Am I the only one?

[Opie 308]

I have been listening to Melrose and others complain all day that AO didn't shoot and instead passed to Feds.

MY take on this is that the only way people don't second guess him is if the puck ends up in the back of the net.

Melrose's and other's big complaint is that he is the most prolific goal scorer in the league and he should have shot.

I think he played it perfect, however Feds (due to backchecking not his own fault) couldn't get his stick on the puck. If he so much as deflects that Melrose and his cohorts are talking about how complete of a player AO is becoming, that being able to find open players makes him better.

If he shoots and doesn't score, people would say he should have passed, or that he is selfish and isn't working with his teammates.

MY take, is he used his reputation (his skill) to set up a play for a wide open player. Had the Flyer D-man not got a piece of Feds or his stick that is a sure goal. As much as I have said I didn't want Feds back on the wings, it doesn't matter if he is untouched or not bother/affected by the D-man that is game set match, welcome to the second round.

I think he made the smart, heady, unselfish play. When he wound up the D and Biron were all over him, Biron was outside of the blue paint to cut down the angle, if AO does shoot, there is not much net, is he talented enough to score, sure but that IMO was the best play to make.

Sorry if this was handled in the GDT thread!

[Cicada 4]

well, we all know Melrose is a tool, and he wrong about virtunally everything

[Nero 20]

It was the right play. Biron came out to cut down the angle, Fedorov had an open net but failed to connect on the pass. He probably had a much better shot at scoring by passing to Fedorov.

Edited April 23, 2008 by Nero

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Yeah, I touched on this in the GDT last night. AO absolutely made the right play.....hindsight's 20/20 for guys like Melrose. If Feds had buried that all we'd be hearing about is how unselfish and how smart of a play it was by AO.

Edit: (Kelsey) Grammar

Edited April 23, 2008 by Never Forget Mac #25

[Opie 308]

Good I was so pissed at the TV when all of these so called "Experts" were trashing AO and basically blaming the loss on him, when he already had 1g and 1a.

Melrose went as far as to say AO would be regretting that decision all summer.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who thought he made the perfect play, what Melrose and others fail to see is that the Philly team played that incredibly well, considering it was off of a turnover, which AO busted his ass to make.

That pass, had Feds stick not been lifted, would have been a tape to tape slap pass within 20 feet of the net!!

[Turkey 0]

Definitely the right play. That was very nearly a slam dunk for Feds.

[stormboy 47]

absolutely the right play. i didn't see a great replay of it, and i couldn't tell how much the d-man was on federov. but, like others have said, that's easily a slam dunk for feds. part of me wonders if everyone--including federov--was expecting AO to shoot the puck. could be that the defense was just too tight on him, but part of me wonders if federov wasn't expecting the pass, assuming that ovechkin was going to shoot.

with how for our of his crease biron was, a shot from the slot is going to have a hard time getting in. most likely it's either an easy save for biron or AO tried to pick a corner and shoots the puck wide.

if anyone's going to be regretting that play, it should be federov for not getting his stick on the puck. AO made the right play. and i don't think that we're saying that just because he's ovechkin...ANYone should have passed the puck in that situation. if he shoots and doesn't score, everyone's pissed because he had federov with an open net and didn't pass it. *shrug* that's the breaks, but i think AO made the right play.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

He made the right play.

The VS color guy said he made the right play.

The Caps came within 2 inches (the distance between Feds stick and the puck) from being in Round 2....

Melrose et. al can shove it.

[Gizmo 21]

Right play for sure... Philly assumed that AO would take the shot and reacted as such. Federov had an open net and if the D hadn't played it just right, it would have been an instant GWG. It was a higher percentage play than an open slap shot in my book.

[up2here 41]

I think Melrose is right. You get the puck in the slot you shoot,puck could go by him or through him or a rebound could happen. He should have shot and you can bet that Mike Babcock would be livid if a Wing passed in that situation.

[norrisnick 1]

Perfect play.

Too perfect.

He faked Sergei out with it. During the wind-up Sergei turned his head from Alex towards Biron anticipating the shot on net and a potential rebound. Chalk it up to a lack of chemistry and only playing together a handful of games, but had Sergei known it was an option that would have been the winning goal. Had they spent longer playing together some sort of unspoken signal could have been used. Live and learn.

[irishtemper14+25 11]

yea i think it was the right play, it was so sweet....he has some of the best eyes in the game

[redwinger4747 6]

That play was almost a thing a beauty. He fooled EVERYONE with the shot-pass and Fedorov had a wide-open net. I am right with you guys. That was the right play, no question.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

The only time when that is the wrong play in today's game is when your Name is Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, or Nash.

[datsyukonethree 0]

Absolutely the right play. Sure, Ovie's a goal scorer, but Biron is going to stop that shot 9 times out of 10, especially as much as he was challenging.

Instead, the play Ovie made was a narrow miss, the sort of thing that Fedorov would bury 9 times out of 10.

I'm getting really sick of Melrose and the other TV cronies playing up the drama. If that's what it takes to sell this sport, fine, but I've heard just a ton of idiotic s*** these playoffs.

[up2here 41]

Absolutely the right play. Sure, Ovie's a goal scorer, but Biron is going to stop that shot 9 times out of 10, especially as much as he was challenging.

Instead, the play Ovie made was a narrow miss, the sort of thing that Fedorov would bury 9 times out of 10.

I'm getting really sick of Melrose and the other TV cronies playing up the drama. If that's what it takes to sell this sport, fine, but I've heard just a ton of idiotic s*** these playoffs.

Whos to say he had to shoot right away? Looked like he time to make a move and then shoot to me and in any case I want the 65 goal scorer to take that shot.

[Gizmo 21]

Absolutely the right play. Sure, Ovie's a goal scorer, but Biron is going to stop that shot 9 times out of 10, especially as much as he was challenging.

I agree... A straight shot at Biron would probably have had a 10-20% chance of making it, that open net tip would have been more like a 30-50% chance. It wasn't quite the same as Hudler passing up a shot and just passing it to a guy in the corner.

[Doggy 130]

Melrose is a moron. Whether or not the puck went in doesn't matter.

I think the chances of them scoring by passing was greater than the chances of them scoring if he'd shot the puck.

[cirov19 1]

Everybody was expecting him to shoot. As suprised as 95% of people watching, the only people who should think the play he chose to make was the wrong choice either a) don't know hockey b) don't like ovechkin.

And Biron looked big. It sucks Federov couldn't make it to the puck.

[Izzy24 44]

Melrose is a moron. Whether or not the puck went in doesn't matter.

I think the chances of them scoring by passing was greater than the chances of them scoring if he'd shot the puck.

This changes everything.

[Saran 1]

saying that AO SHOULDNT have taken the shot just sound weird

[dw185 0]

I don't think i saw the play, but it doesn't suprise me that people like melrose are trying to blame people for doing things that they don't have the skill to do. Melrose is usually dead wrong on this stuff, so when he opens his mouth, usually he disagrees with meand reaffirms what i already think.

[Majsheppard 203]

I am actually quite mad about Ove getting the blame.

It was an amazingly heads up play and Fedorov wasn't looking!!!

His stick was on the ice and had he noticed the puck heading right onto his blade he could have easily shuffled it in. 91 is the goat, not 8 on that play.

And you all wanted him back.

[Doggy 130]

This changes everything.

????