TSN TV Schedule TSN2 TV Schedule
World Jrs

McKenzie: An eye on Ovechkin and Malkin

{eot}
TSN.ca Staff
1/3/2005 8:12:28 PM
Decrease Text SizeIncrease Text Size
Text Size

We really shouldn't be talking about taunting as we go into the gold medal game between Canada and Russia, as that's hardly the focus.

Having said that, some of the guys on Russia that are guilty of this taunting happen to be their absolute best players, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.

Ovechkin and Malkin may be the best two players in this tournament - we'll find that out at the gold medal game on Tuesday - but taunting has the potential to cause some problems and here's why.

At the beginning of a period, Ovechkin's ritual is often to skate down before the puck is dropped and pretend to be shooting at the goaltender and scoring.

The Americans were shocked to see this happen and didn't do anything about it, but Canada has already told the IIHF that they better make sure Ovechkin stays on his side of the ice. If not, there's potential for huge problems - something in the nature of what happened in Piestany, Czechoslovakia in 1987.

The biggest thing the IIHF could do is to call the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. When you see somebody behaving in an unsportsmanlike fashion, call a two-minute minor and that will be the end of it.

For TSN.ca, I’m Bob McKenzie.

Share This

Share This

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to FarkAdd to TwitterAdd to Stumble UponAdd to Reddit
Print this Story
Tickets

Tickets

2011 IIHF World Junior Championships

USA Hockey has announced that the Buffalo Sabres will host the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship from December 26, 2010 - January 5, 2011. Ticket Packages are now on sale!
Click here to secure your tickets NOW!