Alex Ovechkin guarantees a Game 7 Win for the Caps

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....

 

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).

 

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.

 

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...

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

The Caps knew their season was on the line in that 3rd period of game 6, and they played like it. They gave it their all and couldnt break through. Ovi is trying to convince himself more than anyone with that statement.

 

Barry Trotz said today that he liked Ovechkin being “bold” and showing confidence in his team. (Gulitti)

 

I agree Prod...he is reaching for anything IMO. Maybe it will work out for him...who knows.

 

Not sure why this puts any additional pressure on anyone but Ovie himself. He is putting himself out there, rallying the troops around him basically saying...lets go boys im here jump on my back and lets roll.

If they win everyone will say look at how the leader rallied his team around him, taking the pressure off everyone else and putting it straight on his back.

If I am in the room and heard that from my captain I would be all pumped up and ready to go right now.

 

Al I would agree with this 100% if the Caps didnt just drop 2 in a row after a history of not being able to close out series and win big games. If the roles were reversed, and the Caps had just won two in a row to tie it up, I'd agree with your statement 100% and I'd be thinking "shit, Ovi is coming." But like I said above, at this point it appears that Ovi is trying to convince himself here more than anything else.

I know Messier's guarantee came after losses as well, but he had a history of winning. Not a history of losing. I have no doubt that all that talk of collapse and choke is circulating in Ovi's head right now, and he's trying to project the most confidence he can. It rings hollow to me, and I wouldnt be surprised if it rang hollow to a few guys in their room as well. Not saying they dont think they can win, but Ovi doesnt necessarily strike me as the type of leader who can pull off statements like that.

 

I would agree if he was Patrick Ewing and guaranteeing all the time. Now I haven't followed OV's entire career so I ask has hr made these statements before? And not for nothing but each game could have gone either way this isn't making that big of statement compared to if they just lost 5-0 and 3-0.

 

I don't think he has.

Let me reverse it on you Al. You said if they win people will say what a leader and he took the pressure off his team. What if they lose Al? Does he go down as even a bigger loser than he is viewed as now?

I am with Prod because I think he is trying to convince himself more than anyone here. Like I said earlier, I 100% am onboard with him being confident. I just don't know why he has to guarantee anything. Just say we will show up and play well. I am confident in this team and in the character of this team. Why guarantee it when you haven't won a darn thing in your career. That is why I think it is about him trying to convince himself and motivate himself.

Just my opinion, but truth is at the end of the day none of this will matter anyway. The game will get played and these comments won't have much to do with the result. I do think if I was a Ranger player I would love hearing OV say this. Just a little extra raise of the eyebrow from the players I'd think.

 

Give credit to Lundqvist for getting in the caps head after game 5, he's the one who said "they don't want to come back here"

 

Given the Caps franchise failures he probably had to say this. Think about it, its bad enough to blow a 3-1 lead but they blew a 3-2 lead 2 years ago AND got shutout in the final 2 games. That combined with their rich history of blowing leads he is just trying to change the mindset which I suppose is good. I just find it funny when players who have never gotten out of the 2nd round of the playoffs start making playoff guarantees. He has never won a cup, he has never even skated a shift in a ECF and he is going to guarantee a win Wed. Well, ok.....

For the record I love Ovi's game too but I don't like the Mess comparisons. Messier was most famous for his leadership abilities not the edge to his game, although that edge was a huge part of his success. The NHL named an award of his behalf around leadership, not chippiness or playing with an edge. That is my issue. I think there was enough pressure on Ovechkin already, this adds much more and that is dangerous. Even more so when you factor in the opposing goalie who I would be shocked didn't play an outstanding game on Wed night.

Lundqvist has a much better track record of playing at a high level in elimination games than Ovechkin does. Will see how this turns out.

 

The replay is on the nhl network now.