A HIt Heard 'Round the Olympics

VANCOUVER—It wasn't like Jaromir Jagr had his head down. He didn't. And still he couldn't avoid being crushed by the Alex Ovechkin Express.

With Russia leading the Czech Republic 2-1 early in the third period today, Jagr, who had been superb in his country’s first two games, gathered the puck on the right boards by his team's bench and began to weave his way through the neutral zone. As he moved to cross the large green, blue and red inukshuk that adorns centre ice, he shifted to his right and then was caught full on by a gorgeous Ovechkin bodycheck.

You know the kind of perfect, clean hit that in an NHL game would mean the player delivering the hit would immediately have to fight.

Anyway, Ovechkin's left shoulder caught the 38-year-old Jagr squarely in the chest/neck area, driving the veteran star backwards onto the ice. The Russians quickly headed down the ice with Evgeny Malkin finishing off the play with his second goal of the game to make it 3-1 Russia.

Held without a goal by Slovakia and for two periods by the Czechs, it was the kind of play that demonstrated how Ovechkin can be a game-changer even without putting the puck in the net.

Jagr's visor was cracked by the impact but he wasn't hurt, and popped back to his feet. The result of the play, however, was a goal and a change in momentum that made the Czechs temporarily sag.

"Before you ask a question, I know I made a mistake," said Jagr afterwards. "The hit I don't really care about. The mistake I made was turning over the puck and they scored. That hurt me the most."

MIlan Michalek did cut the Russian lead to 3-2 with just over five minutes to play, but the Czechs couldn't complete the comeback. Final score Russia 4, Czechs 2.

The Russians are now 2-1, set to get a bye through to the quarterfinals. Ovechkin's hit on Jagr may prove to be a medal-changing moment.

Comments

[Mather Z]

What a ridiculous story.
1) "heard 'round the Olympics"? Really? In a preliminary round-robin hockey game, a Russian checks a Czech and that's "heard 'round the Olympics"? You think the speedskaters are going to be talking about it? Talk about hyperbole.
2) The hit can't even be causally linked to the goal. Sure, he took Jagr off the puck, but how did that help Malkin score, beyond getting him the puck? The rest was on him. And it's not like Jagr's a notorious defensive force.

Talk about a non-story.

[John Doeman]

it is an inunnguaq, not an inukshuk on the ice.

[Jack]

first comment by mather z; clearly a non hockey fan...
I suppose the pass can't be linked to the goal either...genius

[Mather Z]

On second thought, Jack, you're right. One hit in a prelim really did rock the Olympic community to its core. And as for the goal itself, it would help if you read what I wrote: "...beyond getting him the puck? The rest was on him". So sure, it was a turnover. But my point was (and still is) that the one hit in one prelim is getting totally overhyped here.
And it would also help if you read the article's Jagr quote (though it doesn't seem like Cox did either, so I guess you can be forgiven): "The hit I don't really care about. The mistake I made was turning over the puck and they scored." Get it? The hit, which the article is ostensibly about, isn't nearly as important as Cox is making it out to be. Jagr agrees with me. Who's the non-hockey-fan now, Jack?

[Hockeytowner]

I doubt if that hit would even make it on a Don Cherry highlight film. What I did notice was an awfully quiet arena after the USA/CANADA game. Maybe you can do a "Silence heard across the Airways" article about the game.Did Sid the Kid play? heh heh...

[Andi]

For those of you saying that hit had no effect on the play - watch the YouTube video carefully as students of the game. Not only does that hit create a turnover, it also opens a passing lane and creates a 2-on-1 for the Russians by removing Jagr from the equation. That's a game-changing move right there.

[ken]

Just amazing how far people will go to ATTEMPT to discredit Ovechkin

[Joe]

It was a great hit involving a legend and a superstar in the highest level of international competition.

It then was followed by a goal that was only possible because the puck was lost due to the hit.

