Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.28

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Even now, over a week after the infamous “celebration” of Alex Ovechkin following his fiftieth goal of the season, the debate regarding that celebration rages on. Just ridiculous it is that something so small and insignificant has forced such an outcry from people on both sides of the argument so as we are apt to do here on A Foot In The Crease, here is the correct opinion.

Alex Ovechkin scored fifty goals. He is by far the most dynamic, electrifying player in the game. In just four years in the NHL, three times he has surpassed the fifty goal plateau including one season of sixty five. The other season, he finished with a paltry forty six. He has personality, presence and a passion for the game that is unparalleled with any other player. Not only is he one of the top scorers in the game but he checks with the force of the freight train. Best of all, Ovechkin is low-maintenance. He simply goes out, dominates, and goes home. When you boil it all down, quite frankly yes, he and his stick are hot.

Ovechkin came into the league with Sidney Crosby and since then, the two have continuously been compared. At this point, I think it is as clear as it has ever been when you think which player you’d want to build a team around. For me, it’s Ovechkin, hands down. In fact, it’s not even a close call.

If anything, the NHL needs attention and Ovechkin is the perfect player to attract that attention. His celebration was not disrespectful, he didn’t skate out to centre ice and do it on the Lightning’s logo, he wasn’t in the face of his opponents. He was just purely happy that once again he reached a very impressive milestone while realizing the rest of the league is nowhere close to catching up to him. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.