Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin admitted he was “angry” with his decreased ice time but agreed it was best for the team. Nick Wass/Associated Press)
Washington/Boston (series tied 3-3):
When you consider how much attention Bruce Boudreau's regular-season benching of Alexander Ovechkin received, it's pretty amazing how little fuss there's been surrounding Dale Hunter's usage of his captain.
Ovechkin admitted he was "angry" about his decreased ice time (which is how he should feel) but agreed that you have to "eat it" if it's best for the team. You can't fault Hunter's methodology since Washington's made this much more of a series than many expected.
But what about tonight? I'm really torn on this. On one hand, you couldn't fault Hunter for going with what's worked: trusting your foot-soldiers and tightening the game, occasionally turning it over to Ovechkin, Semin, etc., for the burst of offence they bring.
However, in a game you must have, shouldn't the $100-million US weapon be deployed in full? I could see an owner and a coach having very different answers. Really looking forward to seeing how it goes down.
Elliotte Friedman
Elliotte joined CBC in October 2003 and is a commentator with Hockey Night in Canada.
As part of his duties with Hockey Night in Canada, Friedman hosts Inside Hockey, a feature airing every Saturday during Scotiabank Hockey Tonight that tells the stories of the people and places that shape the game of hockey. Always committed to giving viewers the inside story, fans call follow him throughout the regular season and playoffs on Twitter.
