Tampa Bay's Ryan Malone recently lectured Capitals' Alex Ovechkin on being more modest.
Tocchet will always be remembered in Washington as a player who, acquired late in the season, helped the Caps miss the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. He then left as a free agent, allowing the team to make its first ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998. His opinions are held in commensurate esteem.
The Caps will also welcome home native son Jeff Halpern, who centered Ovechkin's line in Ovechkin's first NHL game. Halpern weighed in mildly, saying, "I don't mind the spontaneous celebrations, but that kind of stuff is ... I don't even know the word for it." Apparently the former teammates haven't kept in touch.
This was nothing on Tampa winger Ryan Malone, who said he took the silly celebration as "an insult, personally," and said he wanted to "make him pay the right way."
Malone knows a thing or four million about making people pay. This year, he earned over $4 million on a free agent contract he signed last summer, and, with the season almost over, he is on a pace for less than 50 points. Under Tocchet's experienced guidance, he's also helping Tampa miss the playoffs by a tremendous margin. Still, we have to give it up for his negotiating prowess. We just hope Ovechkin is extremely careful about what he autographs tonight.



"... I don't even know the word for it."
Answer: Awesome
Halpern's from Potomac. You'd think they'd teach vocabulary in the schools out there...
Ovechkin should watch out b/c Malone knows how to handle himself in a fight. Ovie's one of the best players in the game, but he's gonna get himself in trouble b/c of his antics. All it takes is a cheap shot from a guy on a team with nothing left to play for.
I really like the caps; second favorite team (Wings fan since '90). Wild celebrations are great; pre-meditated celebrations are not. Ovie told Mike Green what he had planned and even Green said he didn't want any part of it. I love the emotion, but if he pulls out a sharpie at center ice of joe louis arena...I'd want payback too.
Best quote from it all: Coach Boudreau "I feel like Allen Iverson talking about practice, for crying out loud. It's dumb. Let's get over it."
the url bar at the top of my browser says "dcist", but this sure looks like "beefcakeist"
Beefcakeist? Uhmmm, try Pudgeiest. Or Sparetireist. Or even better, Pointymanboobist.
well, that just goes to show that this straight man doesn't know what makes another man attractive!
Celebrate, get Bertuzzied, sounds like a proportionate response.
Stop getting all your hockey opinions from Don Cherry kids.
seriously, we need to stop talking about this. who gives a flying frick?
Go Caps!
My wife and I were down in FL and caught that game. It was great! I'm really over this celebration talk. Just gives more credence to Don Cherry's bogus comments a couple weeks ago. At least hockey is getting some publicity! As for Malone, good luck dude. OV has eyes behind his head and will destroy you.
Also didn't know that I was sporting a hockey player's torso. Shouldn't he be in better shape?
And after Ovie pounds him I'm guessing Donald Brashear will want to go a few rounds, too.
Malone got hit in the face with a shot puck against Detroit in the Cup finals and came back to finish the game. He must be really scared of Ovechkin and his choreographed dances.