Ovechkin: Bryz to Philly is "not very nice"
Daily News Flyers blog
Ovechkin: Bryz to Philly is "not very nice"
Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is busy spending his last days of summer in Moscow before heading back to North America for the start of another season.
But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t kept up on the NHL’s summer happenings – particularly in net.
Ovechkin’s Capitals made the steal of the summer when they signed free agent Tomas Vokoun to a one-year deal worth just $1.5 million. Vokoun was the second-best available goaltender behind Ilya Bryzgalov, who signed here in Philadelphia for a full $49.5 million more.
(In fact, as our friends at BroadStreetHockey.com pointed out, Vokoun’s career even-strength save percentage is .919, just a shade lower than Bryzgalov’s .931)
The Capitals then traded 23-year-old Semyon Varlamov, one of Ovechkin’s close friends, to Colorado in exchange for first and second round picks.
We reported in July that it very well could have been the Flyers and not the Capitals that sent their young Russian goalie to the Avalanche in order to restock their prospect cupboard.
Ovechkin said yesterday that “Our GM George McPhee did everything right.”
But that doesn’t mean Ovechkin thinks facing the Flyers will be any easier this season. In an interview with Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, Ovechkin sounded disappointed that Bryzgalov went to a conference rival.
“Yes, it’s not very nice,” Ovechkin said. “It’s going to be more difficult to score against the Flyers now.
“But I was shocked when the Flyers traded Jeff Carter and captain Mike Richards. And then Bryz came over. He came to a good team that plays tough, defensive hockey.”
Bryzgalov would have played in a charity game to support deaf and blind children in Moscow this week with Ovechkin and Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk if he was not already in Philadelphia preparing for training camp, which opens on Sept. 17 in Voorhees.
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Not surprising that so many hate Crosby and love Ovechkin. After all, Crosby has a Stanley Cup ring. What does Ovechkin have? What kind of a competitor would Crosby be if Philly fans loved him? I do not love him or hate him, but I respect him as a great hockey player.— Philly Born- with the kind of money bryz is getting paid they wont be sitting him too often. this is the real deal for the flyers we sink or swim with bryz.— mc62strat
- Let him have bad back to back games and the revolving door will begin.— tnk97
- Look up his helmet design,very cool.— Reality2011*
- "Bryzgalov would have played in a charity game to support deaf and blind children in Moscow this week with Ovechkin and Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk if he was not already in Philadelphia preparing for training camp . . ."
yeah, and I might have went to the game (as a spectator), but I was already in PA as well.— ekw555 - @blackgirlsaresexy, I agree. These Russians players Flyers management signed for the past 36 years are getting on my last nerve.
— Nitroglycerin - JVR was resigned to a 6 year 4.25..— Nitroglycerin
- Ovie needs to come here !! guy plays hard every night and wants to win BAD......— ferrisbueller
Comment removed.- gob1234- Don't forget THIS YEAR'S retread in Jagr. Now that he is older, he'll REALLY take a lot of games off, especially in Laviolette's system.— mrjarn
- I am sure we will get Ovi when he turns old - ala Hawerchuck, Coffey, Kevin Stevens, Adam Oates, Amonte,....— gob1234
- Go Flyers, you are amateur if you think bryz is not a huge improvement on bouch.— mrkmcc
- It would be rather nice to see Ovechkin in orange and black... I am a bit concerned about the Flyers scoring capability after the Carter and Richards trades. I thought Homer did the right thing, but there are holes to be filled after a 40 and a 20-30 goal scorer. 2011-12 may very well end up being a lost year.— Ruffles
- Do you realize that this new goalie's career save percentage is slightly above Boucher's career save percentage? It comes out to about one more save every 5 games. He is going to make little difference in the standings or in the playoffs unfortunately. While important goalie is about the most over rated position in sports except for maybe closer in baseball.— Go Flyers
- is bryz going to let that short side weak goal that leighton let in,in the cup finals against patrick kane? unlikely. — Reality2011*
- Nah, he won't let in another like that Kane goal from the faceoff circle. He'll let in another by that scoring powerhouse, Dan Cleary, from BEHIND the goal line instead. You know, the GWG @13:39 of Game 4 last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dGjEkc_qrQ& Time to get over the Leighton thing.
— icarus - I'd rather have Vokoun and some offense/cap space.— scootch
- Ovechkin is a tough player and will throw his body around. He's a gamer. Would be the ultimate Flyer.— broadstreetbullynyc
- Nice show of respect from OV. I really really REALLY can't wait for this season to start already!— Kanayd
- The Caps will be laughing all the way to the bank while Holmgren's trying to unload Bryzgalov's salary in 2 years.
- I too love that Bryz is already here for camp too. This kid is serious! Once Danny B shows, it's GAME ON!— ThisGuy
- Did Broad Street Hockey also point out that Vokoun's agent was fired two days after he signed in Washington for totally misreading the the market and walking away from a much more significant offer from the Panthers? Or do they just care about Even Strength save %— JSaq
- Vokoun is, was, and always will be a loser. Anyone who wants to argue about his great GAA, but how he "played for bad teams" can refer to Cujo. Curtis Cujo Joseph. Get back to me after that. Then compare Bryz's stats to Jiggy in the past few years. The REAL problem will be if the Flyers don't sign or trade for another top 4 D-man. God forbid some combo of Pronger, Kimmo or Mezaros goes down with injuries. They're good now, could be great with a healthy Pronger, but would be AWESOME with one more steady vet. And that vet ain't Lilja, sorry.
— MichaelZoe - love Ovechkin, hate Crosby
in the 80s I loved Yzerman, hated Lemieux— bobbyd24 - PEven......I am sure he gave a donation....after all, he has the money.— Romus
- hoverer - I gotta admit that I don't HATE the guy either (like I do Crosby), and the respect angle is cool. My favorite moment of his though is when he ran into a stationary Carter and bounced off like a rubber ball and fell on his @$$!!!— uncle meat
- Bad karma to skip the charity game for deaf and blind kids.— P Even
- We traded Carter and Richards? Never heard.....— hallux
- We traded Carter and Richards? Never heard.....— hallux
Alexander the Great isn't the only one who was shocked that Richie and Carts were traded...Looking forward to some great one-on-one duels between Bryz and "the Great Eight." I wish the season started tomorrow....- @Willie, winter classic in what year?— Nitroglycerin
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- Ovechkin's cool. Wish he was a Flyer.— hoverer
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- Good respect from Ovechkin. Also like the fact that Bryz is already in Philly preparing for camp.— paulNC
