Alex Ovechkin earns almost 9.5 million dollars against the salary cap each season, more than 13 percent of the Washington Capitals’ player budget. That’s why it’s a little worrying when Ovi risks injury– even more so when he does it blocking an inconsequential shot.
So…
On Saturday night in Calgary, Alex Ovechkin risked injury by blocking an inconsequential shot.
Three minutes into the second period, Flames center Paul Byron took a shot from out wide. Ovechkin went to one knee to block the shot. The puck hit Ovechkin’s wrist.
GIF by @myregularface
Paul Byron had put 80 shots on goal in his whole career. This might’ve been his 81st, if it didn’t miss the net completely. Ovechkin didn’t let that happen.
Apparently hurt, Ovechkin returned to the bench, holding his wrist.
Image by Ted Starkey
Ovechkin didn’t miss a shift and put a pretty mean shot on net after a faceoff a few minutes later. Still, that wrist is likely to get swollen and sore. Ovechkin’s livelihood– and his team’s destiny– depend on that wrist.
It’s an awful idea for Alex Ovechkin to block shots, but it is particularly egregious for him to block a shot like this– and to do it in this manner.
Byron’s shot came from here:
League-wide, shots on goal from that location result in goals less than 2 percent of the time. Outside the faceoff circle, the goalie is able to see and cover shots from there easily.
The risk of blocking that shot outweighs the risk of that shot becoming a goal and costing the team a win. It’s even worse when you consider the following:
- Ovechkin is worth $9.5M a year.
- Ovechkin is a once-in-a-generation goal scorer.
- Ovechkin is not an experienced shot-blocker who knows how to choose shots carefully and how to minimize risk of injury.
- Ovechkin was hit in the wrist.
- Ovechkin’s wrist is somewhat pertinent to his goal-scoring talent.
@russianmachine I'm over Ovi blocking shots with his hands and ankles. You don't haul lumber with a Corvette. #Caps
— James Desautels (@Dez_91) October 26, 2014
There are certainly times when it’d be best for Alex Ovechkin to block a shot. It’s not something that should be removed from his game absolutely.
But he should never block this shot again.
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