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10 April 2008-The Playoffs are just around the corner More…
10 November 2008
Slava Malamud
Washington
Bruce Boudreau: "I Don't Need to Wake Ovechkin Because He's Not Sleeping"
The Washington Capitals head coach shares his opinion on Alex Ovechkin's unsuccessful start.
"I wouldn't mind finding out what the reason is for his misfortune, but to be honest with you I'm not able to do that" said Bruce Boudreau. "It seems to me that he is playing with the same dedication as he had before, and you can also see his enthusiasm. Everybody goes through these times, and he will pull through it for sure."
From your point of view, is the main reason psychological or has Ovechkin simply quit?
"He's 23 years old, what do you mean quit?!! If it is something psychological, then I don't know about that because I can't see inside of his head. To me he seems to be the exact same person and I have no desire to create problems where there aren't any. It all comes down to the fact that everyone is expecting a whole lot from him. Everyone thinks that he should have 12 goals in 12 games and this hasn't happened yet. But in the recent game against Carolina he had three assists, and I don't know that we could ask anything more from him. Ovechkin is going to score, don't worry about that. For the time being he is helping the team in other ways."
You don't see any difference in his game?
"Do you see one? In what way?"
Pucks aren't going in the net.
"And what has that got to do with anything?"
I'd just like to know your opinion. For example, do you think that it is an issue of concentration or confidence?
"That is a question you will have to ask him. I don't have any reason to think that the lack of goals is connected with either concentration or confidence. I any case, he hasn't come to me and said "I don't think that I can play in the NHL".
In the game against Carolina you used the "Gold Medal Unit" from the Russian national team. Was this done specially to "wake up" Alexander?
"I wouldn't use the phrase "wake up" because Alex isn't sleeping."
Or was it to put him in more comfortable conditions?
"I think that he would feel comfortable, no matter who he played with. This was done because in three of the past six games we scored only one goal. We absolutely had to improve the communication and find the right mix so we decided to try this line. There are a lot of obvious reasons why we don't want to play this line all the time."
But Ovechkin and Semin looked really good. Is there a chance that they will play together again?
"There is a chance."
Did you like this combination?
"Yes- for the first minute of their three minute shift. To me it seemed like they were looking at one another and waiting to see who would take themselves off the ice first."
Click on icon above for original story in Russian at www.sport-express.ru