The only reasons there would be not to consider this play a monumental highlight reel moment in the main event of these 2010 Olympics are:

1) If you are confused enough to believe that other athletes do not care about other competitions if only for the reason of taking a much needed break from their own.

2) if you have something against the people involved or the teams or the sport or the Olympics or the writer of this article.

...and finally...

3) If you are butt hurt over the spanking that AMERICA!!! put down on y'all Eskimo suckas in your own Igloo playing your won game!!!

Bam!!!

[Politicalpuck]

Nice pop by Ovechkin on Jagr and knowing what I know, there are probably a lot of Jagr's former coaches who were glad to see it happen. Ovechkin is the most dynamic player in the world, and though some opinions out here think knocking Jagr on his cushion is overstated, it did lead to a turnover which made a one-goal game a two-goal spread. It was the defining moment of that game. The Russian Bear appears to be in full snarl.

[JB]

Not only did Ovechkin's hit cause the turnover that Semin collected and subsequently passed to Malkin for the eventual gamewinner, but the Czech D-man who SHOULD have been defending Malkin (who was ahead of Ovechkin on the wing) actually abandons his mark to pick up Ovi, leaving Malkin wide open to receive said pass. By action and reputation, Ovechkin had a HUGE impact on that goal.

[John]

You cannot underestimate the symbolic impact of the his to Washington Capitals fans. The player who has completely turned the direction of the franchise around crushing the mistake who, by his own admission, did not give his all in a Caps uniform was thrilling for a 30+year Caps fan!

[Norte]

Hey Joe - wow - you really think the Americans put a spanking on Team Canada? Outshot 2 to 1, out chanced 2 to 1. The game was won by Ryan Miller.
Your arrogance is exactly why Americans wear Canadian emblems when they travel overseas.

[David in Calgary]

I think the best thing about the hit was the fact that some caveman like Colton Orr whomever didn't end up chasing AO all over the house to honour the "code"......
The Olympics shows that no matter how badly the NHL mismanages hockey...hockey's still the best game in the world to watch. Hopefully one day (soon) American NBA honks and Canadian neandrathals who make up the majority of the NHL go away.

[Andrew]

i have been a hockey fan for a long time and i can count on one finger the number of times ive seen jagr hit to the ice like that. putting the turnover and goal aside for a moment ovi laid a great open ice hit on one of the hardest to hit players to ever lace em up.

also if you watch the replay not only does he take jagr out of the play but when skating back the czech assigned to shadow ovi was watching him instead of covering the passing lane to geno. done and done.

oh and...
USA! USA! USA!

[Mark]

Talk about hyperbole... ok, hyperbole is a literary device used for effect... the title IS hyperbole. Hyperbole is awesome.

U.S. did play a solid game last night... curse you, Millertime!

I'd be careful with that shift key.

[Uncle Canuck]

I have to say that the post from ken | February 22, 2010 at 05:08 AM made me laugh so hard. The tone in point 3 came brilliantly out of nowhere. I'm an ardent supporter of my fellow Canad- er, "Eskimo suckas," especially in my own "igloo," but I can definitely say I'm not "butt hurt" (is that what you call it? really?) over the apparent "spanking" of a team that otherwise outshot and outplayed a revved-up U.S. squad backed by a monster goalie. Miller won it, I don't deny that, but a spanking? Um, okay, I guess any win might be considered a spanking in a preschooler's parlance... they do tend get fixated on bum-bum jokes and saying things like "butt hurt" because of their understandably limited vocabularies and such. Well said, kenny.

[Crosbyfan]

There's only one word that comes to my mind when I see Ovechkin play: THUG.

[TincupCanuck]

If Jagr wasnt 6-3 245lbs...it would have been a head hit. This coming from Damien who loved Scott Stevens, but hates head hits. I for one thing head hits happen...first thing i ever learned when being called up to play peewee from adam was look over your shoulder when going to the corners and know who is coming. What do they do in these days of no clutch and grab? Turn their backs to their opponents cause they can hid the puck...which is dangerous. It cant be puck at all cost like it is today...you have to protect yourself first.