Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild GM
Not a choker but a guy who doesn't elevate his entire team.
This is partly due to the position his plays (winger) and partly due to the specific skill that he is elite at (goal scoring).
Centres and D have more opportunity to control the entire play and elevate those around them. Wingers and pure goal scorers are less likely to do that.
Even Brett Hull (one of the greatest snipers of all time) was a more complimentary piece on winning teams as opposed to "the man".
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I pretty much agree with this.
However, I think Ovechkin's biggest problem is he doesn't play a 200 ft game. There have been hall-of-fame wingers who play a 200 ft game. Shanahan. Hossa. Kurri. OV just can't be arsed. So in a tight game where everything's on the line, Washington's best player is a liability without the puck. That's not a prescription for team championships.
It's also worth remembering that Russia crapped the bed in almost every major tournament in the OV era.