, use the body and try to get the shot through."

If you were a Caps fan you love hearing this....It starts for myself.....

 

[chuckd3534]

Not sure about that Al. If that was the case wouldn't all team "leaders" be guaranteeing victories, yet few do. Again to me there is a difference between saying we will play well and we are confident AND I guarantee we will win and their D is afraid of us.

I actually would NOT like it if one of these players came out and said that. I HATED it when Ewing used to do it.

It is one thing for a Mark Messier to do it with YEARS of experience and titles. It is another thing for Ewing to do it and for OV to do it when he hasn't won anything.

Not a huge deal overall, but I am actually happy he said it. To me just something else to keep in mind as we prepare the next few days. Sounds a little like someone trying to convince themself his team won't collapse AGAIN.

 

[Messiah717]

Ovechkin is clearly frustrated because he hasn't been able to contribute to the offense. You have to hope that the Rangers can continue to keep him in check. They have clearly employed a solid game plan to limit his open ice. This has also rendered Backstrom a complete non factor. In fact I think he only has one point in the last nine games going back to the Islander series.

 

[chuckd3534]

The one way I see the Caps winning game 7 is if OV blows up the game. I think that is their shot. He clearly has the talent to do it...but will he...we'll see.

 

[strudwickisthebest]

He should lead by example.... Loser...... Everyone of us called it. He would score a goal or 2 in the first game then be completely invisible the rest of the series like he always is....3-0 Rangers in Wednesday

 

[strudwickisthebest]

He isn't blowing up anything... It will be the same shit... Rangers go up 2-0, give up a goal halfway through the 3rd and sweat the rest out

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

Not sure about that Al. If that was the case wouldn't all team "leaders" be guaranteeing victories, yet few do. Again to me there is a difference between saying we will play well and we are confident AND I guarantee we will win and their D is afraid of us.

I actually would NOT like it if one of these players came out and said that. I HATED it when Ewing used to do it.

It is one thing for a Mark Messier to do it with YEARS of experience and titles. It is another thing for Ewing to do it and for OV to do it when he hasn't won anything.

Not a huge deal overall, but I am actually happy he said it. To me just something else to keep in mind as we prepare the next few days. Sounds a little like someone trying to convince themself his team won't collapse AGAIN.

The only thing I disagree with is saying the defense is scared of us....all the other aspects I am all for. I want to hear my leader say it...I want to know he is pushing all his chips in and believes in himself.

I was big on Rex Ryan and his machismo. I am a big rah rah coach myself. I want to see the emotions coming out of the players. I want the confidence. I don't want a turtle and clichés I want boldness.

When Ewing did it ...it was out of his norm and it looked and sounded dumb especially doing it what seemed like all the time.
Kinda like when I say Rangers in 6 or we will win....

 

[chuckd3534]

How did it work out for Rex...LOL. Looked stupid time after time.

Don't get me wrong, I like confidence, but you can be confident without guaranteeing anything. That is where you and I differ. You seem to be drawing a line from guarantees to being confident, I don't. If the good move was for leaders to guarantee things then how come it almost never happens?

I liked Rex, but thought he was an a** for all those guarantees. Be confident, but stop with the guarantees. All I will say is OV better back it up or he will look like a total a**. His legacy will take a huge hit if he collapses again (as the best player it is on him).

 

[chuckd3534]

And for the record I am 100% with you on leaders being confident. Say I expect us to show up and play really well. I believe in this team and the character we have. I expect us to show up and play well in game 7. I am very confident in this team.

Say that...don't say I guarantee we'll win, their D is scared of us, we will play Montreal or TB. That is too far, and honestly if one of our players said that I would say shutup and play.

That is a man backed into a corner knowing if the Caps lose game 7 he will get ripped apart. For his sake he better back it up.

I also think the winner of game 7 will beat the Bolts/Habs in the ECF and make the SCF.

 

[NYR31]

i agree with Al regarding OV's comments. That's what i want to see out of my captain, not the usual "one shift at a time" BS

i also like OV's game a lot. He's a superstar who's also chippy and pushing the boundaries of legality of the hits and i like that out of my star player. People here worship Messier and get all worked up when anyone mentions his name in comparison to others, but his game IS a lot like OV's as he was also a chippy player. Notice i say chippy as i don't consider Messier or OV to be dirty players. I categorize scumbags like Scott Stevens and Cooke as dirty.

 

[chuckd3534]

I like the confidence, I don't like the over the top gurantees, especially from a guy who has won nothing. And I would say the same thing if McD said what OV said, but he never would IMO.

As for his game, I like it also. He is right on that edge. I know a lot of media people called Trotz out for comparing OV to Mess when OV hasn't won a thing, and rightfully so, but OV does play that big physical style like Mess, I agree there. Just needs to win something before we start looking at him like Mess. But no doubt he has skills. He is the shot I give the Caps in game 7...if OV blows up the game.

We'll see...

 

[strudwickisthebest]

I think if the game goes to overtime the Rangers puck luck might run out. However, I see a 2-1 game, hoping for a 3-0 game. And I am all on board for our team.. Fuck the craps, add to that choking history... OV and Backstrom bloww... Let's go Rangers

 

[Disturbed]

I absolutely love this. The Capitals had pressure to win yesterday and outside of the big push in the 3rd wilted. They know what its like to play a G7 at MSG vs Hank. They did not want that game. So there was pressure yesterday and big pressure on Wed and now even MORE pressure put on by Ovechkin by making his guarantee. I think its very dangerous to assume because they dictated the last 12 min of the 3rd that they will do that next game.

I love when players who have never made it past the 2nd round and havnt done much in the past 4 games make playoff guarantees especially when they are going in a building where the opposing goalie has been unbeatable the past 9 elimination games.

All this does is put more pressure on Ovechkin and Holtby.

 

[strudwickisthebest]

Holtby isn't playing like he did from G1 to 58:19 of game 5

 

[chuckd3534]

BINGO...that is exactly my point as well Dis. To me it is a guy who knows his team is up against it now getting desperate.

I don't think the result of the game will be affected by OV's comments, but I don't think they were smart either.

I agree with you Dis.

 

[chuckd3534]

Flip side maybe OV knows his team well and knows they need this to get their confidence back up. That is possible as well. I still don't think this was the smart path though.