Until winning a Stanley Cup, Alex Ovechkin was a lightning rod for criticism. National analysts looked for anything to explain the Capitals’ postseason flameouts from criticizing Ovechkin’s plus-minus and defense to the way he celebrated goals.
Now, an old wise hockey man with a very large Stanley Cup ring, Ovechkin was asked how Auston Matthews could become a better defensive player.
Ovechkin on Matthews' desire, at young age, to be better defensively: "I think he should call Dale Hunter and ask him advice." #Leafs
— Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) October 29, 2019
Yup, he said he should call Dale Hunter. 😂
Hunter, one of four Capitals’ players to have their number retired, coached Ovechkin during the 2011-12 season after Bruce Boudreau was fired midseason. Hunter evened the Capitals out after some bad goaltending and defense by installing a rigid dump-and-chase system. RMNB’s Peter Hassett described it as “coin flip hockey.” Ovechkin said Hunter’s system made him feel “trapped.”
“I learned a lot last year,” Ovechkin said when asked to reflect on the experience. “Of course, last year was not my role on the team. With more ice I can give more to the team. It was [Hunter’s] decision and he had his own mind and his own kind of personality and his own systems. Of course sometimes I felt trapped.”
Ovechkin was used selectively under Hunter and during one playoff game, he was given only 13 minutes of ice time. Ovechkin scored 38 goals that season, in what would be his third-worst productive season of his career.
Hunter did not come back after that season, instead opting to return to London of the OHL to coach his former junior hockey players.
During Ovechkin’s press session on Tuesday, he also said he believed Matthews would become a “great player.”
More Ovechkin on Matthews: "He is still young. He is going to be a great player and he is right now. It’s a good thing he wants to learn and be better." #Leafs
— Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) October 29, 2019
But he also said the Leafs are not playing Stanley Cup-winning hockey right now.
Ovi says the Leafs need to 'figure out if they're playing for themselves or for a Stanley Cup' and if they want to win they need to play differently 👀 pic.twitter.com/oWTV5qUfmn
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) October 29, 2019
And if there’s someone who would know, it’s Ovi.
This is a Hall of Fame shift here. Alex Ovechkin almost scores a hat trick off the dangle at one end. Then he hustles back and dives to break up a two-on-one break. pic.twitter.com/rwLhDwBYv4
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) October 25, 2019
