Alexander Ovechkin

TONIGHT THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS WILL BE SEEN ON TSN…
IT’S THE SECOND TIME THE CAPS HAVE BEEN ON NETWORK T.V. IN CANADA IN THE LAST THREE DAYS…
THAT’S A LOT OF EXPOSURE FOR AN 11TH PLACED TEAM THAT HAS NOT BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS IN 5 YEARS…
BUT IT’S PROOF OF THE KIND OF STAR POWER ALEXANDER OVECHKIN NOW PROVIDES…
OVECHKIN NOW LEADS THE NHL IN BOTH GOALS AND POINTS…
AT THE END OF THE SEASON HE COULD WALK AWAY WITH…THE HART…THE ART ROSS…THE ROCKET RICHARD AND THE PEARSON…
OVECHKIN IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE MOST EXCITING PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE…
BUT IS HE THE GAMES BIGGEST STAR???
IT REALLY GETS DOWN TO TWO PLAYERS…
OVECHKIN AND SIDNEY CROSBY…
ON JANUARY 18TH CROSBY WENT DOWN WITH A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN…
AT THE TIME HE LED THE LEAGUE IN SCORING WITH 63 POINTS IN 46 GAMES…
THE INJURY COST HIM 21 GAMES…AND BOTH THE HART AND THE ART ROSS…
STILL CROSBY REMAINS THE FACE OF THE GAME…
IT WAS CROSBY…WHICH BOTH…NBC AND THE NHL WANTED TO SHOWCASE WITH ITS WINTER CLASSIC ON NEW YEARS DAY…
THAT BROADCAST PRODUCED THE LARGEST TV AUDIENCE IN THE U.S. IN 11 YEARS…
CROSBY IS STILL THE ONLY PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE WITH AN AMERICAN ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN…
THE LAST PLAYER TO DO THAT WAS WAYNE GRETZKY…
NEVERTHELESS…OVECHKIN IS BECOMING A HUMAN HI-LITE REEL…
HE IS NOW ON PACE TO SCORE 65 GOALS THIS SEASON…
THE LAST PLAYER TO SCORE MORE THAN 60 IN A SEASON WAS MARIO LEMIEUX…WHO COLLECTED 69 GOALS IN THE 95-96 SEASON…
EVEN SO…HE IS NOT A LOCK TO WIN THE HART…
EVGENI MALKIN IS JUST ONE POINT BACK OF OVECHKIN IN THE SCORING RACE…AND EVEN WITHOUT CROSBY IN THE LINE-UP…MALKIN HAS CARRIED THE PENGUINS TO FIRST PLACE IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE…
ALSO KEEP IN MIND…
THE LAST TIME THE WINNER OF THE HART TROPHY CAME FROM A NON-PLAYOFF TEAM WAS LEMIEUX…IN 1988…
THIS DEBATE OVER WHICH PLAYER IS “THE NHL’S BIGGEST STAR” MAY BE DECIDED THIS SUNDAY…
PITTSBURGH IS IN WASHINGTON…
NO SURPRISE…IT’S THE “NBC GAME OF THE WEEK”…