Alex Ovechkin suspended for three-games and its toll on the Washington Capitals -NHL Special
Washington, one of the best teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), faced another major setback on Monday, January 23, 2012, when the league announced a three-game suspension for their All-Star player and captain, Alex Ovechkin, as a result of his charging
incident on Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman, Zbynek Michalek.
Ovechkin launched himself at the Pittsburgh player during their Sunday night matchup, which they lost, 4-3, for their second straight loss of the past week and now having lost him for another three, things are certainly not looking up for the upcoming days
for an already struggling team.
According to the NHL’s chief disciplinarian, senior vice president for player safety and hockey operations, Brendan Shanahan, announced the news about Ovechkin’s suspension after a hearing which involved in the league and the player overlooking what happened.
"Often on big hits or collisions, a player's feet will come off the ice slightly as a result of the impact. This, however, is not one of those occasions", NHL disciplinarian, Brendan Shanahan, said in a video posted on the league's website. "Ovechkin drives
up, launching and recklessly making contact with Michalek's head”.
Ovechkin had asserted that he had no intention of targeting the head of the player, but as the NHL is very strict on head shots this 2011-2012 regular season, letting anyone go would mean having to loosen up in the future as well.
"While we accept Ovechkin's assertion that he did not intend to hit Michalek in the head, the moment Ovechkin launches himself in the air prior to the hit, he becomes responsible for any contact to the head".
Being a repeat offender did also not go well for the player in terms of his hearing, since he was suspended twice and fined as many times as well for previous physical fouls.
At the moment, Washington Capitals are already barely clinging to the final playoff spot with 53 points as ninth place Toronto Maple Leafs, are also eyeing the same spot and tie them in terms of numbers.
Each and every game for the Capitals at the moment is extremely crucial to maintain some positioning in the league before the All-Star break kicks off, but with Alex Ovechkin out, Washington should be gearing up for some major disappointment.
Having led the Eastern Conference at the number one spot for the past two seasons straight, Washington is having a tough time even making it past the playoff line and keeping themselves there.
Since Ovechkin is one of the players who has been voted by fans to be a part of the 2012 NHL All-Star game on January 29, it is still not sure whether the league will permit the player from making an appearance or not, but it has been reported that the team
has given a green signal in the regard.
The Sunday game in which the hit occurred, was Ovechkin’s first three point game of the season, showing that he was serious about getting his team somewhere, but by the looks of it now, he might have gotten a setback as soon as things were about to look
up for him.
Without a doubt, Alex Ovechkin is a crucial part of the Washington Capitals line-up and not having him present during their next three games will surely its setbacks.
Alex Ovechkin will be eligible to return on Saturday, February 4, against the Montreal Canadiens.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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