Ovechkin's Legacy: The Biggest Loser

(photo courtesy of sbnation.com)

Over his short career, Alexander Ovechkin has seen his status slip from being the Russian answer to Sidney Crosby, to being just another "Russian enigma". Ovie saw his role change drastically in this year's playoff run in an attempt by coach Dale Hunter to get his offensively-charged lineup to play a defense-first style. Ovechkin's ice time dropped drastically as a result, but the Caps were pulling out some gritty wins. 

(photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com)

Game seven in the Big Apple was a tightly-contested match that offered Ovie the opportunity to change the narrative about his worth as a big-game player. Instead, he withered under the pressure, failing yet again to make the big play and carry his team to victory. Pressure creates gems, but it also creates rubble, and Ovechkin is running out of chances to show us what he's made of.

Wild Way to Finish NHL Season

(photo courtesy of nhl.com)

NHL schedule-makers should be patting themselves on the back today. It’s the final day of the season, all 30 teams are facing off, and so many playoff implications are yet to be determined. All 16 spots have already been claimed, but there is so little wiggle room in the standings; some teams could find themselves either winning their division, or dropping to 8th in their respective conference. Florida and Washington each find themselves in that awkward predicament, battling for the Atlantic. 

(photo courtesy of rantsports.com)

In the west, San Jose, LA, and Phoenix are in a rare three-way battle for the Pacific division. The amount of possible outcomes is enough to make even the most astute puckhead's brain hurt. What all of this means is that the dream of parity that the NHL sold fans on during the last lockout, is now a reality.