SATURDAY’S GAMES AND PICKS

For in depth look into the NHL teams records and preview of tonight’s games please go back to the “Home Page” on Hockey God, at the bottom lower left hand side:

Click on “Scoreboard” and review every game by clicking in the individual games being played on Saturday.

Tonight’s Picks

DAL @ SJS: Take SHARKS

TOR @ MTL: Take LEAFS

NYI @ OTT: Take SENS

BUF @ NYR: Take RANGERS

WSH @ CAR: Take HURRICANES

CLB @ FLA: Take PANTHERS

ATL @ TBL: Take THRASHERS

VAN @ PHX: Take CANUCKS

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Ovechkin Over Celebrates Goals?

NHL CELEBRATIONS CONTROVERSY

As you can see in the above videos, celebrations of goals have gone back as far as the game has been played. Colorful goals celebrated by colorful players at times when the goal was meaningful.

Alex Ovechkin who is the best talent in the NHL by the way scored his 50th goal the other night against the Tampa Bay Lightning and then celebrated by placing his stick on the ground pretending it was to hot to pick up.

Then that’s when the sparks would fly, on radio-TV talk shows some were in favor and some in complete disgust with Ovechkin’s actions after the goal. Same with players around the league but more players that were in favor and had no problem with the 50th goal celebration including Calgary captain Jerome Iginla and Canucks Willie Mitchell who were saying that it’s fun and good for the game.

The Tampa Bay players and coach were upset by Ovechkin’s actions I suppose because it happened so close to their goalie and was in their eyes mocking them. Well, where the hell else is it suppose to happen when Ovechkin scored on Tampa in the offensive zone? Was he suppose to skate back to center to do the celebration for the goal?

This is once again a ridiculous over reaction by those in hockey who are complaining about the goal-celebration. It was a big goal the first player to hit 50 this season and the NHL would I bet be loving this goal as it was played all over US networks the last 24 hours.

It was a one time thing that was done on his 50th so I say so what! Tampa players pissed off have every right to try to do something about it. Try to run him, fight him, take him out or send the tough guy out to try to seek revenge ( If you can get by Brashear, Erskine or Bradley) or hey why not try this ” stop him”!

I am all for revenge when I was coaching if you tried to celebrate to close to the players bench or celebrated every goal like it was a Stanley Cup winner.

There were times when I coached the Nat’s in the MTHL years ago that if a team scored a goal on us and went crazy over-celebrating the goal because we were a strong team with little losses, I would run the score up on them when I other wised wouldn’t have. You see it’s different if a team acts like they won a cup when they score or win a game - then it’s called “pay back” for the next time.

Ovechkin’s goal is simply not the same thing as that showing up a team for winning a game or scoring a goal is something my teams would never do because I believed “what comes around goes around in hockey”.

Celebrating a milestone goal I have no problem with and if you cross the line I’m sure the players will let you know on either team. Either you will get your ass run through the boards or your team will suffer for it but either way the players settle the score if there is an issue.

Ovechkin made some comments after the game that he will be anxious to hear what Don Cherry says on his “Coaches Room” on Saturday night. That’s funny! Ovechkin wasn’t trying to be a smart ass either he truly didn’t know the name of the show Coaches Corner that was made famous by HNIC’s Ron Maclean & Don Cherry. You see Ovechkin is too busy scoring goals to watch on most Saturday nights!

Cherry would be wise to leave this alone tonight between the first and second period but you can take it to the bank he doesn’t have that kind of will power. Cherry ripped him already for over-celebrating goals and I’m sure tonight will be no different.

NHL LEADING SCORERS :

GOALS - POINTS

OVECHKIN 50                                                      MALKIN 33-71=104

PARISE 41                                                            CROSBY 28-66=94

CARTER 39                                                          OVECHKIN 50-43=93

MARLEAU 36                                                       DATSYUK 29-46=88

HOSSA 36                                                           PARISE 41-46=87

For Hockey God I’m Dave Frost

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